I don't doubt the rumors about rifts with certain players. But I also don't think it's a negative on Cassidy, it's the simple reality of management providing lackluster players.
Spooner, Backes, Frederic, Blidh -- seriously? These are the players we're worried about? And then Debrusk, if anything he's now a better player for going through what he did. He had long stretches where he drifted and Cassidy saw it like everyone here did.
And then we look at the core -- Bergeron, Marchand, Pastrnak, McAvoy, Grzelcyk, Hall, Coyle. All these players have excelled under Bruce and always gave a full effort. Even Krejci respected Bruce's results and worked well with his system, even if it was Karson Kuhlman at his wing, which reminder: Kuhlman was the best player Sweeney / Neely was providing.
I can't believe the narrative management set up is starting to work around here.