Great topic and an excellent discussion.
To me this topic comes down to one operational rule that I'd insist on if I was head of a hockey operations group ...
Treat every player as a unique case.
I think a team that has a demanded "hot house" plan is just as foolish as teams that play every first round pick every season regardless of how ready they are. Players can be damaged in either circumstance.
Enoch mentioned past administrations and you can't lump them together and I agree with that 100%. Additionally though, you can't hold the fact that x number of kids have jumped straight to the league against the numbers either as it tends to skew things.
Let each kid determine his own path, and stick to it. Don't leave a spot for a kid automatically, that's foolish. But also don't rule a young player out without actually evaluating his individual circumstance.
Ideally you let injuries create opportunities that create the need to move a veteran and make space.
This year they seem to have a hole or two up front and a hole or two on the blueline which is something we haven't seen before (if it holds). To me that says Treliving believes there are multiple players at each position challenging so it doesn't come down to gifting a position.
No rules, treat them as individuals. Don't get caught up in some edict that hurts player development.
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