Stevens was known as the "good cop" to Sutter's "bad cop". Doughty supposedly liked him and re-signing Doughty was Blake's top priority. Stevens also put the time in and supposedly didn't go after other jobs since this was supposed to be his after Sutter.
I believed simply changing the coach in 2018 would lead to a better season since the players were unhappy and played like it in '17. The vets had something to prove and they stepped up.
Nothing to prove in 2019 and an "easy" coach. Malaise. Lack of buy-in. No challenge. Stevens isn't going to be able to flip into some hard-ass because the players know him too well. He's also not some X's and O's wizard but, even then, there is no magic formula to make these guys play better.
Stevens wasn't the problem: the roster is the problem. That starts at the top with 11 & 8 and works its way down from there. Since this team hasn't been as deep, they have missed the playoffs when 11 has a bad season and they've made it when he plays like pre-2015 Kopitar. The lack of depth makes it so he and Doughty have to be world beaters.
That's a lot to ask but they are paid to be these type of players. Even then, that got them a WC spot and subsequent playoff sweep once they were shut down. That's why Blake should have known better than believing these guys were just a 35 year old KHL player away from making noise.
Anyways, they could have kept Stevens but they had to try and hope the firing would at least spark the vets on the team to kick it in to gear. Unfortunately, they brought in a substitute teacher which is exactly the wrong type of hire for the core of this team as they have proven that they only respond to a challenge. Knowing this guy was interim just led them to packing it in.
It is looking like Blake may have known that and wanted the tank. Stevens remaining would have led to a better record. Was Stevens fired too soon? Yes, when looking at it under the premise that there was no saving this team regardless. For the tank and Willie? Not soon enough.
