I know a lot of people have expressed sentiments otherwise, and I get it, but I've enjoyed this season FAR more than last. By the final game last year, I didn't even care. The only thing that mattered was getting the best odds at Bedard and securing a top three pick. Rooting for your team to lose sucks.
I agree, last year was a slog. This year there's been more general competitiveness (as goal differential suggests) and more flashes from more future core guys. The season felt like it went by a lot faster.
It has been frustrating to constantly have injuries though. We never really even got a glimpse of what everyone together could look like. What's the final total for games with all of Leo, Zegras, McT, and Minty all healthy? Feels like about a dozen.
Last year it was really just Mason and Trevor who we knew were going to be key pieces moving forward, and a whole lot of junk/stopgaps ... Besides that we only got a cup of coffee from Lacombe. This year we've gotten a chance to see many more pipeline guys, and what we've seen from those individuals has mostly been promising:
Leo: despite some lulls looks like a great pick and future 1c
Minty: exceeded most expectations, future core Dman, maybe even 1d?
McT: still needs work but flashed higher offensive potential than last year when healthy
Zell: progressed nicely from camp, potentially dynamic OFD
Zegras: slow start, injuries, but now playing at a higher level than ever before
Lacombe: mixed bag in a tough role, but is at least NHL capable
Luneau: made progress in a short time before getting leprosy or whatever
Colangelo: he looks NHL ready already, will help bottom 6 next year
Gauthier: blue chip addition, and we get to see the trailer tonight
That's a lot for one season.