Quote:
Originally Posted by GranteedEV
Will he be better than Czarnik, who with an assist today now has 5 points in 6 games since replacing Neal?
Will he be better than Frolik, who is strong defensively and tenacious on the forecheck?
Will he be better than Mangiapane, who looks like he is breaking out offensively and has excellent underlying numbers?
Will he be better than Hathaway, who also kills penalties for us?
If not then Neal shouldn't play. Because he is not better than Gaudreau, Tkachuk, Lindholm, or Bennett.
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The potential of those guys' games to fall off the map is pretty high. That's not a knock that's the way bottom line players are. Enjoy how strong Mangiapane and Ryan are playing offensively but I wouldn't expect that to last. Czarnik was invisible for most of the season while dressed then had a month off, that in the line up adrenaline could fizzle at any moment. Frolik has been streaky since singing here.
Right now it looks unlikely but things can change pretty darn quickly. Perhaps time away from the rink, a forced vacation is exactly what a player who played in back2back cup finals needs.