Quote:
Originally Posted by dobbles
Couple of thoughts...
Saw the overripe comment about the wings above. As someone that was a huge wings fan for a long time, can we honestly say they benefited from that concept? Were any impact players groomed through those years? Tatar and Nyquist both went through that and I honestly think it stunted their growth and we are now seeing an organization that has not been able to replace core pieces.
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Neither Tatar (60 OA) nor Nyquist (121 OA) were blue chip prospects. For 15 years the Wings have been trying to rejuvenate their lineup without any high-first picks, and often without any first-round picks at all. You could argue that without the patient approach of the Wings, Tatar and Nyquist wouldn't have become NHL regulars at all.
Fans are impatient. But the reality is far more players have had their development ruined by rushing them into the NHL than by keeping them in the AHL too long.