Just one night, but holy crap, the younger players almost uniformly played better

Wahlstrom and bellows were also the only wingers to not be on for a goal against. I know it’s just one game, but the notion that old veteran grinders are more reliable are not true. I’d rather play the young guys who *might* be bad than old vets who are already terrible.

I honestly can't disagree with that. The kids need to grow and the only way for them to do that is to play, but don't throw all the rookies to the wolves at the same time unless you're ready for a rebuild. Honestly I think if the Isles miss the playoffs this season, maybe they should consider it. They've got a pretty descent young core ready to go led by Barzal.

yeah I see your point. I guess I don't see dobson a rookie and this Is a veteran group as it is, so I don't see putting bellows + Wahlstrom in the top 6 as throwing them to the wolves. Its actually a harder role when theyre put into a situation where they have to completely change their game with less talented line mates.

Trotz coached Nashville for 15 years and made an expansion team a contender, Trotz brought Washington their first cup and then left because they wouldn’t pay him. With how things have gone since, their fan base and their organization would like to have that one back. You said it yourself he’s a good systems coach that is what’s most important. That’s why this team is having its greatest success since the dynasty. Just because he won’t give a couple of okay prospects top line minutes right away doesn’t make him a bad coach. He’s got to ease them into it they’ve only played 7 games this year and he’s already changed the lineup multiple times. Also why would you want gallant he burns bridges everywhere he goes no one even hired him this last cycle. I’d prefer the guy that won a Jack Adam’s has won a cup and is highly respected by his players and around the league. He’s had this team playing well above their talent level for 2 years.

They didn't want to him back - he was gone regardless. Like I said, trotz didn't care to utilize their young players and its one of the reasons he was let go. It should be players over system, not system over players. You have to be willing to adapt and make changes. If Trotz doesn't want to put wahlstrom and bellows in the top 6 right away , that's fine- but they deserve to get consistent playing time and get more than 8-9 min of ice time. They're seen as "okay prospects" because of the way the isles develop forwards. Telling them not to focus on points, only to focus on defensive play. Wahlstrom has an elite skill set, he should be put in a position to succeed.

That's just my preference, I don't think trotz is a bad coach but in todays game you need to be able to develop/trust young players and if he doesn't do that the result will be that well be good enough to be in the playoff race but not bad enough to get a high draft pick. In the middle, the worst place to be.

The main reason we've been successful the last few years is because we had two top 30 Dman, Ryan Pulock and Devon Toews, along with a superstar in mat barzal. Trotz deserves credit and so does Mitch Korn, but lets chill with giving trotz all the credit.

Of course players are more important than the system but when the system works for the overwhelming majority of the team you don’t change that up for a couple of average prospects.

these "ok prospects" provided more value in this system than most of the vets. Not prioritizing youth is why this team will enter a decade of mediocrity.

Over a small sample size they haven’t played 10 games yet and a lot of guys that normally contribute are playing terrible right now which is having more of an impact on this team right now than whether or not wahlstrom and bellows play

most competent organizations reward accomplishment with advancement. Bellows and wahlstrom were our best players, so you reward them with increased ice time, you don't scratch them.

Yes but you have to show that over a period of more than a few games the guys that play everyday have shown that over the past couple years. (And komorov is not an everyday player this year)

exactly my point. They earned more ice time, let them prove it. Scratching them sends a bad message , wahlstrom and bellows have outplayed most of the vets.

He changes the lineup every night they are only 10 games in he’s trying to see what works. Contending teams tend to play the guys they are more familiar with because there is a risk to putting younger guys who aren’t familiar with the nhl in the lineup and giving them big minutes. Like I said he is easing the young guys into it it’s not good for their development to give them large roles so quickly when they have limited experience. They have to learn the system first and you are not changing the entire system which has for the last 2 years enabled this team to play above their talent level for one or two guys. Giving these guys too big a role too fast could hurt their development. I trust Barry Trotz and Lou lamoriello because they have a proven track record of winning everywhere they go and because of them we are having our most successful run since the dynasty.

The younger guys have outplayed the vets and have shown they can play within the system better than the guys who have been here for a while. So that argument doesn’t hold any weight. What’s hurting our forward prospects development is putting them on a line with Ross johnston and Leo komarov.

Lou and trotz are not known for being competent at player development

You are using a small sample size in limited minutes they haven’t gotten top line minutes yet so of course their stats are gonna look better they haven’t had to do much. And Lou doesn’t know how to develop talent? Three Stanley cups with players he developed shows that he does. The fact of the matter is you and I are not at practice so we don’t see these guys play and how they develop Barry Trotz does and he’s successful everywhere he goes. The fact of the matter is the team isn’t struggling because of the bottom line players they are struggling because outside of barzal and eberle no one in the top six was really producing where’s Nelson where’s Bailey to think replacing bottom six guys with guys a couple of average rookies is gonna rapidly change things is highly optimistic. And btw he’s playing them more as they gain his trust.