I disagree. This team was just as bad in the second half of the previous season. When they show you who they are, believe them. Babcock was a problem, but we now know (or at least any reasonable fan should know) that he wasn't the problem. The team is deeply flawed. There is no easy fix and management is not willing to make the hard decisions. They are a bubble team. Although they might luck out next season by being placed in a weak 7-team Canadian division, they simply don't have what it takes to be competitive in the playoffs. It is unlikely they win more than one round over the duration of Matthews' contract.
Matthews contract is 4 more years don't be ridiculous.
You could bring back the team as is and they would be better just simply because they wouldn't have Hutchinson as the backup pissing away points a 3.66 GAA and a 886 save% can't be blamed on the team Michael Hutchinson was just shit.
Having Jack Campbell backing up Freddy for a full season automatically bags them 10-15 extra points.
All they have to do is fix the RD and they don't need Pietrangelo to do it, that would be AMAZING but it's not necessary.
Grab 2 of Savard Larsson , Risto, Manson, Hamilton, Hjalmarsson, Hanifin, Letang, Pietrangelo, Tanev, Brodie, Hamonic, Vatenan, Gudas, TVR, Demelo etc.
Grab 2 guys in free agency for say 4.5 million each, or 1 trade and 1 free agent signing, or 2 trades and that's good enougy you don't NEED the big fish this time, it would be AMAZING but it's not necessary