Ah, so Cotter is better for them than Harris or Barron?
A big physical bottom 6 forward makes more sense for the soft Devils than healthy scratch Harris or Barron who couldn't crack the worst RD depth in the NHL.
Roy has no business on a top-6 in the NHL.
Is this based on him being our best player on the 2nd line when he got placed there? The guy has played 23 NHL games and isn't even 21, how can you conclusively say he has no business being on a top 6 in the NHL. He's not some random plug like Belzile.
No progression in 3 years would not raise some questions?
When one player drafted in these 3 years is guaranteed to make the team at the start of this season, I don't see why there would be questions. There will be more than 1 for the following season.
It’s time to take a step forward. Make the team slightly competitive so when Demidov joins in 2025-26, he propels them to a legit threat.
At some point you have to give the young guys currently on the team a good base to play with.
The guys who will take us to that next step need developmental time at their respective leagues. Acquiring players who likely won't make any drastic difference and will probably cost a lot in terms of assets (especially since we'd have to trade at least one of these guys) and cap hit isn't going to really help us in the longterm.
Rebuilds don't get completed in 3 years unless you add proven superstar NHL talent. I am confident that next offseason is where we will make our big splashes. We will have a ton of cap space, Hutson/Reinbacher/Mailloux/Demidov will likely be regulars on the team, Anderson/Gallagher will be easier to trade/buy out, and Dvorak/Armia/Petry will be off the books. More roster space, cap, and quality players on ELCs. We've got a ton of picks we can package too.