Sore Loser
Sorest of them all
This, a thousand times this. It is right now that greatest problem with nhl development . There is no place for 19 year olds who aren't ready to move into the nhl, but are already at the top of the chl.
Jenner's offensive explosion was a surprise this year, but guys like Johansen could have really used this to their advantage. I'm still somewhat shocked that the new CBA didn't at least have some exceptions or modifications regarding this.
I disagree, to an extent. While I don't think all 19 year old players are incapable of playing in the AHL, I think that a blanket rule allowing them to all play in the AHL would really hinder the sport in general. If anything, there should be an exceptional rule that allows each case to be reviewed on an individual basis - and there should be a limit on how many 19 year olds each team could carry.
Filling AHL rosters with 19 year old players would completely ruin the CHL, which is where all of these talented players come from. Instead of competing against bigger, stronger players; the 16 and 17 year olds coming into the league would have little reason to get better, and it would become a glorified minor midget league. Add to that the loss of star power with players moving on as soon as they become marketable (junior hockey teams have a small window of talent as it is), and the teams would have no reason to exist.
What this also does is take away jobs for "tweener" NHL players and guys who may never play in the NHL anyway. Personally, I would have never become a hockey fan without the Columbus Chill, who had a small handful of recognizable faces on the roster every single year. You knew these guys weren't going anywhere, and to some extent, that's why you cheered for them.
I'm not completely against it, but I'm all for limiting it and making sure that it doesn't pluck all of the talent away from where it belongs. If a guy is going to put up 2 points per game in junior, as Sven Baertschi did last year, then yeah, I see a reason for putting them in the AHL.