Personally I disagree. I don't think allocating that much of the cap to four players, specifically forwards is a big problem. Last year, it wasn't that our Goalies let us down, or our D wasn't quite good enough in the playoffs. It was those four forwards didn't play to the level of their pay. If you have truly elite players, they should be dominating, especially on the PP, which of course they have in the regular season most of the time.... Top 2 team in the NHL, along with the Oilers over the past years.
4.8% in the playoffs last year on 21 opportunities... if they are elite players, at nearly 30% like the Oilers and Avalanche, that's 6-7 goals on the PP, instead of 1.
Matthews shoots 5% in the playoffs.... normally he's over 15%... that's an extra two goals... (We could say the same of Marner and Tavares too)
So if this offense puts in an extra 8-9 goals... we probably move on, and continue to have success.
I think the problem is these "elite" players, paid at an "elite" level, just aren't "elite" when the playoffs come. It's that SO FAR, these are the wrong players to expect playoff success. Frankly, if we paid them 40% of the cap, I don't think it makes any difference either.... you need your best players to be the best players on the ice, when it counts.
The cap % is a compelling argument no doubt, but I think it's a red herring. Our stars, just don't show up enough in the playoffs. Frankly their pay doesn't matter... if they aren't going to show up when it counts, they aren't going to show.
