Since everyone in this sub is in tear-it-all-down mode, I figured I’d offer a longer term perspective where we don’t trade every asset in a blind panic.
First of all, fire Tocchet, but not yet. It’s honestly a little late to gamble on turning around and getting a playoff spot this year (obviously be happy if they did tho), so let him burn. Then fire him at the end of the season, maybe right after the trade deadline, when the drafting order is easier to predict.
Then Danny can go into contract negotiations with the ace of promising a more offensive and youth-focused coach in the next year, potentially keeping Michkov (an absolute must at this point).
Additionally, while everyone wants to sell Risto, nobody wants to buy him. I think they have to let him walk at the end of the season, but that lets them call young guys up next season. Will they be good? Who knows. But I bet they’d be worth something in a trade vs Risto who is basically just a guaranteed IR.
Seeler, love the guy great warrior, is getting up there ( for a hockey player). His contract is up the year after Risto.
Same thing, I think, or maybe a trade or two year extension. He’s so far a lot less injury prone.
Then the year after is Coots. Poor ol’ Coots. What a champ, and honestly the only center on the ice actually doing anything right now. But his contract is up the year after Seeler.
Love the guy, let him retire please.
So timeline wise, we looking at three years before our slowest vets are gone. Complain about it if you want, but that’s the reality.
Which gives three more years for the current young guys to hit their stride, pride and prime.
Which they could absolutely do (with a better coach).
And it would let Tippet and TK slide down the line a little, maybe third or fourth pair. Which I, personally, think could be lethal.
Does anyone else remember a couple years ago, the last time TK was actually healthy, when Torts had those two on the same PP and line all the time? I thought at that time they were better than the sum of their parts. Which is what you want for a forward pair.
Plus if we keep losing TK probably doesn’t feel the pressure to come back way too early and might actually be able to recover from the injuries that have been obviously plaguing him for a full year at least.
TLDR; don’t panic sell, even when it goes bad. Keep Tippet and TK as they’ve got NMC/NTC anyway and would be a killer vet line in a few.
Fire Tocchet, but at the end of the bad year not the start, especially bc there’s three years left before the old slow vets move on.
