It has to happen at some point. It's happening right now with MDC as seafoam pointed out and it's happened/is happening with Barzal, Beauvillier, Pelech, Pulock, etc. etc. Barzal is obviously producing beyond his faults, which are becoming less and less. Same with Pulock, etc. and they've made a lot of progress since first being introduced to the NHL game. But they are all learning on the job rather than in the minors.
At a certain point, like with Beauvillier this season, sending the player back doesn't benefit them as much as keeping them up. Both for the player and the team. JHS was contributing in a positively meaningful way by being that skilled element that can skate the puck out of danger in the bottom six. Both Filppula and Komarov still can become pinned in their own zone because they lack that dimension and that's where JHS was a net positive influence, for that line and overall for the team.
I am not arguing that he should not have been sent down, as the more I look at the situation the more I believe it was strictly due to roster spots / players coming off of IR than anything else and he was the best candidate to send back. There's not much you can do about that... it is what it is.
