Quote:
Originally Posted by Bingo
I'd assume that if Treliving and Sutter felt that Phillips would improve the team's offence from the top nine they have they would have already made the move.
They (rightly or wrongly) have determined (to this point) that his offence isn't translatable to the next level.
They're trying to win, they will make bad calls, but I don't think they're avoiding improving their team.
The issues with the four scoring lines ...
1) Size of the pie - only so many five on five minutes to go around. If your fourth line is suddenly somewhat prominent you have to give them more than 7 minutes and that takes away from the higher paid players on your roster.
2) Salary Cap - you can't afford 12 scoring hockey players on a roster. There isn't the financial space to do it.
So with that you need cheap players (I realize Lucic isn't cheap, that's a sunk cost on a Neal signing) and they can't play a lot so you don't want them to be prospects that will get stunted.
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Not just that, fourth liners aren't really there to score goals. Scoring is actually secondary to what their roles are - which is more of checking and pounding out the other team to wear them down. Scoring, if it comes from 4th line, is a bonus. For teams that has won championships, it's not based on 4 skilled lines. Sutter has shown that with the Kings going up against a very talented Sharks team that was on the brink of a full sweep. The Kings pounded out the Sharks in 4 straight games after that. You see similar thing happening with the Bruins against the Canucks in the finals. Foot soldiers that have won championships are invaluable, especially for what they're paid vs top scoring players. This is why Sutter will keep guys like Lewis, Ritchie, and Lucic even if they don't score. Place a guy like Phillips in the 4th line, maybe it'll work out or maybe not. High chance that a small player on a checking line will not work effectively. Sutter's not going to mess around trying to get a young player hurt in addition to inconsistent efforts. I think Conroy said it best when he came back to the Flames the second time and got demoted to 3 and 4th lines and someone asked about his production. He just said that you're not there to score goals when you're in the bottom 6. That was not his role as opposed to the top 6.
Like what others have said, the opportunities come during training camp or when a top 9 forward or top 6 dman is injured. The player has to make the best of those opportunities when he gets the chance.