i still believe they could have been had they had an NHL coach with experience & one who isn’t afraid to be hard on his players & demand results or else.
But everyone involved in the organisation, from the owner all the way down to the zamboni driver, had agreed to, and warned the fans, rebuid from scratch. From the start it was mention that the rollercoaster ride will last 3-4 years.
After that the core should be established and only then you start adding complementary seasoned veterans to cement everything together. So the expectations should be that, in the 5th year, you get a team that will be in the playoffs every year and, hopefully, become a serious contenter for a few years.
It is not rocket science and it is quite simple to understand. Those young players are just starting to feel the vise tightening on them. More and more they are asked to be accountable for their actions, it is easy to see it by simply looking at the ice time charts.
Now I am not saying MSL is a great coach and thats not what he was hired for. He is there for his ideas and, mostly, to teach what is hockey today in the NHL. Because the Habs made the choice to develop their young players(the high potential ones), by playing in the big league, with a group of coaches that are, basically, teachers.
So Yeah, the second youngest team of the NHL has chosen to spend the first 3 years of their rebuilt by developping and implementing a different culture, and doing it, regardless of results in the ranking columns. So what? Since every body on the earth has been warned prior to start the process, I dont see the need to come back and rant about the same thing every 2 games!