You don't think Gainey started with way less than Bergevin?
I gave Gainey credit for bringing back respectability to this franchise, so yes, I do think he started with less and I'll repeat again.
Gainey pre-trajedy was great ...
Gainey post-trajedy was a disaster and that includes his time as Special Advisor to the Master of Disaster Pierre Gauthier.
And yet was able to make us way more relevant in his years than Bergevin does while he started with a better team?
I'm not sure how much more relevant Gainey's teams have been compared to Bergevin.
Again, I don't care to split heirs over 2 guys who I think were average at best.
Neither of them achieved any sustained success.
Gainey established a strong foundation for this team to build upon, Price, Subban, Pacioretty...those were some pillars.
But he spoiled all of that with some awful trades/signings.
Meanwhile I don't think Bergevin has done any trade or signing even close to how bad some of Gainey's trades or signings were...
But unlike Gainey, he has never established a solid foundation to build upon, we're just now starting to see the imprint of his work as GM on this team...
In the end, I repeat, both of them have ultimately failed. Singular runs to the ECF don't move the needle for me.
The way I measure success for a GM is a sustained presence as a contender.
Neither of them have even come close to providing that.
I'm just not quite sure why some people are so quick to set the bar for Bergevin so high...
Yet with hindsight, they're doing the opposite with Gainey to the point where some are actually trying to make the acquisition of Scott Gomez look good.
Like how much is one willing to morally bankrupt themselves purely out of spite? Lol (not saying you).
I remember the temperature of this board during Gainey's last few years....it's EXACTLY the way it is now.