Quote:
Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction
I'm not upset to see Backlund scratched. He has had a few good games, but for the most part he has only been so-so. He could be so much better and I think that is the point Hartley is trying to make.
It's not about how much better Backlund is than another player. It's about getting the most out of him over a whole season. An extreme example is let's say you have an 80 point player playing like a 40 point player. Do you just accept that the player is going to keep playing that way and offer no repercussions because a 40 player in the line-up is still nice to have.... or do you scratch them hoping to light a fire under them to get them back to form?
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Maybe you stick him on a line that doesn't have McGratton on it?
Backlund has been one of the biggest contradictions of the "merrit" system this year. He has outplayed all our centers so far this year, but gets bumped down the depth chart once Colborne comes in for no reason at all. Then the same happens when Stajan comes back.