Glass: 3rd Line Winger or AHL Center?

[GKG18]

I think this deserves a thread, since it's early in this players career. Does Gallant stifle his development by putting him on the 3rd line as a Winger or should he go down to the AHL to marinate his Centering skills?
IMO, he earned a spot with the big club. Stastny is basically keeping his seat warm and may be trade bait at the deadline to acquire D help. By playing wing this season, he's not going to suddenly forget how to play C. He's also logging NHL PP time, which is huge in his development.

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[CupInSIX]

There's an argument to be made that when you feel your top forward prospects are ready, they're there to stay. They don't get sent down. You're a made man, a capo, and only accountable to Paulie Walnuts so you better kick up to him.

Anyway let's see how many minutes he logs on the 2nd game of the BTB tonight (should probably also wait to see what happens when Tuch returns)

 

[HanSolo]

There's an argument to be made that when you feel your top forward prospects are ready, they're there to stay. They don't get sent down. You're a made man, a capo, and only accountable to Paulie Walnuts so you better kick up to him.

Anyway let's see how many minutes he logs on the 2nd game of the BTB tonight (should probably also wait to see what happens when Tuch returns)

Yeah but in the case of young centers, when a player proves he should stay, the roster is adjusted to allow that player to develop as a center. Here we won't even try Eakin on the wing and the only solution is to have Glass spend his days adjusting to the NHL game in his off position with the only exception being playing the screen on the powerplay, which Tuch, not a center, was already doing.

The majority of the NHL's top centers not including guys mislabeled as centers like Panarin and Marchand were developed as centers.

To see Cody become a star #1c from a rookie year spent as a wing would make him a remarkable exception. I don't want to see Cody sent down. But I also don't want to see his potential squandered in the interest of honoring the dues paid by a guy like Eakin. With all due respect to older Cody, he's not the future of this team. Glass might well be.

I'd love to be proven wrong about this and see Glass become that Mark Schiefele he wants to be in spite of spending his rookie year on the wing, but historical trends league wide suggest otherwise. And I could live with Glass being another elite winger. But why not at least try to develop him as a center?

 

[willy702]

You guys abre like we are the first team ever to have young players progress blocked by veterans. Glass will be a full time center and likely an all star in the future. If he has to play wing awhile so be it. The coaching staff and GMs know what they are doing. There is no value to sending him down unless they are in a spot where his waiver exemption really matters. Right now he can focus on getting accustomed to the NHL life and bonding with his teammates. Going to Chicago does little to improve his future.

 

[IceNeophyte]

NHL Forward

 

[derriko]

The majority of the NHL's top centers not including guys mislabeled as centers like Panarin and Marchand were developed as centers.

I'd love to be proven wrong about this and see Glass become that Mark Schiefele he wants to be in spite of spending his rookie year on the wing, but historical trends league wide suggest otherwise. And I could live with Glass being another elite winger. But why not at least try to develop him as a center?

Tyler Seguin did it, and Glass is arguably in the same tier of talent or just below, though more raw then Tyler was in the first few years of their development.

Giroux started as a winger, Aho played his rookie year on the wing as did Pavelski, as well as Backes. Zibanejad also didn't play much center his first 2-3 years. I know you said there are exemptions, but those are pretty good ones. Off the top of my head I can't think of any others, but I know this happens fairly frequently with teams that are trying to compete or ease players in.

Honestly Glass has been not good in the dot so far (38% but small sample size.) It may not be the most ideal, but I don't think it will necessarily stunt his development. Eakin has been a + player in the dot for several years now. I have no problem with the idea of easing Glass into the show. It would also allow Glass some more time to bulk up and not get worn down battling some of the bigger centers in the league while he is still rail thin.

 

[KnishOfTheCrease]

He’d waste time playing C in the AHL. He’s too talented to be down there. Let him play Wing for now and he’ll slot into the C spot next year.

 

[lakai17]

Vegas need Glass today.

 

[IceNeophyte]

Vegas need Glass today.

I couldn't agree more. He's been a significant addition to this team, even at 3W

 

[hangman005]

I mean what I would do in the early day, would switch Eaks and Glass every couple of games, if Glass looks great at C give him a couple more. Well that's what I would have done the moment Eaks came back. But after a couple of games, and maybe it's just coming back from injury, but Eakin hasn't impressed me at all, while Glass has alot.

 

[Vegan Knight]

I mean what I would do in the early day, would switch Eaks and Glass every couple of games, if Glass looks great at C give him a couple more. Well that's what I would have done the moment Eaks came back. But after a couple of games, and maybe it's just coming back from injury, but Eakin hasn't impressed me at all, while Glass has alot.

I agree they should be rotating at center until one of them takes the position as their property. Tuch coming back could really help that line, and putting the better center at center could make that line much better than it has been so far.

 

[GKG18]

Eaks looked pretty good in his debut. Had a couple of grade A chances. He's not going anywhere.....until some other team with Center needs offers up a good RD!