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Originally Posted by Erick Estrada
Yep. I admit that I've never been as bullish on Sven as some fans here have but I think he can be a top 6 NHL forward. I believe the Oilers approach of letting the kids play with no accountability is why their top players have had their growth stunted so I'm okay with Sven being held accountable.
However I do have a little gripe which is less about Sven and more about how Hartley seems to have tiered expectations for certain players like Baertschi, Horak, Smith, Backlund, Jones, etc. Horak under Brent in his first season played 61 games and didn't look out of place most nights. In two seasons under Hartley he can't even get in the lineup. Meanwhile guys like Galiardi who IMO has been just going through the motions never lose their role and Jackman to me is no longer a full time NHL player. Heck even Jones has been ho hum. Just seems to me that some players seem to escape his wrath while others can do no right. Maybe I am reading too much into this but I don't want to waste these rebuilding years with no accountability for players that aren't part of the long term plans. I would like to see some of these other guys take their turn in the pressbox for poor play like Galiardi last night with that poor giveaway and poor overall play.
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I can agree with your assessment of Jones and Jackman, but I have to disagree about Galiardi. Yes, he has had some bonehead moments and lapses in judgement, but overall I have really liked what he has brought to the club. Lots of energy and hustle, and really seems to know and play to the strengths of his role.
It would be nice to see some of these other players held accountable. Reduction in minutes, no special teams time, maybe a seat in the pressbox now and again. However, with Sven (and as others have brought up), there is far more of an investment factor there. I'm not sure if there are players that can "do no right". I feel it's more a matter of nipping it in the bud. Get these bad habits out, reinforce the future attitude of the team identity in the players that will be here and will be part of the future plan. Sven's one of those guys. I love to see that, while they are having him sit, they seem to be giving him way more attention and instruction than some of the other guys.
They know that he has something special in him that has the potential to translate into something spectacular at this level, and they are taking every necessary step to ensure he realizes this potential.