Prospect Info: Making the Big Club # Play The Kids

[JimLaheyprobert]

I defiantly disagree with playing unproven prospects and just throwing him in the lineup. You must not know much about hockey to assume jesse blacker, a guy who has never even touched nhl ice before to just take a JMLs spot on the blue line. Weather you get rid of JML or not, plugging in jesse blacker in his spot is 100% not the answer. I believe jesse blacker is still 1 and a half years away from being a in and out guy for the leafs, and maybe in 2 years he will be given his full time spot with the team. As for Colborne i do think he is ready but to be a third line center he needs to up his physical play. And as for Carter Ashton he is a Caryle type of player which is why he may be given a good shot on making the team, but me personally i think hes still a year away. I also think having Reilly 1 more year in the WHL wouldnt hurt him. Id rather have him playing big time minutes for moose jaw then being in and out of the press box and playing on a third pairing line with fraser. Unless Reilly absolutely rips training camp i think he will be back in the WHL.

 

[The Blue Devil]

Play the kids when they aren't ready?

What's the sense in rushing them into a position when they aren't ready to take it?

Do you remember what happened to Nazem Kadri? Tons of skill and then moved him back and forth until everyone wanted him traded. Then they put him in the right position (centre) surrounded with talent and no expectations of him being #1.

So why would you put Colborne in a #3 role when he's not a shutdown guy? He's a scoring forward and should be played as so. We know Carlyle doesn't like the 3 scoring lines as much and likes to go with a shutdown guy.

To me, playing the kids is something along the lines of 1 player at a time to be put in the lineup.

Kadri was the 3 center for most of the season. 3rd line doesn't specifically mean shut-down center, it's also a term for a line that gets sheltered minutes.

 

[The Blue Devil]

Holzer is one of the worst players over the past couple years. I know, you think he can improve but it's unlikely; kid is terrible.

The rest is a mess, we'd be bottom 5. We're trying to get better.

Hate this line of thinking. You just see a player and not the situation that they're put in. Holzer was put in a position to fail, if he was playing bottom pairing minutes then he would've looked much better.

 

[Grandrift145]

unless the Leafs bring in some D help, no way Holzer or Blacker should lose out spots to Liles, Kostka or O' Byrne

i would rather have prospects learning on the job than these useless Dmen