Defense is still, in my mind, our biggest issue. But it improved a bit with Whitney (oddly enough), and once everyone is healthy again, it may deserve a new look.

That being said though, I agree with Racki that I think I’d rather stick with what Hemsky, Penner and Gagner, I’d be inclined to trade Cogs though in a package for a top 6 guy like Nathan Horton that brings some more size, not because I don’t like Cogs, but we gotta give to get, and I think he’s the most expendable with enough upside to still get a good return.

Anyways, there is another factor involved with my excitement for next year, and it’s that when we look at management the inclination is to think that they have their head up their asses, are out of touch with team needs, and slow to make decisions, but the more I think about things, the more I am tending to believe that this poor season may not have been “planned” per se, but that after the Heatley debacle they took a serious look in the mirror and finally realized this team will never be built via free agency until we can build some success via internal building, good management, but especially the draft. And so, I am inclined to think that by managements lack of addressing needs in the last off season, and failing to try and address other needs early in the season when we still had a chance, that this season although not intentional, was very much expected by management in the hopes of securing a top pick.

Now that is just my theory, and we won’t know if it was all part of a “master plan” or if management is just inept until sometime around next years training camp.

ok, so now that I’ve said all of that, I think we currently have a great core to build on, I think Hemsky is going to still have a big breakout year if he stays healthy, and with the emergence of Penner, and hopefully Gagner and the addition of our first pick, a lot of the presuure on Hemsky to be “the guy” will be gone, and I think this will help him even more.

And with that, a better Hemsky will make a better Gagner, a better Penner, and a better overall team.

Add in Eberle and MPS, who if they meet expectations in a year or three imho project to be like Parise and Forsberg lite, all we would need is, as Racki put it so well is some “glue” in the form of some good role players, and a good culture change, and we’re set.

whew…that was long.