When a GM makes 2 massive investments on offense like Stamkos and Marchessault, he can't afford to have his coach play them less, because they signed there for a reason, they're established top 6 players that have a ton of pedigree and were told what their usage would be so to blame the coach on that is a little absurd, ridiculous actually.
Stamkos and Marchessault are essentially playing similar minutes to what they were getting in Tampa and VGK. The issue is, the Preds aren't replacing 2 players that played those minutes last year. They lost who? Sherwood, Zucker, and Glass? Evanglista lost minutes on the powerplay which makes sense when you add Stamkos and Marchessault, but he's playing 30seconds less ES than last year, L'Heureux is a rookie so that is whatever (there's no TOI from last year for him to be mad about a drop this year).
All 3 averaged 13mins and some change or under. But you add 2 players that play 17-18+ on average? Yeah that's going to eat up a lot. Some of the players did see an increase in ice time, the younger players, but that's the nature of adding 2 big pieces like that. The team was never in need of those 2 and the GM f***ed it. Is Brunette the problem? Maybe a little, but what he did last season for a rebuild is something Trotz should have looked at as a good sign of the future, instead he went and blew his cap space to land 2 big names like they were suddenly contenders and he was some genius in his own mind - he isn't.
Your gripes with Fabbro are 100% legit though, that was some insane f*** up by Trotz. To keep Luke Schenn over Dante Fabbro? Lol. They were already lacking in RHD, to just waive one like that is ridiculous.
