It has been said before but the thing that gets me the most about PLD is he is identical to the player that was on the Jets or the Blue Jackets. There is no difference to how he is playing now to when he played with them. Sure, he got dragged to higher point totals tied to some insane linemates, but he was never the driver of offense or the creator of plays. The trade and his performance are damning evidence against this organization's plan, competence, decision-making, and assessment.
They bought him as if he was the missing piece to get them over the hill to the cup and decided to roll the dice like Vegas on goaltending because they were so top-heavy and had an okay defense. It was a "f*** it" all-in move you make when you're overly committed and it is boom or bust time, but it wasn't. It was getting close because Blake backed himself into that corner after acquiring the likes of Avridsson, Danault, and Fiala - which weren't horrible moves individually - but definitely didn't work the way they intended and stunted an already stalling player development program. They didn't develop anyone in the lineup practically. Byfield, Anderson, and Spence are pretty much all they have to show from their "trove" of prospects, and the rest they have either panic sold to other teams for veterans or banished them for the same veterans.
It is just an utter failure top to bottom and needs to be answered for. If Blake is still here come July, it will be mind-boggling and infuriating.
