Sure...I get that.
But as presently constructed, the Habs aren't going to turn into Stanley Cup contenders over night.
But does that mean they shouldn't try to compete to make the playoffs? And if they do, does that mean that making the playoffs is just enough?
The team isn't at maturity right now, it doesn't mean they should aim to win the lottery either.
Personally... I'd say that every team, every season, from the coaching staff down, should be focused on making the playoffs and if they succeed, on trying to win a cup.
That focus should not be the GM's priority. The GM needs to be focused on "winning the war", not on "winning the battle". It's the difference between tactics and strategy...
Coach/Players - focus on and execute tactics, with winning in the moment the priority.
GM/Hockey Ops - focus on the executing the strategy necessary to build a cup contender
This GM has confused the two since day one, and frankly, his ongoing public commentary and the bulk of his actions point to a lack of stategic roster/asset management.
Just today, when speaking about the difference between the flyers and us in the series, he immediately spoke to the "lack of experience of our key players"... WTF? Outside of JKO & Suzuki, who were surprise contributors vs expected "key players", the bulk of our core are very much vets and more experienced than most of the key guys on the flyers... Price... Weber... Gally... Tatar... Petry... even Danault, Chiarot, Armia, Byron, while not playoff experienced, are certainly not "inexperienced".
what that comment highlighted, is that MB doesn't really have a clear plan and assessment of his roster, he literally makes it up as he goes, updating it from season to season, from month to month... that's the coach lens, not the GM lens, and that distinction is what is problematic.
Again, yes... I agree.
But there's steps that lead into a team being a perennial Stanley Cup contender. The Habs aren't there yet, I think anyone, even the GM would acknowledge that.
But in the interim, I don't see what's wrong with wanting to make the playoffs and setting that as a baseline goal. When and hopefully, the team reaches another level of maturity, you re-adjust your goals accordingly.
Marc Bergevin isn't in a position to state anything else other then making the playoffs as the teams goal.
That's just where this organization is at right now.
The habs won't be there so long as the GM isn't capable of building and executing on a plan to get there...
Again, "wanting to make the playoffs" is fine. It's just not at all the same mindset or approach as "wanting to build a contender".
i don't buy that a GM can't state that the priority is something other than making the Playoffs... We are watching in real time as a franchise is reaping the unbelievable benefits of a GM that clearly stated a vision and plan to build a contender... The rangers publicly owned their intent a few seasons ago, and the net result has been a team that has continued to "try & want" to make the playoffs, but a management group that has strategically focused on building towards a contender by leveraging assets to that end...
Yes, they've got lucky along the way & yes, they have also leveraged the benefits of their marketplace and ownership ability to spend, but MB/Habs have done the exact opposite and as result, even when we were getting extremmely lucky (as we did in his first 3 years, where the team led the league by a wide margin in player healt/man-games not lost to injury), the best we could manage was being a mediocre playoff team with no real shot at winning unless absolutely everything went our way.
The organization, right now (or at least, before we dropped 8M on luxury but unneeded depth) was, imo, very well positioned to aggressively target the 2-3 assets needed to push this group into the cup contention territory... it would've rested on JKO/Suzuki continuing to improve, but our roster depth, goaltending, and mix of ELC & expiring UFA/RFA deals for vets giving more bang for the buck than present day market would value their services (Tatar, Gally, Petry, Domi, Danault) was a perfect setting for a competent GM to go "all-in" and add the top-6 & top-4 pieces needed to put this team into contender status next year.... and with the expiring contracts and prospect depth we have, we could have then pivoted next summer to either re-tool, or ride a 1-2 year wave until the promising group of young players we have brought us back up.
Instead... we took yet another middling approach... one that all but ensures another season of hoping to make the playoffs, and then next summer we're back at square one, either with those UFA vets (who aren't enough as is) carving up that cap space, or losing them and still stuck hoping young players progress fast enough to keep us in the borderline playoff team mix.
You can't build success by aiming for the middle, yet that's the approach MB is anchored on.
