Poitras is already at 15 or less shifts the past two games and lohrei was already scratched for Wotherspoon. While they certainly don't "hate" the kids they haven't overly trusted them this year yet either. How else do you explain TJ still sticking around waiting for a contract/spot to clear and continually rolling out the line 2 carousel at RW when Lysell is in the system? They also must not have had too much faith coming in with Lohrei to sign yet another LD to a long term deal in Zadorov? He and Lindholm are both here 6 more years. They have 7 players they have drafted the past 10 drafts (only would expect 2015-2022 to be contributing at this point in fairness)
Play dictates ice time.
Poitras has been terrible the last 2 games and so his shifts have been limited. He was very good against LA and he got 19 shifts.
Lohrei was -3 in his first game so yeah, he was scratched the next game for Wotherspoon (who played great). Since he's been back in, Lohrei has been better and he's seen his ice time grow from 15 to 18+ per game.
Lysell didn't earn a spot out of camp. Even his biggest supporters can't argue he had a great camp. Then he went to Providence and went scoreless in his first 2 games. Why would they call him up? What has he done to earn that call up? I was really hoping Lysell would pull a Heinen and put up 8 points in his first 4 games and get called up right away but that didn't happen. Merkulov isn't scoring either. I fully expect Lysell to be up as soon as he has a good string of games but that hasn't happened yet.
I'm not the biggest fan of Monty. I think he's a great person and I root for him, but if I'm being honest I think he's a "good" coach not a great one. I think he copies rather than innovates ( Cassidy and Julien innovated). I think the issue right now is that he's trying to follow 'the plan' to allow Zacha-Lindholm-Pastrnak a chance to become our first line but it isn't working. Geekie on the 2nd line isn't working either and a team can't be carried by their bottom6 forever.
The "plan" isn't working. Time to adapt, adjust, innovate... figure out what's working and why.