Is it integrity to win meaningless games with guys that you know should be replaced if you want to win or try different things to see what you need to do to have the best chance of winning when it counts?
To me integrity is do what is best for your team moving forward. These are truly meaningless games.
I could argue the NHL has no integrity playing these games
We both have different thoughts of what integrity is, you see these last games as meaningless because we missed the playoffs, while I see these last games as less important because we already missed the playoffs - but not completely meaningless because I enjoy seeing my team win games and be happy about winning, I also find value in seeing how each player improves or not as each game is played. Would I like to see the rookies play more, of course, but the coach decides that and I trust Sutter while others don't trust him as much to make the right decisions to ensure the team improves.
It's possible that because of what Sutter is doing now will have positive effects next year, we'll just have to wait and see.
About integrity and not even playing any more games if eliminated from the playoffs, I don't agree at all.
I remember when Iginla got traded so he could win a cup, I like Iginla no matter what - cup or no cup, whatever team he goes to.
But I'll always regret that he didn't choose to stay and retire in Calgary instead of try for the cup, to me I value a player more when they spend their entire career with one team - there are less players that spend entire career with one team than the are players who have won the cup, so it's more rare than winning the cup and also to me these players have more integrity than Marleau Thornton hasek Hull etc who all wanted to go to stacked teams to help them win. It's turning into the NBA where all the players try to go to the same team to manufacture cups.
Last thing about integrity that is not related to this thread, I saw hasek in line at Bank of Montreal in Chinatown here before a game, asked for autograph and he said he doesn't give them - something meaningless of him but meaningful for me, fate allowed me to see him as an asshole, and to me as someone with no integrity as he wasn't getting any benefit giving things away for free.
So I guess I see integrity as doing what you're supposed to do no matter what, not only doing it when you're getting benefits.