Questioning Marc Savard's IQ
Published September 2006

The 2006-07 edition of THN's Ultimate Fantasy Guide -- "Pool Guide" for the Canadian version, eh -- presents its annual High I.Q. (Intimidation Quotient) ranking based on some formula they came up with ([goals x 3] + [PIM minus 10-minutes penalties]) many years ago. To be eligible, a player must have a minimum of 20 goals and 80 amended penalty minutes in order to weed out guys with a boatload of goals and no PIMs or the other way around.

This year, only 20 players qualify and Sidney Crosby is first, followed by Brenden Morrow, Eric Staal, and Brendan Shanahan. To justify Crosby, they go out of their way to explain that there's a power shift underway in the NHL. The term 'power forward' used to be reserved strictly to guys with hulking frames and fine hands. Not anymore, apparently. Really?

Now enters Marc Savard, former Atlanta Thrashers who joined the Bruins in July. Savard is ranked 9th right after Iginla, Arnott and Bertuzzi. Time to rethink the formula! Savard can be described in lots of ways but the words "power forward" and "high intimidation quotient" just don't cut it.