I've followed Granlund in Minnesota a bit, and his situation isn't that different. They're two prospects that were ranked pretty close to each other before the season and thought to be possible Calder candidates.
Granlund started the season on the second line and scored a handful of points but he's mostly been either on the fourth line or scratched. The discussion with him is whether or not he'd be better off in the AHL even though he has nothing to prove there. Earlier Yeo said that so long as they see progress, they don't necessarily feel the need to send him back to minors, but now that they've found a lineup with some life, they might. Fact is that Konopka plays a stronger fourth-line game than Mikael.
Obviously that's not a situation in which he's able to show off his strengths, but I don't see it as a tragic mistake either. Some players need more time or don't have the correct spot in the lineup open. Some rookies get put in situations where they're sheltered or otherwise carried so that they can show off their stuff right away despite their weaknesses, others have to work harder to prove themselves, and in the long run that might make them better players.
Whenever there's a star rookie, there's always also a set of fortuitous circumstances. A few seasons from now, some of the hot rookies will look ordinary or reveal obvious weaknesses and some who struggle now will be carrying their teams - and maybe even in part because they were coddled less than some others.
The only comment Granlund gives is that he needs to work hard and the only thing Yeo says is that he's going to be a great player for them eventually. I think that's the situation with Bärtschi as well. There's no need for him to get depressed and the rest of us just have to be patient. With these players, the talent will not disappear. You won't turn them into grinders.
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