Guy shoots left, yet in Russian plays right side, its a lot easier for that to happen over there because of the size of the ice. Having him learn the North American style of ice while having him play the left side could have been what we needed long term but we will never know will we? Just because his preference was the right side doesn't mean he didn't have a spot on this roster. He just needed to adjust as well as the coach.
The side of the ice he played on was so insignificant in the grand scheme of the failure. Don’t look into that at all. The issues were what they were, and certainly weren’t due to him playing RD versus LD.
He was brought into the fold to be an immediate help by Murray.
He was brought over to the team by Botts...
...but why?
To play an immediate transition/one way role in new coach Housley’s “uptempo style”?? to slow cook like the rookie he was?? Was he brought to help us or was he brought to be helped and grown by our staff?
There was no plan. There was no reason or rhyme to anything. He’d struggle physically and take penalties or commit an egregious error - after seeing three shifts in two periods - and then would be scratched for a dozen games. Then he’d get in, look good, and by midway through the following game, he was benched and subsequently scratched for another 8 games.
We were WELL out of it very early, relative to the league. He should have been given a regular shift every single game, and frankly, more freedom to take chances and work through the mistakes that come with it. It didn’t change.
It was a brutal mismanagement by all involved.
None of that changes if he plays a different side of the ice.