The Washington Capitals, for example, might win 5 more playoff games, or they might lose Game 7 and never win a Cup with this core. But no matter what their fate, they do have the talent to win a championship; it's not a matter of a team hanging on in desperation, despite not posessing the horses to legitimately compete for a title.
Once Lidstrom retired, Detroit simply did not have the requisite talent to win 16 playoff games. The Chicago series was already an overachievement, catching lightning in a bottle, whatever metaphor you like. But the point is that the window for another Cup was closed.
Now maybe just making the playoffs, or sometimes winning a round, was part of the plan, and The Streak was acceptable in and of itself to management. And maybe some fans are also cool with that level of success, and didn't want to tear apart anything that hadn't hit bottom yet.
But for those who judge entertainment value on whether you're one of the best (or making the tough calls to once again become one)...the Wings absolutely were already in the coffin, and the next few seasons were mostly a waste of time.
I can accept that these years are gone now, and just move forward, hoping for an honest and effective rebuild. But I can't pretend they weren't predictable, based on the decisions being made, let alone that they didn't happen.