Point 1 - Im not closed minded - you are not grasping what I am saying. I do think the Habs were wrong. I think their drafting/scouting is pretty weak (historically - better recently), actually, pretty freaking bad! Said it numerous times, you just not getting it. I think bad drafting handcuffs development. In MTL's case, Hamilton was a barren desert when it came to prospects. In LL case, just think he was a bad pick and development could not change that. Just because we disagree does not mean closed minded.
It just doesn't add up. LL had a good rookie year. Comes in at camp, plays just one game, and is cut. Didn't make sense then, doesn't make sense now. But okay, fine, you want to argue he was so bad he needed to be cut right away, this despite doing pretty decent in the previous season here.
The way Lefebvre used him was still completely moronic.
Point #2 - IMO, LL didn't show anything worth keeping him around. Thus, he was sent down. Guys should not be kept in MTL if they are not ready or are not going to help the team win. The AHL is where they belong. Once again, I did not say Mgt did not screw up. They did, the drafting/scouting sucked and made it very hard to develop guys into NHLers. Some made it Gally, PK but far too many picks were busts.
Revisionist history at best. He did not deserve to be sent down as early as they did. It made no sense, especially when we had a guy like White make the team.
If you want to argue that guys are better developed in the AHL, that's fine, I can somewhat agree there. But clearly, from his own words, it didn't feel like that's why he was being sent down. They didn't really explain much of anything to him and, again, the way Sly used him, the way he tried to develop him clearly failed.
Point #3 - Of course, some are mishandled and don't make it to the NHL. I didn't say its an impossibility, thats you pushing that on me. I said in LL's case, I clearly stated that I don't think he was mishandled rather he was a bad pick that could not be saved. In fact, I stated he went on to Anaheim and was quickly dispatched from their system. He then bounced around Europe and dropped out of hockey. There is a heck of a lot more going on than he was potentially mishandled by MTL. Like I said, if he felt he was mishandled and could not overcome that, IMO he was clearly too fragile to make it. In this case, we are talking about LL , not every busted picked.
Point is you don't know. If you think he was mishandled, well you can't then convincingly say he was just never cut out to make it.
They definitely messed up with him. They also did with Tinordi. BigMac, Hudon and Scherbak, I don't think so. JDLR, I will never understand how they couldn't turn this already very strong defensive center into a legit 4th line one.
Point #4 - players need to earn their roles. Also, I stated just because he started on the 3rd line or got no initial PP time, so what. Once again, I'm sure others on the team moved up and down the line up based on their play as did LL. That is pro sports. You make it sound like he never played with anyone with talent, only plugs. Im sure he got PP time or moved around the line up. I'd be willing to bet Gally played with the same guys at some time during his stint. To say he played with plugs or because no pp time he was doomed to fail is ridiculous. I don't think his linemates were written in stone, in fact, Im certain they changed throughout his stint in Hamilton. I think this is pretty obvious.
You're the one who thinks he was doomed to fail. You think that no matter what, LL was not going to make it as a NHLer, not even as a steady bottom liner. He was destined to fail.
You don't have a big window when it comes to developing kids, and everyone is an unique case.
Some guys need more mental reinforcement, some guys like to be pushed drill sargeant style, others are more solitary style, some need better guys and a ton of opportunity to get going, some can play the same no matter who's on their lines.
There is no one size fit all.
When you looked from the outside, it didn't seem like Sly was doing LL any good. There were many discussions about it back in the days. Saying ''well Gally would have made it anyways!'' means absolutely nothing.
Take Danault, I think his offense goes nowhere if he played on the bottom 6 with grinders or low end guys in a dump and chase defensive system. He would have, at best, probably been another Eller.
Development matters and it influenced LL tremendously. Listening to him speak it's all the more obvious he was the type to need extra care.
Slow child - is a bad analogy in the context of this discussion.
We agree to disagree, thats fine. You won't change my opinion and Im sure I wont change yours. Thats fine there is nothing wrong with having a differing opinions, it makes life more interesting.
Not really though. Slow child needs extra care and attention, LL seems to have been the same way.
Not surprising he got crushed when you put bozos with an old school that can hammer you down if they don't like you.