clydesdale line
Connor BeJesus
- Jan 10, 2012
- 25,447
- 24,129
Eichel is hardly a success story.
Fantilli can obviously play in the NHL next year, but compare the situations.
In Michigan he's the alpha, they'll probably give him the C, he'll have teammates like McGroarty, Brindley, Casey, and Nazar to play with, and they'll keep winning lots of games.
In Chicago it'll be even worse than this season, losing constantly, morale draining, and linemate options are a broken Patrick Kane and a broken Tyler Johnson. Maybe Reichel if they decide to play him at wing?
I'm sure that'll go swimmingly...
If instead he comes in for the 2024-25 season, suddenly they'll be an influx of guys like Nazar, Slaggert, Savoie, Ludwinski, etc, a bunch of our prospects fighting for roster spots. The environment will be competitive and guys will be looking to prove themselves. They probably even give him an "A" right off the bat.
That's much more conducive to his long term success.
At the end of the day, it's up to upper management to get the players for these guys to thrive. Every top pick had to come into a dog shit situation of a team. McDavid, Crosby, Ovechkin, etc. etc. Those guys had dog shit teams around them... it didn't effect their "psyche". If Fantilli is that weak minded then he was never long for this. You gonna say Bedard needs to stay another year in junior if the Hawks win the lottery and draft him?
If that's what you're basing your conclusion on, then I have no idea why you're so against Michkov then since it'll take him 3 years to get here.