Yep, As was ZAR, Jake etc...they all came out of four years of college...”development” is for players starting as professional players at 18-20...
If this is the standard, then few NHL teams develop significant parts of their rosters and this conversation is completely moot. We can't develop any better or any worse than other NHL teams when pretty much nobody develops, particularly when talking successful teams who rarely have the top draft picks.
And yet every NHL team has their player development coaches so clearly they think they're developing something. And most of those guys are talking about guys coming out of college like they're their responsibility.
I don't think it makes sense to hold a definition on development in the NHL that is different to what the NHL itself uses. Although I would say that as I think they're right. If a player comes into your organisation and becomes a better player, that's development.
Which is why I'm on the side of "This is a team that's good at developing". We've had so many young players come in here and come on leaps and bounds that it makes no sense to me to say otherwise. And to go back to your very original point, I don't think it makes sense to claim the org blocks all young players when this team is littered with players who got their first pro contract with us.
At the very least, whatever definition one prefers to use, whatever it is that happens when teams take NCAA players and young free agents and what not and turns them into NHL players, is something this team is good at.
Not at all. Thing is, it's not the standard as it was when Sully first got here where they were forced into going with the youngsters not being able to do anymore additions. That first wave. Rust, Sheary, Wilson and Kuhnhackl. Guentzel was a given, but this second/third wave isn't as good as the first was as a whole, Guentzel being the only real standout. Lock.
Give me ZAR/Simon/Sprong/Blueger over Rust/Sheary/Wilson/Kuhnhackl any day.
The Pens didn't develope him, like at all. He's been in this league from day 1. The Pens gift from Florida.
I think you can already see the improvements in McCann's game. I think he's using his team mates better and I think you can see the Sid'isms slipping in there (attempted bank shots off the goalies and stuff). Plus he only really emerged as a PKer here.
Small stuff and I don't think it makes sense to claim he's a guy we've developed just yet, but he's still developing. If he settles into a top 6 role here after not find that anywhere else, I think we should be able to claim development.
Gudbranson, Mccann, and Bjugstad seem like really good locker room guys. You can tell they're just positive upbeat guys who will play hard and have good attitudes.
Does that help with winning? Hell if I know. There's no way to quantify it. But I think having those types of attitudes probably does contribute to a winning atmosphere and a focused team.
It helps. It absolutely helps. Everyone rags on it when its used to justify the spots given to not very good players but everyone who knows anything about sports knows the difference it makes.
Tampa Bay has nothing left to play for though. Not sure that is necessarily going to be a hard game.
That's been de facto true for a while though and it hasn't stopped them casually smashing a few people's dreams just because they can.