Quote:
Originally Posted by JKsilverstick
A lot of people, actually. And he is treated as that kind of prospect.
But the argument holds for any kind of player. Why make all these moves on defense, all of which involve having or gaining more defensemen, if they already have a defenseman that is ready?
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Okay, I must be missing all of these people saying that then. He's treated as an excellent prospect, and he certainly is. If a defensive prospect has top 4 potential(and higher), or top six potential, I don't know how you can not call them an excellent prospect. You might be underestimating the type of prospect it takes, these days, to be that caliber of player.
Because there may be a disagreement regarding Smith's NHL-readiness, or what would be best for his development? Babcock, from what I understand, wanted Smith on the team. Holland is the one who ultimately makes that decision, however. Sometimes you swing for the fence, and sometimes you make the safe play and just get on base. What Holland was doing was trying to get on base. If he liked the team he had, there is less motivation for him to insert Smith onto the team. It seems pretty clear that not everyone agreed with Holland's decision.
Edit: Furthermore, rookie players typically have far more ups and downs over the course of the season than veteran players. It goes with the territory. It could have been as simple as Holland believing a veteran player was the better decision. A proven NHL player, however "mediocre" you claim they are, brings a quality that few rookies can.