Assembling team depth in today's National Hockey League is a tricky balancing act. General managers must juggle short- and long-term priorities—spending enough to keep star players happy while maintaining enough salary-cap flexibility to bring in the right support players and reward prospects who evolve into bona fide NHL talents.
More than a decade after the salary cap was first introduced, there's still no proven formula.
One irony of the situation is that the GMs who are best at managing the salary cap are often the ones who are most tightly bound by it. Stanley Cup successes such as we've seen with the Chicago Blackhawks, Los Angeles Kings and Boston Bruins lead to bigger contracts that eventually lead to lots of player movement—and a lot less team depth.
Drafting and player development have become crucial for restocking the cupboards as key players become too valuable to re-sign.
Heading into 2015-16, here's a look at the teams that have struck the healthiest balance between icing a competitive club and bringing along fresh young talent to the NHL level.
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Article written by Carol Schram
Ranking the NHL Teams with the Most Depth for the 2015-16 Season
September 13th, 2015 by Carol Schram Leave a reply »
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