No matter how many times we go to the ECF, we still lost. Unless you win the cup, you lose.
The ECF team was an anomaly. People seem to think that just because that happened, we are a good team. That year, the stars aligned and everything worked out perfectly. I will guarantee, right now, that will never happen again. We need to rebuild the correct way.
We haven't won a cup in 20 years. We haven't been successful in 20 years.
If you don't think we have a chance to win the cup in the next 2-3 years why hold onto our current roster? We should sell them before their value plummets.
The longer we sit around the 15-25 spot, the worse off we will get. NYR needs to make a decision right now. Rebuild or retool. If we decide to keep the same core, we need MAJOR retooling.
We need the horses.
Only 2 ways for that, since free agency has cap, etc. limitations.
1. Draft brilliantly.
2. Draft well enough, but then trade brilliantly.
I advocated trading guys who could deliver a nice overpayment to make it worth our while; Girardi... Stepan, etc. for examples.
I especially mean guys you can bundle to diminish the talent gap. Even if it meant taking a chance (McDonnagh + small add for MacKinnon gambling he is at least a Tavares, WITH added benefit of snaring a Duncan Siemens; that is one of the few I would put McD in and I want more than a 1 for 1. Alternatively, maybe something like gambling on Brassard and dealing Stepan + for Seth Jones or Ritsolanen.)
The focus was too heavy on what it cost short term and not as much on the all important upside, that realizing potential was a way to get a better player in the end.
I kept hearing it from most of you, how wrong this was, and we are in win now mode and our talent was enough, and we didn't have to so aggressively attempt to add quality on the fly.
I admit Girardi has been great. Pleased with him as a Ranger. But there was a time when he was at the peak of his best year he would have brought more if flipped then than if flipped now. Especially with another add.
If you wanna make up for not drafting superbrilliantly, ya gotta squeeze together shrewd moves like this.
We are all entitled to our opinions.
I am trying to be more open minded about a lot of what you guys say.
I believe having a more open mind to some of my initiatives will better serve us as well. Not in the interests of mutual courtesy, but as a matter of strategy.
I appreciate all constructive comments, as always.
I again invite critics to consider the above.
You should NOT hold back your criticism. But I insist it be warranted, to be meaningful.
Competition of ideas, freedom of speech.
We need to think outside the box as well as inside, and not crucify those who do with knee jerk reactions like, we can't trade our D corp, we can't do this, we can't do that.
Every move has it's positives and negatives.
It would be smart if we can put all our heads together and come up with the most accurate compendium of moves, with the intent of executing the best ones.
