Maybe the problem isn’t the club, it’s as you put it “Expectations” which in professional sports means nada to anyone within the club, that is the issue.
The club will have all the tools and resources they need to do whatever they see fit, if that means a few fans get disgruntled, well, thats their prerogative.
The impact of Covid, change in coach, finances all have had an impact, for all we know the management group could be looking to get out, they could financially be hit with increasing running costs now there’s a change of rink ownership, who knows what is brewing up in the future, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that running the Devils is becoming less attractive.
So l really do encourage fans to support the club, don’t stop attending, don’t bad mouth the players, the staff & let’s get behind the club as much as possible. Even small gestures like accepting things aren’t perfect can go a long way. Steve King, Todd, Katrina, read the Inferno and honestly if Steve hasn’t started questioning why their bothering, all l can say is, he must be a saint, l wouldn’t, if l was running the club with Steve‘s ethos, that it’s not for financial reasons, I’d have shut it down a walked away just on comments on here.