Limiting young players minutes

[meow]

It annoys me that the Pens announcers and sometimes management talk often about how it takes defensemen so long to mature. Maybe with some players it does, but i look around the league and there have been quite a few rookies playing every night and playing good solid hockey over the past several seasons. I think they should leave Despres in there every game and let him develop.

Rookies play on other teams because other teams have 0 guys to fill that spot. They can't afford or attract veteran options, so they're forced to play a rookie every night.

I agree with this. No one wants to rush a player into the league before they are ready. So if you can give him sheltered minutes and play a veteran to spell him, why not bring him along slowly?

Because the rookie is better than the veteran, and the veteran is pretty much a mediocre player?

Lots of young guys/rookies are better than a veteran in the same organization. All over the league. You can't over groom a guy. Having a press box night once or twice a week isn't going to hurt him.

[RxBandit66]

Sometimes when players feel like they will be benched for a single mistake, they press and make more mistakes. Especially this can be the case with rookies. Also, if they play through these miscues, they will be less likely to make them in the future.

I like Eaton and Engelland, really i do. But if they are on a similar level to Despres right now, the reality is that Despres is on the upside and the veterans won't get any better. And if Despres sits frequently in favor of marginal veterans, then Despres won't get any better.

So unless his attitude sucked or he was singlehandedly costing the team points in the win column, I'd play him and let him develop.

[meow]

Where does the misconception that if he's not playing, he's not developing come from?

[Gaucho]

*shrug*

[JoseCuervo]

I would think a professional NHL GM and HC would have a pretty good idea how to develop a player.

[headh]

He has played in 20 out of the 30 games played. That's not exactly being relegated to the bench.