On the presser, to paraphrase, I think he talked about it not being the best players who win but the best team... To some extent that is correct, as a good room adds to success, but someone needs to push him on the fact that if you don't have the talent on the ice, a good room doesn't win $%^& .
He sounded like a politician and to see how the long-term contracts he has given out recently and how they have looked, ownership needs to force him to step away.
Once Nelson was removed, he needed to make the hard decisions to add what he could for assets to re-tool this summer while seeing if he could manage to get some on ice help now similar to the Zetterlund or even Mittlestatd deals. It's possible nothing was there, but I don't feel he has the vision now that some other Elite GM's have.
If you're asking for my opinion, I would have traded Palmieri and moved on from Lou.
That said, I understand Lou's perspective. I can appreciate allowing the team to fight it out with Palmieri and that other moves could happen at a different time—perhaps when there’s a better return or more teams are in play due to cap restraints. If they re-sign Palmieri to a two-year deal, I won’t be mad about it.
No beat reporter is going to outright say the team isn't good enough to contend, especially when they’re three points out with games in hand. For the record, I’m not saying they’ll make it either, but the true direction of the team will become clear this summer.
You might be right about vision, but outside of the Devon Toews trade, I haven’t had issues with Lou’s moves. In fact, I think he made a very good one with Nelson.
Lou didn’t sound like a politician to me—he was direct. He said he wanted to keep Brock, offered him what they thought was a fair deal for the franchise, and it wasn’t enough. Period. He also mentioned that there were several players they could have moved but felt it would be better to revisit those situations later. Again, very direct.
Having vision requires creativity, risk, and aggression. This summer will be a tall task, but they have to find a way to get younger and replace Nelson with someone better. EP40, despite his struggles this season, could be the answer. A player who’s had back-to-back 90+ point seasons doesn’t just lose that talent overnight. His dip in production may be due to media pressure, injuries, or other factors. If he weren’t struggling, he wouldn’t be available.
You don’t get younger through free agency—those players are usually past their prime by the time they hit the market. The real opportunity is in the RFA market, which is why I bring up Mason McTavish as a potential fit if they’re willing to move Dobson.
Another possibility is trading a top pick in 2025 for a younger, high-impact player. Would teams like Seattle, Montreal, LA, Anaheim, or St. Louis part with a promising young player for a draft pick they really like? Or do teams like Carolina, Ottawa, Detroit, or Buffalo—who may want to shake things up—consider moving a piece from their core?
My hope is that the draft pick is really high - not to trade necessarily, but it gives them options in case, say, someone like the Kings comes calling and says, we like the 5th OA pick and are possibly open to moving Byfield? What do you say Lou?
