I think the secret got out. The recent history speaks for itself. We also know it took the majority of the NHL GMs have just figured out how the salary cap worked and a lot have been late to the party. Yzerman doesn’t look so smart now that’s he’s in Detroit does he? I provided sample size of the most recent five years. If you want to go back further than five years to make your point, go right ahead. I’m looking at what is happening most recently and currently. LA struck lightning in a bottle with Quick and with getting Jeff Carter for nothing because he refused to ball with Columbus. Chicago and Pittsburgh were terrible and got hall of famers with their picks in the top 3. And again recently they aren’t looking too hot are they?
Players that already hit big on contracts want to play with Connor McDavidon a Cup favorite. What a shocker
Tampa won because they drafted amazing. Not because they had huge free agent deals.
Point in the 3rd,
Kucherov in the 2nd.
Trading Drouin for Sergachev
There were very few free agents at the top of that roster, which is how you win.
We currently have in our top 6,
Panarin (11+)
Trocheck (5.65)
Smith (2m cap hit due to retention)
Teams who win draft well and find gems and don't overspend on huge UFA's. Because then the rest of the team wants huge UFA deals. Toronto f'd themselves with Tavares. Not because he wasn't worth that money (he wasn't but different issue) but then you immediately have 2 other players who said "ok if you're gonna spend that much on outside talent, we want more).
Igor is currently looking at panarin's deal and saying "my turn"
Yzerman hasn't drafted as well in detroit as he had in TB. No huge gems in the late rounds, and his top talent has gotten paid and his cap dried up because he tanked for "too long" and his top talent needed to get paid, before he was even in his window.
He also didnt ever get a 1st or 2nd overall.
Add Bedard to that roster? They make the playoffs last year without question. Replace Raymond w Stutzle? They make the playoffs.
Also he sucks at goalies. Which alot of GM's do.