I just disagree that it has been too slow and honestly, I'm glad we will only have one year languishing in no man's land around the 17-22 spot in the final standings. We didnt bother building a solid squad until the core was ready and I don't see the criticism in that strategy considering that we now find ourself with some of the best young talent in the league. Heck, our best player is 21 and JUST had his breakout season and you could say the same for our captain.
Sens don't have a 1st round pick for 2 years now, and even 3 if you don't see Boucher as a 1st round pick talent.
We're talking about a team who has a result of Tyler Boucher in 3 drafts first rounds and has ZERO playoff berth to show for it. I don't think people realize how this never happens? Teams usually start trading their firsts when they are already winning.
There was absolutely no reason to NOT be more competitive in 2020-21, but instead this is what we spend money (AND assets) on :
Stepan 6.5 AAV
Murray 6.25 AAV
Dadonov 5.0 AAV
White 4.75 AAV
Anisimov 4.55 AAV
Zaitsev 4.5 AAV
Gudbranson 4.0 AAV
Tierney 3.5 AAV
Dzingel 3.375 AAV
Hard to find a 42 M$ better spent if your goal was to TANK but we picked Tyler Boucher with a 10th OA pick?
For me it's been slow, we have not been close to make the playoffs yet outside of maybe a week or two in February. Many of our players are approaching their mid 20's/late 20's and haven't even started to learn how to lose in the playoffs.
Yes thank Alfie, there's the 2019-2020 draft batch who are still young and could help us get above the competition
Had we built a better team sooner we only would have been knocking on the door for longer, and foregoing draft capital in the process. Nobody but Chabot would have been ready and if the fan criticism is to be listened to, Chabot isn't even a top 5 player on this team. I believe you've brought up wasting his best years a lot but how on earth were we supposed to build around that one guy? On the flip side there are 5 -7 excellent young players that we are building around now, as they are entering their prime, together. How do you clamour about wasting Chabot's years when we are about to optimize the years of so many others? You can't really have it both ways I'm afraid.
How? I mean, do you realize how much draft capital we have spent on terrible players? Or by mismanaging assets all the way? Or to gear up but finally lose? What would that have changed? I don't understand... You realize we drafted Tyler freaking Boucher with our last high pick?
But I agree more with the rest of your post. And the team could make up for most of the "wasted time" next year if they make the playoffs and win a round. That would be ideal
I'm just not convinced it could happen with DJ Dorion at the helm
A scorched earth rebuild that stockpiles enough talent to produce a potential dynasty takes either a generational player, or years to build. We didn't have the luxury of drafting a generational player so patience was the only option. I could care less about the Stepan's and Gudbransons along the way. Those are such minor things compared the core we have assembled, the contracts we have and the character that has been blueprinted.
I guess my question would be this. If this team wins a Stanley Cup, will it then all have been worth it? If the answer is YES than I would say everyone who is so viciously negative about PD and the rebuild and all that is being foolishly pessimistic before letting the process play out and that to me is pretty ignorant.
I just don't get it. With a few basic tweaks (goaltending + depth) we ALL agree that this team looks like it has the makings of cup contender. Isn't that something we should be celebrating?
Of course, but damn we have wasted so much draft capital it's crazy... We could have gotten better players from teams who would have given us a draft pick instead (Gostisbehere for example). This is mesmerizing to me.
If the team wins a SC, of course then all the suffering becomes worth it. How many years is their window though?
But that wouldn't change the fact that Dorion is a pretty bad manager at the NHL level. Asset management, pro scouting, lack of foresight, a lot has been really below average. He inherited an INCREDIBLE situation though so it's very possible that this team still wins in the end
