On Wednesday, Alyssa Gagliardi became the third member of the 2015-16 Boston Pride roster to accept a new contract, and the first defenseman to do so. Gagliardi and the Pride agreed to a contract of $14,000, a decrease from the $16,000 she made last season.
“We had an amazing group of players and individuals this past year, and great fan support,” Gagliardi said in the league's press release. “We want to grow the game in Boston and continue to represent Boston as a great sports city. I'm excited and honored to build on what we achieved this year, and to be a part of that again and compete for another Isobel Cup.”
In a league where defense is at a premium, re-signing Gagliardi and her fellow defenders is key to the Pride's success. Gagliardi played in 17 of 18 regular season games and all four playoff games, contributing six assists total. The Pride allowed the fewest goals in the league by far last season, only 39 during the regular season and eight in the playoffs. The strength of Brittany Ott's goalkeeping, combined with the defense, allowed the Pride to hold opposing offenses scoreless twice and to a single goal eight times.
With restricted free agency coming to a close on April 30 and the regular free agency period beginning on May 1, who do you think the Pride should prioritize signing?