so to start I think Ken Holland isn't a very good general manager. I think he inherited a good team and at least maintained it, but he made many business decisions that were absolutely bad. It is well documented the criticism that he received about rewarding veterans with big contracts out of loyalty or friendship or who knows what.
Can you say Darren Helm, Justin Abdelkader or Johan Franzen? Those are just the first ones that come to mind. How about no trade clauses left and right? The team is still recovering from the mess he left in Detroit and will be for a few more years. It isn't easy being a gm and you have to make hard decisions that aren't always popular and you don't always make friends. But your job is to win and if you are killing a team with bad decisions, you won't last long. For the life of me, I can't fathom how Edmonton thought it was a good idea to pick up this guy.
Anyway, their roster is obviously untalented and so I get keeping Blashill around. But he does need to start developing his younger players or it will be a "not for long" thing.
I really don't get how professional athletes think it is ok to not play hard all the time. I really don't care how good a guy is. If he plays lazy or decides to play hard some nights and not others, he isn't worth keeping around. All he does then is teach other guys bad habits.
I have seen enough of Anthony Mantha that I don't think I would keep him. he doesn't play hard all the time and despite his talent, it is time to eject someone like that for another player of similar quality. I mean, he is decent but certainly not "very good". I don't get how you can be benched already for lazy play and then think it's ok to play hard some nights and not others.
It is perhaps unfair to expect a Stanley Cup out of this group. But it is not unfair to expect them to play hard each night and work toward improvement. For the money they charge to watch a game, this isn't an unfair expectation at all (don't get me started on NHL league tv blackouts either).
Obviously they are in a rebuild and have rid themselves of many bad contracts and players already, with a few more ready to be off the books soon. But you have to think ahead because new players don't immediately help out. There is light at the end of the tunnel though as they are getting a young core together. Just have to keep the effort levels up there.
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