MacKinnon is still young even though he’s been around for a while now. The team is young and talented and doesn’t need a lot of adjustments. They could use a 2C who is actually dressed when the games matter.
I think they need a new coach. Bednar doesn’t have to do a lot for them to be a successful, high octane team in the regular season. In the playoffs he has shown that game management and adjustments aren’t adequate. The team has poor puck management and takes too many risks because they play the same all the time. 95% of the time, the roster is good enough that that works, but they don’t want to go 95% of the way. Bednar isn’t the guy to get 100% of the way.
Sure, the players can individually be responsible for not making the adjustments or for lacking killer instinct, but this group is WAY too good to blow it up or call it a failure. They could bring in a couple of high character role guys and that could be beneficial, but they need a coach who can teach them how to lockdown a lead, switch to a game management style and stop trying to push the high octane, high risk style. They need to have a better fundamental, shutdown game to fall back on in the playoffs, especially with a lead. I don’t think Bednar can implement it.
If Erik Johnson was healthy and Kadri wasn’t a bozo, those are both big upgrades on center depth and veteran D man over a Timmins/Graves/Nemeth. Like I said, a couple of high character depth guys could help. Calvert over Sherwood would have helped.