Why do you find these numbers interesting? Its seems like an odd framing that does little to inform.
You’re using the last two years of Granato’s tenure (164gms). Not sure why you didn’t just use last season. But either way, those were two seasons with very different expectations and approaches. The first one was the big break out year where we almost made the playoffs. BUT more importantly it was the last season with zero playoff expectations and the players were told to play their games + not to worry about f***ing up. The 2nd season had playoff expectations and Granato came in with a goal to clean up their game. In other words, start worrying about your mistakes and play a more rounded team game.
The start of the 2nd season was a team struggling, especially our top guys. By around Thanksgiving Granato gave up trying to clean things up. Either he couldn’t get through to them or the players couldn’t handle it. So he went back to the approach from the year before. He also had to deal with our top 2 centers shitting the bed and/or being injured. But he had Mitts to try to plug the hole to some extent. It still wasn't enough though.
The big difference in approach is Ruff not relenting on trying to get these guys to play the proper way. Calling them out, sitting guys at times, etc. Whereas Granato threw in the towel after 2 months. I’m not even criticizing him or even defending Ruff. It is what it is.
What pisses me off going over these seasons is Adams’ reaction to Granato giving up on cleaning up their game last Thanksgiving. It was pretty obvious there was a problem. Is it the Coach? Is it the players? Or both? But Admas did absolutely nothing until the trade deadline. When he traded our best performing center for a dman we didn’t need. Then Adams makes a rage inducing after firing Granato last offseason. That a change was probably needed around last Thanksgiving. But he thought he’d let them see if they could play their way out of it.
It seems pretty obvious at this point that the problem is the roster construction, in other words the players. I don’t expect Adam to do anything. Or if he does, he won’t do the right thing.
I find the numbers interesting because whether I lump the numbers together or separate Granato's seasons individually, there is a clear decline in the team's numbers across the board.
As for why that might have happened, I was here for the last two seasons, so I know about the circumstances around them. But you didn't mention any reasons that the numbers should be going up, improvements that should come naturally with young players getting older, more experience, and playing together longer:
- Understanding the requirements of the NHL schedule and travel demands
- Better strength and endurance
- Improved board play and ability to physically compete in battles
- Improved understanding systematic concepts (this is not just defensive positioning, it applied to neutral zone concepts, forechecking concepts, special teams and empty net scenarios, etc)
- Improved play speed due to instincts taking over and not having to think as much
- Better chemistry with teammates
- Better stability in personal life (lots of these guys have settled down and started families)
For me these points far outnumber any reasons for their decline. And I don't buy the pressure, arguments, most of us have played the sport, we feel pressure whether there are expectations or not. A one goal game feels the same whether the playoffs are in reach or not. This has been Paul Hamilton's level of analysis for the past 20 years, dating back to the last time Ruff was here. Preparing the players for high pressure game situations falls on the coach. It's not the same, but I'm reminded of another similar narrative about Ovie; "that guy isn't a winner, he's never going to win it all", then Trotz came in and they won.
We have dealt with the players vs coach pendulum for the past decade+, and I'm done putting the blame on the players. Honestly, it's the way everyone else in the league operates, no one trades away their core players, they ax the coach and find someone else that get the most out of them. Ruff is an average coach (at best) with below average assistants. The stats show that he is NOT getting the most out of this group. His former team is flourishing without him, and none of our previous coaches has done anything since leaving here. Meanwhile, almost all of our former players are having positive impacts around the league; Eichel, Reinhart, ROR, Montour. Hell, even Risto and McCabe look good:
I can't wait until we trade away Samuelsson and his impacts start looking like this somewhere else
Bottom line, I've long been a supporter of refining the roster construction, I desperately wanted the Ekholm trade that the Oilers pulled off. I was a big advocate of trading for Meier when he became available. But this stupid nostalgic hire of Ruff is not going to move my opinion on these young promising players, players that we've seen perform in the past.
