[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by Henry Fool

They're a team that's under pressure to make a playoff run after their off-season signings, and their lineup has been in constant flux for most of the season. In a situation like that, I can understand how a small skilled rookie center can't quite convince the coach. I think maybe if they find some consistency, they'll be able to give Granlund a real chance again, but when things are chaotic, it's easy to lean more on the veterans like Cullen.

I think Yeo understands very well what kind of game Granlund plays. It just doesn't follow that he can trust Mikael to be able to do that right now. He plays a complex game, he needs to control the game with the puck, he's not an up-and-down winger who can just jump in and do his thing like always. Yeo has given a lot of responsibility to other rookies as well, so he's not afraid to use young players if they fit.

Bouchard has been scratched even more than Granlund, and I don't think it's a coincidence that they are somewhat similar players.

There's a grain of truth in what you say in the sense that I think Granlund has been trying so hard to prove that he can handle the other aspects of the game that he hasn't really played his game at all. The coach plays a part in that. It's a tough situation because he's probably so scared of making mistakes that he essentially ends up playing a game that others can play better than him. But that's nothing new. Lots of new players are on a short leash and feel that if they commit a couple of mistakes they're right out of the lineup. It's only a problem if it continues indefinitely.

Again, this is similar to Bärtschi in that they both play for teams that are struggling for a playoff spot (or at least think they do). On a team that's implicitly understood to be awful, the rookies have more freedom, and on really solid teams, the rookies are sheltered by the rest of the lineup. Expecting Granlund to center the second line right away was pretty optimistic. That's a tough spot on a team like that.

Enough OT. With the Flames, a part of the issue is that they think they're good enough to make the playoffs. So when things don't work right away, the coaches scramble to find the fix because they think that they're just not getting enough out of their lineup. Rookies tend to be the first to go. What they actually have is indívidual players who are more or less performing as expected but just don't form a good team.

Iginla for Granlund