I'll just say, for now, it sounds like some good thoughts. I think the reason we haven't done some of the things he's talking about is that the roster was still in the process of being torn down.
Shocking caveat...I an not an NHL GM
BUT, if I was I would think that the process would go something like:
- Where is the style of play headed over the next 5-10 years.
- What on-ice system best takes advantage of these trends
- What player roles are needed for this on-ice system
- What players do we have right now that are projected to fill system roles
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- Do we have the right coach for the system
- Do we have players right now that are locks to fill a spot in the system in 3-5 years
- What core roles do we not have a players for
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- What players can we draft that match the style we want and project to fill an open role
- What players can we sign in free agency to fill a role
- What players can we trade for
I guess what I am saying is that I would probably approach it by nailing the strategy first before acquiring players. Which means that the first two sections of questions above should already be determine and could be ready to communicate to the public.