To me the biggest issue it boils down to is that I think they are more likely to give up on this core before they give up on Patrick (or he gives up on himself). I've said in other threads that I'm not necessarily opposed to moving a core piece to bring in another #1 dman, but that position is primarily held on the basis that I don't think there's anyway Roy isn't coaching this team before a move like that is made.
Criticizing Roy seems to be one sacred cow too far for some people around these parts, but my opinion is that this team would improve most quickly with new HC. Keep Roy in the front office if you want, that's fine, but I can't see this team having more than middling success with Roy at the helm.
Before anyone asks I'm no systems expert so no, I can't lay out an essay for anyone on why I think Roy's system doesn't work, what I do know is this team relies on goaltending WAY to much, they're constantly outshot, even when they've improved SOG differentials, their possession differentials are still through the roof. The team seems incapable of playing a competent 3rd period, some of that is on the players, yeah, but these are the same players that can play really strong 1sts and 2nds and whatever bad habits they might have, they developed them from somewhere and I don't think every guy in the team just unprovoked developed a "sit back, don't make the mistake" mentality out of nothing. Roy now sounds like a broken record with his "we played a solid 40 minutes" mantra and sounds like a coach out of answers when he again feels the need to criticize Corsi and show again that either he doesn't really understand the underlying philosophy or he is just so apathetic to it that he plays it off like it's just another number to bump guys pay come next contract.
I don't think Roy is a terrible coach, I just think he's a thoroughly mediocre coach, and a guy like Dale Hunter who could have all the success in the world in the CHL, but just doesn't have a style of coaching that succeds in the NHL where the fact that every guy is bigger and faster and stronger and smarter means a lot of that stuff from junior won't work, and you can't run a system where you're giving teams so many chances.
I know players are not blameless here, but beyond a thin defense which should hopefully improve in the next couple of years, I still see a forward core that I think is more talented than the product on the ice right now, and to me it's because of the way they are coached.