I agree in general with you Siberian but then i also feel that Chistov got done a bit by his team. He had enough point production to have been left on the team and he also was starting to play with more fire towards his being sent down. (for a bit and then two or three games prior he started dropping drastically. I believe he probably saw it coming) Loads of NA players as well as Russians (etc) have awful sophmore campaigns. The "sophmore slump" is a well known phenomenom and Chistov was doing better than lots of other young players have who were allowed to work there way through it.
I do agree that he were sent over too soon but then, since he were here and producing alright, while certainly struggling, feel he should have been made to stay with the team recieving his limited ice time and to work harder until he came through.
Recently his lagging under producing team mates started turning thier games around and I feel that he would have as well. To me, if it were only him who were struggling then of course, send him down and teach him to take this spot more seriously. Since all including Fedorov were playing in a sad and pathetic like manner, I feel it wrong to have singled out Chistov. Especially when there were many others who were young and struggling much worse.
At this point, I feel dealing him while his value is up would be the best thing to do. I wonder if the Ducks would consider dealing him to Los Angeles for the talented yet sent down Cammelleri plus type of a package. Cammelleri has proven he can score and is a true fire plug when given the chance. He were doing well when he got tossed around (something that Andy Murray is known to do and it is the thing he is most hammered on by his players and pundits) in the manner that Andy Murray seems to have to do with his offencive minded young players, even when they are playing well enough in all zones.
Camms were reported as having an "attitude problem" but I see it as frustration. He were producing and playing very well and then got moved to the fourth line and jacked around to see his spot given to a more "gritty" type of player and then when he were given a game to recapture his offence (as opposed to a few games) and didn't produce he was told to go down and work on his attitude. He is a very good young player and while not projected to be as good as Chistov by a stretch, he is a good one and might be a nice addition to the Ducks. Of course, it would take a little massaging but isn't totally out of whack.
Thoughts?