The problem is each year there is a draft so each year new players come into the system. The team will at that time look at who is the best to call up. They do not or should not care if others are in the system for years if they have been in the system that long then they can move on as other will be there waiting for the next call up.
In the case of Kozun there are others that are moving past him and they have less years in the AHL so it shows that they have more skills and will be called up before him. It does not matter on size it matters on the skills they have today and the skills they will have tomorrow.
Everyone can check and see today that Toffoli has more goals more points a better Plus and Minus than Kozun in Toffoli's rookie year so why would LA call up someone with less numbers than him Just because he has been there for three years?
Kozun will go to LA training camp next year if he does not get a shot then he should ask for a trade and move on.
This is where I completely disagree with you.
Kozun hasn't been passed by anyone of our prospects in any of the areas that he was drafted in with the exception of him being a couple of inches shorter.
His scoring is right there with our best prospects including our top two elite (I see Vey as also being a top end scoring prospect) and he is a banger/agitator that is right there with anyone else.
Kozun hits, plays with an edge and can score goals. Those are the reasons that he was drafted and he has steadily improved since his draft. The question with Kozun was would he be able to mature and learn how to play with an edge without taking so many penalties which he has.
He is durable and built like a tank. He is 23yo, 5'9" and weighs 186lbs according to Morris. He is smaller than our team avg for certain but he isn't as small many other NHL players.
Is he a special player? In some ways but not so much so that he can't be replaced but we drafted him, invested in his development and have a finished kid who is NHL ready.
I agree with the idea that if we aren't going to even give the kids who we draft and then develop a look at the NHL level when they have earned it then why not just go after long shot high risk high reward skill guys from now on?
I am a huge fan of Futa both as a person and as a scout and Kozun is just further proof to me that he is excellent at what he does (so is his staff).
Giving TT a call up is great rather he plays or not the experience gained by being with an NHL team is solid and also gives a player a ton of confidence that they are moving in the right direction and to keep working hard and they will be back.
Nothing but good can come from giving Kozun a call up or two either. It sends a message throughout the system that says work hard and you will get your shot. It also increases Kozun's value for trade purposes.
Not every prospect should be brought up but the ones that prove themselves on the farm should at least get a look once before we let them walk. Kozun was drafted to fill a certain job and he has proven that he is ready to try doing that job at the NHL level. Can he make it in the NHL? We won't know the answer to that question until he is given the chance to do so.
Kozun fleshes out to a 3rd line winger who plays with an edge and has soft hands around the net. If he were 2 inches taller he would be in the NHL or at least would have seen a call up or two by now.
