Quote:
Originally Posted by Table 5
It is ridiculous to think that a proper rebuild will only take one year. We still have giant holes on defense and RW, and the majority of the team that will be part of this turnaround will still be in the minors or playing smaller roles on the big club this this year. Those holes will not be magically filled overnight (or without major depletion of other assets), and that development won't be instant.
|
I agree with everything you have said here.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Table 5
Not wanting to be 9th is not the same as being the Oilers. It's understanding that the reality is that a rebuilt takes time, and our holes are best filled by the only way to win a the Stanley Cup: drafting.
|
I disagree with the premise. While it is both true that rebuilding takes time and that the best way to build is through the draft, this team finishing in contention for the playoffs this season IS NOT going to so dramatically alter its drafting fortunes. In other words: No, finishing 9th would not be a disaster because it signals something important: that the team CAN and almost certainly WILL improve in the long run. It would mean that some of the young players in the lineup ARE playing exceptionally well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Table 5
For some of us the goal is not to get into the playoffs, but to win it all. "Get in and anything can happen" is not a strategy that works if you actually want to win the damn thing.
|
I suspect that for all of us the goal is for this team to win it all. It's certainly my hope. My problem with your post was the not-so-subtle insinuation that finishing outside of the lottery picks will eliminate the possibility of reaching the goal. It won't. The team will still need to draft well if its picking in the 20s instead of top-five, and those picks should still be counted upon as contributors towards building a winner.