that's a very interesting choice of words
the way I see it we are up against a financial wall that is too steep with a 500m building on the horizon and no public money involved.
we've got heavy rumours of an equity injection
we've got stars needing contracts with bonus money lockout protection that the equity injection hopefully addresses. we've got the same 3 stars REPEATEDLY stating they want to be here.
we've got a crop of youngsters that looks pretty promising and a board full of critics that just last year were crying to play the kids
it'd be great to have Toronto money....but that would mean I was a leaf fan and likely worse living in Toronto
I'll hold out hope that the equity injection solves most of what is ailing the team
and in the interim we can both see what we want to see I guess
Which is extremely disappointing as a fan. Pretty much the definition of disappointing.
Of course, a big equity injection is direly needed. When/if we get that, we will then need to sign our guys. I've been following the league long enough to not take a player saying they want to be here (Tavares as a recent example) at face value. I'm definitely hoping, that would be huge for the team. I'd say it's more likely we get 2/3 signed than 3/3, but that's pure conjecture rather than me stating fact.
Sure, when you leave your 2nd/3rd best D off the roster because he is 20, you have problems behind the bench for sure (especially considering your #1 D wasn't playing th first 2 weeks. Brain-dead decision.). Being upset at that was logical. Chabot should have been played from the get go last year, and it was very obvious. He was the only guy I was actually upset about. Signing Thompson and having Burrows taking up 4.2 million of money that the team could have used more appropriately instead of 2 guys making league minimum who would have provided the same was also a management mistake. We aren't doing that this year, as we cut all costs and signed nobody.
This year, I don't see anyone like Chabot who I feel should 100% start in the NHL, maybe White. I wouldn't fault management/coaches for any of the youngsters being left off. Batherson/Chlapik/Brown/Tkachuk should all be in the AHL (or London) IMO, but I'm sure at least 1 of them will be in the NHL, which is fine. Formenton shouldn't be an option, back to London. Wolanin and Jaros, 1 of these guys may/should be in the 6/7 slot.
Equity is a huge part of what has gone wrong with the team. Once that is fixed, we still need to fix everything else that has gone wrong, with money playing a large part in those troubles.
I see this equity injection, and it's exciting. After this happens, the team is still in rough shape, money isn't the only thing wrong with this team at the moment, though it is the cause of most of it.