I am really starting to question this as well. The organization is so poorly run ; The ownership is inadequate to say the least.. I can get behind a rebuild and can be patient through it, but I have absolutely zero faith in Dorion's abilities and he makes me want to puke every time he opens his pie hole. Its nice to see the young guys we have do well but the coaching is awful. Yet here we are and I know I have frequently wondered why recently
This is kind of how I feel.
I want to see or at least get some semblance that a long-term plan has been developed that gets us from here to the cup. Ex: fast-high hockey IQ-with mobile defense...or whatever your preferred formula/identity, plus a core roster structure that is in line with what has won cups in recent history (1-2 elite centres, fast puck moving defenders, above-average goaltending (that season), solid mix of youth and vets, etc
From that point... every player, coach, etc should be brought in that fits with this belief and fills out the structure of what a winning team looks like in 3-5 years. Then they have to follow-through with drafting, signings, coaching styles, etc.
If I see a management that is working towards a winning strategy/identity that fits logically with what has worked in the past, then I am happy, regardless of the people, players, or even owner involved.
Signs that we are not going in this direction:
- Cannot or will not sign core players to long-term contracts
- Drafting/trading for players that do not fit with the long-term style of play
- Building a team that does not fit with what has worked in the past (for ex: Montreal with no centers the past decade)
- Inability to raise the player budget. (If it's only a market issue and not management then their are a dozen others teams with similar rev issues and then its a rev. share issue...so still a management/ownership/nhl issue). BTW, doesn't have to be to the cap. Just enough to fund the later years of the plan when the team is a contender.
- Coaching philosophy that has not had proven success (ie: recent cup win)
You can sell success or hope. But hope requires trust. To build trust you have to say what you are going to do and do it, and stick to your plan for more than 6 months.
Sorry, a vague plan of "rebuild" is not enough.