Tyler Seguin has been given a lot. The second overall pick in last year's draft, Seguin has been welcomed to the city of Boston with open arms, and viewed by the NHL as one of the league's top talents. In a season in which his statistical output has been less than many probably expected (8-9=17 totals in 51 games) he was showcased in Raleigh, N.C. during the All-Star festivities as one of the premier rookies. Despite not yet being the top player he will almost undoubtedly one day be, he's been given a lot.
Still, people are asking why he hasn't been given more. The answer to that question seems simple: He hasn’t played well enough to earn it.
This is the Bruins and this is Claude Julien. In other words, this is a team that's contending for a Stanley Cup and a coach who believes in giving players a chance and letting them determine their fate from there. Based on his play and statistical output of late (one point over his last 11 games), it isn't ultimately shocking that with Zach Hamill and Jordan Caron getting a look in the lineup, Julien decided to make Seguin a healthy scratch Wednesday.
“I know who he is and I know where he was drafted. I know all that stuff,” Julien said Thursday of Seguin. “Right now, we brought Caron, who we feel is a good fit on that fourth line, which I’m sure you guys know. Hamill is here too, there’s a guy who’s a third year pro and he needs to have a look too. Right now that’s the choice we’ve made.”
So there you have it. This isn’t Claude Julien hell-bent on stunting the development of a player who just turned 19 years old. This is a coach simply trying the get the most that he can out of his lineup in the midst of the most difficult part of the schedule, and Seguin hasn’t performed at a high enough level in the chance he’s been given – the same chance, by the way, that Brad Marchand, now a second-liner and an integral part of the offense, was given.
There's where it gets confusing when the message boards and readers criticize the coach's decision to give No. 19 less than 10 minutes of ice time in each of the last four games. These people seem to be ignoring is that Seguin has had plenty of bad games over the course of his rookie campaign. At times drop-pass-happy, the 19-year-old has struggled to make plays and has made costly turnovers in addition to having lapses in the defensive zone. There's little doubt that given his talent he will be a superstar at some point, but don't those other things warrant less ice time? Julien clearly thinks so, but also understands the challenges of being a rookie.
“He has a lot on his plate right now and I know he’s lost a bit of his edge and times where he’s lost the puck when he’s a guy that should be able to hold on to it,” Julien said. “There’s parts of his game that’s slipped a little bit but that doesn’t change the outlook of what we think of him.
“I think it’s a phase of what he’s going through this year, as you mentioned, it’s a lot different at this level than what he’s been used to. It’s never a bad thing to watch, never a bad thing sometimes to get a rest this time of year. We know players get tired after fifty-plus games and the travel and everything that has come along.”
Seguin knows what he’s capable of and will likely never be mistaken for a player with confidence issues. Asked about the idea that his lack of ice time could be hurting his confidence, Seguin said that such was not the case, and that he's taking each lesson in stride.
That’s not to say that Seguin necessarily feels the same way and takes no issue with sitting on the bench or in the press box. Given the fact that it’s technically possible for him to be sent to the AHL on a conditioning assignment, Seguin, whether he's happy with the situation or not, can appreciate that his way out of this is to up his game and limit the mistakes.
"I mean, I've got to earn everything else I get, I guess,” Seguin said Wednesday. “Whatever I'm getting, whether it's five minutes or 10 minutes a night, I've got to be taking advantage of it all.
"Even if I'm sitting on the bench for a while, I have to somehow get my legs to work. It's something that I'm not used to, but something I've got to change."
Seguin will be given the opportunity to change it. The Bruins aren’t going to change it for him.
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