Impact of Q vs. Expected Growth and Roster Improvements
Hey all, I was replying to another comment about Q's impact on the team in the r/hockey PGT and started getting carried away so figured it would be better to discuss properly here:
I'll begin by stating that I am happy with the job Q has done this year overall; I appreciate that he allows the young guys the opportunities to gain experience, and even when that costs them or when things are not going well, he seems to have a steady, calming presence on the group which I think really benefits player development. I trust that his guidance will benefit this team's development and systems play over the next few years and that his experience in the playoffs is especially valuable.
That being said, I feel like his immediate impact on the team this season is often exaggerated in this sub. For example, it seems like some of the things for which Cronin received heavy criticism have not been substantially criticized under Q e.g. inconsistent/mixing lines, weak special teams, McTavish as a third-liner, weak defensive play. I personally think a big part of this season's success has to do with the growth of some of the young guys which, while certainly fostered by the coaching staff, was to be expected under either coach (Lacombe, for example, was already one of the league's best breakout guys at the end of his time under Cronin, and Leo would be an angel under any coach). Sennecke's addition to the roster, along with more key veterans (Granlund, Carlson, Trouba, Kreider), can not be ignored either(it was not uncommon this season for Sennecke to be the best player on the ice for any given game); you can make the case that Cronin might have stunted his development, but had Granlund's injury not opened up room on the second line to start the season, we may have seen him relegated largely to a checking role for a good portion of this season as well (credit to Q for promoting him despite a weak training camp). As a Zegras truther, I don't think we should forget his injury issues in his last two years with us either, as well as the valuable depth Poehling has brought to the team. Killorn, too, had low-key injury issues at the start of his time with the team (broken thumb I think?); he was getting crucified on this sub (similarly to the way Helleson has been this season) and I feel like Cronin caught significantly more flack for his continued presence on top lines and special teams than Q does for Helleson or, more recently, Kreider. I'll also note that I didn't really mind Cronin's "I don't know" answers at the end of games; I think it's easy to criticize when the team isn't performing, but I didn't mind the blunt honesty of it, and that he wanted to take his time collecting his thoughts before prescribing solutions publicly, though I expect this opinion to be an unpopular one.
On the other hand, we have seen offensive production significantly improved, and we can reasonably expect to see some of the defensive lapses resulting from implementing the Q's system become less frequent with increased familiarity. Q's impact I have found to be most obvious in the playoffs, and I believe he has done a much better job with adjustments and strategy here than would be reasonably expected from Cronin.
Curious to get y'alls' thoughts on this. I think Q has done a good job with the team, I just wanted to address what often feels like a double standard here. Do you agree or disagree? What am I missing?
Edit: forgot to mention Ross's career revival in favor of Q, and Viel's addition as a significant roster improvement