Quoting: MNBassman
To me, mediocre hockey (and let’s be honest, 1st round exits is about the NHL average which = mediocrity) is more boring than watching young players develop.
Here’s an analogy for you... Let’s say you break your arm. You get it set, have a cast put on...taken off...but it didn’t heal quite right. You live with a dull, annoying ache in your arm for a few months. Eventually, it drives you nuts and you face the decision of having a doctor rebreak your arm, have a cast put back on so it will heal properly so you can live pain-free for the rest of your life...OR...do nothing and live with the annoying, dull ache forever. To me, watching mediocre hockey teams exit in the first round year after year is an annoying, dull ache... I would prefer to deal with the rebreaking of my arm...living with a cast for a couple months...but then get to enjoy life without a constant, annoying, dull ache for the rest of my life.
I think the choice is easy...at least for me it is.
The 82 game regular seasons haven't been mediocre hockey (well Yeo's last year was). The Playoffs really haven't been mediocre hockey, until the Jets series this year. You're wanting to trade this mediocre hockey in for 82 games a year of downright bad hockey and eliminated from the Playoffs by Thanksgiving every year. No thanks of taking the chance on being the next Buf, AZ, EDM, Avs, Tor, or the Jets and 5-20 years of bad hockey before they might sniff the Playoffs, let alone the Cup. I also have 0 faith in the scouts and management to do a rebuild correctly.
We've gotten to watch a bunch of young kids from the '10-'12 drafts develop, a group that consists of a 5oa, 7oa, 10oa, 9oa, and 29oa picks and some none 1st's like Zucker and Haula.
Have you watch much of Iowa since they moved the team from Houston? Lots of young kids there, but the hockey was awful. I watch a few of their games in every year in MKE, CHI, and RFD. I really don't want to watch 3-10 years of garbage hockey at the NHL level.
The goal every year should be making the Playoffs, until they aren't a Playoff team anymore. In 2 years this might be the case, but currently it isn't the case.
Dude, I'm married; have a teenage daughter; and have a bum back, shoulder, and ankle. My life is already a consistent dull pain.