Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperMatt18
Part of the problem here was the Flames strategy after the trade deadline last year.
The young guys (Gawdin, Phillips, Ruzicka, Mackey, Kylington) should have probably gotten more ice time down the stretch last year to give them more of a taste of the NHL.
Instead we kept playing hurt players (Monahan, Tanev, etc), or low upside UFA veterans (Leivo, Nordstrom, Nesterov) in an effort to squeeze into the playoffs until we will officially eliminated, even though it was unlikely we would be able to claw in.
That ice time would be valuable now because you wouldn't be as worried that you are throwing players into their first 5-10 NHL games in the middle of a season where you are in a playoff position, and you'd have more of an idea of what these guys are at the next level.
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I don't disagree with you, but it's a dangerous game. I think a head coach needs to instill a culture of winning at all times. If not, then what are we even doing here?
If there is a mathematical chance at the playoffs, a head coach should try every move to get in - and that means playing NHL guys and not giving tryouts to AHL guys. If he's signaling that he's given up, it sends a bad message to everyone IMO.