Hockey Duckie
Registered User
I actually think that Bob laid a great foundation and system for Madden b/c a lot of the team's success hinged on great drafting. You can use great drafting in three ways: build up the core, use it for trade capital, or use it for cap purposes. There is sustained success if the organization is drafting well.
Let's use Perreault's situation. Everyone's giving Madden credit for selecting Perreault, but who's giving credit to Bob for making a trade to acquire that late round first rounder? Bob was stocking picks in trying to prepare for the transition away from the Twins, which escalated too abruptly when Kesler and Eaves fell to injury in 2017-18 season. The Ducks started doubling first round picks in 2016 (LW Jones; C Steel) and continued that trend in 2019 (Zegras; Tracey) as well as 2020 (Drysdale; Perreault). The Steel selection in 2016 was had because we traded away G Andersen due to the fact we drafted Gibby and Gibby was flourishing as a prospect. Gibby was a 2011 draftee. Andersen netted us Steel (2016) and Comtois (2017).
The draft is always a gamble, but if you're competent at it, then the organization can weather most storms - except when you lose three of your top-4 forwards in a span of two years due to injuries, where two of them couldn't come back to play again in the NHL.
I think Madden as GM with Solomon as Exec VP would be a great combo for the organization. Listening to Solomon's presser, he shared that vision for the organization involved so many hands from the owners, to the GM, Asst GMs, and Scouting. And with the org rocking like a hurricane again, it revealed the vision is working.
We all complained this off-season that we were disappointed that Bob didn't go trade for two top-6 forwards. We could have traded for Pavel Buchnevich, paying him $5.8 mil for the next four years. Which prospects would have not been given a chances to shine this year if Buch and another top-6 forward were acquired? Pavel has 6 points (4g, 2a) in 11 games. Rico has 12 points (5g, 7a) in 15 games, who also makes $5.8 mil for the next three seasons. We would potentially be strapped with $12 mil between those two forwards for at least three seasons. By letting the kids play and letting the media know officially we're in a rebuild, we are now seeing growth from several prospects. We are also seeing growth from Perreault and Tracey, who are at the AHL level today. Then there's Pastaujov blowing up the OHL. Remember, it was Bob who dropped the hint that skating coach Underhill was at Pasta's OHL team and giving Pasta another option. Heck, we still don't know what we have in McTavish, but his NHL timeline is this year or next year.
The difference between this year and the past few years is actually health, both physical and mental. I thought Getz should have retired b/c his play dropped so terribly last season, but he picked it up. Our blue line has been very good. It's a better environment for our prospects and veterans to thrive within.
