Think of the record, not many wins and blown plays, obvious mistakes.
For a team that should be taking a step further into a playoff spot or contender status games like this year these are a disaster, the results. Right now forget about all the attached drama.
BUT
For a team in a rebuild with lots of very young players in a learning curve some of these games are expected.
What I am saying is fans should be prepared to get behind a rebuild and have tolerance as these possible younger player mature IF a full blown rebuild does occur.
The assembled players, the bottom six could carry younger players while learning
For a veteran team this win/loss record is bad but for a rebuilding team it's pretty good.
IF they do a blow up, which IMO now is the right time because most of the vets with value still carry last years performance in value, then there is a good chance that most of the core could be changing addresses.
If that happened there would be more games like what just happened but with the knowledge that with experience they will get better.
A full blown rebuild need not be the Buffalo experience or Arizona's it could easily be the Devils or some of the long termed winners that had only 2 or 3 bad years.
IF a full blown rebuild is done the return for some vets would be in the form of younger prospects, players and mostly draft picks.
That would change many posters expectations for returns in trades.
What I see for proposals are attempts to hang on to NOW and not give tomorrow enough thought.
Some of the core's time is up meaning Boeser's contract this season and Demko's next season, that extra year for Demko has value in it's cap hit. If both are dealt for many GM's might be willing to offer picks in 2026.
The current "room" addressed might see Miller and Pettersson traveling. Both of these will get both pretty decent young players and picks. This would clean out the room and the losing culture that has had 7 years to fester. It would leave Hughes as an unquestioned leader in the room. Both of these players are still good players and will likely flourish once out from this oppressed room. There would be a chance that a couple of early draft picks could replace them, certainly at current levels of play. So while the loss will be seen when they play better on other teams it is already proven they are struggling here especially under the spotlight where all the baggage is under a magnifying glass.
Being upset with THIS group's performance is justified but if it ends up being a total rebuild and not a half assed job of trying to fix broken leg with a splint on the arm then supporting the rebuild with younger players with their entire future in front of them should be supported and encouraged. No booing when they lose because it isn't expected that they win immediately.