That is why the Mooseheads should be trading Dumais and Furlong this season- they are going to have Vidicek, Rousseau and Schultz as OAs in 2024-2025.
Get a boatload of assets to add to the 2024-2025 team and win the Q and the Memorial Cup.
With respect - I don't like that plan for a few reasons.
Whoever you add is not going to be better than Dumais or Furlong. You have the best player in the league on your team right now, moving back from that doesn't increase your chances of winning, it drastically decreases them.
The BEST you could hope for is Gauthier and Peddle as futures from Drummondville, which would rule, except that everyone else also has this plan. Moncton, Chicoutimi, Cape Breton, Shawinigan, all of these teams (at least) are ahead of us in the push for 2024-25.
Minus Furlong and Moravec, our defense suddenly doesn't look THAT deep, especially when you consider the core we'd be counting on to contend consists of 3 very good 20's, which comes with it's own risks. What if one has a breakout season and gets signed pro? Also, having your 3 20 year old spots filled means you can't upgrade at 20, you'll have to upgrade at more expensive positions in a host year when it's a sellers market.
Which brings me to another point - it's going to be a sellers market next year, so why not make a push this year when all the Mooseheads really need to do is bring in 20 quality 20's and maybe another player or 2.
Unless I'm missing something... Gatineau, Quebec, Sherbrooke, Saint John are at like, the very bottom stages of rebuilds.
Bathurst, Charlottetown, Blainville-Brosbiand and Val-d'Or are all going to probably be mid-pack sellers.
Moncton, Cape Breton, Shawinigan, Chicoutimi, Baie-Comeau, and Rimouski are all going to be the upper-mid pack teams, but I imagine almost all of them will be trying to build assets for next season.
That leaves Drummondville and Rouyn-Noranda, who have both already shown that they're leaning towards going all-in this season (and have already spent a ton of assets), and maybe Victoriaville as Halifax's main competition going into this season.
Things can change, one of the teams I mentioned in the upper-mid pack can catch fire and decide this is the year, but...
My personal opinion, keep Fournier on the team, bring in another 20F before the home opener (or around then).
Let things play out until Christmas with the current roster, let the cream rise to the top, maybe Crosby or Peitzsche step up as legit top 6 forwards. By Christmas you should have had plenty of time to evaluate the needs of the team. Let Fontaine show he can play at the Q level, and if he's not ready to push for a championship, flip him for someone who is.
Without trying to sound cocky, with the right moves this team should march to at least the semi-finals again. Rousseau, Vidicek, Schutlz, they'll all be worth at least a 1st at the draft or next Christmas to kick-start the rebuild. Cataford and MacKinnon will be probably the most 2 sought-after players in trades.
You might have to sacrifice one or two of those names as futures, but certainly not all 5. Even 3 of those guys turns a rebuild into a quick re-load, and the team would still have guys like Martin, Phillips, Peitzche, Crosby, Killfoil and Ponzetto to lean on during the rebuild.
The tl;dr, I see a path for the Mooseheads to compete for a championship without completely bottoming out I think if the Mooseheads push for next year, not only do we decrease our chances of actually winning anything significantly, but we also run the risk of completely bottoming out like the Sea Dogs.