You keep him.
The reasons for sending him down seem a little like hockey clichés.
Burning a year isn't a bad thing. Either you burn the year early and his next contract comes earlier in his development curve, leading to a lower contract, or you burn the year later and end up presumably paying more on the next contract.
The "becoming Edmonton" thing isn't applicable. Any prospect that has played their first year here (and it's rare) has been because they're physically able.
"Be the guy" on the London Knights? Newsflash, he wasn't the most talented guys on the Knights, but he decided to be "the guy" anyway, leading them to a Memorial Cup. He doesn't need to be their most talented forward to be a leader. It didn't stop him last year.
If you want him to develop into an NHL player, there's literally no better way to do that then to have him play in the NHL. The logical reasons for sending him down would be if he couldn't keep up mentally or physically. Neither is true. Is he our best winger? No. But easily been one of our top 9 forwards, something I don't know if you can count on any AHL guy to match.
No guy comes into the NHL without something to learn or improve on. Keep him up and let him learn the rest.
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