“…Grabner, in the simplest terms, is one of the top New York Islanders on the ice night after night.

His speed alone has always been an almost comically dangerous asset, but since joining the Islanders (h/t Dale Tallon) Grabner has really honed how to use it to constantly disrupt and unsettle opponents.

…

Basically, on the Isles there is the top line which gobbles up the majority of O-zone starts and powerplay time, and then there is Grabner, who produces from wherever.”

I don’t think it’s the right call though, at least not to this extreme. Spreading the offense has its merits, but shortening the bench late should not cost you a Grabner. Ultimately, you should be able to get a player like this more than 10 minutes a game, even if several of those minutes are labor-intensive PK shifts — and you shouldn’t limit one of your best player’s ice time just because the regular linemates he’s carrying are liabilities.