All hinges on goaltending. Putting Nevas and Svechnikov on line 4 is pointless. Might as well have them playing top minutes on their club teams.

Why sign Hanifan for just one year? That cap doesn't work. Maybe JVR is an unnecessary luxury.

Hanifin is signed for 8. Is it glitching out? I just wanted to make a team I could see go into the playoffs. Do you think this would make them?

Svech and Necas are second line? Is it glitching out?

Somehow, Carolina needs better goaltending and a centre and then they can make at the playoffs. I figure Stastny might be the "more logical" acquisition as a UFA. Trouble with projecting a non playoff team making the playoffs is predicting what playoff team slips out of the playoffs......is it Jersey, Flyers? And of course the Panthers might be better and they have a really shot of making the playoffs next year.

They were 4th last I looked, now it’s 2nd. You do have a cap issue though. Hanifin should come at a much cheaper price. Probably around the 4.5-5 range.

I don't think he signs for anything less than six. He's a franchise D-man. Just a young one

Caps and Blue Jackets. If the Jackets hit a skid, they'll be out. They've needed two miraculous winning streaks to maek it and if the Capitals continue to shed depth losing players like orpik niskanen they'll miss. For goaltending, they've needed that for years in Raleigh. War isn't cutting it and Lehner was good in buffalo, except its buffalo and everyone plays like they belong in a toiler...

I

I think Lehner is a good goalie....His stats were identical to Holtby's this year and as you suggest he played for the Sabres. I don't think takes a big pay cut from his 4.5m salary though. Maybe a change it best for him.

The deal was because I wanted to make it under the cap. Ideally he gets what he was paid in buffalo or slightly more and TvR gets a smaller rise and possibly don't sign JvR

Not yet he isn’t! A bridge is likely.

Sorry poorly worded. He has the potential to be the next Doughty or Karlsson. He might not be as good as them but hes a number one D-man for sure if he reaches his full potential.

Is that what they call a commode in Edmonton?

Niskanen isn't going anywhere, unless it's in trade for a much younger defenseman who's already almost as good, but even then, he's got three years left and an NTC. Orpik might get traded. He might not. Same with Grubauer.

The Caps won the division the last three years. Yes, they were only eight points above the wild cards... but Philadelphia and Boston squeaked in unexpectedly. Tampa had a rare season of few injuries. Any team could have a bit of a slump early, and lose confidence. I don't think the standings are cast in stone from one season to the next, but picking the division leader specifically to fall out of the pack, and then claiming their top pairing RHD is leaving with three years left on his contract and a no trade clause? It sounds more like wishful thinking and rivalry than analysis.

No. Because your missing 2 roster spots and still over the cap.

It's sixty K you can be slightly over the cap until a week from the start of the season. They'll just take it away from Zykov and TvR it fixes itself. For the roster spots you just have to have 18 skaters and two goalies. Theres no requirement for extra skaters. Therefore thers enough contract spots and the cap is workable. Now do they make the playoffs?

I don't think this team can legally compete. So, no.

It can legally cmpete. It's a hard cap and if you make it so someone gets 60k in bonuses and take it off the cap its not a problem. Just ignore the cap a second does this team make the playoffs?

It's a decent collection of talent. I think they'd be on the bubble for sure; probably not bottom-dwellers at least. It'd come down to chemistry and coaching.

This team would comfortably make the playoffs, this lineup would also have the best PP in the league.