I definitely understand and agree with the notion that overpaying guys like Coleman, Goodrow, Nosek, etc on the UFA market is often a bad strategy. From a few angles - cap investment / impact, age / odds of breaking down, and perhaps most importantly the mental impact of giving essentially a final big $ contract to players whose effectiveness is predicated on effort.
I also think Gallant coming in could be a significant upgrade across the entire team and as much as possible want to see players get a chance under a new regime. I do however struggle to buy in to the fantasies of "Kreider becoming Tuch" or Gauthier figuring out how to grind...IMO both just have flaws in their toolbox that make that unrealistic. Kreider more so obviously.
Ultimately I would be extremely disappointed if they just brought back the same group. There will be natural growth and improvement given how young this team is, for sure, but they don't just need improvement along the same trajectory. In my opinion they need an overhaul in a few areas specifically they need to bring in some more diverse skillsets (i.e. grinding). If the fear is that the UFA route represents "bad buys", I would hope for a "talent/prospect for depth" type of trade that
@Edge has long hinted at (not sure if still holds up w/Drury) to identify the next Goodrow, Carrier, etc.
