Lalonde has been criticized for not holding players accountable. Veterans like Petry,
Olli Maatta,
Daniel Sprong, and Austin Czarnik made repeated mistakes without repercussions, while younger players like Walman and Jonatan Berggren were benched for minor errors. His handling of goaltending also raised concerns.
Alex Lyon, who played exceptionally well, was overworked, starting 43 games, three times more than his career high, contributing to a late-season decline. Meanwhile,
James Reimer was underutilized.