The Capitals Should Not Be Big Buyers This Off-Season

Trust the process

The Caps still need to figure out what these guys are going to be capable of.

If you go out and sign big free agents to big contracts, or make big trades for big names you are banking on things that haven't happened yet, or banking on things not happening that could happen.

Signing big money free agents means you're banking on the young guys taking another step up. What if they don't? Now you have a big cap guy unable to do as much because he doesn't have the help. You'd be banking on the 39-year-old Ovechkin not taking a step back, or banking that he is going to have a full season of what he did towards the end of last season all season next year. Call me crazy but I'm not sure that's the best thing to expect from a nearly forty year old. Not to mention he could still get hurt, and as I've said countless times, it's harder to shake off dings when you're forty compared to when you're twenty-five.

But lets play the other side. Lets say the young guys do come out and play well. They prove they are the next leaders of this team. They play well, they put up good numbers. If all goes well, you're going to need to pay these guys someday as well. If they all end up deserving a pay day, well then you become Maple Leafs 2.0. You have to sign all of your young forwards to higher deals. Toronto did that. Then for some reason they went out and signed a high priced John Tavares, when they didn't really need to, and they've had trouble filling out their team ever since.

An argument against this is by time that happens you will have Ovechkin either gone or on a smaller deal. Backstrom's deal will be completely gone, Oshie won't be around and that is where you'll get extra cap space. As well as the rising cap, hopefully. But when the cap goes up so do salaries for individuals.

I get fans wanting to win and do so as quick as possible. It's not a fans job to think critically. Fan is nothing but short for fanatic. Fanatics don't tend to do the best thinking on anything. Thankfully we're just talking sports here and nothing more serious with bigger consequences.

But the more and more I think about it, the Capitals going and being big buyers or going big game hunting, it doesn't make sense. That's not where they are in their process. It could come quickly. Heck, it could come as quickly as next trade deadline if the young guys show they are your future stars. But they haven't shown it yet. Don't act like a contender before you become one.

The Capitals have a good amount of cap space this off-season. That makes them flexible. Don't do something dumb and make yourself less flexible. Buy smart. Acquire pieces than can help your team. That doesn't have to be the big guys with high cap hits. That comes later.