Quoting: aedoran
Look at the players is GR Yzerman wants them developing as a group that's why Edvinsson and Berggren are in GR. Plus the Red Wings team Yzerman played on always let their prospects over ripen simply because it gives them a better chance of making it. Wouldn't you want a young player with a lot of potential developing with players that will be his teammates for years to come? Look at Detroit's current line up they have Perron, Fabbri, Fischer, Kostin, Sprong and Kane who's future with the Wings is uncertain. But in GR they are playing with Kasper, Mazur, Hanas, Doucet, Lombardi. Wallinder, Johansson, McIsaac and Tuomisto. So keeping them in GR actually makes a lot of sense.
The goal this season was to compete for a playoff spot longer in to the season. If they do make the playoffs it's a bonus but honestly this team isn't a playoff team and it was never meant to be, especially with their D. Yzerman filled out the roster with UFAs when he could've gotten some better players through trades but he didn't because this team was never meant to be a playoff team. Now DeBrincat pretty much fell into Detroit's lap and they couldn't pass it up. Petry wanted to finish out his career in his home town and Detroit got him with $2.3M cap hit for Lindstrom and a 4th. So the 2 trades Detroit made were after the roster was filled out. Plus if Detroit makes the playoffs I wouldn't expect them to be buyers unless they can get someone who can help the team for several season to come. Now I've had a lot of people here disagree with my view. Saying there is no way they put a team together not to make the playoffs or there is no way they don't buy heading into the playoffs. But a whole lot of people here are very impatient!! With a direct correlation between players developed in your own system and long term success. Why waste prospects and picks to just marginally improve the team. Even if Detroit makes the playoffs and buys at the TDL do they make it out 1st round? No they probably don't and they are one of the highest scoring teams in the league so why add more offense? With Edvinsson and Wallinder why waste a bunch of futures on an LHD? Goaltending is a different but you aren't going to get a really good goalie without paying through the nose. Lyon is playing well 5th in SV% and 13th in GAA and with 2 good goalies in the system is there a need to get that goalie right now?
Please take a step back and look at the big picture!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Doucet, McIsaac, and Tuomisto are definitely not future teammates.
Of the guys in the GRG (not named Edvinsson and Berggren),
Mazur, Kasper, and Johansson are the only ones likely to make the NHL. Lombardi and Wallinder have the potential, but not a safe bet (imo) like the other three guys. Although, I do believe Wallinder will make it.
Plus, there are more future Red Wing teammates currently on the Red Wings than on the Griffins. Seider, Raymond, Larkin, DeBrincat and Compher are 5 players that I expect to be on the Wings until the end of their careers.
Edvinsson is certainly not worse than Holl, Chiarot, Petry, or Määtta (ATOI of 15:10, 19:31, 18:36, and 15:50, respectively). Admittedly, 3 of the 4 are more "defensive-minded," however these players (besides maybe Chiarot) have had a bunch of awful mistakes that would be excusable if they weren't seasoned veterans.
Don't mix impatience with frustration. Overseasoning exists. Edvinsson and Berggren were forced out of a spot not because they're worse than the other guys, or that he has a lot to polish; Yzerman's has some bad contracts, especially on defense. They're hard to move, and they're preventing our young guys from taking the next step.