The Arrival

There's two ways to look at Tyler Seguin's coming out party on Tuesday night.

The easy perspective, and therefore the most popular, is to suggest head coach Claude Julien unfairly held back Seguin during the regular season and by sitting him out in the first 11 games of the playoffs. A four-point explosion from the kid in a 6-5 Boston win in Game 2 is clear evidence of that, right? Evidence he should have been playing all along, right?

Well, hang on.

Now, Julien is one of those coaches who can't seem to win by winning. Got fired in Montreal. Got fired with a 100-point team in the final few days of a regular season in New Jersey. People think he coaches boring hockey. And so on. Julien's an easy target because he's not a fiery, John Tortorella guy who fires back. He's more of a gentleman, and a quiet man who simply believes what he believes in and is willing to suffer the slings and arrows to pursue his craft.

But it's possible to also look at Seguin's four-pointer on Tuesday as evidence of a player who was carefully prepared for his big momemt, brought along slowly by an experienced coaching staff, asked to be able to play an all-around game before he displaced a more senior player. Instead of slighting Julien, it's equally if not more sensible to give the coach credit for effectively grooming a 19-year-old forward so that when he was needed in the post-season, he would be ready to contribute.

Don't forget, it's not like Seguin was burning it up during the regular season. He had one point in his final 19 games, some of which he played as little as eight minutes, some of which he played more than 16 minutes. Some analysts argued as late as this week that Seguin didn't deserve to be in the NHL and should have been sent back to junior hockey during the season.

In these playoffs, Seguin sat in the press box for the first two rounds watching. But to be fair, after losing the first two games of the post-season to Montreal, Boston had been on a serious roll, winning eight of nine before Seguin was inserted as an injury replacement for Patrice Bergeron in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final. You don't change a winning lineup, and there wasn't an obvious choice of a player who needed to be deleted from the Beantown lineup in order to get Seguin in.

In Game 2, he was explosive and productive with two gorgeous goals. But rather than slight the Boston staff, credit them for holding this young colt until he was ready to do exactly what he did. Don't forget, it hasn't been like he's been sitting at home watching television since the playoffs started. Every day in practice, the coaching staff has been working with him, coaching him, showing him the things that would be necessary once he got his chance.

When he got his chance, he delivered like a player with enormous potential. And when he delivered, Julien gave him even more ice time. Now, the challenge will be for the young man to keep it going, to keep that ice time, and don't be surprised if he can't and ends up back in the press box, continuing to learn all the difficult lessons necessary to be a pro in the world's toughest hockey tournament.

Isn't that the way it's supposed to work? Good for Seguin, good for Julien and good for Boston.

Comments

[Steve C.]

Didn't they try this strategy with Kessel a few years ago?? That didn't seem to work out did it? There is no way holding Seguin out until important playoff games came along was the strategy - that is way too dangerous, both for the team AND Seguin's development. He only got in due to injury.
Speaking of not changing the line-up during a winning streak, please tell that to Ron Wilson. Lebda for Gunnarson comes to mind (still) after a 4-0 start to the season. It all went downhill after that. (Oh, and Seguin could've been part of that team). lol

[Darryl]

The whole concept of slow and steady is virtually anathema in today's instantaneous gratification society. When want our news now, our recongnition now (skip the waiting period and straight to the HOF or even sainthood for the Catholic Church). Yet discipleship and apprenticing have worked for thousands of years. Seguin's performance should give credence to that. There is no shame in being made to wait. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither are experts at their craft.

[Neil B]

When the NHL talent pool was deeper (had fewer teams), the NHL drafted 19-year olds, not 18-year-olds, and those players drafted routinely spent a couple years in the minors before they made their NHL debuts. When they did arrive in the Bigs, they would usually start off as utility players on the 3rd or 4th lines, until they had earned the trust of the coaches.

Now, arguably, rookies today are far better prepared for the NHL than they once were; the vast quantities of cash at stake make it worth the cost to hire trainers and take additional individual strength, skating and conditioning coaches in the off-season, particularly if you were drafted in the top 2 rounds. Now, if a 1st-rounder doesn't make the NHL within 2 years of his draft year, he's considered a flop.

Claude Julien's program with Seguin looks remarkably like what the Quebec Nordiques did with Owen Nolan, and look what a crappy career he had due to the mishandling. Oh wait, he had a 1200-game career, scored 422 goals, was a 5-time All-Star, and captained one NHL team.

[Tony Columbo]

This kid has sat on the sidelines for 90% of the season, People in Boston were questioning his ability and his willingness to work hard. So what if he has 2 great games, he is playing against players who have actually played games and are physically beat up. This kid isn't a game charger, he isn't a Crosby or Ovy...He isn't a Hall for that fact....

Kessel, is a proven playoff performer as well..Check his stats for 2007-2008 playoffs his first..He had 4 points, than in the 2008-2009 playoff season he had another 11 points. With Toronto, and no number one centre he has scored 30 plus goals in each of his seasons here....Not many players in the NHL can boost that stat....

The media in Toronto is all about controversy because it sells....The media in Toronto appeal only to the lowest common denominator....They appeal to those who ignore facts, ignore reason....

So let's move on from the trade Leaf fans....To the Media...let's get back to reporting facts....

[Bill]

Geez, lets be honest here - The young man is playing onlybecause of an injury. Kudos to him for playing wonderfully, though!

