One was Vegas - refuted my ass, you just created your own narrative. Eichel wasn't going to fit under until Stone went on. The other year was the blatant Kuch debacle.I mean last season at best it offered a bit extra depth, if we were to use the iced roster must be "cap compliant" solution as a metric, the team on the ice was compliant in that regard. I'm not going to say the extra depth wasn't an advantage but last year wasn't as egregious as it's made about to be. Other than Mark Stone coming back in game one, and to anyone who watched it planly obvious he'd come back earlier.
I'm not going to pretend that holds true this year, We'll see if Stone even remotely looks like he should be playing and while the team could theoretically continue to ice a compliant roster I'm not going to be pretend that I think that's likely the game plan, but I also think for many people it's just an excuse to jump on Vegas, 90% of those calling us cheaters would still be screaming that even if Stone missed the entire playoffs.
I do see where you coming from on the last point and there is undoubtable some medical wiggle room and it can swing both ways, and a lot of it can be subjective.... lets for the sake arguement say that at 50% the actual injury has repaired to the minimum, and lets say 15% until the repair is strong enough for everyday activity and another 15% until it should be able to stand up to hockey and lets put the clearance range say at 85-90%. It's absolutely possible for a player to have a niggle or it's not quite right (whether true or otherwise) to hold of getting cleared. But I also think the playoffs make it an entirely different story, the play through a lot the likely wouldn't otherwise in the regular season (I mean the fact that Tkachuk even dressed for game 4 last year was ridiculous) I just think it more likely they are in that 60 to 80% range reporting they are ready to go because playoffs are that important... and as you say there aren't any really makers so it's so difficult to actually say.
We'll i know we've refuted two of those years from Vegas countless times, so you can't still be harping about it for them, must be a couple of other teams.
Also why the NHL abolish the cap altogeather, it is doing as it's intended... keeping costs controlled, even with the LTIR option their costs are being controlled.
The cap isn't doing its job if teams are just taking on retention for mid-round picks and players are abusing the spirit of LTIR. Having to be "creative" instead of lazy about it doesn't mean the cap is "doing its job".