I think the biggest thing we need to ask after this camp and preseason is, would any reasonable level of free agency signings and ditchings of certain problematic players have been enough to make us into even a bubble team? Given our holes, our position in the standings, and just general problems with attracting free agents I don't think so. Sure we could have shuffled deck chairs and looked for a UFA lottery ticket to pay out, but really I think we were always doomed to suck this season unless something very unlikely happens or happened this offseason.
The good news, if you can call it that, is that most of the kids won't be hurt by some AHL time this season so our vet problem is delayed by another season. The tank will be real and if we don't get unlucky in the draft lottery the third year running we should have a top three pick in a year where over half the top ten picks could be high-end centers. That's not the worst place for our team to be this season even if watching and following the NHl club will be painful.