I disagree. When you have worse players you can’t implement a more creative system. When you have worse players you have to preach the basics. You have to preach positioning. You have to keep things simple. Worse players aren’t “worse” because they have high hockey iq. Worse players aren’t worse because they have the tools to execute creative and complex systems. This whole idea is backwards.
That's not how things work. In every sport (as in every job), we have seen how improved management/coaching/leadership can make significant improvements to even the lowliest. And its not so simple as to say that less ability necessitates less creativity. Creative coaching doesn't suddenly mean you need everyone to be Gretzky or Datsyuk or whoever. It is about finding varied and innovative solutions to your problems.
Not everyone is 'worse' in the same way. Flip has slowed down, but still has skill and passing vision. Zadina isn't physically really ready yet, but has great puck skills and underrated playmaking. Fabbri is small but is quick, plays with heart and has some subtlety in his play.
Why does every line have to play basically a similar style with varied effectiveness. Surely every wings fan of any vintage remembers our best teams having lines with distinct play styles to each other, and not just when the Russian 5 got together.
First thing I'd do is put Fabbri, Flip and Zadina together at the mo, and play either Smith or god forbid Perlini in a scoring role on that top line as Mantha's place holder (though Mo can play the east-west skill game too). Yes it would be a small 2nd line, but thats exactly why you need greater variety.
I'm not talking about trying to get Glendenning or Abby to play positional rotating East-West Hockey or expecting a line of Ehn, Erne,Nielsen, Lashoff and Biega to play like the Russian 5. But on the few occasions we've seen our best players try creative transitions or zone time this year, its been better than one would expect.
Also, I'm thinking long term. I want our best players to be inculcated with the habits that they will need when the team is good again, rather than the dross we are watching. And frankly its not as if the current MO is achieving anything positive.
To be clear, I don't blame Blash for the team being bottom of the NHL. They are there on merit! But I do blame him for wasting a clearly free-hit season with safe, unadventurous hockey up and down the line-up AND for so many of our players, having the worst seasons of their careers statistically.
Hronek, Bert, Mantha, Fabbri (and offensively only Bowey) have been better this season (at times). Everyone else has been worse, some alarmingly so. I know we have talent problems, but that doesn't explain the level of our performance this year.
And frankly when what you do doesn't work, but you refuse to try anything different beyond personnel rotation, that doesn't reflect very well
