Quoting: ChiHawk
We always pray the Islanders miss the playoffs and that 1st becomes a lottery pick? Kane should be able to score a 1st as well.
Now fast forward and lets say a bunch of these prospects works out (unlikely) but let's say 5 or 6. You have 5 or 6 NHL players drafted between 2022 and 2023 and what happens in 3 to 4 years when all of their ELCs expire in a 2 year window....ouch. That is also part of the problem with this strategy. Again, highly highly unlikely you end up with 5 or 6 top liners but if it were to happen, that salary cap is going to be very real again.
Quoting: Garak
Dude. No... we were all ready for a tear down and a tank. Its not about that. Its about the awful return for DeBrincat, practically giving him away, its about the questionable picks, its about giving up on Dach WAY too easy, its about letting TOR bend us over a barrel on Mrazek and then turning around and using their 25th overall pick to select a player that wouldve most likely been available at the end of the 2nd round. Bad choices all around today. Davidson went back on everything he said about "not forcing trades" and "picking the best available players" etc. We dont have to be completely miserable in order to tank next season. The best the draft odds get is around a 25% chance at the #1 overall pick. We don't have to be THIS bad. And we didnt have to take such a bad offer for Cat. There is no reason he couldnt have just waited if there wasnt a good offer at the draft. We essentially got Korchinski + 2nd + 3rd for Cat. That is not a good return no matter what way you look at it.
Look, I'm optimistic, that's my view here. I admitted we could have gotten more for DeBrincat, but I'm more interested in a top 3 pick personally next year, because look at the teams that were successful this year in the playoffs. Avs: Landeskog (2nd overall, 2011), (McKinnon 1st, 2013), Makar (4th 2017); Lightning: Hedman (2nd overall, 2009), Stamkos (1st, 2008) ; Oilers Nuge (1st 2011), Draistl (3rd, 2014) , McDavid (1st, 2015). You need a couple really high picks if you're going to be successful. That's not a debate. Is DeBrincat the number 1 player on a cup team? No. Maybe an elite top line wing to one, sure, but prioritize center and build out. You need an elite center, which trading DeBrincat might help achieve. Again, if Alex Formenton was added to the trade, is that really going to be the final touch to help us win the cup in 7 years? No. This was the right path. As for Mrazek, give me a 1st rounder for a 2nd instead of some late 2nd round pick in 2024 and a C+ level prospect. Was the pick smart? Maybe maybe not. Pronmann expected the guy to go in the first. This is the right path. If you wish we half assed the rebuild then so be it, this is my take.