I still think the room full of players who took a "keep the core together" contract is a bit perturbed to see the Captain sweep all the chip from the tabletop.
- Fangor1
That doesn't explain the last two years of tanking at the end of the season and playoffs. Their success could be a bell curve. Upward trajectory and peak (cup run, President's Trophy) then steady decline (second round loss, barely winning division, first round loss, now struggling for playoff contention).
There's lots of variables, like injuries, roster, etc., but the pattern is pretty clear.
This was in play long before Josi's money became an issue.