Mario Lemieux fan 66
Registered User
- Nov 2, 2012
- 1,927
- 406
I dont understand why people would not take short-term steps back (or short-term pain) for long-term enjoyment. We throw one season away, we are rewarded with years of elite talent, aka Last season and Kotkaniemi. Had we tanked, with the deep draft this season and next one, we would have a chance to build one of the best cores in the NHL and compete for a cup in an NHL where young players are now starting to dominate.
So not only are we entering a young player friendly era (unlike when the Oilers and Sabres undertook their centuries-long rebuild) we are entering a couple of high-end elite drafts, again unlike both those teams that had to cotempt themselves with relative mediocre talent as their top 3 picks (Yakupov, Reinhart, Hopkins, etc..)
That last season almost killed the love of the fans for the team. It was one of the worse Habs season ever. Molson would not have allowed an other tanking year and Bergevin would not have survive an other tanking season. The hope for a rebuild was killed when Bergevin sign Price to a monstruous contract.
Bergevin re-tooled with the Pacioretty and Galchenyuk trade. Domi, Tatar, Petry and Danault having personnals best year and Kotkaniemi being NHL ready this year put the Habs out of the Hughes and kakko derby unless the Habs miss the playoff and win the lottery like Dallas, Carolina and Philadelphia did.
So tanking wasn't even an option this season. Unless there is a Forsberg-Erat type trade ( a clear robbery) Tatar and Petry will not be traded.