Development of young players dependent on team plans

The Coaches Room is a regular feature throughout the 2025-26 season by former NHL coaches and assistants who turn their critical gaze to the game and explain it through the lens of a teacher. In this edition, Drew Bannister, former coach of the St. Louis Blues and Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League, and defenseman with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Edmonton Oilers, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and New York Rangers, writes about the utilization and handling of young players in the lineup early in the season.

Watching and helping young players grow within the lineup, particularly early in the season, is very situational in terms of where the organization is with plans for the year. I would say the San Jose Sharks are in a rebuild, while the New York Islanders are possibly in a retool.

When looking at a player like Brady Martin (Nashville Predators), who was returned to Sault Ste. Marie of the Ontario Hockey League last week, I would think Nashville is in a win-now mode. Obviously, it's disappointing what happened last year in Nashville. I know their coaching staff fairly well; Andrew Brunette is from Sudbury, Ontario, and we grew up together. I think when they look at their team and what they went through two years ago compared to last year, there's a lot of belief in that room that they're a Stanley Cup Playoff team and they want to get there. I think when you're looking at it organizationally, you have to look at it like, where are they right now? Where are they in their season and with the development of the players? Certainly, there's going to be room for the Matthew Schaefers and the Macklin Celebrinis and other first-overall picks or top-end players within an organization.

To see how Schaefer and Celebrini have just stepped in and been able to contribute has been something special. I've listened to (Islanders coach) Patrick Roy on Schaefer, and how he could be one of their best players if not the best. It says a lot about the player, and the commitment they're making to him, but also a lot about the trust the organization and the coaching staff have with players to give them the ability to play.

I remember watching Schaefer at the 2025 World Junior Championship, thinking, 'How is he 16 years old?' It's very similar to what you're seeing out of (Penn State University forward) Gavin McKenna and him playing last year. With Schaefer, you can see why his game is translating and how quickly he's translated to having success in the NHL just on his skating alone. I think people are kind of seeing the hockey sense and other finite skills he has in his game; all at a very high level for a young player.

Look at Celebrini last season. I think it was important for San Jose to put veteran players on his wing, allowing him to kind of grow into his game and get the touches he needed. He's certainly an outstanding player. They were able to put him on the first power play, and he had a lot of success.

I spent time at Sault Ste. Marie last year when I was let go (as coach of the St. Louis Blues in November 2024), so I got to see a guy like Brady Martin play at the junior level. He's an outstanding kid, really good hockey player, and I think Nashville got a really good player who's going to play a lot for them in the future and contribute to their organization.

I kind of go back to my time as coach in Sault Ste. Marie (2015-18) when I had players like Barrett Hayton (Utah Mammoth), Morgan Frost (Calgary Flames) and Rasmus Sandin (Washington Capitals). A couple of things stick out to me about those players. In particular, they were all first-round picks and the maturity level, both physically and mentally.

Hayton, as a 16-year-old, was physically and mentally very mature beyond some of the 19- and 20-year-old players we had. Two years down the road, he gets drafted very high (Arizona Coyotes, No. 5, 2018 NHL Draft), spends time in the NHL, goes back to major-junior, plays for Canada in the World Junior Championship and a year later, he's a fulltime NHL player.

Sandin (Toronto Maple Leafs, No. 29, 2018 draft) isn't as physically mature (as Hayton), but played a very physical, mature game to the point where you were kind of trying to hold him back a little bit. Mentally, he was just a really mature human being, outstanding teammate, and everyone loved him. He was eventually assigned to the Toronto Marlies (of the American Hockey League) and thrived. I was coaching in San Antonio that season, so we played against him and he's out there playing 25 minutes, doing the same thing he did in junior. Two seasons later, he's with the Maple Leafs, contributing and now he's in Washington, contributing as a top-four defenseman.

Frost (Philadelphia Flyers, No. 27, 2017 NHL Draft) is highly skilled and thinks the game really well, but maybe his physical maturity wasn't where those other players were. A little more time was needed before Morgan turned pro to learn a little bit more of the game and let his body kind of grow a little bit. He eventually made the jump to the NHL, had some success in Philadelphia and now he's contributing for the Flames.

Some of those players are a little bit more mature, physically and mentally, and they're able to make that jump a little bit earlier than some of the other players. I think, organizationally, it just comes down to, how quickly do we want to put them in a situation to have success? Or, are we OK with them having some ups and downs and letting them develop in the NHL wherever they're at with their organization?

I think times have changed since the days when I was a rookie with the Tampa Bay Lightning (in 1995-96) whereas the lines of communication are more open with the coaching staff and the players today with what you expect and what you're willing to give to the players in allowing them to kind of grow and build their game. My coach back then was Terry Crisp. He would only yell at us on the ice during our shift, but when you returned to the bench and you're expecting him to yell or say something, he wouldn't. The yelling during the shifts eventually subsided to a point where I felt that I had gained his trust and you were able to just play your game at that point. But other than that, he was a great coach to be around. I think that was pretty typical of most head coaches in those days. With today's technology, it's much easier to give players and young players feedback on their game from positive clips or coaching clips in small amounts to help them with their game.

I think the door is more open today for players just to come in and have conversations about anything and vice-versa, where coaches are more readily available in the dressing room and are not just hiding back in their coach's room. Whether it's in the training room, the gym, or the locker room, you're having conversations not only about them individually or about the team, but just life in general.