Usually agree with most of what you write, but not this time MM.
For me, championship window starts first week of October every season for the foreseeable coming years. It may very well be a brighter picture in 2017, but CBJ are a legitimate darkhorse to win it all even this year, in part because of Hartnell/Umby swap. Not a favorite to win SC or even ECF, admittedly (see below). But we are on the cusp of some really fun times.
What MM wrote was absolutely true prior to 2012-13 season...we sucked and this trade would have been a red herring that accomplished nothing. But after watching CBJ grow up in its series against Pit, and then watching NYR get to SCF shows me (again) that any club that make the playoffs (and especially one with SOLID goaltending) can run the table (please Bob!!!). In the big picture, I see CBJ as better team now than NYR were 3 months ago during their run to SCF, in part because of Hartnell/Umby switch. Not saying CBJ would have beat LA in 2014; I also am not saying CBJ are the most talented team or the most likely team to win it all in 2014-15 season. There are still big needs (RW, sniper, etc...). We also still struggle with the speed of the game agains a few elite teams...I want to see us fill those holes. But while loving the direction and the potential for the future - I also very much like the 2014-15 club. CBJ should make the playoffs again (not a foregone conclusion), and once there anything can happen. All three of LA's series prior to SCF were 7-game series; 2 of NYR's 3 pre-SCF series went 7 games. Imo, in the East, only the Bruins have both superior talent & depth; a few have superior talent in Top 6 but not the same depth as CBJ. Not sure that anyone in East matches CBJ depth. But most talented and/or deepest teams don't often/always get to SCF, let alone win the Cup. And yes, West is comparatively loaded, but if CBJ made it to SCF (I wouldn't pray for another putt to drop, ever, I promise!) they'd only have to beat one WC team to win SC (though I would dread a Chi matchup - ugh.). I believe it takes some talent and lots of depth to get to playoffs, but once at the dance it also takes SOLID goaltending (no bad nights), good early-series matchups, no injuries to key players during March-June run, etc...to advance from one series to the next.
imo Hartnell makes us a notch better than with Umby for the next 3 years. I don't think MM or anyone else is arguing that Hartnell doesn't make us better - the opinions are more about for how long better, and at what long term cost on the cap. My point is that the trade wasn't made to move us from 12th to 9th in the conference; if that was the case, I would agree with MM. The trade was made to move us from 7th to ???, to get in the dance in a better position and make some noise once there. The mortgage on the future doesn't seem that large to me, especially with the safety valve of a buyout option if absolutely necessary - which puts the term for Hartnell the same as the existing term on Umby. Full disclosure, I'm not a buyout fan, that's partly why I like the Hartnell trade, but I also like having the buyout in the back pocket if this trade doesn't play out well - because i would have supported buying out Umby. We didn't have to. Imo, Umby was done here, no disrespect to him or blame to him or CBJ. He was a solid Jacket, but lost much of his game and his role here in last 2 years, playing hurt/injured (probably both, the latter of which did not help team at times). Hope he finds his game in Philly, except when playing us.
CBJ must get better beyond Hartnell. He'll help, but he isn't the answer alone. Additional help coming with the kids, not sure what year. Who knows what the trade deadline will look like (I want to be a buyer, but "buyer beware!?")
No one player is the answer (well, except maybe Vezina Bob - then that might do it!!!). But let's get Joey signed, drop the puck already and see what 2014-15 package is under the tree...this has been like Groundhog Day on December 21 for a youngster waiting for Santa for over 3 months now. I'm nitpicking MM's opinion just to have something fun to post (with apologies to MM, he didn't even say he didn't like the trade, he said he was lukewarm...)!
