Salary Cap: '24-'25 Salary Thread: Crosbicles Volume MMXXV - Poolman and Poolparty?!?

[Pancakes]

This isn't even a Jarry specific thing, but a NHL wide thing: do not pay mediocre goalies.

Jarry is another guy in that Campbell/Merzlikins/Petersen/Grubauer group that got paid despite not being good enough to get paid, and the deal ended up terrible halfway through it. I bet Blackwood is the next guy in this group.



They'll probably keep him stashed in the AHL for the rest of the year and buy him out in the off-season.

They'll run with Nedjelkovic and Blomqvist with Larsson as the AHL call-up.

Even paying good goalies makes me nervous. Goalie performance can be so volatile from year to year.

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

Just because Jarry sucks doesn't mean the team isn't terrible.

If you get >.900 sv% out of somebody that is the best you can hope for with this group.

The backbone of the defense are 2 elderly offensive defenseman and Grycelzyk is terrible in his own end, too.

Ned's numbers are also terrible and Blom gave up 7 in his last game so he was well on the way to the basement with the other 2.

Maybe they can use the cap space saved on Jarry's minor league salary reduction on a defender who isn't afraid to clear the crease.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Gee, who could have predicted Jarry's 5-year contract would have been a disaster? Other than 99.9% of us fans who predicted that the moment it was signed, I mean.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

I wonder how much this is actually going to help. Jarry is a huge issue, but id argue equally is the quality of chances the Penguins hemorrhage almost every night. The next guy is going to have to face a 2on1 the first 2 minutes of the game, and have opposing players posted up at the goal mouth untouched. I dont think its coincidence that all 3 goalies have numbers that are damn near identical.

Oh it won't change a thing but it'll make people feel better for a bit. Ned is worse and the kids are kids.

I just hope playing behind this team doesn't screw up the kids.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Just because Jarry sucks doesn't mean the team isn't terrible.

If you get >.900 sv% out of somebody that is the best you can hope for with this group.

The backbone of the defense are 2 elderly offensive defenseman and Grycelzyk is terrible in his own end, too.

Ned's numbers are also terrible and Blom gave up 7 in his last game so he was well on the way to the basement with the other 2.

Maybe they can use the cap space saved on Jarry's minor league salary reduction on a defender who isn't afraid to clear the crease.

I'm just happy Jarry is gone because he seems like an asshole while he also sucks. Very difficult player to root for.

 

[Pancakes]

100%. After this year, he will have 3yrs at $5.25mil left. Looking at the goalie market, it's still bleak. I wonder if there's a team out there that needs a goal that doesn't want to pay the next Blackwood or Georgiev that MIGHT be interested in taking Jarry if we retain a bit. Retaining $1.25mil to drop him to $4mil with the cap going up isn't outrageous when you consider Blackwood just got a $5.25mil x 5yr contract.

f***. Ing. Oof.

I posted this in one of our GDTs recently but TJ had 8 wins this season. In 7 of those wins the Pens scored 5 or more goals for him.

 

[SEALBound]

His buyout is kinda mediocre. You basically save 3.5M in one year then very little over the next 2. Then 800k cap hit for 3 more years after that.

Kinda makes more sense to keep him hostage in WBS but maybe not from a logistical standpoint.

I used CapWages but it only showed the calculation from this year. If we wait until after this year is done, I wonder what it looks like?

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I think this team is far too trash for goaltending of any sort to make enough of a difference.

But it really wouldn't surprise me if the team looks a lot better just by virtue of the fact that Jarry is no longer around. He seems like the kinda guy that stews in the corner and carves weird shit into the wall while glaring at the backup goaltender.

 

[Empoleon8771]

His buyout is kinda mediocre. You basically save 3.5M in one year then very little over the next 2. Then 800k cap hit for 3 more years after that.

Kinda makes more sense to keep him hostage in WBS but maybe not from a logistical standpoint.

Do we even really care about how that buyout looks after year 1? Malkin's probably retiring after next year anyway so I don't really think the $5 million cap penalty particularly matters.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

#35 is cursed with assholes on the Pens.

Jarry, Barrasso, Ron Dugay...

I think this team is far too trash for goaltending of any sort to make enough of a difference.

But it really wouldn't surprise me if the team looks a lot better just by virtue of the fact that Jarry is no longer around. He seems like the kinda guy that stews in the corner and carves weird shit into the wall while glaring at the backup goaltender.

It's a different sport (and a much higher level) but when I played soccer we'd try much harder defensively with a backup or younger goalie.

 

[Pancakes]

Do we even really care about how that buyout looks after year 1? Malkin's probably retiring after next year anyway so I don't really think the $5 million cap penalty particularly matters.

It matters if you think the Pens have a chance to contend in the next few years (they probably don't).

But even if you think that I personally believe there's an addition by subtraction element here with Jarry and you pay any penalty to reap the benefits of it. They simply cannot keep putting him in goal.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

psycho stat: TJ is 60th in all-time career SV%

 

[SEALBound]

Do we even really care about how that buyout looks after year 1? Malkin's probably retiring after next year anyway so I don't really think the $5 million cap penalty particularly matters.

His buyout hit will be offset by using two guys like Blomqvist and Larsson as well.

