There’s perhaps a case to be made for this core producing sustainable success in the future, but there’s equally a case for the opposite. Sweeney could potentially get out in front of things and convince ownership to trade big pieces before it’s too late.
Your stars’ mileage has been taxed:
So far, when you see guys like Marchand and Pastrnak trying to play the fast-paced forechecking game of today, it just doesn’t look consistent night in and night out—especially over a potential seven-game stretch. They’ve played a lot of important minutes alongside other members of the previous core, and it’s simply catching up to them, whether we decide to sell or not.
Your defensemen are prone to hesitancy:
Whether it’s McAvoy or someone like Hampus Lindholm, the defensemen on this team consistently struggle to cohesively break out the puck under pressure against pretty much any opponent. Not only that, but they’re hesitant to fully use their physicality at times—and the sporadic recklessness of newly acquired Zadorov isn’t helping either.
Your goalie wasn’t that guy:
Will Swayman probably end up with better numbers in the future? You’d hope so. But his contract was signed expecting above-average play contributing to an above-average win total for the team. He simply hasn’t made enough crucial saves, and on top of that, his personality could sour quickly if the struggles continue.
Could this just be another bad road trip? Sure. But these issues should linger in the back of fans’ minds. They’ve even popped up in victories. It’s a matter of whether you believe this team has enough positives in other areas to make a real playoff run.
Flavin Media 
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