We don't have assets for compensation if that's what you are thinking? But top RFA Defenseman this year are:
JBB needs to be canned. He doesn't know how to retool a team or even create a cup contender. He took a cup contender and pushed them over the edge to win. Since then he's strapped them at the cap woth bad contracts and let important peices leave while bringing in way too much deadweight. His time here needs to end so a new GM with a new vision can come in and properly retool this team. JBB hasn't proven to be a good GM, just a lucky one being handed such a loaded team to begin with.
For me it’s one or the other and I have trouble blaming Coop
I feel the same. I just think there comes a time when the coach takes the blame and they start there with a hopeful fix first. Just like the NFL. Coaches take the brunt of the blame for the GMs terrible actions.
In hindsight, probably should have just brought Cole back instead of letting him walk and then panicking and signing De Haan. Shame Cole took penalties and had D-zone miscues at the worst times possible, cause otherwise, he was serviceable.
I thoiught he had an elite power forward that can fight in Jeannot to dangle as bait.
I get we're unhappy right now, with both individual players and the team as a whole, but don't be ridiculous. Coleman? Goodrow? Shattenkirk? Patty? Schenn? Bogo? JBB made some fantastic signings, some might argue a couple of them are no brainers or fell into his lap (Shattenkirk), but to say that its one miss after another is a joke.
Carter now has 5 OT game winning goals. Now that points to having been in Those situations but the guy has finish. When one looks south it’s amazing that both Carter and Reinhardt were both given up on by there teams.
100% JBB has wrecked the roster. We couldn't 't find a million to keep the scoring title guy Verghagae(who Yzerman brilliantly traded for)? JBB made some nice tweaks to a HOF roster and now has turned us into the Penguins. Honeymoon is over. Time for major changes or we'll just be out in the 1st round for the nest few yrs. SOunds like fun. Cooper's done here as well. Change is GOOD.
I'm not a gambling man, but putting a dime on Lightning to miss the 2025 Playoffs would be a solid bet IMHO.
I didn't want to say but I agree. VASY would have to play out of his mind. Kuch isn't getting 140+ next yr. And if he does he'll expend so much energy he'll be useless for the playoffs again
The trend is Pittsburgh and Washington. Miss some years, first round exits other years. Much like watching a Tampa game, they'll coast the first 75% of the year and then try for a month and see where he end up!
I know Flat Cap and younger players demanding raises, but no excuse to lose all of Killorn, Palat, Coleman, Goodrow, Gourde, Colton, McDonagh. Sure, age was a factor on many, but I thought the goal was to win more Cups. Hard to balance transitioning the roster to younger players and going all in to win Cups.
At least we're not the Islanders or the last generation's Sharks with no Cups and no prospect pool.
Yeah, I agree. There's no perfect world they keep everyone that's just reality of the game. But JBB moved the wrong guys. This team is voiceless now and lost so much leadership and grit. It doesn't help he HAD to move guys because of the terrible contracts he did give out.
I know he was moved pre-Cups, but losing Miller hurts more. People never knew he'd pop off and be elite for this long, but would have been nice to have that scoring.
Why not just trade his RFA rights to a rebuilding and/or irrelevant Western Conference team (Anaheim, San Jose, Los Angeles, Arizona) at the time so there would be little chance of him terrorizing you every year? Or did they try to do that and no one wanted him? Credit to Panthers pro scouts for sure for doing their homework.
We'll never know but how many teams actually trade assets for some random 4th line 24 year old RFA with 9 goals? They probably would've fancied their chances in UFA just like Florida did and I doubt we were worried about that guy "terrorizing" our elite championship team at the time. At some point you gotta just say it's all just hindsight being 20/20... I'm sure Calgary is still kicking themselves for letting Marty go to this very day and he was 10 times the player Verhaeghe is and literally killed them in the Cup final despite him going as far away as possible from them. And Florida kicked themselves for letting Dan Boyle go to us too, so it goes both ways.
Came here to say this. We're collectively mad about JFBB's replacements for the guys he traded for to begin with. He hasn't been that great but we're also comically handcuffed by a cap that has refused to go up in like 5 years
