Hartford is a steaming pile of shit and it has been for decades. When was the last time we had a player thrive in Hartford? Like, actually improve over time by getting quality gametime as a prospect? Anisimov?
I don't agree. I watched many Hartford games this season. There was a legit structure to the way the team played. That's what the AHL is for. Creating a structure so your young NHL bound kids come in the team, learn the structure, learn where they need to be on the ice, at a slower pace than the NHL so they can learn the pro game. Also, hopefully they can learn how and improve on their training, diet, strength and skating.
Watching many HFD games this year, I saw VK grow. I saw Chytil grow. I even saw SOME growth from Lias before he basically stopped buying in. In previous years, we had Lettieri and little else come up. Last year, we had several guys come up and seem to fit in with the big club. PDG, Fogarty, Gettinger. They managed to do just fine or even well when called up.
What I'd like to see going forward is a better team D system throughout the whole organization. Because HFD is mostly mimicking NYR's system. And I don't love it. I really don't love how we develop our D at the pro level. I dont know if we are able to develop a Dan Girardi right now. But did HFD help the skilled forwards figure out where to go in the NA pro game? Yes. Did they make more responsible players? Yes. Did they teach many of the forwards where on the ice they shouldn't gamble or get too creative? Yup.
But yeah, on D, the system is not great. HFD needs to be able to turn some of the Hajeks and Rykovs into NHL players. And it's not really happening yet. Thats a problem. It's partially why i'd like the Millers and Lundkvists and Robertsons to enter NA Pro level as late as possible. And even more so for the Reunanens and Skinners of the world. They brought in Gord Murphy for the D --- and I think I guy like him in theory is a good move but he is handcuffed by the D system they make him teach.
Point is, calling HFD a steaming pile is far too black and white. It's not accurate. There was absolutely progress. And structure. Even when they lost this year, you could still see them for the most part, stay within the structure. Obv with callups for guys who are difference makers like Chytil, Fogarty, PDG, and Shesty and then trading Keane -- it really hurt their effectiveness as the season wore on. By end of the season it was just Kravtsov. And in a lot of ways he took that on really well.