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I don't think Valimaki or Dube have been that bad, to me, it's just Sutter setting the expectations and mindset high for these two who he envisions as the next core pieces.

I think he sees that there is a strong sense of entitlement with the existing core and doesn't like the way that they were developed. You can't really argue with it. Gaudreau and Monahan had a rough first few seasons under Hartley, a tough NHL coach (maybe too tough). Once Hartley was canned, things got real easy for them. Tkachuk got it easy from the start. Easy ice time, easy power play time. The whole "always earned, never given" went out the window. Bad habits started to creep in especially on the defensive side of the game.

They were fine in regular season games, but when things got real in the playoffs, these guys couldn't handle the adversity.

I don't know how many times this season I heard from the leadership core talk about how they "expected to go on a run", "how other teams have had their winning streaks and we haven't", "we are due for a run". Incredible entitlement. This also came from Giordano as well.

You aren't entitled to wins, you aren't entitled to anything in this league. You earn everything. When you are given things too easy, you don't value the hard work you had to attain it. This core is the most mentally weak group we have ever witnessed and it stems from their entitled attitude.

Good on Darryl for making sure the next wave is not going to follow in the last group's footsteps.

This is the importance of coaching. You need an experienced hand to guide them and develop them properly. You can't hire newbie coaches who just "empower" their players to do whatever they like and expect them to become winners.