Agree with the sentiment, but I think by and large that most folks are misreading the situation and real problem here.
This team has no problem drafting or scouting these players. They are all fine choices. The real problem is that the entire direction of the franchise is based on the slow boil acclimation of these kids into an existing roster of young to old veterans. I would guess that they think the benefits are a natural competitive state, a lighter workload, and a developmental program based on slow, incremental matriculation up the ranks of the roster.
The entire tone of the franchise is wrong. They don't realize the healing benefit of cutting ties to the previous identity - which was successful and likely tints the vision, thinking that these once-warriors were still at their peak.
The vets won, won again, got paid BIG, became satisfied and stopped pushing. The tone of this franchise isn't about winning, its about playing out a string, maintaining instead of progressing. Its a dire, depressing tone. There is no true hunger here despite some prideful playing.
Kids coming in aren't allowed to play to their strengths. Has nothing to do with ability. They all have to think instead of react. They have to be in this place at this time and when they aren't they try to correct it instead of just naturally reacting to whats happening around them. You can actively see the confusion, Byfield and Vilardi especially. They look like they are trying to play a game they don't know instead of being encouraged to play the game that they have and learning the rest on the job.
All these kids look like they would thrive in an attacking style of play. That's what kids play now, mostly rushes and counters. In order for that to happen, the team would have to accept that they are going to take some lumps now and that the ends of these great Cup winners careers are going to end with long, slow, exhaled whimpers.
But those vets don't want that. And their management is all former players who all stayed well past their best-by dates and know all to well that the core still thinks that they can win at this stage, when outside the organization everyone can see that their fires are burning too low to win again.
So the kids come into the league in supporting roles, ones that require them to be competent defensively, robotic to the outdated cause, and somehow nobody other than the fans notice that it is just killing the natural instincts and desire to thrive in an offensive league.
If the idea is that these kids need to work on structure first and second before working on what made them desirable, it isn't working.
Some dipshit on this board earlier this week didn't understand the difference between first and fourth line hockey. Kings17 just brought it up a few posts ago. Attacking hockey is a mindset, not a skill. It must be nurtured and allowed to grow, you can't interrupt it, postpone it, or assume that it will come in later after structure is learned. Careers are too short, every draft creates new opportunities and shifts organizational needs.
You have to be willing to accept tough times in order for progress. There is no progress here. No new players will make enough of a difference, no kids will take over the top spots. The focus must change. I advocated trading the Cup vets for years, even at less than market value, just to prevent this malaise from occurring.
