Quote:
Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle
No I'm not. There 10 forwards who have given this team a chance at a playoff birth and played very very well for the Flames. It's very debatable at this point whether Bennett will be an upgrade over any of them before this season is done.
These are the biggest 4 games of the Flames season coming up, the games all the other players on the roster, including ones we should care about long term (not just the Bollig's of the world) want to play in, and in many respects have earned the right to play in because of how far they've taken this team. This is not the same as calling Bennett at the beginning of year or even in the middle of the season and getting someone's nose out of joint. That stuff has time to work it's self out, they tried him, it didn't work, so se sent him down and you got to play again etc... Making this choice now, with 4 games left in a playoff run has no chance to ever be given back to the players if doesn't work. It will for the rest of time be seen as "the Flames took away my chance to play in the most meaningful games of the year after everything I did for this team this year, and then therefore took away playoffs from me and the team, by gambling on a young guy who hasn't earned it yet" by which ever player sits in his place, and potentially by the rest of the team.
The guys are excited to play in these games, it's no longer let's try some things part of the season that can be recovered from if someone gets upset. This is a very tough decision, and the fact the Flames haven't done it quickly means they seriously believe some of the worst case scenarios are a realistic possibility or else they'd likely just do it.
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Nah, there are 9+ forwards who are ice cold right now and have been largely snake bitten.
There are also several players we know of injured (Byron and Jooris) and probably several more playing very banged up.
The more interchangable players on this list are used to being subbed in and out on a game to game basis.
Bringing in one of the top 18 year olds in the world and slotting them in place of a guy who has already been in and out of the lineup on a game to game basis is not going to destroy moral. If it would, moral would already be in turmoil.
You are indeed really reaching with this particular point.