There is one very simple change NHL head coaches could make as a group to not only potentially improve their teams but also improve the quality of the league.
That change: simply giving their young players more of an opportunity to succeed or fail.
The 2022-23 NHL season is only a week old, but we have already seen some head-scratching coaching decisions around the league regarding some of the league's best prospects.
San Jose, a team in desperate need of a rebuild and already going nowhere fast this season, sent top prospects William Eklund and Thomas Bordeleau to the American Hockey League, where they want to see them dominate before getting a shot in the NHL. Despite a cap-strapped veteran roster in desperate need of youth and energy, the Sharks have decided they would be best served with the kids developing in the AHL. They've also started the season 0-5-0.
The Chicago Blackhawks, a team already knee-deep into a rebuild that figures to be one of the worst in the league, did the same with Lukas Reichel. While it might be prudent to let Reichel develop elsewhere than Chicago since the team is embracing the tank, wouldn't it also help accelerate his development by playing with Patrick Kane or Jonathan Toews, guys who have been in similar positions and won Stanley Cups? Having the 20-year-old play on the big club won't necessarily mean more wins this season, but it will give him valuable ice time with veterans that have been there and done that.
When it comes to young players who actually are in the NHL, they are not getting a ton of playing time or are getting scratched. Minnesota has barely played Marco Rossi and made him a healthy scratch. Seattle has handled the No. 4 overall pick, Shane Wright, the exact same way. And it's baffling.
There is definitely a fear that coaches have with playing rookies (especially teenagers) and a certain type of security that comes from veteran players. But there is also a huge advantage in trying to get the most out of young players that can be beneficial for building a team.