I'm not a tank proponent, but I'm also against overpaying for middle tier talent in free agency. We'll see what Stevie manages to do this summer. The team needs a LHD.
I hope he goes big next summer though.
It's not even about chasing big name UFA, though - it's not wanting to accumulate points at all. Even if we go out and sign the equivalent of Staal/Merrill/Ryan this offseason, I think the hope/idea is that the young guys we have in the lineup or who will be brought into the lineup will get better. And this team is probably going to move slowly up the rankings. Instead of hanging out in the 2-5 area most of the year, they'll be in that 4-7 area.
But there are going to be complaints about playing our "good" goalie, or playing a system that covers for some of the flaws of the roster (complaints that go beyond it just not being a preferred or entertaining system - it's the fact that it
works). I think we should want everyone to do what they can to win. If you go out of your way to force losing on a team for the sake of draft picks I think it gets harder to become a team that doesn't lose.
this team is really going to rise and fall on the back of the young guys and if it rises...good.
edit: not that I'm saying you're pro nuking everything. From our past conversations I think we're closer to how we see this team and moving forward than we're not.