My hot take will be that we are in the playoff race by TDL next season. Unless of course he does continue to sell what's left of the core vets.
You keep saying that but provide no clue as to how all this improvement is going to happen. The Ducks had 3 forwards over 40 points last year. Who is going to come in and make it 6 or 7 forwards over 40 points? Who is going to replace Lindholm and Manson on D? Who is going to replace Getzlaf's leadership? Who is going to provide toughness in the lineup on a regular basis? How is Gibson going to survive another season with the absolutely horrid D corp he will have in front of him?
No problem. Just trying to point out the very large mountain this team needs to climb. The current roster is on par with Arizona. If you don't believe me do a side-by-side comparison.
I've been pretty open about my belief that I think PV will be very active this summer and I don't expect a team any where near as bad as Post TDL but closer to the start of the season team. I know you feel like there will be less building more more deconstructing and there very well could be. I am hoping for the former, Maybe he doesn't get there in one summer but I hope he makes strides towards that goal.
I think Verbeek will make progress this summer towards making the team better. But the better will start happening 2-3 years from now. The next two seasons are going to be painful. Verbeek has asked for patience. Give it to him.
See I dont see the guys we have making us markedly better in 2-3 years, or anyone we could get in this year's draft save maybe the top 10 pick. Assuming we hit and not get Ritchie or worse. I've asked this before what is he asking patience for? To start seeing improvement or to being a Cup contender? They're 2 very different things. I'm not expecting to be in the finals next year or even a guarantee to make the playoffs. Just challenging for it. Doesn't seem like too much to ask IMO.
Verbeek is building this team through the draft. He has admitted as much. It takes time even under the best of situations.
Building through the draft isnt exactly articulating a strategy any more than saying g target Specifc UFAs or trade targets. You do see that right? You ask for a strategy but there are so many different ways ways to get to the finish line it's kind of pointless to pinpoint a single way. "Build through the draft" is a catch all that doesn't require your articulated strategy either. Further I'd argue that we've been building through the draft for 3+ years. We've always. But now we have 4 top 10 picks. How many do you think is necessary?
Building through the draft is absolutely a strategy. Look at the two teams in the SC Finals. Where did the majority of their best players come from? Yup, the draft. So we'll agree to disagree on that. How long does it take? Depends on if the team makes the right picks and gets some luck with the lottery balls.
Seems perfectly obvious, doesn’t it? Perhaps adding talent that you like is a way of “making the team in your own image” as well.
I said it wasn't articulating a strategy. Like saying trade for players and sign UFAs isn't in your articulating a strategy. More than 50% of Tampa wasn't drafted actually. Only a SINGLE D is. Know how many of those top players were actually drafted top 10? Stamkos and Hedmen. Kucherov, point Cirelli all 2nd or 3rd rounders.
LIke politics, we're never going to find common ground so we can just agree to disagree. Maybe I'll be wrong but I don't think the team that breaks camp in October will be materially better than the team right now. Some small additions and not much else. And potentially without Gibson as well. I also believe it is part of Verbeek's longer term strategy for the team to be bad next year. We'll see if I'm right.