Just from a larger, generalized standpoint though, it sucks to see $3-4mil in dead space due to the turd. Same as it was with JJ. But life goes on.

 

[Empoleon8771]

It matters if you think the Pens have a chance to contend in the next few years (they probably don't).

But even if you think that I personally believe there's an addition by subtraction element here with Jarry and you pay any penalty to reap the benefits of it. They simply cannot keep putting him in goal.

I can't see any way that this team would be delusional enough to think they can contend once the core starts retiring. I could maybe squint and understand if they think they could win next year, but once Malkin retires there is simply no chance.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Do we even really care about how that buyout looks after year 1? Malkin's probably retiring after next year anyway so I don't really think the $5 million cap penalty particularly matters.

That’s not really the question since his cap hit is 5.3M (which is like 4.1 in the minors)

More about if you want the cap charge of 800k for 3 years longer than his deal runs

 

[SEALBound]

Please please pleeeeeeeeeeeease start selling off so we have a good shot at Misa and then McKenna next year.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

It's a different sport (and a much higher level) but when I played soccer we'd try much harder defensively with a backup or younger goalie.

Oh for sure. It makes a difference. I'm going a little hard on Jarry too but I mean... based just on post games and interviews he seems... a little tough to play in front of. At this point after years of that were I on his team I'd be rolling my eyes at the guy a little bit after the 40000th time he tossed me and my teammates under the bus in the wake of his most recent meltdown.

 

[eXile3]

Even paying good goalies makes me nervous. Goalie performance can be so volatile from year to year.

Besides maybe Hellebuyk, Vasilevskiy, Shesterkin…how many goalies are consistently good?

 

[Empoleon8771]

That’s not really the question since his cap hit is 5.3M (which is like 4.1 in the minors)

More about if you want the cap charge of 800k for 3 years longer than his deal runs

I think simply not having Jarry in the organization is also something of a positive that should be looked at. You probably don't want a malcontent in WBS as you're getting a bunch of prospects coming to the pros.

 

[Turin]

Besides maybe Hellebuyk, Vasilevskiy, Shesterkin…how many goalies are consistently good?

Hell even Vasilevsky hasn’t been worth his contract for a couple years now

 

[Pancakes]

So to play devil's advocate for a moment: Obviously the TJ contract is a disaster. What could the Pens have done differently apart from not signing him?

Looking back on it the goalies that had good seasons since then and got signed that year are:

Cam Talbot
Dave Rittich

Unless I'm missing anything I think that's about it lol. UFA-wise the other big goalie signings like Korpisalo and Jones ended up being terrible.

I guess in retrospect looking back at it the Pens should have gone with a vet on a 1 or 2 year deal and just hoped for the best. Or explored the trade market.

Besides maybe Hellebuyk, Vasilevskiy, Shesterkin…how many goalies are consistently good?

I feel like the number used to be much bigger than that but you're right it's pretty small these days. I feel like in the early-mid 2000s/2010s there was a number of elite or at least good goalies out there.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

I can't see any way that this team would be delusional enough to think they can contend once the core starts retiring. I could maybe squint and understand if they think they could win next year, but once Malkin retires there is simply no chance.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Dubi throw some money around during FA to jumpstart the re-build. The obvious one would be Marner but I hope he doesn't make it to FA.

 

[Pancakes]

I can't see any way that this team would be delusional enough to think they can contend once the core starts retiring. I could maybe squint and understand if they think they could win next year, but once Malkin retires there is simply no chance.

It would take a hail mary like Crosby playing a bit longer and staying elite and then Dubas getting lucky with the draft plus finding a Marner or someone like that.

So....yeah, unlikely.

I mean look at the Rangers path from when they had that brief tank. They ended up having an elite defenseman in Adam Fox basically fall into their lap for free. They had Shesterkin emerge. They had a top free agent in Panarin decide he wanted to play there.

Rebuilds can happen pretty quick when you get gifts like that.

 

[Gurglesons]

I wonder how much this is actually going to help. Jarry is a huge issue, but id argue equally is the quality of chances the Penguins hemorrhage almost every night. The next guy is going to have to face a 2on1 the first 2 minutes of the game, and have opposing players posted up at the goal mouth untouched. I dont think its coincidence that all 3 goalies have numbers that are damn near identical.

Goalies face difficult shots.

We outshot two teams by like 60+ shots and our goalie lost us two games not to mention the CBJ give away.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Also... on a little side rant... this team has done such a phony job of "staying competitive for the core" the last few seasons.

If you willingly sign and continue to play a guy like Jarry you aren't serious. If you continue to employ the utter doorknob of a human being that is Mike Sullivan after this stretch of failure you are not serious. If you are taking on players like Hayes and Glass for anything less than complete robbery (and no that does not include middling second and third rounders) you are not serious. If you sign wastes of space to occupy over half of your forward slots to the tune of like 10ish million dollars every... single... offseason - you are not serious. If you are still expecting near-40 Sid and Geno to carry around league journeymen for the vast majority of their shifts for years at a time (well Geno at least) you aren't serious.

Funny enough but much of this also applies to rebuilding. You aren't successfully rebuilding with most of those parameters, either. Simply sucking ass enough to fetch a better pick is the bare minimum and only the very start of the process.