herman said:
https://twitter.com/kpapetti/status/1747480162080313477
I actually didn't mind the signings of the first three. As much as Domi and Bertuzzi are the two players I hate most in the league, I thought not being tied to them on more than a 1-year, "show me" deal was fair value. I thought they would bring an element that was missing. They've shown some glimpses, but way too inconsistent. Even still, I'm not lamenting the loss of Bunting or Kerfoot as a result of it.
Treliving got caught with his pants down on the Reaves signing. We know why he went after him, the whole toughness factor, especially after the way the team flaked out in the playoffs last spring. Thing is, with the way the game is these days, guys like Reaves are a waste of space. Intimidation means nothing, he's not skilled enough, and he doesn't possess the abilities like a Perry or Maroon do that can hybrid a bit of both. The quicker his contract gets buried, the better.
Beyond that, the holdovers from years past I find are a bigger reason for the team's spotty/poor play. People thought Samsonov was going to trend to being a top 10 goalie again; while I was skeptical he'd be good enough, no one expected him completely flaming out Jack Campbell style. Giordano is a fossil (in hockey terms) and is showing his age. Brodie, like Muzzin before him, is having the mileage catch up. And we cannot underestimate how our young guys of the future -- Knies and Robertson -- aren't contributing much. Both were seen as top 6 guys, and while showing glimpses of it here and there (mostly Knies), they aren't reliable enough in their roles. In hindsight, the team has done a piss poor job at drafting and developing in recent years. Heck, we don't even have a guy in-house who can play a 4th line role instead of having to find a bunch of retreads year over year on the free agent scrap heap.
