so what's the "correct" and "likeable" way to build a franchise?
There’s no correct way, but likeable, sure.
1) Don’t have a franchise solely based on the power of repeated tanking.
2) Hire smart hockey people that make your franchise better. Holland for example, did a lot of dumb things, but he made some moves I would give him credit for and he inherited a hot mess.
3) Assess the character of the people you’re hiring, regardless of their efficacy.
4) Maybe show your franchise is smart enough to draft beyond the first round, even if they’re not cornerstone players (this might be just me rephrasing #1).
I’m sure most people are here talking hockey because we believe it’s not all just dumb luck. The Oilers are totally proving that wrong, and hiring as many villains as they can in a desperate attempt to keep McDrai happy. It’s not so likeable.