Here’s the thing. There are only a couple of “premium roles” available on each team. Top line minutes. PP. Etc.
When you already have those roles established, it doesn’t make sense to pay out the nose to add additional players that played those roles elsewhere. There isn’t enough ice/PP time to go around to have more than a handful of PPG players.
Extreme example, but if you had a whole team full of McDavids, you wouldn’t have 12 125 point players. You’d have a few PPG players, a few 70 point players, and a few 20 point players just based on ice time and opportunity.
The team with the best core players playing the best during the playoffs wins. It never makes sense to add core players at the deadline. If you have to, you’re not good enough. And if you’re going to slot them down the lineup, they aren’t going to produce like they did as core guys on other teams so what’s the point?
Drury added depth. We needed that.
I would have preferred a slightly better defenseman but I am very happy with the strategy and execution overall.
this. generally speaking, it's not a good idea to pay a steep price on a marquee name as a rental if you consider yourself a contender. there's exceptions to everything, but there's a lot more to trades than stats and analytics. the nhl isn't a video game, these are people. i am very happy we didn't pony up the cost for guentzel. taking a big name and throwing them into a new city, new locker room, new linemates, new systems etc - where they feel pressured to be the guy while assimilating into a team on and off ice in 20 games before it's all on the line - and expecting it to work out is a bad plan.
if you got the right price on a buch or zucc, that's a different story. they have a history with some players on the team and org. if the price wasn't right though, then that's that.
i like the adds drury made. like you said, there's only so much ice time and pp spots etc to go around. beyond that, the chemistry in the locker room is so important. you don't want guys sulking about their roles or creating division in the room with their attitude. bringing in guys who want to be here and will embrace any role is a better strategy. i like the skillsets roslovic and wennberg bring to the roster. maybe you catch lightning in a bottle with production, but no matter what they make the forward group a lot deeper and more well rounded. we already have the horses in place, it's on them to deliver when it matters or fall short. there was nobody who was realistically coming in at this point and taking the reigns. the best you could do is fortify the lineup with some additional pieces.