ok but.....
Obv not his fault but the reality that he has to play in a league below his level is a undisputed minus towards development.
Sure, but does this team have the resources to help him that way? all accounts are that they do not. Plus he wants out. Not a good mix if you're hoping for an ideal outcome.
Ok "entirely lost" was hyperbolic. My thought is more that this fraction of a season can't possibly be sufficient for him to take the necessary next steps that he would have needed to take over a full season to become the top-6 winger we expect him to be.
There is still a chance he hits but undoubtedly that chance is smaller now thanks to this range of mitigating factors.
Idk, while unfortunate he has to stay OHL for his D+2, it’s hardly unusual that a 19 year old doesn’t make an NHL roster. And the framing that if he looses a portion of his D+2 season it’s all over seems pretty alarmist. Players get injured, timelines shift, shrug.
He can make the most of whatever season he gets, regroup in the off season, and spend next year on the Cuda. Maybe he spends an additional development season or half beyond that, making up for lost development time, working on his game in the AHL. That puts in in the NHL at age 21/22 instead of 20 and roughly on the same timeline that Toffoli took; which seems fine to me.
Eklund had what I think we can all agree was a disastrous D+1, perhaps delaying his arrival by a season, but he’s doing fine. Obviously pedigree is a bit different between the two, but I’d wager late first rounders breaking in to the NHL at 21/22 years old is probably a pretty positive outcome historically.
I’d be concerned if there was evidence his development has stalled, but aside from a less than perfect development environment and a fluke injury (that seems unlikely to be chronic), I’ve seen no actual evidence that his development has stalled.