I don't expect any surprising result next year. I think this team will not be bubble team next year, but will be a bottom third team again.
I hope a new GM is brought in ASAP to clean out the old declining veterans (Phillips, Neil, Legwand, Michalek if anyone will take them) and bring in the new players that will gain experience and develop. Its past the time to rebuild (the current GM did not do a complete job of that), but rebuild is what is required to get the highly skilled prospects that this team requires to become a playoff team and a future Stanley Cup contender. Keeping old veterans who can no longer play a major role "on the ice" around is not the long term solution.
So what is the good way of rebuilding? Columbus? Oilers? Islanders? Sabres? Panthers? Canes? Avalanche?
2010-11 : Fisher, Kelly, Ruutu, Kovalev, Campoli
2011-12 : Kuba
2012-13 : Alfie-Gonchar
2013-14 : Spezza, Hemsky
That's all the vets let go in the last few years with only taking picks/prospects back or to free up some salary (except Chiasson in the Spezza deal)
Other facts to consider :
- Lowest payroll in the NHL (or about tied with Flames)
- Least amount of NHL games in experience
- 5th youngest team in age
Clearly, this team has been rebuilding since 2010-11, and it's astounding that some people still don't see it
We are not keeping Methot unless he agrees to 4.5 or so per which he won't: look at Carolina, they are in a very similar position with Sekera and they are not going to pay him because they are smart about it. The Rangers paid Staal because they can afford to and because they are a great team that I think is contender worthy.
I'm done thinking this team is finally going to break through, we keep losing talent and important players. The players bought into their own hype going into this season and once it was clear they weren't living up to it things completely unravelled
This team and franchise would do good in accepting that they suck and stop trying to build themselves up to something they aren't. We currently suck and that's fine, we were great for a long time; but getting the younger players to buy into the baseless hype only creates this giant mess and hurts morale once reality hits.
Just be smart and savvy about it, that's all. I never really listened to what is said in medias anyway, all I care is the pure info. The rest like opinions and quotes, I don't really care, it's sensationalism.
Ottawa is a small market team that can't afford to have a substantial drop in assistance.
They need to sell hope. I pretty much knew it was 7th/8th or no playoffs this season. And since they are not making the playoffs this season, might as well draft as high as possible since this draft will be golden. It's a blessing in disguise. They are "tanking" well keeping games close and interesting.
Thing is they are not as "horrible" as some of the doom and gloom crowd around here pretend...
21-22-9, 77% (24/31) of those L were 1 goal games, (including games where we gave up an empty netter. I think there's one game we gave up 2)
And with a GF/GA differential of -3 on the season... Look at teams below them, they have differentials between -14 and -93
G/GP : 2.65 (0.06 goal away from the average 15th spot, that's 1 goal every 17 games)
GA/GP : 2.71 (0.11 goal away from the average 15th spot, that's 1 goal every 9 games)
5-5 F/A : 0.98 (0.09 goal away from the average 15th spot, that's 1 goal every 11 games)
PK is 11th at 83% and PP needs works (25th at 16.4%)
And they will probably get the opportunity to draft 8th overall, which will probably be a top-5 quality prospect in most years.