WarriorofTime
Registered User
- Jul 3, 2010
- 32,990
- 23,082
Ownership has always been a clear problem. Lack of focus/direction hurt a lot as well.
For instance, they did the thing in the summer of 2015 everyone keeps saying they didn't and should have done, which is they got very aggressive. This was a bizarre decision considering they really tore the team down to its studs. So it's going to be pretty difficult to ductape a team together.
*Before 2014-15 ended, they traded a 1st round pick and other things to bring in Evander Kane and Zach Bogosian.
*Traded the Islander 1st for Robin Lehner/David Legwand*
*Traded Zadorov, Grigorenko, Compher and a 2nd for O'Reilly and McGinn and then flipped McGinn for a 3rd
*Traded a 3rd to Nashville for Jim Vesey's rights (never signed, became a UFA a couple months later)
O'Reilly, despite being unanimously praised as an acquisition here, was a bit of an odd choice considering they had just drafted Sam Reinhart and Jack Eichel with back to back 2nd overalls, presumably to be their franchise building blocks. O'Reilly is a good example of how a "young" forward (24 at the time) isn't actually that young when you zoom out, as he was 4.5 years older than Reinhart and 5.5 years older than Eichel, so they weren't all ever really on quite the same timeline.
They also didn't really have any actual solution or plan at the time for their defense. It seemingly rested on the shoulders of a 20 year old former eighth overall pick from a couple years prior (Ristolainen). They signed Cody Franson for whatever reason.
They did improve a lot with these moves... like a lot. Unfortunately though, not enough to make any real noise... and at a time they probably should have still been in the tank and in the running for Auston Matthews, which didn't occur because that's what happens when you're mediocre.
It played itself out, with no defense they were back in the basement a couple years later and it was first O'Reilly out, then Reinhart, then Eichel who all went to win Cups on their new teams, showing they weren't really "the problem" as far as talent goes... and full rebuild the rebuild.
There's nothing wrong with tearing a team down to its studs and just going full tank/pick accumulation, but you should stick to it and not just decide that actually you don't want to do that anymore and start just filling holes form wherever. That is the worst way to do it
For instance, they did the thing in the summer of 2015 everyone keeps saying they didn't and should have done, which is they got very aggressive. This was a bizarre decision considering they really tore the team down to its studs. So it's going to be pretty difficult to ductape a team together.
*Before 2014-15 ended, they traded a 1st round pick and other things to bring in Evander Kane and Zach Bogosian.
*Traded the Islander 1st for Robin Lehner/David Legwand*
*Traded Zadorov, Grigorenko, Compher and a 2nd for O'Reilly and McGinn and then flipped McGinn for a 3rd
*Traded a 3rd to Nashville for Jim Vesey's rights (never signed, became a UFA a couple months later)
O'Reilly, despite being unanimously praised as an acquisition here, was a bit of an odd choice considering they had just drafted Sam Reinhart and Jack Eichel with back to back 2nd overalls, presumably to be their franchise building blocks. O'Reilly is a good example of how a "young" forward (24 at the time) isn't actually that young when you zoom out, as he was 4.5 years older than Reinhart and 5.5 years older than Eichel, so they weren't all ever really on quite the same timeline.
They also didn't really have any actual solution or plan at the time for their defense. It seemingly rested on the shoulders of a 20 year old former eighth overall pick from a couple years prior (Ristolainen). They signed Cody Franson for whatever reason.
They did improve a lot with these moves... like a lot. Unfortunately though, not enough to make any real noise... and at a time they probably should have still been in the tank and in the running for Auston Matthews, which didn't occur because that's what happens when you're mediocre.
It played itself out, with no defense they were back in the basement a couple years later and it was first O'Reilly out, then Reinhart, then Eichel who all went to win Cups on their new teams, showing they weren't really "the problem" as far as talent goes... and full rebuild the rebuild.
There's nothing wrong with tearing a team down to its studs and just going full tank/pick accumulation, but you should stick to it and not just decide that actually you don't want to do that anymore and start just filling holes form wherever. That is the worst way to do it
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