Quote:
Originally Posted by Newton
Sven was a great Junior player...he is no longer head of the class amongst his peers...
Some guys are late bloomers, he may still be a great NHL player, but the Flames have run out of time with him...
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The problem is that "late bloomers" have a strong tendency to come out of nowhere, and to make a sudden surge upwards in their development. This is not the case with Baertschi. He was a mid-first round pick because he looked like he could be an impactful top-six NHL player. His first year following the draft seemed to confirm this. And then, when he turned pro, he has sort of levelled off, and hasn't really taken many noticeable steps forward in his development. If he is plateauing at the age of 23, then I would say that it is highly doubtful he will suddenly turn things around and make a big impact.