Sorry Gents. Don't mean to stir anything up here, or be an Dolan autobot, but we're preparing for Game 2 of the EC Finals (our second Conference finals in 3 seasons), up 1-0, and we're still discussing firing the GM?
LGR.
That's what I was thinking. This is not a bad team he's built. There were more good calls than bad ones.
1. We draft significantly better than your average team. People like to whine that we didn't draft the player who turned into the best one available 5 years later, but that isn't a reasonable demand. If we draft more and better players than the vast majority of the league, the fact that we drafted Staal instead of Stastny is not a sign that the GM failed since Staal was a tremendous pick, better than almost anyone drafted after him. In some cases (like Stepan) when we drafted literally the best player available in the rest of the draft, they still whine that Slats didn't draft a superstar that simply wasn't there the rest of the draft.
2. We signed some great UDFAs like Girardi and Zuccarello. Other depth FAs were also great like Stralman, Pouliot and Moore. There were a few UFAs who were signed for large amounts, but people just don't understand that UFAs get paid more than RFAs.
3. The trading has been great. Gaborik for Brass, Door and Moore was a very good trade. Sure Gabby is doing well in LA, but our trio will be helpful for a long time, whereas Gabby would've left our team after this Spring. McDonagh was one of the all-time biggest rip-offs. St. Louis trade looks good so far, particularly if we make the Finals instead of being eliminated in the first round (as would've happened without MSL). Lindberg was acquired for a bust. Carcillo for nothing. Prust was a good pick up. Sanguinetti got a good return (including Jesper Fast). Boyle was had for very little.
Yes, there were a few clunkers like Zherdev, Clowe, McCabe and Wolski, but overall, Stals acquired more than he gave up if you look at all the trades combined.
4. We are now a top NHL team. We are in the ECF for the second time in three years, which no one else has done.
There is hate for Slats because he messed up in the first few years pre-lockout, and then people were unwilling to give him time when he began doing the right thing, but the reality is that he's done a good job since he began rebuilding the team with the 2004 fire-sale.
