I’m stunned that anyone still thinks hiring Gallant or Laviolette is going to solve these issues. This group is on its third coach in less than three years. It ain’t the coaching.
The bottom line is that this team has too many players that can’t be relied on to chip in offensively from time to time.
Sam Bennett, Mark Jankowski, Milan Lucic, Mikael Backlund, and Tobias Rieder are simply not good enough. That Backlund contract was bad when they signed it and it looks even worse now.
This team is not a coach away from being good. This team needs another high end forward and I’d argue a complete overhaul of the bottom six. Derek Ryan is the only guy in the bottom six I’d keep. Dube too but only because of his age. If I didn’t see potential there I’d lump him in with the other dead weight.
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