Edited Aug. 24, 2023 at 1:30 p.m.
Quoting: Caniac2000
This is an AWFUL take.
Look, Barbashev looks like a genius pickup by the Knights because they won, but lets look at some of the others that now look ridiculous.
ROR to Toronto - Toronto lose him for nothing for 5 wins in the playoffs.
Kane AND Tarasenko to NEw York - 3 wins
Tampa Bay picking up Eysimmont and Jeannot - 2 wins
Boston added Orlov, Hathaway and Bertuzzi - 3 wins
Look how many cases there are of it blowing up when you pay big prices. The fact you think it's because he doesn't recognize the playoffs are important is comical. Waddell doesn't do rentals for big prices because this is a Canes team that can sustain this success for the foreseeable future with guys like Nadeau, Nikishin, Morrow, Suzuki coming through and replenishing the system. Look at what Waddell moves "major" pieces for. A 1st and a 3rd for 9 years (at least) of Jesperi Kotkaniemi. A 1st for 4 years of Brady Skjei (and he still may get back more than he paid for Skjei after an 18 goal season). Carolina's asset management is the best in the league for a reason. It's why they have been the most consistent team in the playoffs over the last 5 years. Fun fact, Carolina are the only team in that time span to win a series in the postseason each year. What Waddell does has put the Canes in a position to be a cup contender for another 6-7 years. Teams like the Rangers are starting to see that window fade because they cannot add like the Canes can. The 2 teams in the ECF last year, neither of them spent big. Carolina got there without Teravainen, without Pacioretty, without Svechnikov, without Andersen for the first round, and without Drury for parts of it. They do not need to splash out, they need to just stay healthy
This is just ignorant to reality.
EVERY YEAR it's a handful of teams that'll do what TOR, NYR, TBL, BOS will do. If it's not exactly the teams you've outlined already then it'll be LAK, EDM, CHI, etc...
EVERY SINGLE YEAR 7ish teams are trying to get better in order to win the cup. What your missing completely is that CAR has to go up against an entire league. Not just a few teams. You're living in a fantasy world that doesn't understand what every other team is willing to do to win. Why wouldn't you want your GM to
try to win the cup as badly as others?
Who won it last year LVK (1st for round prospect in Dean)
Who won it the year before COL (1st, 3rd, Prospect for DK)
Won won it the year before TBL x 2 (Coleman for a 1st round pick and 1st round prospect...Goodrow for a 1st round pick)