Looking at the Pens roster for next year and their cap situation, I really don't think the Pens can get "better" on paper than they were this year without making some substantial trades, and at that point I am not entirely sure they would be better. They have a little less than $8 million left and need to sign four players.
CAPGEEK.COM USER GENERATED ROSTER
My Custom Lineup
FORWARDS
James Neal ($5.000m) / Evgeni Malkin ($8.700m) / Beau Bennett ($0.900m)
Chris Kunitz ($3.725m) / Sidney Crosby ($8.700m) / Steve MacIntyre ($0.625m)
Jussi Jokinen ($2.100m) / Brandon Sutter ($2.067m) /
Tanner Glass ($1.100m) / Joe Vitale ($0.550m) /
DEFENSEMEN
Paul Martin ($5.000m) / Brooks Orpik ($3.750m)
Kris Letang ($3.500m) / Matt Niskanen ($2.300m)
Simon Despres ($0.840m) / Deryk Engelland ($0.567m)
GOALTENDERS
Marc-Andre Fleury ($5.000m)
Tomas Vokoun ($2.000m)
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CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled with the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $64,300,000; CAP PAYROLL: $56,423,333; BONUSES: $0
CAP SPACE (18-man roster): $7,876,667
You figure in improved play from Bennett will help and maybe someone from the system comes up and performs (Maatta, Pouliot?). But they aren't going to have a lot of money to spend so the team is going to look very similar to what it did this year. Not necessarily a bad thing because they clearly were a good team. But unless something drastic happens like trading Malkin, on paper the team is going to be on the same level as it was this year, but I don't see how they will improve the team this offseason.
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