going off last season thats true re mins. but again this is day 1 of training camp, so nothing is anywhere close to set in stone. based on what gallant said several times yesterday though, he seems very expectant of the kids taking significant steps this season. im taking that to mean with those expectations will come his intention to give them more rope ie trust. so im assuming the idea is to deploy lines 1-3 as essentially equals nightly, and should the need to shorten the bench arise the guys going that night will be the guys playing 18-20 mins. theres no doubt they did not get that in the playoffs, but the playoffs are life and death. i didnt like it but i can understand not extending the leash to see how they handled things.
as for the pp, as i said earlier i dont want to stick laf in the strome spot. i very much hope gallant creates two pp's and allows them equal opportunity and will start either depending on the night. i think laf is far, far better off getting to run a pp or be in position to create than he is as a bumper floating between the dots one touching passes and redirecting shot-passes.
most of their development comes off the ice anyway. thats where the leaps come from, on the ice theyre acclimated to the speed and physicality at this point, theyve been in the high pressure moments, laf wont forget how to play offense.
i would be unhappy if 10-15 games in the kid line is flying and producing and seeing those 14 mins, if pp1 was taking 1:45 of every pp again, if blais was doing nothing and the mika line was impotent but they were still getting 20 mins.
but on day 1 of training camp i just think its better to look at it from the perspective of gallant has been outspoken about the progression for this team is those kids growing into bigger parts of the team. ill take him at his word he intends to provide the opportunity to do that, regardless of the line number they play on. besides, we could easily see laf with mika and kreider against tampa to open the season anyway. i cant see any reason to not let things play out through camp and the start of the season before i think gallant needs to make any changes to what were doing.
