Quote:
Originally Posted by Macindoc
you could also argue that the 4th line should be a young and hungry line instead of a line with no offensive skill and no game plan other than to try to grind the opposition down.
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It's rare for a team to have enough depth to have offensive skill to spare for the 4th line. Usually, coaches put together three lines that work well together, and the fourth line consists of whoever is left over. If forwards 10 through 13 on the roster are plugs, that's a management issue, not a coaching issue. If forward #10 is skilled and 11 to 13 are plugs, the #10 guy is going to be stuck with crappy linemates through no fault of his own and his numbers will suffer.
The real argument, I think, is not about even-strength minutes, but about getting young players minutes in all situations. A 4th-line player is not getting a sniff of PP time, and unless he's very experienced, he's unlikely to be a regular on the PK.
Up to a certain point in his development, a young forward gains more by playing 18 minutes a night in the AHL, with plenty of special teams, than half the minutes in the NHL at even strength only. Last year and this year, the Flames have been pretty good at judging when a prospect is ready to move up, and they're not afraid to jettison a Duehr to promote a Kerins.