Washington has been a middling team since Trotz left. They haven’t spent much. They have prospects and picks to show for it. The Penguins have been spending assets for 15 years, and now it’s time to actually get some assets before spending again. Half of their top 10 prospects have been added in the last 4 months, which says just as much about how barren the system was as the quality of prospect they’d acquired from Guentzel and the draft.
This is a good assessment of the primary difference. It looks to me like the Caps are a good 3-5 years ahead of Pittsburgh. LTIR Backstrom was a big game changer for Washington. This year, Oshie probably there as well. Cap flexibility, especially this year was really used well.
Some of Washington’s top ten has graduated. Lapierre and McMichael no longer considered prospects. It’s scary how under the radar good Hendrix Lapierre is looking.
Add to that, Lapierre and Miroshnishenko, both slipped due to serious injury/illness. Both were considered near the top of their draft class.
Pittsburgh went all in more than Washington. Who can blame them, they had a great run. But Washington rarely ever traded their firsts, while Pittsburgh mostly did.
Pittsburgh needs to cash in their chips, and stop adding older players to an older core. Caps added Strome, Pittsburgh opted for more Jeff Carter. Washington added PLD, Pittsburgh Karlsson. Say what you will about PLD, but both he and Strome were in their mid twenties.
Sixth place in the Metro is the last place this team needs to end up.