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Originally Posted by SuperMatt18
The problem is that actually sends a bad message to the young players that are there. Look how competitive Wolf was down the stretch, he wanted nothing more than to make the playoffs and even the coaching staff mentioned he was way more vocal and a leader down the stretch.
IMO You can't go scorched earth mid-season once the players already battled hard to get into a playoff race and defyed expectations.
It's why the ideal time to trade Andersson for maximum return would have been before last season, but you need to get it done for sure this offseason and can't let it drag into the season.
It's also why I'd say the ideal time to move a piece like Coleman should have been this offseason but do think he's the type of player you can move next deadline too.
Pieces like Huberdeau and Kadri are tougher because I don't think they want to leave and have full NMCs or are potentially untradeable (in Huberdeau's case).
For the most part Conroy has tried to tank. He's traded Lindholm, Hanifin, Tanev, Markstrom, Zadorov, Mangiapane, and Toffoli for predominantly futures based returns.
He seems to be in the process of moving out Andersson and maybe Coleman.
He's signed no major UFAs and was a bottom 5 cap team last season and likely will be again this upcoming season.
If he's trying hard to compete he has a weird way of showing it. What I think he's trying to do is manage assets and accumulate as many assets as possible...and whatever the outcome of the season is he doesn't have direct control over that.
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I agree to some extent that they couldn't rip it apart at last trade deadline.
But they've had many clear opportunities to break it down before that, where it wouldn't have a negative impact on the young core.
They've had the last 3? summers where they could of. The most clear being after Chucky and Johny left, and then again last summer when the other UFA vets left.
It's now starting to get to the point that it's too late to break it down any further because you will damage some of the young guys, like losing Wolfs prime.
I think that's what many are saying though. They're not really trying to be competitive. But they're also not really trying to break it down past trading aging UFA's.
It's a plan, but many aren't confident it's an ideal plan.