Quote:
Originally Posted by GranteedEV
I fail to see how a player needs 4 years of NCAA while his not-rushed age-group peers (Poirier, Maantha, Shinkaruk) are in their second year pro learning the game at a steady pace.
Jankowski finished last season strong and seemed to have figured the NCAA game out. All this year is doing is showing the rest of the world that he's pretty decent. I don't think he's suddenly figuring anything out offensively that he didn't a year ago and I don't think he was any less AHL-ready than most 19-20 year old rookies out of Junior are.
Is he discovering how to score goals? No, he had 13 in 39 as a sophomore. He has 15 in 34 which is a marginal improvement but not an epiphany.
Is he discovering how best to make plays? He's on pace for a few more assists on a better team in a better role, but I'm not seeing him play very differently.
Him playing his senior year isn't hurting him but I'm not convinced it's notably helping him. He would be an AHL rookie right now not unlike Klimchuk. And I say this while I fully support sending Kanzig back and feel Hunter Smith should be playing his overage season in the O. I just personally fail to see the reward out-weigh the risk in Jankowski's case. JMO, feel free to disagree.
If he decides to bolt, I certainly won't agree that making him play his senior year was "right". Not when Hunter Smith is skipping his overage year.
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Two things to keep in mind with regards to Jankowski - Poirier was not seen as much of a 'project' at all - definitely was not an 'nhl ready' prospect when drafted, but he was not considered a project pick. Jankowski was very much considered a project pick when drafted, and thus did need more time adjusting.
Secondly, if he did go to the AHL, there would be a reasonable chance that he would not be getting top-line minutes. Some guys - like Smith - are not seen as top 6 players, and having a player like that develop in the bottom 6 in the AHL is not a terrible way to approach it. I would argue that Jankowski was better off being 'the guy' on the NCAA squad, and getting tonnes of ice-time and different opportunities and situations than he probably would have received in the AHL this past season.
It isn't so much that he wasn't ready for the AHL - it is that the NCAA would give him more opportunities in terms of ice-time, and different important situations against the best in his peer group.