Quote:
Originally Posted by Lanny_McDonald
The team is watching the on-going AHL season and doing continual evaluation. They understand what a player needs to do and needs to work on to have an impact in the NHL. It is different for every player and the role the player is likely to be cast in. This is the thing that you seem to struggle with. You think that because a guy is putting up a lot of points it is the ultimate path to the NHL. It isn't. When a player is sent to the minors they are told the things they have to work on and what the team wants to see from them. The team doesn't just blindly cut them and send them away to toil away without direction. The team gives them guidance and then watches them to see how they are developing and progressing toward the objectives laid out. A player you think has no chance, because he doesn't fill the net, may be right on target to fill a role the team feels he would be successful in. And yes, the Calgary Flames and Darryl Sutter have specific roles they cast players into and expect them to perform those roles. Every player in the AHL is aware of this and is working to get an opportunity to fit into one of those roles. The problem for Phillips is there may not be a role on the team where he is a fit.
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Doesn't any of that paragraph strike you as a bit backwards? To me, if I have a player that is the best at scoring goals and points in the main developmental league for the NHL, shouldn't I be trying to find a place for him on my roster? Obviously, there is merit to working on parts of your game. No one wants to follow the Edmonton model of top line scores 100 goals but gives up 110. But outside of extremes, shouldn't NHL teams and coaches be better at integrating guys that can score?
Some of this is probably a little OT, but to me its mainly this weird idea we have developed in hockey that you have a couple scoring lines but then a couple of lines that just play defense or grind against the other teams version of that line. It seems weird to me that as a hockey team you don't want to put out 4 lines that are all trying to score. Because of that, there are plenty of tweener players that could have an impact but don't get a chance because some giant slow as molasses player needs to glide around the ice for 8 minutes a game and 'intimidate' the other teams line of slow ogres that is also out there to intimidate. (ok, laying it on pretty thick there, but I was on a roll so I went for it!)
Again, I just think of this as any job, company, industry outside of sports. Say I hire a new guy on for a sales role. They are a decent salesman but really enjoy making up print materials to give to their prospects. Instead of saying 'stop making print materials and focus on your closing pitches' I am inclined to see if the employee wants to move into a marketing role or be the promo creator for the whole sales team. I want to maximize the employees I have, not force them to spend their career focusing on their weaknesses at the expense of their strengths.
(Also, I do know often the AHL scoring leaders are slightly older guys that are not NHL prospects. AHL scoring is obviously not everything. But when someone is excelling against their peers and being the best at what actually wins games, I think that says something.)