David Savard is a pretty good example of both.
Just two years ago, this was a player whose NHL future was perhaps a bit uncertain. He had struggled during stints with the big club, showed some flashes in the AHL, and had yet to prove that he could handle the demands of the pro game.
Sensing that a make-or-break moment was on the horizon, Blue Jackets management signed Savard to a one-year, two-way deal on July 15, 2013 – one that came with a stern directive: it was time to buckle down and prove that he could be an everyday NHL defenseman.