Quoting: KakkoForMauriceRichardAward
I like hard work more than a lot of things because it's not automatic... getting talent is easy, tank, get the 2nd overall pick, draft Eichel, BOOM got talent, you can trade for it
Where as hard work is a skill on its own, just watch the Darren Helm shift on a PK against CHI, that's what I LOVE... relentlessness, grit, fast players... AKA Gallagher, Hyman...
Edit: does it surprise you that Hyman is my 2nd favorite Leaf after Rielly?
Getting talent is certainly not easy. Finding offense is exceptionally hard, its literally what everyone who is any sort of hockey person says, scoring goals is the single hardest thing to do in the NHL. Working hard, playing defence, that all can be taught. What Matthews can do better than pretty much anyone (Scoring goals) isn't something that is easy to find, what Marner can do, or Nylander can do or JT or Rielly, those guys can do stuff the vast majority of players will just never be able to do. I love Hyman, he's terrific but you can find others that do what he does, you can find other who do what Kapanen does, or Bryan Rust, or insert any secondary player who performs with stars. The difference between those guys and any other NHL player isn't much, its hardwork (Hyman works harder than most guys with his skill set), luck and chemistry. The difference between Matthews and Hyman though is massive. This is why TO pays their top end guys big money and everyone else gets squeezed, they just aren't comparable. Matthews, Marner and Nylander are all coming into their own though, they are going to be hitting their prime much like MacKinnon did in his 4th or 5th season. When that happens, and they learn to be consistent, this team will be so dangerous all the time and with Keefe's system protecting the net, they will be stifling. Lesser teams won't be able to get the puck from them and when they do have the puck won't have many opportunities to score. Now if only they can figure out how to get a better PK unit, this team will be contending for the next 6-8 years.