Sure, but how much? I’ll grant that Cassidy isn’t perfect, and that I disagree with the degree of absolutism in
@TFP ‘s post about what an NHL head coach’s job is. But can we frame this in a relative sense? My guess is that we’re more aligned than our posts might indicate—you might have noticed that frustration gets to me and my writing as well.
I’d say that his responsibility is to get the most out of his team, rather than any one individual player. He’s not perfect in that regard, but catering to one specific player has opportunity costs in terms of method and scarce management resources and messaging consistency. I have no greater insight, but motivation of the team as a whole has not seemed to be the problem during Cassidy’s tenure. Scoring depth has.
I don’t think it’s clear, and it’s more than a bit post hoc ergo propter hoc. DeBrusk isn’t fuel to be burned and the coach isn’t to be measured by the efficiency rate at which he’s converted to energy.
Everything hurts DeBrusk’s confidence and motivation. Being moved around the lineup, lockdowns, not being able to go out and socialize due to league protocols, his stick and whether it has holes in it. He’s been given ample chance to be a top six forward on a playoff team. He appears not to be that. None of that makes him a bad person—these aren’t moral failings.
As for tinkering, you might have a better idea of rates across the league, but isn’t that just what happens with bottom six forwards, especially those on cobbled-together, no depth teams? I’d have preferred to see DeBrusk play less on his off wing, and more on the left side (because that’s a specific mechanical issue), but if you’re not a superstar performer (and even if you are, see Pasternak second line experiments and the recent revolving door McAvoy partners), you gotta find a way to fit and contribute.
Your posts haven’t gone so far as this, so I’m using this conversation as more of a jumping off point: when we talk about failures of specific players—especially those for whom consistency is an issue—the blame is more often laid first at the door of the coach than the player. As you’ve rightly pointed out, a one-size fits all approach is typically not the most effective form of management. But my impression from some of these discussions is that, if only the coach were the right combination of Louis Gosset Jr. in An Officer And A Gentleman and Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting, the player would flourish.