When it comes to being a fan, deploying a healthy dose of skepticism on occasion has value.



That’s not to say relentlessly optimistic lovers of the game are “doing it wrong,” of course. If believing that all of the players on a preferred team are destined to have breakout years on their way to a Stanley Cup championship ends up being the best way for fans to enjoy hockey, that’s their choice. But as Philadelphia fans know particularly well, sports often don’t play out that way.



Superstars get hurt. Top prospects don’t pan out. Favorites on paper underachieve. In fact, it’s the relative scarcity of positive moments that makes them feel especially monumental. But the underlying philosophy of a skeptical fan is simple: If it seems too good to be true, most likely it is.



This brings us to the tale of Sean Couturier.



Taken eighth overall back in the 2011 draft, Couturier quickly established himself as a useful...