I mean, I don't really agree. Bouwmeester flat out isn't any good anymore. He's old, and while his skating is still there his reaction time is a LOT slower I've noticed, which is why he now blows so much more coverage. He's also inept offensively and makes bad decisions with the puck on his stick.
It's not like he'd look good even if only given 9 minutes a game. The less ice time just makes him less noticeable and allows for less mistakes to be made, that's it. But his skills are not there anymore and he brings nothing to the lineup that we need.