Quote:
Originally Posted by GioforPM
I think the stats will show that older players take longer to get into gear and maintain it, and play better with larger minutes. And there's no way that Neal will end up scoring more with Ryan and Bennett versus the top two lines. He's getting PP1 time regardless.
I am not focussing on individual accomplishments - I'm just opining on what the reactions will be if Neal doesn't score like he has in the past.
In any event, it's not going to happen. They didn't sign Neal to be a third liner.
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I'm not suggesting that's your focus, merely pointing out that if the focus is on individual players rather than the team, then the Oilers are the result. My response wasn't really intended to be critical of your post, it was a weak attempt at humour.
Contract status should be irrelevant to a coach. Peters didn't sign Neal, so he is under no obligation to put him in any particular place in the lineup. You ice the best team you can, with combinations that will give you the best performance overall. A $5.75M salary does not make a player qualified to play on the top two lines on a deep team, only his skillset and work ethic do, taking into consideration which players best complement one another. And I personally think Neal would complement Bennett and Ryan better than he would complement Monahan and Gaudreau.