Quote:
Originally Posted by jeremywilhelm
Heat go 8-1 on their 9 game road trip. Sweep the Sharks this weekend and Backlund has produced 5 goals and 5 assists and is a +5 in the 7 games he has been back in the AHL.
He is also finally playing on the first line (What a suprise Playfair, you moron).
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Is it possible that lacking guys like Lundmark, Chucko etc. has forced Playfair's hand? Or, to put it another way, if the Heat still had a bunch of the players that they began the season with, would Backlund still be playing a "depth role".
On Playfair - he's seems to be firmly of the "you gotta earn it" mindset with younger players. There's some credence to that strategy I think, but I also believe you should put guys in a position to succeed, not fail. It can be a pretty delicate balancing act.