The NUMBER ONE GOAL of every team is to win the Stanley Cup. To do that you need to make the playoffs. You do this by winning games. Then you have to win 16 more games. If putting Kassian with the Sedins makes him a better player, and makes the Canucks a better team on the scoreboard, then to hell with the old fart mentality of "he has to earn it", and "don't coddle the kids". There are some people who need a little bit of coddling in order to build up the confidence they need to truly spread their wings. But regardless, if putting Kassian with the Sedins results in him averaging a point per game while not hurting the team, then only a stubborn fool resists it for the sake of "tradition". Obviously this is an "IF" scenario.Vader wrote:Hockey Widow wrote: I have seen him hustle and back check more in recent games but he is still a work in progress. I think giving him some shifts every game and a chance on the PP here and there will give good benefit for him.
This team is in a dog fight to make the playoffs. They just re-signed 33 year old Sedin;'s to 4 year deals, have a soon to be 35year old goalie under contract for 75 more years, and a number of other players on the wrong side of 30. This team is expected to win now. They are'nt built to coddle young players along, they're expected to make the playoffs. Kassian needs to earn his ice time - this isn't a developmental league
Every time Kassian has had a taste of success in a Vancouver jersey he has subsequently been demoted for no good reason. The result is a disengaged kid who just floats. Now, I'm not saying that he hasn't been demoted for screw ups, he has had his fair share of those. All I'm saying is that the kid has been mishandled by his former coach, and right now the jury is out on how Torts is going to bring him along. However, since Torts benched him and then went on record and vaguely outlined his plan and approach with Kassian, Zack has responded with some better play and more hustle, and as Torts said a couple games back, "he hasn't hurt us".