Which season was the bigger disappointment?

[Fuhrious]

I’m putting season 3. I still thought Burakovsky was a stud who was going to pop off after an off-season to recover from his injury in season 2. That…did not end up playing out.

 

[The Marquis]

I’m putting season 3. I still thought Burakovsky was a stud who was going to pop off after an off-season to recover from his injury in season 2. That…did not end up playing out.

Yeah, me too, and it came immediately after season 2.

 

[Kevinsane]

Season Three. A chance to build the team, market the team, and for the locker room to have a defining culture. Maybe it’s naive to believe that season held more promise than this one did, but it felt worse to me.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

This season for me. Last season was a disappointment because while I didn't expect a repeat of season 2 last season and a playoff run, I expected we would be better than ending up with 8th overall pick. And call me naive, but I expected this season to be better with the addition of Montour and to a point Stephenson. I also expected Beniers to have a better season which he didn't.

I did not expect this season to be as bad as last one. Or like it has been so far, worse.

 

[Fuhrious]

This season for me. Last season was a disappointment because while I didn't expect a repeat of season 2 last season and a playoff run, I expected we would be better than ending up with 8th overall pick. And call me naive, but I expected this season to be better with the addition of Montour and to a point Stephenson. I also expected Beniers to have a better season which he didn't.

I did not expect this season to be as bad as last one. Or like it has been so far, worse.

That was my main argument for this season over last, actually : Beniers further settling into a career arc as a 40 point 3C really stings.

 

[RainyCityHockey]

I voted for season 4, but it's either 3 or 4.

Season 1 was just a bunch of dudes thrown together without any chance to build chemistry etc.
It was also the first ever season and there were things that still make me laugh out loud.
Like that time they tried to pull the goalie(to make it a 6 on 5) and all of a sudden four skaters left the ice leaving Schwartz 1 vs 5 with no goale in net...

Season three I can understand cause we just came of a playoff run and didn't even get close of repeating it.

For me it's this season cause they hyped signing those "cup winners" and "you can never ave enough guys who won the cup on your team" crap.
Then they talked about competing when everyone knew that this roster, at best, was a playoff bubble team.
I guess I don't like a team trying to sell it's fans stuff that doesn't exist believing they're buying everything they're told.

 

[Quackenator]

Voted this season for similar reasons others posted.

 

[GrungeHockey]

I think this season for me but I also kind of expected it. Hated the big free agent signings and lost faith in the GM because of them. Also didn't want Bylsma and not impressed by what he's done.

The biggest problem with this season is it has created a feeling that next season will be similar. I don't see a quick or easy way out/forward.

 

[finnishflash13]

this season. season 2 was an overachievement that was not sustainable the next season. the 2024 offseason resulted in lots of money spent on players that have had success elsewhere, plus the hopefulness that some of the young players would finally "get it." sounds like another impulsive and reactionary offseason for a team desperate to do something now that the shiny new toy allure has faded to fans.

 

[majormajor]

I voted season 3. We had a team establishing an identity, and even though I thought they might take a step back from season 2's success, it made sense that we would try and build on our identity as a hard forechecking squad that grinded teams down. We didn't do that at all and the team quit on the coach.

I expected this team to suffer this year. I understand the players needed a new coach but they've tried to go in a more fun freewheeling talent-friendly direction and that sets us up to get smoked. The team has gotten more talented but we're still years away from winning on those terms. I saw us walking away from the forechecking style that we had a chance to win with. And then the offseason moves, the endless deference to Grubauer, you could tell that the org was rudderless. We are at least rebuilding under the surface and accumulating picks and prospects.

 

[kihei]

This season for me.

I was disappointed that a lot of players didn't progress, Beniers, Evans, Dunn, Bura, being the primary ones. But my real problem was the wild inconsistency of the team, it's Jekyll and Hyde quality, sometimes from game to game, but even during games.

On top of that, the team just gave a lackadaisical effort too often, making too many games just no fun to watch. I had also hoped that the new coaching regime would have led to much greater (and more creative) special teams play but that never even looked like it might happen.

In short, unlike season three, this season dampened my hope for the future much more. I hope this is a truly meaningful off season because we really need to establish a rudder, some coherent sense of direction.