Maybe you are right, opinion are more split. I went through some reading of rebuild thread in the past from the main board and this was the message I was mostly getting, rebuild is mostly seen as when with new Management coming in and choosing to go through the long-term vision instead of short term aka selling vets and planning for the subsequent drafts.
Well all this to say it doesn't really matter how we define when the rebuild stared or how it started, etc. It's all about the organization's vision.
And I can't see a move like trading Tyler Toffoli as part of a rebuilding vision (which was his 2nd trade) anymore than I can see him acquiring Andrew Hammon (his first trade) as part of his vision.
Those are just tear down or plug holes type of moves.
Hell, when he took over this team in January of 2022, they were in last place and his stated goal was to make sure that continued.
That in itself isn't building, that's like pouring acid through the vents in your ceiling lol.
And if we go by semantics, you are actually the one with the correct definion. Rebuild = build (something) again after it has been damaged or destroyed.
But I got the impression when evaluating rebuild, people often use this term to evaluate the general work of a GM starting from a point in a timeline where the team was at its lowest (often when he is hired after the firing of the previous GM) to the elevation of his team to a playoff contender.
Like I said, we can all define rebuilds however we want.
Personally, I see a "rebuild" as the point where the identity you want to build as a team is implemented and that almost exclusively related to the players you've traded and acquired via trade who you've signed for a medium-to-long term.
I referenced those players in an earlier post but I see it as: Matheson, Dach, Newhook, Laine + the 30 players they drafted.
I might be arguing about this for nothing, but in the context of this thread, rebuild length is often discussed to evaluate HuGo works. And the way I see it, they are starting year 4 (technically 3.5) of their plan, which I still have patience for since most rebuild take much longer than that to be completed (aka team is competitive again).
Jeff Gorton has been on the job since November 28, 2021...it will be 3 years later this month and Kent Hughes since January 18, 2022, so 3 years in the New Year.
If you take away the initial assessment period that anyone taking of a job has, then it's even less.
Let's face it, we're just a very impatient bunch and timelines start to get intertwined and stuff. But in reality, it really hasn't been that long.
Go talk to a Sens fan or Sabres fan.
I promise you none of their fanbase was losing their shit 2.5 years into their rebuild.
