[JohnnyB]

It's seems obvious that there are two big differences from last year. First is lack of top end scoring, and second is lack of top end goaltending.

Last year the team's top two forwards ranked 2nd and 8th in the league for points, and the team's top line finished ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the league for +/-. Huberdeau and Kadri came in ostensibly as replacements for Johnny and Tkachuk, and weren't far off them in production last year, but so far this season the guys who last year were 2nd (Huberdeau) and 19th (Kadri) in scoring are now sitting at 95th (Kadri) and 110th (Huberdeau). And while last year the top end talent was 1-3 in plus minus, this year they're at 186th (Huberdeau), 385th (Lindholm), and 689th (Kadri).

Fortunately, Toffoli is having a good season that's helping the team, but this is also offset by Mangiapanne being a shadow of what he was last year.

On goaltending, what needs to be said? Last year Markstrom was a strong Vezina candidate. This year it's debatable if he should even be a number one goalie.

So, I don't think it's Sutter or the system. I think the team lost top end contributions at the level of NHL stars, both from the forwards and the goalie.