Yeah I think that a lot of the online narrative has fellated Carolina for a long time in part because they leaned hard into analytics before a lot of other teams.
They also have that quality that the Sharks had for like ten years where, when they're flying, they look both bigger and faster than their opponent and just look overwhelming.
But their rEvOluTiOnArY owner nickel and diming on Brind'amour. And their absolute unwillingness to go all-in.
I mean, thank goodness they didn't do it. But seemingly at the end of the season a couple of years ago they could have had J.T. Miller for primarily futures. You don't think they would be doing better with a player whose name we literally chant every game?
Didn't make sense to me then, doesn't make sense to me now that they refused to bite on a distressed asset with high upside like that.
But I guess they can enjoy being the bridesmaid for like 8 years in a row and then their D contracts can implode.
If Nikishin hits the ground running and Morrow turns out to be a top pair D then they can renew their efforts.
But any growing pains and things could become a lot more mediocre in Raleigh within the next two years.