It's not easy to move from defense to forward, or vice-versa, at the NHL level, but some have done it with success. Will Toronto's Jake Gardiner join their ranks?
There was an item that came out of Toronto this week about the Maple Leafs toying with the idea of moving Jake Gardiner from defense to forward.
GM Dave Nonis told the Toronto Sun’s Steve Buffery the club’s brass has ruminated on the notion, since Gardiner had played some of his formative years up front, but indicated it’s not likely to transpire.
And that’s not surprising. At the NHL level, it’s rare for players to move between the back end and forward for a couple reasons.
First, the transition is difficult. These professionals have been schooled on subtleties and nuances of their positions for years and making the switch typically requires significant training.
Second, and this is applicable in Gardiner’s case, the position the player is vacating needs to be filled and that can create another headache. Gardiner is a strong-skating, solid puck-mover. Who would replace that skill set?
This is why the list of players who’ve successfully transitioned from defense to forward (or vice-versa) is relatively small. With that in mind, here are five guys who have done both well.
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Others who’ve split time between the two positions include the smooth skating Mathieu Dandenault (DET, MTL, 1997-2009), plus enforcers such as the late Wade Belak (five teams, 1997-2011) and Randy Holt (seven teams, 1974-84).
Let us know if you think we’re missing anyone of note from the modern era.