Controversial opinion: I'd rather we lose big this year then barely make the playoffs

[NyQuil]

Making the playoffs to me would be a successful season - especially with this mediocre start.

At some point your guys have to get that experience.

Competing for a spot is an acceptable outcome.

An extension of the current form is not acceptable.

 

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Frankly, I think we should just finish last every year and accumulate 1st overall picks.

A playoff spot is a playoff spot, but a 1st overall pick could be anything! It could even get us into the playoffs one day!

 

[Butchy Dakkar]

If we don't get into or close to the playoffs with the additions, it will be very disappointing. With another top 4 RD, on paper at least, we are icing an awesome line up. Norris injury is terrible, but even still. If we can't find success with this line up we need a coaching overhaul.

For at least half of our games so far we look like a playoff bound team, even if the record is shit so far.

I'm tired of losing like other posters have said. A tank season would be brutal at this point.

 

[God Says No]

Nah F that. We need to start winning now. Don't need another young player that may or may not pan out in a couple of years.

 

[arian487]

Bedard is pretty generational. I'm sure every single team save for the last ~3 cup winners during the crosby era wished they lost harder and had a chance at crosby instead of making the playoffs and losing in the first round. Pens have been competitive for 20 years thanks to him. I feel the same way about McDavid. Any team that wasn't immediately competing for cups would trade their playoff berths for a better shot at McDavid in hindsight. Hell, even one of the cup winners in the early 2000s might have traded their ~1 cup for 20 years of crosby.

Bedard isn't at the level of those two but he's up there in terms of draft talent. He would really round out the top 6.

 

[Union2017]

How about we compete as hard as we can, we win bunch of games, and if we don't make the playoffs then maybe the hockey gods will smile at us and we will win the lottery? I can't possibly cheer for us to lose at this point, and even if we end up at the bottom of the standings, there's a good chance Bedard will end up being drafted by someone else. So, my answer is, I would rather make the playoffs. Once you're there, you never know what might happen and it's a huge boost to our guys to make the post season and compete in May. Big learning experience. Or do we want to end up like the Leafs

 

[Dionysus]

Not for me. This team is close, not a bottom 5 team at this point.

 

[Philadelphia Collins]

Honestly the 2023 draft could be the best draft since 2015, the top 4 picks look like top line players:

Bedard 29pts in 15 games on a bad Pats team
Adam Fantilli 18(!)pts in 8(!!) games for U of Michigan
Leo Carlsson 11pts in 15 SHL games
Michkov has 7 goals in 7 VHL games

Sucks that the team is off to another patented DJ slow start, but having a shot at drafting one of these kids is worth the pain of another long year. At least that’s what I’ll tell myself lol

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Honestly the 2023 draft could be the best draft since 2015, the top 4 picks look like top line players:

Bedard 29pts in 15 games on a bad Pats team
Adam Fantilli 18(!)pts in 8(!!) games for U of Michigan
Leo Carlsson 11pts in 15 SHL games
Michkov has 7 goals in 7 VHL games

Sucks that the team is off to another patented DJ slow start, but having a shot at drafting one of these kids is worth the pain of another long year. At least that’s what I’ll tell myself lol

That's pretty much the only reason I'd be happy if we spiraled to the bottom this year. This is a once in a decade (or better) draft.

If we were dealing with the '22 quality of draft prospects, there would be no question making the playoffs would've been the only goal.

 

[L'Aveuglette]

In theory this makes sense except that after the long rebuild we've just been through, and finishing at the bottom of the standings 5 years in a row, doing so again would likely destroy players' confidence and make it much harder for PD to go out and re-sign or trade for good players. Potentially getting another top-5 pick would not make up for these things.

 

[Big Muddy]

How about we compete as hard as we can, we win bunch of games, and if we don't make the playoffs then maybe the hockey gods will smile at us and we will win the lottery? I can't possibly cheer for us to lose at this point, and even if we end up at the bottom of the standings, there's a good chance Bedard will end up being drafted by someone else. So, my answer is, I would rather make the playoffs. Once you're there, you never know what might happen and it's a huge boost to our guys to make the post season and compete in May. Big learning experience. Or do we want to end up like the Leafs

I would add that the coaches and players aren't playing to tank. Its not in their DNA and it wouldn't be acceptable or tolerated.

Having said that, if we fall short (i.e., just miss the playoffs by a few points), and manage to draft a good player, is that objectionable or a bad outcome? I think we can take the fatalistic viewpoint. If it happens, it happens.

 

[Union2017]

I would add that the coaches and players aren't playing to tank. Its not in their DNA and it wouldn't be acceptable or tolerated.

Having said that, if we fall short, and manage to draft a good player, is that objectionable or a bad outcome? I think we can take the fatalistic viewpoint. If it happens, it happens.

Agree. Glass half full in that case.

 

[AchtzehnBaby]

Tank thread already?

