TB is a victim of being good at a lot of things. Obviously the product on the ice as that was a result of great drafting, player development and shrewd moves.
Unfortunately, the salary cap hindered them as the players got better and better.
Imagine a world where a team didn’t have to let players walk in free agency that they drafted or signed as undrafted free agents. Killorn and Palat were drafted whereas Johnson and Gourde were undrafted.
Where would TB be if they were able to keep them?
I wonder if the NHL ever considered a floating cap where any player you draft or sign as an undrafted player could be given any contract you’d like without counting against the team’s cap and all other players have to fit in to a different cap. Not sure how it works, whether it’s a fixed number or a percentage. The other catch is when you trade a player, how that effects the cap of both teams involved.
I think TB is a victim of their own success on multiple different levels.
The NHL is NEVER, EVER going to voluntarily break the HRR "linkage". Teams know the cap rules, and have to plan accordingly. Fans always love the idea of exceptions, but the league sacrificed a season to get the current system in place, and they're not going back because a team is TOO successful. The other 31 teams want their chance to shine.
IMO, TB isn't any different from a team like the Hawks who had to identify the core, and make tough deals on other players they would have loved to keep. The thing they've done differently (smartly IMO) is doubling down by moving draft picks for good young players who are locked up on good contracts (Hagel as an example). That maximizes their chances of being a serious competitor when you've got Kuch/Hedman/Point/Vasy at their peak. Hagel deal was great, Jeannot, not so much yet. The issue though is this has essentially killed the pipeline of talent that will be needed to replace guys who are ready to step up and contribute, or at least be available to make deals to improve the team.
The problem IMO is that when Brisbois identified the core, he expected more from guys he was locking up to 8 year terms. He really thought that Sergachev was a legit top pair d-man who could anchor a pairing, and Cirelli could be a play driver on a scoring line. TB is a REALLY top heavy team, and they have too many guys who aren't legit NHL'ers getting minutes (specifically DeHann, Perbix, and Radysh on the blueline). The Bolts still have a punchers chance because their top end talent is world class, but IMO they are too top heavy in their current form.