Quote:
Originally Posted by Flames89
What has Baertschi done to deserve a starting lineup role? Did he not take a step back last year, looking more and more of a one-dimensional soft, yet skilled, European?
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Pure speculation on my behalf, but I think one of the big reasons Ward is gone is due to the handling of Baertschi last year. Sven was sent down to work on his 200 foot game, and Ward followed that up by switching him from the LW to the RW - which saw Sven struggle GREATLY. So not only did he struggle with confidence at the start of the year, but he had to learn a new position with a new dynamic. It didn't work. Once Ward put Sven back on the left side, Sven exploded. If you go back and listen to Ward talk about it, and then look at Sven's stats following being switched back to LW, I think it's fair to say that Sven struggled in changing his position and responsibilities.
With how Sven finished the season, I think he's got momentum on his side and, assuming he puts in a hard summer of work, will have a very strong camp and a good chance at making the team.
I also never really liked calling Sven a one-dimensional player. Heck, even go back and look at the Monahan highlight reel that AC put up on youtube - Sven is a good backchecker. He struggles with defensive board battles, but I thought he put good pressure on the opposition otherwise. He has a very smart stick and with a bit more tenacity could be a very good player. Also, at the same time - we shouldn't be labeling or counting out a 21 year old. Look at Mikael Backlund's development - it took him until 24/25 to become a good NHL player. Sven's got a long career ahead of him - the Flames have a responsibility not to mishandle him.
We love to mock Edmonton for mishandling their prospects, but I'd argue the way Feaster and Weisbrod handled Baertschi was much worse than anything Edmonton has done to their young players.