It is not about spending for the sake of spending.
MacArthur/Turris/Alfie
Michalek/Spezza/Ryan
That is a team that will compete. Too bad we will never know because of the budget.
Alfie??? IMO the Sens can compete today with the players they have now in the organization & stay easily under the cap & only increases the internal budget slightly to sign the approriate UFAs. I don't know what it would cost to re-sign Michalek & Hemsky for next season nor how much term they would want but I don't think the overall budget would total over $60 mil for next season with this team. This would include the increases to the RFAs as well. Below is a full 23 man roster of players who will most likely be playing in Ottawa next season if the UFAs & RFAS are all re-signed with the exception of Kassian & if no one is traded. Still a pretty good team on paper anyway although I think BM will try & make a deal for Chris Sterwart (Hoffman, Wiercioch & Condra could all be trade bait).
Michalek - Spezza - Hemsky - they played welll since the trade
MacArthur - Turris - Ryan - all three had decent yrs & could be better next yr
Hoffman - Zibanejad - Stone - Stone proved he belonged, Hoffman not quite yet
Greening - Z. Smith - Neil/Condra - decent 4th line
Methot - Karlsson
Phillips - Ceci - wish Phillips wasn't re-signed, I imagine he will continue to play a lot
Cowen - Gryba/Wiercioch/Boroweicki
Anderson - Lehner