No chance he plays unless Hiller gets hurt, IMO.
Which is a shame.
People always argue that the coach's job is to win the game. That's true - that's one of his jobs. Probably the main aspect of his job. But he also works for the organization. And developing players is another part of his job.
So is doing things that will help the organization win in the future. Like benching the 3 guys against Toronto. That was not a move that helped him win the game, it was a move that helped the franchise going forward. That was good, and it is part of his job.
But when he benched Nakladal after 1:40 of ice-time, when the team was up 4-1 against the worst team in the league (when you consider their current roster - they iced a $29M payroll last night), he made a huge mistake IMO. Because now, he basically can't play him. He sent a message to Nakladal that, even though we have a 3 goal lead against an AHL team, I don't have enough confidence in you to play you. Now there is no chance he plays for the rest of the call-up.
And now I expect he'll leave Ortio on the bench, and effectively send him the same message.
I am not saying you hand guys ice-time, it has to be earned. But at some point, when the GM brings them onto the team, and you dress them, at some point you have to give them a chance to prove themselves.
If you invite them to the pool, at some point you have to give them the chance to sink or swim.
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