Each team has their own system of where players need to be, or should be. It will take more than a couple of preseason games to break out of habits they had in another system, elsewhere. Building chemistry with your new teammates is something that also doesn't come just like that.
Chemistry and trust is the biggest factor. Systems are like 90% identical in high level hockey. There certainly hasn't been enough variation in those systems in the last ten years for players to come in to a new team and be lost about where they should be.
How many players have been here since 2022? Hell, half of the team is brand new this year. No one said its "galaxy brain complex". Coming to a new team is always an adjustment for players. I'm not defending Richardson, but lets give these new guys more than 2 preseason games before we mail it in. One thing is for certain, this team will suck no matter who is behind the bench.
Yes, I agree. But that 10% difference from system to system still needs time to adjust in a real hockey game.
Absolutely. I will say that when you see different players coming through a team, over multiple seasons, and see the same mistakes being made by all of them, there's clearly an issue with the coaching staff.
Half of the roster are guys playing over there heads, or guys who shouldn't even be in the NHL. Of course its going to look sloppy. Having a better roster will 100% help, whether or not he is the guy to push players over the edge and to be better than what they are, is a whole other conversation.
I don't think he's the guy either, I said after July 1st that this is his chance to show something as a coach, as he has some NHL players on the roster now, unlike last year. The roster is still garbage, but it's not -worst of the cap era- garbage any longer. If the team doesn't over perform just a little bit, I don't have much hope for him with a decent roster. If young guys show some big improvement this year, that's his only chance at holding on to his job.
He looked improved in the first 3 games he played. The game seemed to slow down for him compared to last year and he looked physically stronger. He had a really bad game vs the Wild though.
Why is it that some guys look like they have improved, but only if you look at them individually? For example, it's obvious that Korchinski, Allan, Spellacy, and maybe a few others have improved yet that improvement doesn't seem to add up to a better, more competitive team that can create sustained offensive pressure. If this team is still near the top pick it really makes me wonder how any development was going to happen last year with that assortment of players who aren't in the league now. How was any call-up supposed to have a chance at playing NHL-level hockey when thrown on a line with non-NHL-caliber players? Here we are with shocked faces that the improvement as a team isn't as apparent as we had hoped.
Sooner than the deadline I'd hope.
Why?
Nobody take the bait
