This season has been exhausting. I figured they'd regress from the 112 points they put up last year, but not by 40+. That is a total systems failure.
This organization needs to take a good hard look in the mirror. Ownership's focus is on anything/everything but hockey. The much-lauded GM has created a mess with this roster. Yes, he's locked up 5 guys on long-term deals that should be key pillars of their immediate future. However, they legitimately need an entire bottom 6, 2 or 3 defensemen, a goalie and wholesale changes behind the bench. The HC hire is critical. This cannot be bungled or else we waste another 2-3 years of this supposed window we have. The room needs a hardass - whether that's a veteran player or preferably, a HC - this group needs their rear ends kicked. Something just seems off with this group. I'd like to think a new HC helps, but maybe a major shakeup is needed - similar to what they did in trading Sykora after the '01-02 season. Maybe it's Bratt, Mercer, Holtz - not sure.
At the end of the day, they've spent 3 weeks in the playoffs in 12 years. 389 wins in 904 regular season games since losing Game 6 of the 2012 SCF. Enough already.
