Building Through Free Agency

The Puck Stops Here has an interesting look at why a team can’t build (and win) through free agency.

All told twenty players on this team signed for a salary cap hit of $90,445,333. Given that the salary cap this season is $56.7 million, no team could have this roster. They could have at most about half of it with the rest of their roster filled with cheap, near minimum wage players. Given that this team is not a serious Stanley Cup contender even with its $90 + payroll that would be a recipe for disaster.

He makes a good point. I think as teams realize that building from within is the key to success, free agency may fade in importance and be used to fill in some holes, rather than for making wholesale changes.