Don't know why more people don't comment on this. The roster was poorly constructed - a la Dorion - of course they were gonna suck. Let's see if Green is DJ Smith or a real coach before getting too critical.
TBF part of it is Ian Clark who is one of the best goalie coaches in the league. That's why Silovs also looks to be extremely promising and could become a starter sooner than later.
Also very personable and chatty, something you don't always see in goalies. Makes me think of Brodeur in that regard.
It seems they're also good friends, played as a tandem in Sweden (Modo I think).
And yet 2 offseasons in a row after they moved Debrincat they went out and got a guy to be a top 6 winger, at a pretty meaningful caphit. It would appear that they strongly disagree with you on that point.
I think in the modern NHL you need a top 9, not a top 6. I would agree with the OP there were more pressing needs when we went out and got Chychrun and DBC, but I do think that a 24 yr old scoring winger was a perfectly reasonable add, just not one that didn't come with term or an extension.
Top 6 winger doesn't equate to top end winger. Based on production, DeBrincat is more high end than Tank or Perron, but the latter two were better fit for our team due to age, contract length, etc...
Guy Boucher was able to install a defense-first system when he was here and got the team into the playoffs. So yes, I think a better coach who preaches defense-first can make the GA/GP better and get us into the playoffs. If Green adopts a "my way or the highway" "defence-first" approach and is backed up by Staios in applying accountability, then I think we can make the playoffs.
Regardless, both Tarasenko and Perron were/are in the top 6 of highest paid forwards on the team. We can slice and dice the difference between a "top-end" winger and a "top 6" winger but this management agrees on the philosophical principle that more scoring is needed in the top 6.
I am not sure why you use a top 6 in the old days versus a top 9 in today's "modern" NHL. The better NHL teams (defined a those that get into the playoffs and are in the final 8, final 4 or final 2), always required a better "team" consisting of higher quality players (versus the lower end teams) at more positions in the roster lineup.
Have to wait and see what Dean Letourneau (not necessarily who we would have taken but for simplicity..) turns into but if Ullmark re signs and posts good numbers then it should be a win.
"to bolster positions of strength"...and yet in consecutive offseasons they get Tarasenko and Perron. How is it a position of strength if 2 different management groups are looking to add to the scoring winger position? Also, how can it even be a position of strength for a team was 20th last year in GF, 18th the year before, 26th in 21-22, 20th in 20-21, 23rd in 2019-20, etc.
A PP scoring winger that cant drive the play at 5 on 5 is not what this team needs at all. Blatantly obvious when he got here and all 82 games he played. They need more scoring but not the type of scoring he brings. Was an all time terrible trade by a terrible GM that ran the team like he was playing a video game. No moves were calculated, none made sense based on the roster the sens currently had. No idea how you are still defending it. All they have done is lose and now the asset is hanging in the balance because they need Ullmark to work out and they need to sign him to an extension.
it wasn't defense with Boucher. People have misunderstood his system.
I literally have no idea what you're talking about. Even more concerning though, I don't think you do either.
Also Pinto playing all year instead of half the year should also improve the numbers.
![GOLD MEDAL - D. Ahman / J. Helvig [SWE] vs N. Ehlers / C. Wickler [GER]](https://hfboards-data.community.forum/assets/xa_sb_cat_images/ILmCYDiU-2RINe08i.png){kind=icon}
