If you want an honest assessment of “the Dallas Model”, back it up to “the Detroit model.”
Two teams received the architects of the Detroit model.
Dallas with Nill & Edmonton with Holland.
It is clear as to who was the better talent evaluator which enabled Detroit to attain & maintain dominance.
The meaning of “the Detroit model” has now inverted as one that exemplifies how hard it can be to become competitive after excusing losing as part of a rebuild.
Holland was & is a dope, as whiffing on Quinn Hughes demonstrates (
in addition to having Evan Bouchard rated higher) but they also never received any real luck in the draft lottery, with a highest pick at 4th overall.
If your chief talent evaluator sucks or is out of touch with how the game is evolving it makes a retool/rebuild waaaaay longer & harder. Not just in talent evaluation, but also in development potential (raw skills/abilities that can be put to better use or revealed/refined).
Yzerman knows what he is doing on the talent evaluation front, but Holland’s last few years were so bad that it has now forced Yzerman’s hand to an extent into bad contracts and doing what he can do prime the pump that gets them back into the playoffs.
Iginla & Conroy are not Holland.
The likely have as comprehensive of a list on draft eligible players moving forward as almost anyone ever has.
However, ultimately their ability to critically think, assess talent, evaluate and development players will be based on who actually plays & contributes. Just like everyone else.