The fitness testing is a big component of the NHL Scouting Combine. Even though there's no on-ice component, that part of the event still can tell scouts and GMs a lot about the prospects.
But is it the be-all, end-all? Not quite, and Penguins GM Ray Shero has the perfect illustration.
Back in 1993, he was working for the Ottawa Senators, who had the first pick in the draft. He hadn't been on the job long when he was sent York University to check out a young defenseman the team was considering taking.
"I had been on the job three weeks," Shero recalled for NHL.com, "and I remember seeing Chris Pronger and Chris Pronger, they had the bench press, he couldn't lift anything, he couldn't get it up once."
Shero said there was 135 pounds on the bar.
"These kids, keeping in mind they're going to grow into themselves from where they are now," said Shero. "I think you're just looking at where they are, if they have room to grow, work ethic. It's another way to see them in a competitive environment and see how they do."