Quoting: brgh4life
They are actually 18-20-5, including a playoff series that went 7 games multiple OTs with a 3rd string goalie against a vezina goalie (amongst other injuries). The core isn't the issue, it's the depth. The team has had a rough start by 2 members of the core (Letand and Rust). Both will easily bounce back. The depth and special teams need addressed, but Blueger does a good job impacting the 4th line and the PK.
Finally, this core has earned the right to finish together.
I believe we should do what is best for the team. We're 17-20-5, I forgot to include the most recent win, but still not great. Team looked slow to end the season and looks the same way now. Like I said old teams don't win cups. The easiest way to get the team younger was to not bring back the core. I was hesitant about it, didn't think it was best for the team, but the nostalgic side of me wanted them all back, as obviously they're three of my favorite players of all time. However, I always believed if we decided to bring back the core we absolutely had to surround them with youth and speed. The core plays best when surrounded by fast players and youth, that's how we won the cup in 2016. Instead, Hextall re-signed Carter (before the core even were negotiated), Kapanen (horrible contract), and traded two young, faster D for two older, slower D in Rutta (pretty good, but unecessary) and Petrey (not good). His whole task this offseason was to give our D a better net front precense, but he failed badly as it's even worse now. If not for his moves he made for depth and on D, we could have had a guy like Neidereiter, Marchment, Anthanasiou, or even Nichushkin as a bigger one. While I am hesitant as to whether the core would win another one in general, I do agree that our lack of depth is not doing us any favors. Our bottom 6 is just awful and our D is atrocious and slow as well besides Pettersson and POJ. My concern is how to we even fix the depth? Kapanen untradeable, Carter locked in. I don't know if there's a way to make this team faster, and if we don't I believe we have no shot. Maybe we can play a trap? I just don't know, don't see any real solutions which is why I am leaning towards just doing the rebuild now. I see what your saying for sure, but I feel like Hextalls poor management of this roster closed the window sooner than it had to be.