I kind of think this core will never reach the sc finals. I thought Yzerman had to tank one more season to get another top 5 pick.
If I had to bet my house whether this team will win the cup or reach the sc finals, I would bet sc finals. I don't see this team ever win the cup, let alone several ones.
Yzerman should have realised by now that Lalonde is a problem.
I definitely think Yzerman should have brought back Mantha now. Caps gave him away for free. You do experiment, if it works it works, if doesn't it doesn't hurt either.
I don't see any other easy deals.
Do you know what makes sports fun? They're unpredictable. I think statements like "this team won't win the cup or reach the finals" etc are pretty absurd. We have no idea what the final makeup of our core is going to look like, who will be added along the way, who will be lost, who will take a big step, who will have a hot streak at the right time, etc.
Right now we have a playoff bubble team on the ice, with arguably the best prospect pool in hockey. Be pessimistic about that if it's your prerogative but don't be surprised when most of us tune that out.
I think it's reasonable to question our priorities and the direction of the team, but the fact is that our core is ready for the playoffs. Should we have signed fewer vets so that Edvinsson and Berggren could get NHL reps? I think so. But Seider is ready to carry an NHL defense. Maybe not particularly well until he has a better supporting cast around him (which we have growing in the system), but he's ready. Raymond is ready to carry a top 6 line. Larkin is overdue for some playoff hockey.
Should we have ignored the chance to bring in Ghost, Kane and Debrincat? Should we have moved Walman? Do we not believe in our next generation of prospects to elevate this team at all? If not, why should we believe in whoever goes 6 this year instead? Honestly, I really don't think that one more top 10 pick is going to make the difference for this team's future. I think playing meaningful games and getting into the playoffs will be really important for this team's development though. We're not contenders yet. But we never will be if we are perennially committed to the future. Eventually, we had to turn the corner, and I think our core players dictated that now is that time.
Have mistakes been made, do I wish we had won a lottery to bring in a true superstar, is it possible that the reinforcements fizzle, everyone stops developing, the Larkin age players fall off too early and we never make it out of the mushy middle? Of course. But I think on the whole, we're one of the best positioned teams to contend in 2-3 years. We have to walk before we can run.
Of course we're still losing to the best of the best. That's not us- yet. I just don't know how you can look at the direction of this team and its talent level, and be upset right now. Nothing will ever be guaranteed. You can tank like Toronto, get a ton of stars and never win. You can hang out in mediocrity and suddenly get a random cup like the Blues did. The most reasonable thing is to try to improve your team when you can while aiming to maximize talent during a particular window. That window is opening for Detroit, and by my assessment, we're well positioned to capitalize on it. Will it require some luck to win the cup? It always has. If there was a path to guaranteed victory, the sport would be boring.