[Fan69]

Answer is no.

The run of what was it 2015 was one if the worst things to happen to this team. Pretty sure it gave management a completely false perspective of where we were and i was of the opinion we were 2 years from thinking of those moves. Had we kept most of that team together added some more draft picks instead trading firsts and seconds for hamonic and back up goalies this team would have looked a lot different and would probably have been a contender for an extended time.

When i hear most posters talk about tanking it usually goes well we can’t win unless we have, insert any of the top three players at any position. Those players usually come top three in the draft and about every three to five years. I look at team structure.

Top line has to be able to compete against other top lines. Johny, Monahan, Hudler. Not top three players but were still one if the best lines in hockey.
Second line has to be dependable defensively but still provide some offense. Third line has to be able to have great games. Fourth has to provide some momentum cant get caved.

First pairing defence has to able to chew up minutes, contribute offensively. Second has to he steady be on the plus side most nights. Third pair has to be able to tread water minimum.
Goalie, seems to be a crapshoot a lot of times.

Those combinations should make you a playoff team. Each section you improve increases odds of success, chemistry and depth is more important to my mind than one if the top three players in the game. Edmonsuck has two of the top ten offensive guys in the league has to have a but load go right to get to the final then still failed.

A 70 to 80 point center who is defensively responsible to my mind is as valuable as a 110 point center who ends the season plus five. Not top three players mention that player has to play above his average due to the massive cap hit these players have.

I guess my point is identifying what the team actually needs. In the next two years you need two top six centers. I am all for trading Anderson which means at least two top four defence. How much of that comes from within will you have to trade to maybe get that piece?

We have Zary who looks to be trending to top six center but we need one more. Thats the center depth.

Pachal looks like top four. Weegs is top four, need two top fours internally or externally and we have a ton if defence depth for the bottom pair. We have a plethora of wingers not worried about long term depth.

We need a top line center. Two top four. The depth will come internally. My plan would be get into the top ten this year try to use our winger depth to try and move up and nab misa in this draft. Misa, zary, kadri, backs as center depth, or maybe keep the picks and see about getting wright if that rumour has any actual legs and just keep our pick where it lands.

Depth and covering team bases is what makes contenders not necessarily having a top three players. Does having skill help? Certainly but as we have now seen multiple times over multiple teams tanking is not a guarantee.