Francis doesn't seem to have a plan for the canes to be built for anything, esp. forwards. Do you want fast guys? checking guys? big guys? skill guys? the forwards are a mishmash, you haveaho who is skill guy and fast guy, tt who is skill guy, skinner who varies wildly, but at his best is a monster forechecker, good skater and stupid skilled, staal, who is big and a good forechecker and lindholm, who also varies but at his best is a good forechecker and skill guy.
mcginn is just a hair too slow to be called a good forechecker imo.
and everyone else is nhl average to minus at best. just an awful group of forwards- but what main aspect of play are they going for? who knows.
defense is kinda the same, 'cept Francis lucked into slavin, pesce and tvr.
i don't think it's a coincidence that detroit and the sharks have 3-4 guys who are burners, or the rangers and pens have 3-4 wingers who are monster forecheckers. meanwhile edmonton also has a mishmash and they're tanking.
I'll give ronnie a chance to prove that the dumpster diving was necessitated by ownership. But I'd like to see a coherent pattern among forwards, not just taking wjo we can get.