I'm not one, at all, for conspiracy theories, but it almost feels like they're holding Jake back so they can get a cheap contract out of him on his next deal. Last season, he was on pace for 18 over 82 games, getting almost exclusively dzone starts with linemates who had very limited offensive capability. He got almost no pp time, no pk time when he has a skill set for both sets of special teams.
Had he got top 6 mins, with ozone starts and pp time, he likely would have been on a 25ish pace. He's done pretty much everything they've asked of him, paid his dues and guys like Goldy and Leivo are gifted top 6 mins and pp time while he languishes away in the bottom 6.
It's probably a rationalization because I like TG, but if Jake busted out, there's another big contract they'd have to fit into an already tight structure. If they keep him bridled until his next deal, it makes him much more affordable