[Vedder]

You hitch your wagon to your top players as a GM. Hard to forecast such a dramatic decline in Gaudreau and Monahan at the time of their last contracts which is really the fundamental issue with this team. We're paying 13mm for two guys that can't carry the play or generate chances consistently at even strength. That and the Bennet pick flopping have killed the rebuild. What was looking like a dynamite top 2 center combo has become the third and fifth best centers on the team.

I'm skeptical they'll axe a guy they just gave a contract extension to. And I'm equally skeptical that the replacement won't replicate a lot of the same mistakes. I see so much of the job as luck, so I'd rather have a guy that's learned some lessons the hard way and has familiarity with the organization.