bustaheims
Active member
Nik the Trik said:Except I don't think the motivation for that should be "We've got to get Matt Arcobello in the lineup".
I don't either, but I also don't see it that way. To me it's more "We have to make sure we don't put Bailey/Hyman/etc in the NHL lineup until they're more than just ready."
Nik the Trik said:I think the Marlies should be run as close to a real club as you can. If a line is firing, keep them together. Give the guys you figure to be potential top 6 players in the league top 6 minutes with the Marlies.
Given how farm clubs work, I don't know how realistic that is. Guys will be shuffled up and down between the Marlies and the Leafs, and the Marlies and Orlando. Injuries, trades, etc will have cause a lot more roster shuffling for minor league clubs because they have to deal with the impact on two roster, not just their own. I think it's important to keep the Marlies as adaptable as possible.
Nik the Trik said:Like you say, there's got to be room to reward performance but I don't think that should go hand in hand with burying a young guy in his first pro year because he's not showing the immediate results you want.
Unless they're only getting marginal ice time, I don't see it as burying them. I see it as making sure they're on the right development path for the individual. Start slowly, figure out where they need to work on things, where they fit in, etc. Help them to develop a more well-rounded game. These are all important things for these guy who aren't likely be more than middle-6 type guys at the NHL level.