We have Patrick, Leier, Laughton, Hagg and Sanheim in the lineup, with Weal, Konency and Provorov, that's a lot of youth added the last two years.
Odds are some of Vorobyev, Lindblom, NAK, MV, Morin, Friedman and Myers will be up by the spring.
By next TC we'll probably have replaced over half the roster in a 3 year period with prospects.
And that's before the "big drafts" start showing in numbers.
If Morin can't handle this as a challenge, we're better off trading him b/c he'll probably never reach his potential.
He can see Hagg working hard, improving his game, getting his shot and winning a job. Same with Weal and Leier.
Morin should take this as an opportunity to improve and show Hextall he belongs - the days of being given a job are over.
A lot of prospects are going to face this roadblock from now on, there's not going to be room to start both Friedman and Myers next year, and if Wilcox continues his good start, he's going to be a very frustrated young player.
Hextall will trade some of his prospects (probably for more draft picks) but I think he likes the depth that forces the kind of competition that reveals the character of young players - how do they handle adversity and frustration? Do they sulk or work harder? Do they accept the challenge or give up?
I think it's a mistake to see this as MacDonald v Morin, rather it's Morin v himself and Hagg and Myers and Friedman.
It's not Filppula v Vorobyev, or Weise v Lindblom, etc.
Hextall wants the young players to win jobs, not just by being more talented, but by showing they're prepared to play in the NHL, to show they've mastered the fundamentals, cut down on their mistakes, improved their hockey IQ, are in top shape, etc.
When a young player shows he's ready to play, Hextall seems to find a way to move out the veteran.
And it's not about age, a young player is NHL ready when he demonstrates it on the ice, we saw that with Provorov, we're seeing that with Patrick. We also saw what happens when you rush a player and ask them to do what they're not capable of doing with Laughton, and that even older players may need more seasoning, as was demonstrated by Weal two years ago.