So let me get this straight, all of the sudden you're going to excuse players for playing terrible because they're playing with terrible linemates?
You are aware that you've crucified young players for not providing anything while playing with those same dregs for years, right?
This does not change the fact that MacEwen did not pass any single eye test last year by anyone that doesn't have an agenda which is what this entire conversation started as.
What young players?
Frost hasn't played with dregs. Lindblom, Allison, etc.
The real prospects get opportunities, but if you're a marginal player, you'd better be able to play on the 4th line.
4th line guys should be judged by how they play v the 12th forward standard.
Take VdV, a favorite whipping boy around here;
Consistently mediocre, pp/60: 1.27, 0.76, 1.01, xGF% 45.89, 43.38, 48.46, xGFrel -3.34, -7.73, -1.61.
So we can consider him the NHL equivalent of the "Mendoza" line.
The year after he goes, Weise, Lehtera, Filppula put up worse metrics, Weal, Leier have a short life.
The following season, Vorobyev, Knight, Varone,
Vorobyev plays 35 games over two seasons, pp/60: 0.95, xGFrel -14.00. So he was below the VdV line! In the same role.
Same with Bunnaman, Twarynski, et al.
Deslauriers has generally been around the VdV line, this year he's above it, probably b/c Torts is smart enough to limit his minutes and shelter him. He's obviously here more for the attitude change than his skill as a hockey player, and I expect he'll get buried like Weise in the last two years of his contract.
Sedlak is another story, both the metric and eyeballs says 3 years in a first line role in the KHL have raised his game. He had good metrics in CBJ, but no offensive game, pp/60: 1.18, 0.79, 0.92. Now he actually looks like a decent bottom six forward.
