TheFridge
Registered User
- Mar 20, 2022
- 1,304
- 1,281
I think the proper development thing is greatly overrated. These are still adult pros.
Hjalmarsson does nothing but learn bad habits if he stays longer. Saad and Shaw were wasting their time. What did it get Sikura at the end of the day, or how about a guy like Pirri or Stanton?
There is a balance, but it has to be applied player to player. I disagree with the idea that more AHL time is better as a rule. It's a different league.
Additionally, you can't play to win like Chicago and play to develop. At some point you have to pick, flip flopping doesn't help and it's frustrating for players. I would rather keep the stripmine approach, it lets every UDFA and drafted overseas player know there's a path to the big team and big contract open. I think there's greater risk overall by slamming the door or taking a "slow" approach as a rule.
Well for starters, the Blackhawks put very little resources into actually making Rockford a functional development program. I'm very sure I read somewhere that Bowman didn't regard the AHL as a useful league and that's reflected in how poorly Rockford has done in both developing players for the Hawks and being successful as a team in the league.
Meanwhile, you look at a team like Tampa with how well Syracuse has done through the years and it's easy to see how they keep a steady flow of middle-six talent flowing into their NHL team.
Not every player needs to spend 2-3 years in the AHL. Some players don't need to spend any time there... but if they are there, you want them to be insulated well and surrounded with players and coaches that are going to help them get the most out of their time there. For far too long, Rockford's simply been a place to toil while not being on the Blackhawks. It's time for Rockford to be a place players can go to actually get better.