Quote:
Originally Posted by Hack&Lube
We can't just gut the team and will them to lose. That's terrible for player morale. The players have to have pride in their game and let that carry over to enthusiasm to coming back and giving it everything next year.
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I don't agree with the take of "you can't trade everyone" because I think that's how you facilitate a tank and guys like Andersson, Coleman, etc should be shopped.
But when the guys are 1) Healthy, and 2)Still on the roster then you can't ask them to lose, or not play them.
That's where it becomes a slipperly slope. They did what they could to gut the roster and tank, and now the guys that are still here still have to play and have pride in their game. If you start benching healthy players, or playing your veterans 4th line minutes while they are still healthy and on the roster that's how you create a crappy culture.
And for the most part their strategy has worked...they have the 4th worse record in the last 20 games ahead of only Anaheim, San Jose, and Columbus. And really that's without being too embarassing and remaining competitive most nights.
Now if it comes out a bunch of guys are playing hurt then that is just stupid.