Joined: Jan. 2016
Posts: 2,156
Likes: 521
Lou has done as well you could expect with an organization with a bad reputation. He did everything he could to bring in Panarin, but at the end of the day, we're not OrIgInAl SiX, so we can't sign cream of the crop UFAs. Which is why I'm not getting my hopes up for Hall or even Toffoli this offseason.
Also, it's not like he hasn't been trying to get trades done. He took a shot at signing Stone, but at the end of the day, McPhee was unwilling to part with Stone without a marquee prospect like Dobson. I think history will show that Lou was right to hang on to Dobson; he hasn't been Barzal levels of good as a rookie, but I have no doubt he has elite potiential. We also heard Lou was in on Hall. I'd imagine the price was higher for it being a divisional trade, but we can't say for sure.
Nabbing Trotz was fantastic. Trotz is one of the better coaches in the league, and since he has a talent for turning teams around. So he cares a bit less than other coaches if the organization has a bad reputation.
My only real objection with him right now is that he hasn't overhauled the coaching staff in Bridgeport. Thompson ruins every prospect he touches, and people assume he's good just because he preaches defense and is tough on players. But he's shown he doesn't know how to actually develop talent. I really hope Lou fires Thompson and brings in a coach with a history of developing gems. This needs to get done and it's a joke that it didn't even happen under Snow.