Quoting: Campabee
The one thing I keep seeing over and over that I hate is KK on the 4th line. He is producing at a 40 point pace on that 4th line at least move him up the lineup like he deserves or trade him somewhere else so that he can play higher up (even I it is not the Habs). The kid has talent and has tried to prove it with both teams he has been with but for whatever reason the coaches won't move him up when he has success.
That very likely changes as soon as next year. Trocheck will likely end up going as a UFA, so that opens up a spot at 2C. KK is just being played in a sheltered role this year so he can get adjusted to a new team quicker. Plus, he has shown he would be a very competent 2C with the Canes when they were in that Covid stretch in December. I would make the reference to Markstrom and how he played between this year and last, and while they are different circumstances, I think that would be the result that the Canes are looking for. The fact that he is producing on the 4th line/3B line is good, and will likely only increase once he gets moved up the lineup. A change of scenery will benefit certain players, and I have said it before, there is always a transition period. NHL players just have the talent to make it look like there isn’t a transition period. That’s why I point to players like Markstrom, Grubauer, and Duclair. They had a transition period, and in Grubauer’s current case, is going through one right now. You can’t just acquire a player and expect them to be at full potential right away, especially when it comes to the younger players in the league.
That also goes for players making the jump to the NHL to start their careers. You have some players that will shake the world like McDavid in their rookie year, and some that take longer, like KK, Barkov, and J. Hughes. Not every player will light the lamp or make the saves the need to when they make the jump or switch teams. If that were the case we would have Gretzky’s and Brodeur’s everywhere. And even those 2 greats didn’t play the best every single game they played. And having all these expectations heaped on these players my the media, the fans, and in certain cases their own teams, really can hurt a players development. Why would you trade a player that is still developing unless you know it won’t work out or it would benefit both teams? But I digress, as this will likely fall on deaf ears, but I still have hope someone will listen.