handchecking is the most overrated rule change ever for 2 reasons.
1) people still handcheck, they just don't do it in such an obvious manner
2) zone defense was outlawed. utilizing certain traps and double teams were FAR less common back then.
if you have an elite scorer, handchecking won't bother them much at all. they will find ways to score. but a well timed double team? that will completely screw with the rhythm of even elite scorers.
the rule changes crap is just that. crap.
now I dont have a problem with saying the league is less physical these days, but even that gets overrated, simply because flopping is so common, so people are knee-jerk and want to say "there is no physicality today



". no, there is plenty of physicality allowed today, they just try to keep fights and unnecessary confrontations to a minimum, especially after what happened in Detroit in 04 completely jacked up the reputation of the league for years.