The difference between consistent playoffs team and inconsistent playoff teams comes down to quality depth. We are still trying to develop that depth with the youth group. Why are we so eager to kickout any of the youth group, especially 21 year old D-men breaking in?
We are in year 3 of the reset rebuild. If we want to have an extended playoff window, then we need to be keeping and developing our youths than getting rid of them in favor of players in their twilight. LaCombe, who recently turned 24 years old in January, has surpassed every defenseman on our roster. Zell and Minty are only 21 years old. The growth from both between age 21 to 24 could be huge in three years. Dumo will be 36 years old in three years. Choosing Dumo over Minty or Zell means losing a valuable piece of an extended playoff window. Plus, Minty and Zell don't possess a high trade capital today.
With that said, defensemen will take time to develop, adapt, and, hopefully thrive at the NHL level. And we do not know how long a development path each youth D needs, but we do know they need time to develop. Even if we somehow not make the playoffs and win the lottery to nab LD Schaefer, Schaefer will probably need a couple of years to adapt physically and to NHL play, at a minimum.
We are going to lose Gudas after 2025-26. That becomes an extra slot available. We don't know if we are extending Trouba. Fortunately, Zell can play both LD and RD. IIRC, whenever Zell and Dumo are paired, Zell plays RD recently. Earlier in the season, games 16-23, Zell played RD with LaCombe.