I must say, this hiring is a bit of a let-down for me. I was really hoping for a whole new direction with someone approaching stuff from a totally different angle. Like Leafs and Yotes have done. Instead we end up with this oldschool bs.
The other thing i don't get is why CL can't see that this team needs a rebuild before we can even discuss being contenders.
Well it'll kill ticket sales if the owner comes out before the season and says "Even though we made the Playoffs, some key players were injured, and had a 100p season; we're just going to blow everything up and start over." It's still a business and making money is important.
It would also lower the value of the players if the Wild have no leverage in trades.
It's much easier to say things like that before the draft and free agency. The window for trades and UFA signings is wide open. For instance if JT signed with the Wild; that's one big tweak and it puts the Wild into the contender status (possible yes, probable no). Or if the Wild would have gotten ROR (and not STL) for say Coyle+Foligno+Kunin+picks (just pulled that comp out of my behind) the team is better, and it's "rank" within the Division is solid top-3.
Now that that off-season window is almost closed ( a trade is still possible, but harder to make happen), it's time to re-evaluate things. This could very well be the roster we have for opening day (4th line subject to change). Play the games until the end of Nov and see where they are in the standings, then take stock of things could be the new plan.
Being in the Central it won't be hard to finish in bottom-5 without really being bad. If Spurgeon and Coyle (just examples) are traded for futures during the season. Call it a tank, transition year, rebuild, retool, or whatever.
All I know is a Buffalo style rebuild is going to really hurt. I don't think the owner wants to go through that pain when he has a good but not great current team; which I don't blame him for. There is no gaurntees when the Wild would come out of a full rebuild, or even if that team will be any better than the current team.
A desperation trade for Panarin, Lee, Patches, EK, or whoever rental is probably the worst thing the Wild could do right now.