I think just cause it would wear him down.
You’d maybe guess the “second year slump” that tends to come for most skaters is the result of an increase in workload.
Year 1 you’re able to spend a lot every shift and since you’re getting few shifts the coach can more easily pick opportune times for them. You get to use your primary skills a lot. Easy to reward you with power play time without blowing up a conditioning plan.
Once you’re in the top 6 you can’t just go full speed nonstop, have to sometimes spend a lot of energy recovering from opponents attacks - you won’t necessarily have the same opportunities to iterate with your primary skillset.