How ironic.
After all of the bellyaching about, "there is no plan....everyone drafts and develops, that's no plan....quit drinking the TNSE Kool-Aid", and my personal favorite "Mr. Dithers is too scared to take action, he just sits at the lake collecting his pay"; it now seems like many of the masses (detractors?) are 'drunk' on that very same 'Kool-Aid'. Wanting to trade away what is deemed "overpaid and/or overaged veterans".
So despite having a plan and following the 'process', some have concluded that the Winnipeg Jets roster is so formidable, that it can afford to be purged of 'proven' quality NHL players? I've read:
-Trade the Captain. Too expensive (next contract) and getting 'old'. (Blake Wheeler)
-Upgrade on the 2nd line Center. He won't live up to his contract. Plus he's slower now, must be getting 'old'. (Bryan Little)
-Re-sign/Sign a new 2C. A cost that will surely exceed the current 2C's AAV of 5.3M. (Paul Stastny/UFA)
-Trade a 1st pair D-man as soon as his contract allows. Too expensive in relation to 'perceived' production (old?). (Dustin Byfuglien)
-Trade the backup goaltender. Put all the eggs in one basket and hope that an injury to the 'starter' doesn't happen. (Steve Mason)
I guess we've arrived. Let's blow it up? I'll say this....Look at the current standings, the league parity, the thin line between winning a game or losing one. I'd venture a guess that a roster void of Blake, Bryan, Dustin and Steve might be worth the 8-10 points the Winnipeg Jets currently enjoy above the Playoff line. Each year is a grind, a struggle. It's pure fantasy to think the coming years will be anything but tougher.
Am I to understand that some posters truly believe that an Organization can jettison that kind of talent & experience, and replace it with youth(?); whilst incurring no negative consequences to the overall short & long-term health of the team/organization (rhetorical).
Draft & Develop, is the process of 'supplementing' a roster from within. It defeats the purpose if the organization trades away valuable players every time they age up, and/or demand increased dollars. That's the cost of business, however what's imperative, is how you manage such costs. To remain competitive you'd still be trying to attain those same types of assets on the open market, however, at an inflated cost. Retaining one's own talent is ultimately the best way to survive in a market such as Wpg, IMO. And yes, hard decisions will need to be made; it's difficult to keep everyone year over year (not always contract related).
For me, to truly breed a culture of winning (the attitudes, actions, ideas, etc.), it becomes essential to always have 'teachers', 'mentors', and 'leaders' as the foundation of future success. In my opinion, changing course at the first sign of success, is a recipe for disaster. To each their own. Time will tell.