In my opinion, 2022 was the year and offseason this franchise jumped the shark. Coming off a season where the franchise exceeded expectations, we chose to be big spenders on long term contracts in free agency, and overspent on the wrong players in my mind. Sure Gaudreau and Laine are skilled, but their play styles aren't exactly complimentary of each other. One is a smaller and faster player but he's a puck carrier and playmaker, trying to get the puck over to a bigger slower goal scorer who's not a elite puck carrier. It becomes easier to defend in my mind, as the puck carrier in Gaudreau is fairly easy to separate from the puck and even if he gets the puck over to Laine, he's not a guy who can blow by everyone and easily get into open space to score other than his one time spot. Additionally, on the power play Laine's spot of most success in the left circle which is also where Gaudreau had the most success on the PP in Calgary. In hindsight expecting a seamless transition of moving either into a spot that is less comfortable on the power play to benefit the other was a flawed concept.
For the record, Jakub Voracek was the *perfect* complimentary linemate and power play partner in crime for Laine and unfortunately concussions ended his career. They were dynamite together.
Laine and Gaudreau also are not guys who on the same team are foundations of a stanley cup winning core to me. Neither are in the class of an Ovechkin/Kucherov/Kane who are the few wingers in modern NHL history to be expensive parts of a cup winning core, and to have two expensive wingers who aren't a born fit for each other without an elite center at the time is disaster waiting to happen.
So that's the logic behind this roster. Ottawa desperately wanted a sniper in the 2022 offseason. Laine gets sent to Ottawa coming off a solid season in columbus (56 pts in 56 games in 21-22), for a lesser price than Ottawa paid for Debrincat who flamed out as a Senator. As a result of that deal, Columbus picks at 7 and 39, drafting Matt Savoie as a center and Tristan Luneau as an additional defensive piece to compliment the right side.
Johnny Gaudreau isn't signed in this alternative world, and Oliver Bjorkstrand remains a Blue Jacket.
Of course, in this alternate universe I made the bold assumption that Adam Fantilli is still a Blue jacket and that last season pans out the same way across the league. It's a hypothetical scenario anyway so deal with it.
In this universe I'd also like to think Mike Babcock isn't hired as HC at all, and that whole crap show is avoided entirely. Pazzy wouldn't have been my first choice hire either, imo it would've been nice to get a external candidate who is a capable coach. I cannot understand this org's fascination with internal hires despite the fact they never perform to a high standard. (Todd Richards, Brad Larsen, Pascal Vincent, etc.). There were absolutely capable external candidates available who were passed over for whatever reason.
I also opted to not sign severson since an 8 year deal for an average defenseman at best is a terrible, horrible idea. Again, stanley cups aren't won by making splashy free agents the centerpieces of your "core".
*Also, Goalie and defense are positions of need that I think would need to be addressed in this alternate universe, but I think it would be more beneficial to do so by trade for big pieces rather than the free agent route. Bottom 6 and bottom pair players I'd have no issue pursing in FA as long as the term isnt insane
Trades
1.
CBJ
Trade would’ve been with Ottawa for picks 7 and 39 at 2022 draft. The Debrincat deal, but without Ottawa giving up the 3rd as well. In this universe i draft Matthew Savoie at 7 and Tristan Luneau at 39
If u think the Sabres are trading Savoie for Laine,
you’re outta your mind sir
That's not the trade smh. It's a statement of in hindsight that at the 2022 draft, Ottawa wanted a scoring winger. They dealt picks 7 and 39 as well as a third to CHI for Debrincat who flamed out in Ottawa. Hypothetically, Ottawa traded Laine to Columbus for just 7 and 39, and then at 7, I would've taken Savoie given that we took Jiricek at 6 and already had a slew of LD's in the pipeline.
That's not the trade smh. It's a statement of in hindsight that at the 2022 draft, Ottawa wanted a scoring winger. They dealt picks 7 and 39 as well as a third to CHI for Debrincat who flamed out in Ottawa. Hypothetically, Ottawa traded Laine to Columbus for just 7 and 39, and then at 7, I would've taken Savoie given that we took Jiricek at 6 and already had a slew of LD's in the pipeline.
Yeah, i didn’t read your lengthy fantasy
Every team could do the revisionist history thing
Just not for me, but have at it
Yeah, i didn’t wast my time reading your lengthy fantasy
Every team could do the revisionist history thing
Just not for me, but have at it
He’s a jackets fan, posting about the jackets and how they made terrible signings and trades when they should have been building for the future. He just shows what he would have done, which is similar to what I feel like most gms would have done if placed in the same position. The guy who made this is legitimately right, and the jackets would be better off like this than they would be with Laine and Gaudreau.
What are you mad about here?
He’s a jackets fan, posting about the jackets and how they made terrible signings and trades when they should have been building for the future. He just shows what he would have done, which is similar to what I feel like most gms would have done if placed in the same position. The guy who made this is legitimately right, and the jackets would be better off like this than they would be with Laine and Gaudreau.
What are you made about here?
I’m not mad about anything
Literally just said that “it’s not for me”
McDavid, Connor
$250,000)
Mikael_Smith liked this.
CapFriendly
CapFriendly