 

[Alfie11]

Set aside the HockeysFuture bias for prospects/picks:
-How do you sell seasons tickets and sponsorships after yet another brutal year? What's another high pick after all the ones we've made.
-What do you say to UFAs, DeBrincat etc? Why join or stay on a team that continually loses?
-How about the impact on our young guys? We need to break the cycle of losing.

I wouldn't trade all the kids or our first rounder. It may be that it's going to be a bad year even if they make some moves....but a trade for a top 4 defenceman and (sadly) looking at a new coach should definitely be on the table if we don't turn it around soon. I'd give it 5 games. If we can go .500 over those games changes can be put on the backburner. Continue to struggle and something should be done.

 

[Blotto71]

Frankly, I think we should just finish last every year and accumulate 1st overall picks.

A playoff spot is a playoff spot, but a 1st overall pick could be anything! It could even get us into the playoffs one day!

Legen - wait for it - dary!! This post gets the highest of fives.

 

[Mark Stones Spleen]

After sucking this year, you want to barely make the playoffs next year?

 

[Big Muddy]

Tank thread already?

Tank? No, don't think so.

 

[swiftwin]

Won't be playoff competitive until they make a big addition on the backend

No more Hamonics/Holdens, Sens don't need passable players.

They need a legitimate top 4 player who can shoulder a lot of responsibility

The team will likely be making changes in the front office and behind the bench within a year or so as well, which will help. Shortly after the team is under new ownership the front office will be cleared.

The Hamonics and Holdens are not the ones costing us games right now.

Our best players are not our best players. Stutzle, Chabot, Batherson, Tkachuk all need to be better. Especially with Norris and Zub out. We can't afford the kinds of giveaways we saw from Chabot, Stutzle and Cat yesterday. These young players need to learn to play with pressure from expectations.

Fortunately, our underlying metrics are pretty solid despite playing against very good teams in our first 10.

I fully expect us to be back to above .500 by game 20. These things tend to even themselves out.

 

[OD99]

If the question was barely miss the playoffs I may be more inclined to agree but if we make the playoffs then lots of great things happen.

1. More revenue, even if only 2 games
2 Vibe and interest in the city as there would certainly be drama leading up and into the playoffs
3. Reward to the guys for their dedication
4. Experience for the team
5. Hopefully more new or old/new fans that increase our season ticket base

If we are going to miss the playoffs then I might be inclined to have a decline at the end of the season pushing our draft position up. To me, the team would still be full of potential and having a high impact, young player would be a boon moving forward.

Like the Avs or Leafs going from basement to consistent league leaders. The team is already close and they won't fall apart if they have yet another bad season.

 

[ksens]

Set aside the HockeysFuture bias for prospects/picks:
-How do you sell seasons tickets and sponsorships after yet another brutal year? What's another high pick after all the ones we've made.
-What do you say to UFAs, DeBrincat etc? Why join or stay on a team that continually loses?
-How about the impact on our young guys? We need to break the cycle of losing.

I wouldn't trade all the kids or our first rounder. It may be that it's going to be a bad year even if they make some moves....but a trade for a top 4 defenceman and (sadly) looking at a new coach should definitely be on the table if we don't turn it around soon. I'd give it 5 games. If we can go .500 over those games changes can be put on the backburner. Continue to struggle and something should be done.

Agreed, losing is not worth it at this stage of where we are supposed to be at.

Furthermore we've built a core. We've signed these players long term and for a lot of money. You can tinker a bit with it (add another D, shuffle the coaching staff) but this is the crew we're riding with. Either they can get it done or they can't, and if we're in the lottery for Bedard then you can bet the new owners have fired Dorion and it we're looking at rebuild 2.0.

 

[Cosmix]

Weren't they talking about draft lottery changes? Like, if you win one of the top 3 picks on year, you aren't eligible to win the draft lottery the next? Maybe that would increase our odds, assuming they don't go all the way back to the SJ pick we used for Stutzle to eliminate draft lottery eligibility.

The Stutzle pick was SJ’s so SJ’s pick in 2023 would be the one affected, not our Senator’s pick.

 

[Cosmix]

In theory this makes sense except that after the long rebuild we've just been through, and finishing at the bottom of the standings 5 years in a row, doing so again would likely destroy players' confidence and make it much harder for PD to go out and re-sign or trade for good players. Potentially getting another top-5 pick would not make up for these things.

PD should be replaced.

 

[Tnuoc Alucard]

Than make the playoffs …….

 

[swiftwin]

Than make the playoffs …….

Both are correct in this case.

 

[Tnuoc Alucard]

Both are correct in this case.

Than is the word to choose in phrases like smaller than, smoother than, and further than. And it's the word that follows other, rather, less, and more.

Then—the option to choose when time is involved—fits in the phrases just then and back then, and after words like since and until. It's also in the phrases and then some, every now and then, and even then