Not going to reply to individual comments, but here are my observations:
1. We'd be a playoff team if these COVID divisions didn't exist. We got screwed over playing in the best division, which not only forced us to play against tougher opponents but also set the bar higher for points to get into the dance. What would the mood be in here if we were sitting in a playoff spot in each of the other 3 divisions?
2. Our poor start doomed us in a shortened season. Asking an incredibly young team to play absolutely flawless hockey for weeks on end was never a recipe for success. Had the team started better, every loss wouldn't be so magnified. Are we a playoff team with the additional 30 games? I think we are.
3. Speaking of the poor start, we had a lot of weird shit happen this year. Zib catches COVID and takes months to get back to form. Panarin has a political hit put out against him and misses a significant stretch of games. ADA beats up our backup goaltender and is banned from the team. I realize bumps in the road are part of a season, but its hard to see this replicating next year.
4. The kids developed tremendously. Laf is looking elite. KK dominates play and just needs to learn to start finishing more consistently. Chytil has a lot of hiccups but seems to be getting back to his start of the season quality. Miller, Fox, etc. There's a lot to look forward to.
As I've said before, if we miss the playoffs next season, it will be a bust. The strides made this year were significant and have set us up for long-term success. It is going to be an extremely importan off-season as Gorton, JD & Quinn need to bring in veterans to complement our young up and comers, especially on D. Chara was a good idea last year and I hope they're focused on buidling out that 4th line with quality vets and our 3rd pair, which needs a complete overhaul.