The point I was making, was that we've handled Baertschi and Bennett very differently, and the OP said we mismanaged both.
We tried to make Baertschi play his way through the ranks, having him go back to the WHL for his draft+1, then in the AHL in his drafts+2 and +3, when it was apparent he wasn't NHL-ready. He requested a trade due to lack of NHL opportunity.
With Bennett, it's nearly the opposite. For 2 seasons now, it has looked like he could use 1st-line time in the minors to find his game, and gain some offensive confidence. Despite that, he's been kept on the NHL roster and has primarily played a middle-six role.
We took 2 very different approaches with these 2 players, and the OP argued that we were wrong each time. So I was asking, what is the proper way to develop young blue chip prospects then?
You can't just gift them time on the top line when you're trying to compete and they haven't earned it. That is what the Oilers do.
|