Quote:
Originally Posted by traptor
What ifs are obviously a fools errand, but I do feel like we had the players to be a consistent contender for a long if the "band" stayed together.
Some form of:
Jg - lindholm - monahan
Zary - bennett - chucky
Mang - backs - coleman
Hanifin - rasmus
Kylington - tanev
Zadorov
Marky
Vladar
Could be a contender. Really unfortunate how badly it was managed.
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For me one of the critical factors in undoing of that team was the James Neal 5 x 6 deal that ate up so much precious cap space for half a decade. With that extra money maybe Tkachuk and Johnny could have been afforded longer term.
Also then choosing Lucic to protect that young team as one of the only better alternatives to Neal, although an upgrade on JN, really for me undermined the team culture pretty significantly when he refused to engage in the war with the Oilers and seek retribution after Kassian when he harassed and jumped Tkachuk. If I was Tkachuk as much as he started it, I wouldn't have wanted to stay in a group that didn't battle with me in those scenarios/left me on my own either. A younger hungrier fighter who came up with the group never would have let that pass in the same way.