Good Opinion Haver
Rejoint: juin 2018
Messages: 1,837
Mentions "j'aime": 939
The problem with "staying the course" is that Vancouver has been "staying the course" for the better part of six years now with very little to show for it. They're still missing the playoffs. Benning's machinations in free agency show no signs of slowing up anytime soon (he just re-signed Pearson to that inexplicable contract) and that routinely handcuffs them from being able to make the most rudimentary roster improvements, like signing Tyler Toffoli. You do it again by signing Armia, who is fine I guess, but like come on how many "fine-to-bad" bottom six guys making three million do you need, at the expense of good players?
If you're staying the course by "being bad to get high picks and rebuild", then Vancouver needs to stop signing these weird middle of the road guys like Armia and Pearson and just play bad players there for cheap. Sell the guys who don't fit your window, like you definitely should have done with Pearson and probably should do with Schmidt and Miller and Holtby if anyone will take him, and weaponize the cap space you'll have by taking bad deals from other team for serious payment, like Detroit did with Panik, in order to stockpile assets.
At some point I would like to think being bad for long enough just gives you enough high picks to fill out a good roster, but like, look at Buffalo. Vancouver has two elite core players, two young-ish really good top six fowards, and a decent goalie probably. That's a great foundation, but the key now is making the correct moves so that you can accentuate it. "The course" to this point has not been very successful at doing that.