Too long to bother reading. Maybe you should be a novelist.

TAV I feel the same way. Especially when I read fans?who keep saying he should be recalled?and be on the?checking line instead of Kostin or Fischer? He cant play that role. He is?a?skilled?finesse player. Apples and oranges. His?contract?will be up after this year. He wants free agency. I dont blame him. I would?want out too.

He may have a good attitude now but if he had no spot and had to wait in the wings so to speak as reserve for one of those players going down for a couple years, bet he would not be happy. Heck he is not happy now or he would have signed the contract he was offered. Why not note that if reporting on him? They offered him a contract for how Yzerman sees him fitting and he refused to sign. Does this not give you a clue?

I like him and have since he overcame those injuries in the SHL, but fit is important and fans don’t seem to get it sometimes. He’s a great puck possession player and great offensively, but that is not all that is important. He is not great defensively and multiple times have seen him get rattled when things get physical. Beyond taking a bad penalty which I remember once it throws him off his game. If you want to win in the playoffs that is a bad sign. Still his skill level means he can work on those things and be better and he is big on getting better so the odds are good in time he figures it out. He can gain muscle like Raymond did and work on it. But this idea he is a big plus in a playoff type game (you know the ones Yzerman really cares about) is overblown homer stuff.

He can get better in the NHL learning to deal with the physicality and being more well rounded. It may be that it is best for the team and him that they get value and fill a greater need at this time. As far as other players seeing how the team treats players it would be a positive not negative. If you are good and work hard and the team doesn’t have a fit for you in the NHL they will move you to a team that needs your skill more so you can play in the NHL not keep you in the AHL as a reserve. That is a good message.