Lehner buyout looks good in year 1 but they will have to plan for years 2,3 and 4. Its 3x as much next year.

Hill just won them a cup, he is getting more than a 325k raise lol. His contract with SJ was 2175000 and you think winning a cup only gets that raise. Be realistic.

Cap increase should take care of Lehner's buyout cost. It's not a huge problem for them imo.

Actually he's only getting a raise of 75k here. But if he wants more, then they'll simply let Howden walk and replace him with some cheap guy like Dorofeyev, or sign a veteran winger for like $1M.

Not updating your team usually hurts. Usually it is very hard, if not impossible to keep every UFA you got. Changes of some sort need to be made to win, and a small improvement at the minimum is needed

they need to just try and focus on repeating. They have 0 future, cause they traded it to be in win now contention, which it's about to work. Going forward I think theyre gonna be a Rangers type team, where they'll just stay good because they get free agents base on location due to their management not being able to draft+develop for ****

JustARunItBack

Keeping the gang around usually results in failure, see the LA Kings post 2014

I wouldn't mind that at all

In a sense it kinda works when you just keep trading those prospects you draft, cuz then you won't risk losing value if the development doesn't go as planned.

I reckon there will be some additions near the deadline, but in general I really have to wonder what upgrades can they even get at this point. That core is insanely strong, very bubble-Tampa esque.

I think you need to look at the prospect pool. Its actually a pretty solid list of what will be great complimentary players for the already established core of the guys who are in their mid 20s. They've drafted and are developing the players that they need to keep this going long term. The idea of Vegas having no future is really just a myth.

The acquisition of Eichel was a major piece for them now and their future yes. But considering the reason they won the cup, their defense, features their 2 best Dmen being a UFA soon to be 36 and a still great and long term but 33.5 yr old, McNabb is 32 as well. They have a nice younger 3 of Whitecloud Hague and Theodore yes. JAM will be 33 next season, Stone 31, Smith 32, Kessel soon 36. Looking at goaltending, who knows what will happen with Lehner, Hill will be overpaid for being carried and having a good run, honestly Thompson should go back to being starter.

Looking at the prospects, the only quality ones seem to be Lindbom, Korczak, Dorofeyev, Brisson, Cormier, and maybe Whitehead. Miromanov could be thrown in there as a future piece but not really a prospect. It's a decent bank, but still bottom half of league ranking I'd say, but as of right now none of those guys are standout spectaculars who could fit right in. Hence my point of either choosing to try and bet on settling to repeat, or more likely having to trade for pieces to be able to repeat. Also, with the big city lights being like the Rangers and just easily getting free agents because most of the prospects don't pan out, or you just dont have picks from previous years.

Losing Martinez will be a major hit to the defense, as we saw last season, but you also don't know how much longer he can play. And as of right now Vegas doesn't have anyone to fit in his spot that will be just as valuable. Ig try to see if you can get another year out of him before he calls it.