Roman Yoshi
#164303
This is going to be my last post on here until a week before the draft. I need a mental health break from this team. I'll leave with 5 thoughts.
1. I've been on this forum since 2009. I've argued and agreed and discussed with so many of your fantastic people over those years. I've argued for a rebuild for a very long time. I know not everyone agrees with my approach in my belief that everything is an asset and sports are cyclical. And despite us disagreeing at times, I truly believe at least 90% of you would make better NHL staff than what the Predators currently have. The hockey IQ and knowledge on this forum is the best online for Preds hockey.
2. Barring a true miracle, I believe the Predators are 4-5 years away from making the playoffs. Not just competing, I mean making the playoffs. You have Colorado and Dallas who are in their prime and not going away. Winnipeg is at least a good regular season team, though I believe St Louis and Utah are going to beat them out for a playoff spot in the next two years. Minnesota is entering their window now with their young core. There is no room with this aging core for Nashville. When the Preds made the cup final, all of the core was under 30. Most were under 28. Age, our division, and where we are in the cycle tells me we are in a few rough seasons.
Trotz talked about threading a needle yesterday. I want to address that. There are a few examples of teams being able to do that with an aging core and a group of youngsters. Washington this session is a good example. The thing is Washington's AHL pipeline in Hershey has been the envy of the league. If anything, Trotz has admitted that our youngsters aren't good enough moving on from Fabbro, Tomasino etc.
But threading a needle is hard, that's why a lot of teams don't do it or don't succeed in doing it. Washington also bought low on underperforming vets that fit well in the system like Chychrun, Mangiapane, Thompson, Dubois. We did not do any of that and historically we haven't. Instead, we brought in a roster full of players that do not match the style the coach wants to play and then blame the players for not rising to the occasion. Luke Schenn should not be asked to play a high tempo, pinching game.
Washington also brought in younger guys than we did.
3. I'm disgusted by what I heard yesterday at Trotz conference. Trotz blaming the players for being starstruck and not buying in tells you everything you need to know. We are trying to find excuses because it can't be the coach or the roster decisions. It's the buy in. Just like the fans need to have patience and buy in.
4. Here's a hurtful truth: the Carolina hurricanes over the last 8 years have won as many playoff series as we have had in our entire franchise history. The same people that have been here are still here. Trotz can talk about serial winners all he wants but we have been serial losers. Heck since Vegas' inception they have more series wins than we do in our entire history. It's not good enough. And yet, the same people have been in charge this entire time.
5. I want a Stanley Cup in Nashville more than almost anything else. I want it for you all here. I want it for my parents and for my family. I'll eventually come back to being excited about hockey in Nashville but right now I have no faith and no hope in this team. They have consistently made the wrong choices since the Cup run and I need a break.
1. I've been on this forum since 2009. I've argued and agreed and discussed with so many of your fantastic people over those years. I've argued for a rebuild for a very long time. I know not everyone agrees with my approach in my belief that everything is an asset and sports are cyclical. And despite us disagreeing at times, I truly believe at least 90% of you would make better NHL staff than what the Predators currently have. The hockey IQ and knowledge on this forum is the best online for Preds hockey.
2. Barring a true miracle, I believe the Predators are 4-5 years away from making the playoffs. Not just competing, I mean making the playoffs. You have Colorado and Dallas who are in their prime and not going away. Winnipeg is at least a good regular season team, though I believe St Louis and Utah are going to beat them out for a playoff spot in the next two years. Minnesota is entering their window now with their young core. There is no room with this aging core for Nashville. When the Preds made the cup final, all of the core was under 30. Most were under 28. Age, our division, and where we are in the cycle tells me we are in a few rough seasons.
Trotz talked about threading a needle yesterday. I want to address that. There are a few examples of teams being able to do that with an aging core and a group of youngsters. Washington this session is a good example. The thing is Washington's AHL pipeline in Hershey has been the envy of the league. If anything, Trotz has admitted that our youngsters aren't good enough moving on from Fabbro, Tomasino etc.
But threading a needle is hard, that's why a lot of teams don't do it or don't succeed in doing it. Washington also bought low on underperforming vets that fit well in the system like Chychrun, Mangiapane, Thompson, Dubois. We did not do any of that and historically we haven't. Instead, we brought in a roster full of players that do not match the style the coach wants to play and then blame the players for not rising to the occasion. Luke Schenn should not be asked to play a high tempo, pinching game.
Washington also brought in younger guys than we did.
3. I'm disgusted by what I heard yesterday at Trotz conference. Trotz blaming the players for being starstruck and not buying in tells you everything you need to know. We are trying to find excuses because it can't be the coach or the roster decisions. It's the buy in. Just like the fans need to have patience and buy in.
4. Here's a hurtful truth: the Carolina hurricanes over the last 8 years have won as many playoff series as we have had in our entire franchise history. The same people that have been here are still here. Trotz can talk about serial winners all he wants but we have been serial losers. Heck since Vegas' inception they have more series wins than we do in our entire history. It's not good enough. And yet, the same people have been in charge this entire time.
5. I want a Stanley Cup in Nashville more than almost anything else. I want it for you all here. I want it for my parents and for my family. I'll eventually come back to being excited about hockey in Nashville but right now I have no faith and no hope in this team. They have consistently made the wrong choices since the Cup run and I need a break.
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