[QUOTE="surixon, post: 177948053, member: 11545"]That is also why they have Gus down there, they don't want to pigeon hole these guys into depth roles. Gus has the talent to be a Copp/Lowry hybrid type third middle 6 player if developed properly and Samberg they likely want as a better skating Forbert style dmen that is much more confident with handling and moving the puck.[/QUOTE]
Agree -- and I think the bolded has become maybe even more important given the need to restock the cupboards at some positions, and may have followed some discussion/reflection about previous hits and misses. Vincent and his team are excellent assessors and developers of talent, and getting players like Gus and Samberg (and Harkins, and Ves, and Ville) to the point where they can slot in and contribute immediately makes them much more likely to succeed, IMO, and hopefully helps to prevent the sort of seesaw dev path we've seen with some prospects, where they get an audition, fail to impress in whatever role, and get sent down again, rinse and repeat.
I'm not sure how rookie-laden a team we can realistically expect to see next year, but it would be great to see Gus and Samberg join Ves and Apples/Harkins/Stanley (and maybe even Kova/Perfetti) as potential impact players through the season. We'd get some instant upgrades in speed, skill, defensive acumen and yes, big bodies -- might be a ton of fun to watch.
Not sure how long Vincent will stick around before being poached for an AC or even HC position, but he's been a great asset to our dev program, and his interviews are always genuinely thoughtful and insightful. Really smart coach.
