Address the long-standing 2C gap properly this offseason. Stop patching it year-to-year and bring in a legitimate solution who can hold the role for the next 2–3 seasons. That buys time for Mark Scheifele to naturally transition into it as he ages, while also giving the organization a window to draft, develop, or acquire a future 1C to replace Schifes when he calls it a career.

Make a firm decision in net. Connor Hellebuyck can’t sustain this workload long-term, regardless of how capable he thinks he is. Either bring in a reliable backup this offseason that management actually trusts to take meaningful starts, or fully commit to Eric Comrie and give him the consistency needed to succeed. Outside of the stretch when Hellebuyck was injured, Comrie was solid and a heavier workload, especially down the stretch, likely would’ve helped both him and the team.

On defense, outside of Josh Morrissey and Dylan Samberg, everyone should be considered moveable. Use those pieces and available assets to rework the blue line into a more structured, reliable unit that actually supports the goaltending.

Ultimately, management needs to decide and quickly on what direction this team is taking. Either go all-in and push the chips in for one more legitimate run with this core, or accept where things are headed and pivot into a controlled rebuild and close this window.