Don't know why anyone thinks that the eliminated juniors are going to see playoff time with the Marlies.
The Marlies have earned that right to be in the playoffs and unless there are injuries, the juniors will be there for practice and the atmosphere of the AHL.
Let's take that logic a step beyond the junior players.
If the Marlies were actually going to put together a playoff roster using only guys who've "earned" a spot by putting in a lot of time with the Marlies this year, then obviously Connor Carrick's not going to be on the roster, right? He only played five games with the Marlies in the regular season. Same for Ben Smith.
Or how about Colin Smith and Tobias Lindberg? They barely spent a quarter of the season with the Marlies. Is that enough time to have earned a playoff roster spot? Can we assume that Bibeau's going to be the starter, since Sparks essentially didn't play for the Marlies for almost the entire second half of the season? Or maybe, instead of arbitrary considerations like "who's put in enough time with the Marlies to earn a spot", they'll ice the team that gives them the best chance to win. With additional consideration given to what's best for the development of the organization's prospects.
Now, that doesn't necessarily mean that a guy like Nielsen will play by default. Especially with Carrick's addition, the Marlies were already deep on defense even before Nielsen arrived, and the playoffs would be a tough circumstance for a junior defenseman to make his professional debut. But Marner's one of the best hockey prospects in the world. Him getting added to the Marlies lineup would be a foregone conclusion if they get the chance. Timashov, if everyone's healthy, I'm not as sure about. But if they thought he could help the team, I don't have any doubt he'd go in.
