Quote:
Originally Posted by nfotiu
I don't know that culture is so important. But I think that if we finished something like 9th or 10th in the conference with this team, then we do have a lot better foundation already set than we thought we did. I think a 17th-20th place team(with a lot of key young guys who will improve) + Bennett + a #10-12 draft pick is a better team in the short run, and probably long run than a 30th place team + 1st or 2nd overall pick.
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This. If last year was the 1st year of the rebuild then consider Monahan and Bennett as rebuild pieces, and everything else was the foundation that was already here.
To that end, here are the players not yet in their prime that management had before the beginning of last season: Backlund, Brodie, Byron, Bouma, Ramo. That's a starting goaltender, a top pairing defenseman, a 2nd/3rd line center, and 2 bottom 6 wingers/centers (you can argue Byron as a 13th forward due to versatility).
Then last year, management decides to go out and find a couple players that other teams didn't have room for and were either not yet in their prime, or just entering their prime years: Colborne, Russell, Smid. That's a versatile top 6 winger/bottom 6 center, 2nd pairing defenseman, and 3rd pairing defenseman.
Without doing anything else for a young core, they now have this lineup projection for years:
x-Bennett-x
x-Monahan-Colborne
Byron-Backlund-x
Bouma-x-x
x-Brodie
Russell-x
Smid-x
Ramo
That's half the lineup ladies and gentlemen. The only thing we needed to consider was some more top line talent, top defender, and depth throughout the organization. Well cue up the arrival of a possible elite talent in Gaudreau (but let's say 2nd line). Jooris has shown enough to be considered in the bottom 6 going forward.
x-Bennett-x
Gaudreau-Monahan-Colborne
Byron-Backlund-x
Bouma-x-Jooris
Then we have a handful of veterans who still have many good years left that management decided to retain as core pieces: Giordano, Hudler, Stajan (not sure if they're willing to keep Glencross or Wideman). That's a top pairing defender and captain, a skilled top 6 winger, and a bottom 6 center. Now is Gaudreau really a 2nd line winger? Probably more of a top line winger once he gets used to the NHL.
Gaudreau-Bennett-x
Hudler-Monahan-Colborne
Byron-Backlund-x
Bouma-Stajan-Jooris
Giordano-Brodie
Russell-x
Smid-x
Ramo
To me this is our core moving forward, and it's really not too shabby. Compare that to a lot of playoff teams and we're right on the cusp. It also affords us a ton of cap space to fill those gaps. Who are the easiest players to acquire through free agency? Wingers. You can fill in the 1st and 3rd line RWer spots fairly easily through free agency or prospect development. However, we are woefully short on RWers in the prospect pool, so I think you see a trade at some point to move prospects for prospects, or NHLers for prospects on the right wing.
I should also note that I don't think players like Hudler, Byron, and Jooris are in the long term plans, so I'll subtract them from the lineup for now. But, we added veterans Raymond, Engelland, Bollig, and Hiller on shorter multi-year deals to fill in the gaps. If you put everyone in where they would be on a playoff roster, it looks like this.
Gaudreau-Bennett-x
x-Monahan-Colborne
Raymond-Backlund-x
Bollig-Stajan-Bouma
Byron/Jooris
Giordano-Brodie
Russell-x
Smid-Engelland
Hiller/Ramo
So really, 4 roster spots need to be filled to be a playoff team. Let's just suppose that we already have that ready to be filled within the next year by rookies. Baertschi and Ferland are really close. Sieloff, Wotherspoon, and Poirier are likely a year away. The following could be our roster to start next year, and if not for inexperience, it would likely be a playoff team.
Gaudreau-Bennett-Poirier
Baertschi-Monahan-Colborne
Raymond-Backlund-Ferland
Bollig-Stajan-Bouma
Byron/Jooris
Giordano-Brodie
Russell-Wotherspoon
Smid-Sieloff
Engelland
Hiller/Ramo
Guys, it may take our youngest guys some time for our players to become great NHLers, but it's all there to be a playoff team within a year or two. This isn't taking into consideration all the prospects I didn't name: Granlund, Klimchuk, Arnold, Jankowski, Reinhart, Ortio, Gillies, Knight, Agostino, Hanowski, Kulak, Culkin, Smith, McDonald etc. etc. etc.
Outside of another top 4 defenseman, we don't even really need another top prospect anytime soon. I say play your guts out, go for the playoffs as soon as you can, and let the chips fall where they may.