We played a ton better against Pittsburgh lasts season than we did two seasons ago. We should have won 6 out of 7 this year. Toughness isn't the thing that brings you titles anymore. Pittsburgh won two Cups being faster (and luckier) than anyone else.

Not to mention the trades aren't close at all. Caps giving waaaay too much for Byfuglien

Steve Downie goes from out of the league to top 6 forward with a 3 year deal?

I "like" and like both of your points. But when I try to make deals look even, Caps fans, being a depressive lot, point out that the other team doesn't need to trade with the back to back President's trophy winner to get players that actually win games. Also, I just noticed Byfuglien is 32. So maybe just Oshie for Byfuglien would be fair, leaving the Caps totally stacked at right D, and able to deal Carlson at the deadline if Bowey is ready, and they can squeeze under the Cap until then....

Krakowitz, in '16 they outshot them, never trailed by more than one goal in any game, and lost the series by one total goal, with all the Pens stars dressed. In 17, they couldn't win with Pittsburgh down Crosby, Fleury, and Letang. I agree that at times they looked dominant, but at other times they looked hopeless.

Downie is a 30 year old, 30 points per year guy, who plays nasty, dirty hockey. He put up 22 goals in Tampa in '10, and was on pace for 16 in Pitt in '14. He's got the hands and the toughness to play the front of the net on a good power play. But, fine. I'll revise down from 800k to 650k, call it two-way, and get a bit of cap space that way. But if he's playing with Backstrom on a second line, and net-front on the power play, he's scoring twenty goals again, easily, in each of those three years, and he accepts the term at minimum wage because no other team is looking for goons this summer, and this turns his career around. Or it doesn't, because he shows up out of shape, and he's on Hershey's fourth line at 80k for a bit longer than one would hope.

Also, Krakowitz, you're right that the difference is speed. I'm misremembering... the biggest guy the Caps gave up last summer was Jason Chimera. Fast as anybody, and he did alright against the Pens. https://www.russianmachineneverbreaks.com/2016/04/12/these-are-your-presumptive-caps-playoff-lines/

Speed is the key, not toughness. This roster is closer to being a lottery team than a team that can beat the Pens. And this is another roster with too little cap space for a full roster.