I went into this season accepting that it is a development year. No starting goalie. No number one and a questionable number two defenseman. 4 rookies on defense. Foreward Lineup full of inconsistent floaters and injury prone forwards.
My outlook from the beginning was that as long as the youngsters develope, it's a good year. I don't really cheer to lose. That's impossible. But I've tried rationalize that losing this year is favorable, considering the draft class.
Can I hope that Monahan is extended by the Habs? Not a chance. Can I hope that they're going to to go get a goalie? No. Can I hope that they find a replacement for Markov? (No PP quarterback is the reason their PP sucks) No. Is there a goalie in the system? No. Is there a PP QB in the system? Maybe. Hutson looks pretty awesome. Here's hoping.
The last thing I want in a season of no hope, is to finish 17th and weaken the odds of the better pick. I get the logic that winning is good for development. If it's a development year and the team finishes 10 spots ahead of where they should have, it could be argued that they are ahead in the rebuild.
I'm not cheering to lose. I'm just trying to view the season as a whole. In my opinion, there is a big advantage to picking early this year.