So, if we are talking post Holland.
'19 draft position was already set. We got Seider. Any issues picking him at 6?
We then finished dead last. Lost the lottery. Any issues with picking Raymond at 4?
We finished 4th from bottom. Lost the lottery. Any issues with Edvinsson at 6? Who did we miss out on here? Pre-draft Ed was in that mix of guys from 2-10. And #1 Power, I don't think is going to be much better than what Ed's ceiling is himself. So there really wasn't anything missed here.
We finished 8th from the bottom. Lost the lottery. Any issues with Kasper at 8? No one in the top 10 is having a bigger D+1 than Kasper is. I'm perfectly content with him. Only way we finish lower is if we keep Ray and Mo out of the lineup. That doesn't help our future.
I don't really see a way we could have tanked more seriously without hurting what we're trying to build on.
Awesome post.
I think this season is the first under Yzerman's watch where Detroit could have done something that MIGHT result in a better draft outcome.
It's also still mathematically possible that tanking another year would've still resulted in a lottery loss, dropping to 4 or 5, while the approach they took still manages to catch a lottery miracle and they land a top 3 pick. We just don't know (yet).
But ultimately all of this hinges on landing at least one superstar, and each fan's confidence in Detroit managing to do so via different approaches. Here's why my panic meter is still at zero:
* I think Seider has what it takes to develop into a superstar.
* I think Detroit has a scouting program that's good enough to possibly land a superstar in this draft, even if they don't pick in the top 3.
* I think Yzerman is a smart GM. So while he's certainly not immune to mistakes, he's also fully dedicated to using any opportunities he can to continue to improve the roster. So even if they end up drafting a playoff team that's not good enough to seriously contend, he will keep exploring trades and signings until they've reshaped that team into a contender.
If there's anything I have a little urgency with, it's wanting next season to include a better performance from the coaching staff, both on line pairings and offensive strategy. That gets easier as talent trickles in, but the stubborn nonsense like Seider-Chiarot needs to stop.