Quote:
Originally Posted by Huntingwhale
But I can't for the life of me understand why a guy like Backlund isn't sitting.
|
Let me attempt to answer that one.
1) Hartley is loyal to his veterans (sometimes to a fault, but not in this case). Backlund proved his worth the last two years for Hartley as a very good 3rd line center, and a capable 2nd line center.
2) Just because someone is struggling, you don't destroy their confidence without giving them a chance to respond. Dropping him to the 4th line reduces his responsibilities and ice time until he can figure his game out.
3) The team just invested 3 years in him, so benching him is a last resort when you're trying to get something out of a player who you believed enough in to give him that extension.
4) The other option is Derek Grant at the moment. While not a terrible short term option, he's not a long term option. Don't say Granlund because he's struggled at center compared to the wing. The only other farm option I would consider is Shore, and he hasn't exactly been exceptional in his time with the Flames.
Hartley has traditionally known what buttons to push with player to get their best possible performances. Right now the whole team is a mess, so it's hard for him to coach individual players enough to improve their game. He has to worry about an entire team of underperformers (Brodie, Gaudreau, and Bennett notwithstanding).