Cheering for the team is fine and good if that works for you.
Hockey gives me enjoyment as it's entertaining to watch. I also like to have my team be competitive. I also like for my team to evolve, learn and get better. While I appreciate Trotz going out and spending money in FA, he brought in these guys to carry the team for the next couple of years while the younger guys developed and learned from them. What good is it if the guys are either in Milwauke or in the press box or on the ice for only 5 minutes a night? Is all that experience and mentorship going to magically rub off on these kids?
This is where I struggle. I could see the transformation in Evangelista's game last year from being around ROR. How would Parssinen or Tomasino not benefit from being on the ice with these guys night in and night out? Their ceiling is going to be higher than certain guys who keep getting ice time, especially Tomasino. And before you or anyone else says, the fourth line is about identity and you need grinders, our lineup up top is not elite enough to compensate for a lack of production from the fourth line.
I'll ask these questions, as a fan of the team, which line will have more success ZLH with McC and Smith or ZLH with Pars and Tomasino? As a fan, which line would you rather see play on an nightly basis? I know where I lie. I don't want to see late 20's/early 30's guys on the fourth line taking up spots of kids we have in our system, regardless of whatever role the coaches think should be on the fourth line. ZLH and Tomasino would provide enough speed to create havoc on the ice and honestly, ZLH with his tenacity and physicality will also bring enough energy to that line. Once again, that's just me wanting to see the team think outside the box and give the kids some time to learn, grow and develop without chastizing them every time they make a mistake. Other guys get leashes and they're experienced so why does an inexperienced player not get the same leeway - and this is a great question for the media to ask the staff.