We didn't get a top five pick THIS summer. And Yzerman has improved the team considerably. Why would anybody wager we'd get one next summer when our lottery odds are even worse?
Here's the thing, we're going to have a much better record next year. Partially because we're going to be a better team between getting better personnel and getting healthier. And partially because we're not going to have to play Tampa, Florida, Carolina, and Dallas 8 times each. We'll be back to winning games against Buffalo and Ottawa and the like.
Any plan that revolves around "let's tank for Shane Wright" is simply not going to happen. Nevermind the fact that losing year after year is HORRIBLE for your organization, and we're already seeing the results of that. Why the hell do we think Bertuzzi is desperate to get out of Detroit?