While I agree and have long said that they panicked at 7 with no idea what to do when Pettersson was picked at 5, I don’t think anyone would’ve known whether Chytil would be available at 21. I don’t think teams make certain picks in the first round to be able to make a different pick later in the draft.
I also agree with you that Andersson will be an NHL player, and I think at this point having him play top minutes in the AHL makes the most sense. Maybe at the trade deadline when we trade away some players, he’ll be back. That could allow him to play a top 9 role, which we really need to see him in. He might ultimately not be a top 9 NHL’er. He may never even be better than a dime a dozen 4th liner that plays 200-300 NHL games, but I don’t think he’s been done any favors with how he’s been used. Until we see him in the top 9, we can’t properly evaluate his potential.
Quinn talks about earning roles, but if that’s so, what business does Fast have on the 1st line playing 16:31 per game? One of the issues we’ve had under Quinn developing younger players is that Fast has been guaranteed a spot in the top 9 with top 9 minutes. He’s an adequate player, but he’s a career 28 point per 82 game player in the last season of his deal. We are a rebuilding team. Andersson should’ve had a place in the top 9 as a winger and Fast should’ve been a fourth line winger. Maybe with that we’d have different results for Andersson. And if not, at least we know he’s not a top 9 player, but if you never give him a chance, how will we ever know? This has constantly irked me. At least with Howden, who also hasn’t earned the role Quinn has given him since he got here, he’s a young player with theoretical potential. Andersson has gotten a raw deal from Quinn.
Jesper Fast is LA's ceiling