Today begs the question: If Jeff Tambellini was putting up this kind of performance for another team, how many would be calling for Garth Snow's head on a platter right now?

Reason why I ask this is because we have seen this scenario play out before. In the nineties there were a lot of young players drafted and brought up through the system that struggled for a few seasons. All of them traded, save one, and went on to have success with other organization. It seems that in reviewing that time period lots of folks dismiss the fact that these same players struggled here, some of them struggled for a few more seasons in other organizations, before finding success.

I am not ready to crown Tambellini has a player that has finally cracked through either. What I am trying to enter into here is that players take time, struggle and more often than not, go through the motions before finally becoming successful NHL players. The Crosbys, Malkins and Ovechkins of the league are not the rule, they are the exceptions. Most players take time, many seasons, before realizing their potential.

Recently I've read a lot in Islanders Nations from fans who think Bailey needs time in the AHL and was rushed out of juniors into the NHL. REALLY?!?!?!?!?!!?!?! What good does it serve to send a player to a level where he is already dominating to make that player into a better one? You get better in this game by moving up a level and figuring it out. You don't become a better NHL player by spending more time in the AHL or Juniors where you are already dominating. What happens is players get used to that and have a tougher time adjusting when they struggle at a much higher level.

My hope more than anything is for people, before jumping the gun on these players, to show a little patience. I'm not talking about one season because it takes more than one season to develop a player. I've read from a a few scouts that it takes 300 games on the NHL level to really develop these guys. That's about 3.5 seasons worth of games if you do the math.

And just for closers: There's another player playing in the NHL right now that has scored the most points since the lockout that a lot folks were saying was rushed into the NHL at a young age; Joe Thornton.