[Pete vh]

Couldn't agree more Damien. They appear to have patiently groomed Seguin before installing him into a deep roster. It will be interesting to see if they keep him in the lineup if/when Bergeron returns. He's obviously got a flare for offence but who do you sacrifice to keep him in. If it was here in Toronto, no problem. At least half the forwards are career AHL'r types, but in Boston I can't see taking anyone out. It won't be an easy decision.

[Chad]

Cox, good on ya for not once mentioning "the trade" anywhere in your blog. in fact not even one reference to Kessel or the Leafs. thank you!!
Simmons over at the Sun would have brought it up at least 5 times....

[Jason]

Are we past looking at Seguin as a could-have-been Leaf yet? That 2nd overall draft pick was traded, not Tyler Seguin. We're not even sure Toronto would have taken Seguin with that pick. He has nothing to do with the Leafs. As far as his performance last night, that's fantastic. As a player, I'm still not sure it's time to mount pressure just yet. You look at the final 19 games with 1 point more than you look at one playoff game. If you look at the 3rd period last night Seguin had no points and was a -1. Tampa obviously woke up to his line and adjusted. I say lay off the kid. He's friggen 19. What was more impressive about Boston last night, to me, and more sustainable, was their PP getting going and Kaberle picking up two PP assists too. Hopefully Bruins fans will get off his back and not expect too much from Seguin next game.

[shayne O]

I agree with you wholeheartedly Damien.
putting too much pressure on a 19yr old can can leave him doubting himself if he doesn't succeed in the first year. resulting in impacting him long term.
The important aspect of all this is that he admits that he had to learn what it takes to succeed and has went out and responded to that challenge.
And we do have to keep in mind he is only 19 yrs old and the bruins organization realizes that.

[jtlinmtl]

Steve C: Kessel was a point per game in the playoffs. How is that "not work"ing?

[Chris]

Steve C: Seguin got 22 pts in 74 games this year. How would that have helped the team THIS year? To put that into perspective, 22pts in 74 games is about what Carl Gunnarson contributed (20pts in 68 games).When Kessel was in his rookie season as an 18 year old with Boston he got 11 goals and 18 assists for 29 points in case you were wondering AND he had to battle through testicular cancer. I will also note that Kessel has 9 goals and 6 assists (15pts) in 15 career playoff games with Boston. I'd give it more than two games before you start LOLing.

[john]

Go Tyler Go! The Kessel deal is in the past and there it must remain, however ... the Kaberle deal is still alive and if Tyler can help get the Bruins to the finals then the Leafs pick up the conditional 2nd round pick which will help reduce the sting of the two 1s and a 2 a little.

[bobcollum]

Kessel was benched because he wasn't producing and he has a bad attitude. Seguin was sitting because there weren't enough roster spots and the least productive player at the time was benched.

[Joel]

Let's be honest with ourselves here, if Seguin was playing for the Leafs we would never have seen this kind of performance from the kid. For starters, he wouldn't even be playing in the playoffs. After a 1 point performance in the final 19 games, the fickle Leaf fans would already be calling him a draft bust.

[Vegas]

There's a third way to look at Seguin's game: It was one game. If he can continue at this pace, that's great, but one game does not a legend make... Eric Boulton once had a hat trick. I realize Seguin is far more talented than Boulton, but it just shows that a snapshot of a single game can't be the predictor of an entire career.

[koho]

The Legend of John Druce

jus sayin

[Brent Hancock]

Toronto fans always get so defensive when Sequin's name comes up. A trade which looks bad on paper now takes years to evaluate. Toronto fans are also extremely defensive of Phil Kessel. Boston traded him as he did not want to stay in Boston. They had offered him over 5 million per year for a multi year contract which he turned down. He is a one dimensional player who Boston didn't feel was worth any more money. Great on the power play, excellent shot, quick skater but poor defensively and prone to disappearing for weeks on end especially when the teams they are playing are very physical. He will be a more prolific player when the Leafs get some more valuable players. Let everything play out. But I do think Sequin is going to be a special player.

[2nd Guess]

Maybe I'll venture an opinion of Seguin and the Bruins handling of him if and when he turns out to be more than a 48-hour wonder.

Something about which I'm curious -- and I apologize to Mr. Cox for using his blog to this end -- is if anyone else is having trouble registering for the comments section on the Star's main site (thestar.com). I haven't been able to get back on since the system seized up on Tuesday, even though I've had no problem with the secondary sites (e.g. moneyville.ca or toronto.com) or, obviously, the blogs.

Any similar experiences? Or solutions to same?

[johnnyk]

Boston did not lose anything by dumping Kessel. In fact, they improved.
With Kessel they scored 206 goals in 2009-10.
Guess what? Without "the sniper" they scored 246 in 2010-11!
So in effect they gave up less than NOTHING and got a good salary dump out of it, too. Might have improved things in their room, too. Bruins aren't a team built on floaters.
Kessel did nothing for the Leafs. HE padded his stats but THEY still went nowhere.

[johnnyk]

Boston scored 206 goals with Kessel in 2009-10.
They scored 246 goals this year without him.
Bonus: Bruins dumped $5 million.

[Tony Columbo]

Johnny K......But Seguin wasn't A FACTOR IN THE BRUINS scoring all those goals.....Seguin sat for most of the year.....So come again....Seguin wasn't even benchwarming during this playoffs...If it weren't for an injury he would have the entire playoffs.....

Kessel has scored 30 or more goals in the last 3 years....Tell me the percentage of players that can say that????