Part two of a four part series presented by PUCK RAMBLES.

The Stanley Cup Champions, L.A. Kings spend most of their money on the top minute eaters of their team. “The more you play, the more we’ll pay”, seems to be their motto. 71% of their forward money is distributed within their top two lines, while 63% of their defensive funds are allocated to their top 3 defensemen. Nothing is different in nets, as Quick, their top goalie, takes home 91% of their goalie cap.

The Kings’ cap has been maturing at the same pace as their roster. A fact made evident by the pie chart depicting the distribution of the cap according to age. 51% of the Kings’ cap hit is invested in players that are presently in their prime. Paying players for what they bring to the team is the way L.A. is handling their cap.

The Flames, similar to the Kings, have invested heavily in players who are technically hitting their prime. An interesting fact, considering many view the Flames as a rebuilding team. Unfortunately for Flames’ fans, Calgary simply doesn’t have the top end talent of the Kings to reward with hefty paycheques, which is made evident by the almost equal distribution of funds throughout their lineup.

The Anaheim Ducks have invested heavily in the cornerstones of their franchise, Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. Combined, both players taken in the first round of the 2003 draft, eat up over 27% of the total cap hit for the Ducks. The Ducks offset this weighted investment by boldly allocating 20% of their cap to young core players under the age of 24 years of age.

A concern for the Ducks is how bottom heavy their defensive corps has developed, mostly due to the constant insurgence of youth Anaheim has brought into the club. It’s a teeter top type of scenario for the Ducks, but Bob Murray and his staff have done a wonderful job keeping things balanced for the time being.

The Vancouver Canucks distribute most of their cap dollars to minute eaters, unfortunately for their future, most of those players are in a different age bracket than those of the current Stanley Cup Champions, L.A. Kings. The Canucks are the only team in the Pacific that has most of its cap tied up in players over the age of 27, while allocating a measly 1% of their cap to players under 24 years of age.

The San Jose Sharks are a team spinning its wheels, waiting for one of its tires to catch pay dirt so they can finally get over the hump. It’s the same old story here with the same old cap situation. Time is flying by for the Sharks as the largest portion of their cap hit is slowly maturing and entering the final age group and with it, the final stage of return.

The Edmonton Oilers are in love with their young core and have invested dearly in them by giving 27% of their cap to their first line of Hopkins-Hall-Eberle. The Oilers are investing a total of 45% of their cap hit on players 26 and under, this is a sharp contrast to their rebuilding provincial rivals, the Flames, who seem fit to give only 15% to the same age groups.

The Arizona Coyotes seem to consistently brush against the cap floor, but the powers that be have a habit of finding a way to maximize each cap dollar to bring the largest return. This year, The Desert Dogs have invested heavily in the top core of their team, focusing mostly on their top 3 defensemen and their starting goalie, but with 18% of their cap going unused, it is an uphill battle for the Coyotes and their magical staff.