Quoting: rangersandislesfan
This is the year that everyone will just go 'oh, they just can't do it now.' And then i think they just go and win the cup.
You say "just go and win the cup" like it's nothing. Unless we change something at the deadline, we'll have at least three rookies playing in the playoffs, one in our top six forwards, and another in our top four D. While the rookies have been good for us to this point, I wouldn't trust Christian Djoos getting top four minutes against the Penguins or Blue Jackets. And we aren't in a position where we should give up valuable future assets for a top four defenseman right now, unless a stupidly good deal comes along, which it won't.
The only chance we have of getting past a team like Pittsburgh this year is if we can expose their lack of a 3C, plus if Murray gets injured and Jarry has to play in the playoffs. There's a difference between being the underdogs and not being talented enough. We don't have the shutdown defense like we used to. The defense that limited Sidney Crosby's effectiveness for almost the entirety of the playoffs the last two seasons is now gone. We lack the shutdown defenseman that we've had in years past with Alzner.
Our defense core last year in the playoffs was Orlov, Niskanen, Carlson, Schmidt, Alzner, Shattenkirk and Orpik (except Shattenkirk sucked with us). This year? Orlov, Niskanen, Carlson, Djoos, Bowey, Orpik, and Chorney. Massive drop off there. Unless we were to acquire someone like Niklas Hjalmarsson, I doubt our ability to support Holtby in a series against Columbus or Pittsburgh.
RAIF, you have no idea how much I want you to be right. I'd give my kidney for you to be right. But there is no reason why this team can make a run, when last year's team couldn't. On paper, that was one of the best teams in a long time that didn't win the Cup. With all the production we lost, both offensively and defensively, there's very little expectation for this team come April.