Quote:
Originally Posted by killer_carlson
We need to give Wotherspoon or Kulak a 10 game stretch to see what they can do. This 1 game out of 5 isn't doing anything to develop chemistry or our depth.
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Nah.
Wotherspoon had a long stretch of games in 13/14, 14 games? (Played all of March with the Flames). Not much in 14/15 since the Flames had a lot of depth and didn't need him, but he did show up in 6 playoff games and filled out the bottom pair. Then in 15/16 he had a long stretch in Feb./Mar. where he played almost every night, including 6 in a row when he was first called up.
He's just not a difference-maker at the NHL level. He's fine to have as a depth AHL piece, or a 7th d-man at most, but he just doesn't have another level to his game. He's only 23 despite having several pro seasons, but I'd be surprised to see him ever become an NHL regular.
As for Kulak, he did play almost all of October and November games in a row, occasionally having a night in the press box. He struggled more and more as the season went along, indicating he's not quite ready for a full time gig. This is in addition to him making the team last year and playing the first 6 games before being returned to the AHL.
Kulak is also just 23, but has some upside to his game that Wotherspoon has never quite put together at the NHL level. He's a good skater with better than average vision and passing skills, but needs more experience. It will come with time, but putting him in for a long stretch at this point in his career should be based on merit and outplaying someone like Jokipakka. That shouldn't be hard if he keeps his mistakes down, but he's not necessarily the better option yet.
