It's another subtle way to discourage tanking too though. Most teams that tank are going to load up on picks in 1-2 years, and that gets you into trouble down the road. That's why Helsinki had cap trouble - all of their guys were hitting their primes at the same time. To use a real-life example, that's why the Blackhawks aren't a juggernaut, because they had to pay guys like Toews, Kane and Crawford all at the same time, and those crucial role players like Dave Bolland and Nick Leddy are the price. That's exactly how the cap is supposed to work.
On the other hand, to use a fun example given arguers here that isn't New York, look at the mid-30's Davos teams. They blended older players (Brovalenko, Linguini) with prime players (Tordahl, Landry, Davey Jones) and younger players (Bentley, Moher) to get a mix of all strong guys that still fit under the cap. Given the recent success of Davos and New York (and Calgary's impressive playoff streak), I'm surprised more teams don't do that.