The current generation of professional hockey players are going to advocate for themselves more than players did in the past. With all the evidence available at the click of a mouse or the tap of a finger why wouldn’t they? Many general managers and coaches say that they hold each player accountable to the same standards, but it is pretty obvious that it is only saying it just to say it.
Arthur Staple from The Athletic had a piece on Josh Ho-Sang today which had quotes and I thought they were very interesting
Josh Ho-Sang has some things to say about his treatment by the Islanders https://t.co/Vz70wJAOyQ
— Arthur Staple (@StapeAthletic) March 29, 2018
“I know they’re working hard. But I got sent down for defense and what are they in goals against in the NHL? I only played (22) games up there this year. I don’t think it’s my fault. They really painted it like it was my fault at the beginning of the year and I didn’t like that.
“I do have things I need to work on down here, my game is far from perfect. It can constantly improve. But I do think a lot of the stuff was unwarranted, especially in terms of the rope that other people were given. I understand I have a history and that might be a factor. I don’t know. But it’s frustrating to me.…
The Islanders are a pathetic mess of a team defensively so I can totally understand why Josh Ho-Sang would look at those readily available statistics and question the logic. He hasn’t been a model citizen by hockey culture standards, but at what point does the atrocious defensive results at the NHL supersede these mild attitude/maturity issues. Especially since the risk/rewards weren’t exactly a secret his draft year. I continue to be baffled with how players like him are handled.
I bring the Josh Ho-Sang situation up because I can’t help, but think Daniel Sprong feels the same way. Earlier in the year Sprong spoke to Corey Pronman about statistics and I wrote about it. He is very aware of what his NHL numbers were this year and he couldn’t possibly be watching the parent club right now and think that they are a defensively strong team. In the last 25 games the Penguins are a bottom five team in the amount of high-danger chances they give up. The Islanders are the worst. When you increase the sample to the entire year not much is different with Pittsburgh ranking 26th and the Islanders still the worst.
It's a tough sell to young offensively gifted players to keep them from an NHL paycheck for defensive reasons when the NHL squad isn’t doing any better themselves with lesser gifted offensive players.
My solution to help these players would be to eliminate restricted free agency. Do I believe that is going to happen? I do not, but it doesn’t make it a bad solution because the NHL has shown time and time again that it doesn’t like logic. Players shouldn’t be stuck the way they are like this. They are trapped under team control and their early 20’s are wasted. If you don’t want to use them, fine. Let them find work with one of the other 30 teams. For players like Ho-Sang and Sprong I really doubt they would be dwelling in the AHL if they had options. Restricted free agency is a farce. Mild attitude concerns shouldn’t be the road block it is in this sport. There are so many untalented players that “fall in line… who hurt teams a lot more. Allow smart GM’s to take advantage of this and allow players to have more control over their careers.
Thanks for reading!