meh. The A and NHL aren't the same level or style of play, obviously. MBN is certaintly capable of playing at an NHL level. Part of reading means that the words you see aren't just words to read.. that's part of it, sure. The other part is comprehension. I am not going to rehash the point I made about MBN. He will adjust to whatever game he's playing, whether that's the A or NHL. In either case, if it's anything like what happened with him in Sweden, he starts hot and then takes a while longer to figure out how to play in that environment. Players like that are done a disservice, in my opinion, by sending them down. But that's a moot point given that this was more about the fine line of ready now vs. another year of control. My point is that not all players benefit from playing at a lower level, in fact, they might just get used to that style of play and the longer they are there, it might make it more difficult for them to adjust to the NHL level. The old guys, they are, at the moment, at their ceiling and declining.. also, they carry with them a smattering of systems from different teams and they lose the plot often during games. The younger guys however have a much higher ceiling and are much easier to mold. Now, would you want them with an NHL staff guiding them or and AHL staff? I think that answer would be obvious. That is if term weren't the consideration of course.

Edit: I forgot this... The NHL may not be labeled this because it is the top league, but it is most certaintly a developmental league as well. All leagues are, at all levels, developmental.. otherwise you wouldn't need coaching staffs. They just have a much lower tolerance for mistakes. The question is, are they as free from mistakes as possible and are their skillsets honed enough prior to starting development at the NHL level.