Idoit40fans wrote:Its without question better than it was going into last season, they have some flexibility to make a move at the deadline if they feel the need to do so.
It may be better than the team going into last season, but I am unconvinced that team could have gotten past the second round of the playoffs, so I am not sure that is saying much...
Obviously, given the number of free agents this team had to deal with this summer, including a high-profile rental player coveted by so many other teams, there was every reason to believe the team suiting up in Sweden in little over a month was going to be different from-and inferior to-the team that wrapped up play June 4. However, I still am not that impressed by what Shero did this past offseason, even if I am still okay with a potential step backwards this offseason. Great teams/franchises/dynasties sometimes take that little step back before they take that final step forward. This is why I am thrilled with their long-term future, even if I am not with the potential for this roster going into the 2008-2009 season.
The other potential problem I have is that, even though the team gave up comparatively little in the deal with the Thrashers last February, those players were, essentially, the only realistic chips the team had to move to upgrade the roster. This unfortunate fact underlines the absolute dearth of depth in the organization, something I am hoping Shero and his team can remedy sooner rather than later. Because of that, I am not sure what the team will realistically be able to do at trade deadline if the team needs that boost to either get over the top again in the East or, perhaps more likely, secure one of the final playoff spots. A Staal, Whitney, or some player we are not thinking of may be the linchpin in that kind of deal, but that would likely requiring excising something valuable from the roster, something that didn't happen with the flotsam they shipped out last February...