I know many hated Quinn around here, but the entitlement of players on this team really seems to be a problem, especially Strome. More and more I wonder if the exits of Lias and now Vitali are due to the entitlement they witnessed from their teammates and them thinking and acting the same.
Gallant's comments after the game against Calgary sounded exactly like Quinn's used to. There's a reason for that. Panarin, Strome, Kreider, etc. think they're the best players in the league, but the issue is, despite their high-end skill, they have accomplished nothing. Against lesser teams, they'll often put up big numbers and their stats at the end of the year will look great, but when push comes to shove and they face a tough hockey team, that plays a full game, like Calgary or the Islanders, they completely wilt and end up invisible or worse, their fancy plays end up as turnovers in the back of our net.
They brought in some players this year to correct that, but unfortunately I fear it might not be enough. Also, having let go of Buch, who didn't stink of entitlement and appeared to have been one of the few under Quinn to learn to play the right way, in favor of holding onto Strome, who is easily the worst culprit given his constant public statements that often bashed Quinn, looks to me to be a complete oversight by management.
Time will tell, but I'm not sure this was a coaching issue. And if it was, Gallant's alleged hands-off approach may not be the right one for a team like this one.