Quote:
Originally Posted by FlameZilla
7th-11th is damned impressive for a franchise which had severe financial restraints. The fact that Treliving spent the better part of a decade making a dead broke franchise even remotely competitive is a pretty important factor. Phoenix could/should be a perennial bottom-feeder but it isn't.
Fair enough to take a wait-and-see viewpoint though.
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I would take it a step further...
Over the past 10 years or so, every team has
significantly increased their scouting, training, development, fitness and other budgets.
The game and how it is managed, has changed drastically.
During that time, the Coyotes have been in a state of constant flux, with continual rumours of being sold/moved/folded, as well as going bankrupt and being taken over by the league.
While all of the other teams were ratcheting up their scouting and development programs, the Coyotes were trying to keep the lights on.
The fact that, in that environment, they were able to make the playoffs 3 of the last 5 years in the western conference, and went to the conference finals one year, is frankly
astounding!
Obviously Treliving shouldn't be handed the keys to the city just yet, and we should be taking a wait and see attitude, but to suggest that they did a 'mediocre, 7-11th place job' in Phoenix is extremely unjust and naïve, IMO.