i completely agree with the two previous posts. i was such an advocate for getting stalberg because his offensive potential seems endless. he does need to work on the finish. his speed breaks him away from almost anyone in the league and a line of stalberg-cullen-smith could be very devastating speed wise to other defenses in the league.
the problem seems to me that anytime it seems stalberg is getting close to being comfortable or "fitting in" with the system trotz switches up lines again. Stalberg is a guy that needs consistency and consitent line mates. Developing chemistry. He is one of those players that focuses and strides on the offensive side and that only. He's got good size but he's simply not a defensive player. you'd think with the entire rest of the team focusing on defense or being thrown into trotz's dog house if they don't, he'd let one guy focus on being offensively productive, but such isn't the case.
As sad as it is for me to say this, i want stalberg to succeed and reach his ceiling, he isn't going to do it here, atleast, not with trotz behind the bench. it was a good signing in hindsight, i'm sure they thought, ok best offensive guy available maybe he can plug the scoring woe problem until we figure out another move for another offensive minded guy but that has not been the case bcuz he has been limited by the system. i don't want to entirely blame the system or trotz for the upsetting numbers stalberg has posted thus far, as his finishing ability if improved could have potted him probably5-7 more goals so far this year but to me he's not getting a fair shake of opportunities. When you consistenly play him with goose, clune, hendricks, and nystrom it's just not going to work. he needs to be with FF9, Smith, Cullen, Fisher, and Wilson. And whatever line is chosen, needs to stick for a number of games, not just one and then changed because it didn't produce in the given sample size. This is what's most frustrating about the Stalberg situation to me.
and on the topic of other rookies with 10+ goals on the season already, it is frustrating as well. not only could we have had some of that talent (no knock on Jones, as he has been brilliant thus far) but it's extra goal scoring that could have been helping our offensive performances. Hertl, Nischukin, Monahan, even Olli Maata (though i believe jones is far better at this point). Just saying, those are some of the guys we could have had at 4. Other side of it though is the question, how do you pass up Jones and foresee any of those guys taken behind us having double digit goal totals thus far, with the exclusion of Maata.