So let’s pretend for a minute you are the owner of an NHL franchise that is floundering more than the Titanic did after a one on one with an iceberg.
Here is your template to work from.
You have a team with a glorious past, distant as that may be, and you have a not so glorious recent past.
As the owner you have some choices to make.
Over the years your team has had the benefit of taking the top junior player in the world which in theory is supposed to make your team stronger.
This season you are in the position of being able to make that choice again which raises a question for you as the owner to try to answer.
Do you keep the pick and go for the best young player around? Or do you take that pick, maybe add another player to sweeten the pot, make a trade and improve your team in that manner?
Another choice to be made might be to make some changes off the ice.
The coach is the easy one to make so check that off as being done.
Maybe you need to look a little higher though and show your scouting staff the door because it appears they can’t seem to find the right players to make your team better.
If that’s not the case then how about giving the boot to the president and the general manager as they have made a bit of a mess but don’t seem to be inclined to clean it up?
Add to the fact they are former players for your team but the catch is you weren’t the owner at the time so it might be easier to say adios. Oh wait, they were your buddies however.
Then there is one more option and it seems to be the one this fictional franchise you have been running for the last little while has chosen over the years.
Do nothing significant. Zip. Nada. Zilch.
That should make your fans happy in the new arena you are having the taxpayers pay for.
There you have it, all laid out for you to decide the next move on this chessboard.
Good luck!
(Any similarity to an NHL team in Alberta north of Red Deer is completely a coincidence and should not be taken as a direct relation to sad, I mean, said team.)
sports@reddeerexpress.com
