This organization doesn't really value hockey sense and it remains to be seen whether they can actually develop (and what they're developing towards). I don't know that we can expect Wilson to really put it all together under such circumstances. Maybe over a long enough time span that will happen but for now he looks to have regressed. This is the problem with chalking everything up to effort. It's simplistic. Their details are more sound but the dynamics of their offensive game generally seem to get glossed over still.
I think he had a better option and I think 9 times out of 10 he takes that better option. Passing it along the boards to the other side. That said, Niskanen has been so solid overall all you can do is shrug and say $&@" happens.
How much of that is drafting rather than development? They're no Edmonton but I don't believe they've overall developed players nearly as well as they could. Part of it for quite a while was a garbage defense that required a whole host of compensatory unsound practices (which is fundamentally dysfunctional). It's improving under Trotz since the defense isn't garbage for once but their skill level and crispness with the puck still needs work. The foundation is way better but the finishing touches aren't there yet.
I would say Fehr is a better two-way player than Laich or Brouwer. Both of the later generally lack the ability to make a play or get themselves into position to be a finisher 5-on-5. Fehr at least does the later and is a better forechecker. It's just hard to look up and down the forward list and pick out all that many complete players.
Forsberg was never a center prospect but was always their best combination of skill and grit in a prospect so long as his upside panned out. They bet against it and now look foolish. It's not the first time and certainly won't be the last that they've misread the upside on a player that isn't overly sexy. Sexy rarely wins championships and certainly under Trotz it's not something they should overwhelmingly prioritize.
