When adding a player late in the season, the greatest task for coaches is to assess where and how that player will fit in to have immediate impact and chemistry with the players already on the roster. Some situations are easy to determine, but it may also take a bit of juggling and discussion with not only your staff, but the players as well.
That's the most challenging process and it usually doesn't happen overnight.
Most players are excited about coming to a Stanley Cup contender. And obviously the new teammates are excited about the addition to make the roster deeper and more competitive.
Inevitably, some players will lose ice time or even get sent down to the minors and it's the responsibility of the coach and organization to make sure they know they are still part of the big picture.
For example, if you bring in a top checking center, he's probably going to displace your third-line center and bump him to the fourth line. It's those situations you must take care of to make sure everyone has value in the group. Ultimately, the buy-in could determine if the team plays well past the end of the regular season.
Helping a new player learn the team's system is equally important. At the 2017 deadline, the Ottawa Senators acquired Alexandre Burrows and Viktor Stalberg, and the forwards played right away so there was a short window to introduce them to how we played.
We played a 1-3-1 in the neutral zone, which was a very difficult system to understand let alone execute at a high level of play. Once you got into it, it was fairly easy, but it was unlike anything other teams ran in the neutral zone.
If you have the luxury of a full practice rather than a morning skate, you will likely focus on system work. That way a new player could get a more hands-on approach, which is always the best method of teaching.
As a coaching staff, we prepared a video that was a collection of highlights that provided a detailed explanation of team play with and without the puck in the three zones of the ice.
We would go through these teaching videos to ensure each player had a good idea of what to expect. Later, we provided a short-term link through an application on their mobile phones so they could review system play in their free time.
The video and educational part of it is critical because of the short time a player has to digest something that's potentially very different. The fortunate part of all of this is that hockey is a game based largely on read-and-react situations, so most players are comfortable being able to adapt to change quickly and easily.
The other component of a trade that's important is the culture and identity of the group. Each team usually has its own uniqueness which must be identified and adopted as quickly as possible by incoming players.
What a team stands for, how it reacts to certain situations, plus the acceptable and unacceptable patterns of play must all be part of a player's indoctrination. The intricacies of the group and what the organization stands for must be highlighted and discussed so the transition is seamless, and the player is freed up to concentrate on his game.
When I first started with the Philadelphia Flyers in 1999, the New Jersey Devils carried such a strong culture it was amazing to see how players added to the group bought in and performed within the team's identity for team success. When management is looking at a player from a trade perspective and if the player fits your identity well, that's the easiest to deal with.
Burrows was the right player at the right time coming in at the 2017 deadline. He was near the end of his career and he added a lot to the experience and energy needed for us to get to within one goal of the Stanley Cup Final.
Burrows was such a quality person and he played with Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin for most of his career with the Vancouver Canucks. His addition added depth and energy to our locker room. He brought such a great attitude it was important for our locker room at that point and helped us with depth and ability.
The addition of quality individuals in terms of their ability and leadership usually creates a great deal of excitement for not only the team, but the coaching staff as well. It means a potential upgrade to a key position and it can help improve all areas of your team game.
More importantly, the right addition sends a message to the rest of the League that the organization is serious about winning the Stanley Cup.
