I think we could boil all rational sports analysis down to “we don’t really know, it seems pretty random”.

Furthermore, the leagues seem to try to make that randomness more consistent by imposing salary caps, drug testing, how drafts work, seeding, how free agency works, rule changes, and on and on ad infinitum. In the end, even the most informed, insightful, logical, and critical thinking hockey analyst can’t see the future.

The process of guessing and arguing about our guesses can be pretty fun, though. Hence, ya know, this whole site.

There are no guarantee’s with any system of rebuilding. There are precedents of success and failure for all model’s of rebuilding in sports.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree here. And like I said, one good playoff run with Kess and Dion at the helm and I will warm up to them, but as of right now I’m not impressed with their personalities and I’m just not a fan. Can’t help that.

As for the personal stuff with Dion, you can put some clues together from some of Luke Schenn’s comments last year and the ongoing rumours that come up suggesting he’s not a great captain in the room. However, when a team is losing there is always tension in a dressing room which can create this perception as well. Add Getzlaf up front and Backstrom between the pipes and all the sudden Dion is great in the room. I think winning would fix a lot of problems.

The only rebuttal I would offer for the Bruins argument is that Thorton is still a dominant player like like 7 years later. You can’t rewrite history, and even though Chara was a key component of their cup win, you can’t say they wouldn’t have won one had things been different. If they had lost the Chara sweepstakes where would they be? I’m all for making big moves, but you always take a risk moving top players. Let’s face it, the Bruins got fleeced in that trade, but it did give them the room they needed to change the team up. If the leafs make a similar move and don’t get as lucky, things could stay the course off the rails.

DiPietro – 1st, we all know how well that went
Torres – 5th, he certainly panned out for them..
Bergenheim, 22nd, Who?
Nilsson – 15th, all their busts seem to have stints in Edmonton… odd
Nokelainen – 16th, bust
O’Marra – 15th, hasn’t played a full season
Okposo – 7th, coming along, maybe a 25-25 guy one day
Baily – 9th, nothing special
Tavares – 1st, Tavares
de Haan – 12th, played 1 NHL game, but still early
Niederreiter – 5th, too early to tell, but doesn’t look like anything special
Nelson – 30th, too early to tell
Strome – 5th, too early to tell
Reinhart – 4th, too early to tell

Over half a dozen top 10 picks, 5 of which were in the top 5 and all they really have to show for it is Tavares, Okposo and a few unprovens.

We need to think like Detroit, attract a great scouting staff, let them do their jobs, go after good young FAs, and stop trading away and rushing our picks/prospects.

I think everyone needs to calm down a bit and let the team develop naturally.

The Bruins moved Thornton and all they have left is Ferrence (flipped for Primeau and Stuart since the trade). But it enabled them to sign Zdeno Chara with the freed up cap space. They got lucky winning the Chara sweeps, but they paid him $7.8 million, which at the time was actually league maximum because of the $39 million cap. The Bruins don’t win the Cup if they don’t trade Joe Thornton. It’s kind of funny, but he was replaced by Chara and it changed the complexion of the team.

I really feel a change in the face of the team would be huge. Burke’s reign of terror is over, let’s get his quiet, shy loser’s off the team. These guys are dopey, let’s just get some character guys. I’ve heard too many stories of “what Dion is like” to ignore them. I might be wrong, but I don’t think he’s got it. He’s a bad captain, there I said it.

And I don’t think Phaneuf is much of a flake, hard to really argue either way but I’m sure he wants to win. However grabbing one semi vet in his prime guy who absolutely hates losing up front would go a long way. The guy that comes to mind is Toews but that would never happen. Trying to find that in the draft is a crapshoot as well though. Not to mention the young guys need and older voice that actually know what it takes to win a Cup.