I feel like he was following a plan until this summer. Then it feels like he turned a switch and did whatever it took to make a playoff roster... at the expense of future success.
Between the deadweight and the lag until our d prospects are ready, I don't see them being ready for a few seasons. Now we are potentially pushing caps hit into the future for 4 seasons. Buyouts, rookie bonuses, bridge deals. We could have used our cap space as a asset while we waited for our prospects to get ready. We should have locked up our RFAs to long term deals instead of waiting. We should have ppried away quality players from strapped teams. We should have let our bad deals expire in 2 seasons.
This won't be popular but I don't see long term thinking when we add an $11.6m wing to this wing depth. Not with our center issues.
I'll be honest, it was nice having cap space for 18 months. People can think we will have more of it in 2 years but I'm skeptical. ADA and Buch, if he isn't moved now, will be owed big deals. That's with new deals for Georgiev, Chytil and Andersson. On the eve of Kakko and Kravtsov. I can't honestly believe they won't spend ever available cent between now and then . They showed restraint for 2 summers out of every single summer in club history. Gorton gets the benefit of the doubt on many aspects for sure but I can't view him as the one lone ranger GM that doesn't spend to the limit.
I have my reasons to be skeptical about the path. I'm not just being negative because I'm different and edgy. I hope to be wrong and I'll admit when I am when it plays out differently as usual.