Red Wings Salary Cap VS Non Salary Cap Era

[KrazyGangsta 79]

Well we all know that the Red Wings we're big spenders in the era of no salary cap but since then they have toned down. I got a couple of questions tho which I was discussing with some friends and wanted to see your opinions on.

1- Are the Wings a better team in salary cap era or non salary cap era?

2- Will the salary cap help or hurt the Wings in the long term financially assuming no signing new blood FA's = possibility of less excitement = less tickets sold?

3- We all know that now that there is a salary cap the owners are making much more money then before, now that the Ilitches got used to this income, lower salaries do you guys think if the non salary cap era does return that the Illitches themselves will have a cap number in private with the club or will it be back to the old glory?

[Johnny Diamonds 25]

As Illitch has shown with his Detroit Tigers ownership: If there is a belief that they have a chance to compete, he will spend big. If the chances seem slim, he will try to trim salary and operate under a budget.

[Joseph Franks 17]

Well, we've certainly "raised" a good core of players under the salary cap era. But I think it's hard to compete with situations like 2002 where 1) If you had the money and 2) If hot prospect players thought you had a chance at a cup....you could basically buy whoever you wanted.

I Think the cap drives even more interest in the team, because instead of having all new players bought out of FA every year, you get a lot of guys who come to Detroit as rookies, and develop over time. Essentially it creates more of a "Hometown Hero" feeling than you use to get, back when suddenly one day you just randomly have Brett Hull in your lineup overnight (Just an example).

It's better to watch a team of guys you've watched grow up on the team go on to win a cup, than it is to watch a smattering of random talent picked up in the off season do it, IMO