Maybe you are right. But all the talk about this being the busiest off-season and a lot of changes does not align with what ownership has been saying. Putting coaching changes aside, which I doubt are coming this off-season, what could constitute "a lot of changes".
- I expect Gru to be gone. This is the only thing I feel confident on.
- Some of the vets will be moved. Maybe Oleksiak, Burakovsky?
- It is possible we move McCann, Dunn, Schwartz or Eberle but doubtful.
- Make a big trade? I am not sure who we target but I can see all of the 1st round picks we have to be on the table. Maybe even the one for this year. Any prospect outside of Catton is likely to be on the table to.
This roster could look significantly different next season but I expect the core to remain largely the same. We will likely replace bottom-9 forwards and bottom-4 D-men with others who could be similar or slightly higher level.
I think Grubauer will be gone.
His comments suggest that to me given that he said that not having any rhythm thanks to hardly playing(clearly against the coaches) and not confidence were his problem and with him also saying that the comments by the guys(we let him down) are nice but you've got to do a better job(not his exact words) to win.
I think he's gone and knows it.
- I don't think there's a chance they move Oleksiak but not Burakovsky cause that would probably cost you assets. Also, maybe Bura can bounce back(leke at the end of the season) and improve his trade value.
- Neither, McCann, Dunn or Schwartz will be moved sunles it's for a big name guy(difference maker and you need to make the numbers work.
Though, I do think the roster will be different, I'm just not sure how much and if it will actually lead to better results on the ice.
Forget the checkbook. If you look at rebuilds of teams past there are very frequently big signings. I know it runs against the common narrative but many rebuilding clubs also spend to the cap. For example, my Blue Jackets had 5 1st rounders over a two year span, all the while they went hard in UFA and spent to the cap. It wasn't until this year that they stopped being a cap team. And they're now looking like a team that has pulled off a successful rebuild, with young stars to build around. What mattered is not whether you spent the money, it was whether you accumulated the young talent. It will be the same with the Kraken. In four years what will matter is who we drafted and how well they developed, Stephenson and Montour won't matter that much for good or bad. I'm not entirely sure that we will keep our bevy of 1sts (2 in each of 2026 and 2027) - Francis I believe said he was going to try and trade them. I think that would mark the end of a rebuild if he does that.
Again, the wording from the ownership and Leiweke don't suggest anything like a longterm build to me.
And the actions during every offseason as well signing guys that are good(but certainly not great) and hoping that enough of them make up for not having elite talent.
This team has no real direction and you can see it when you look at this roster and the results on the ice.
They've spend to the cap, couldn't field a full roster(at the start of the season) and finished sith from bottom playing incredibly dull hockey.
I would like for you to be right but unless they really make a decison on what to do(go for it or actually build throuh the draft/collect assets) we'll see the same results like we have during three of the first four seasons.