Here's the other thing: whether I agree or not with some of the player/contract assessments, I think we're forgetting (which is maybe a bit ironic given how much we discuss our older players' 'declines') that much of this roster is young and continually improving. We can argue that Muzzin and several others haven't reached their ceilings yet. McNabb could turn into an absolutely stellar #2 by year's end. Shore could start popping in points and be an all-around third line force. Mersch could be a catalyst on a variety of lines. Maybe even Weal figures it out and adds a bunch of points from the 4th line. Point is, there's a lot of 'unknown' that we're currently working--and winning--with, and though I don't dispute that DL will almost certainly seek vet help at the deadline to push us over the top, we're sitting VERY pretty right now, to the extent that we may not make any real moves at all. As that relates to the cap, well, we've seen that DL will let guys walk as opposed to just juicing the asset--for example, we could have traded Mitchell for a good pick to a team that needed him, but better to use him for a cup run even if he walks after, which looks great in hindsight. I have no doubt that if DL really really wants to keep Lucic, he will find a way that won't hamstring the rest of the roster, and I don't see him moving guys like King/Lewis for cap flexibility before the end of the season, if they're moved, it's for a hockey trade.
