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

[Randy Butternubs]

can easily trade Rust in the off-season if we're intending to sign Marner

And Raantanen and Bennett and Gavrikov

Anything less I will be disappointed

 

[Empoleon8771]

Why doesn't Dubas simply trade all of our bad players for the good players on other teams? Is he stupid?

 

[cookthebooks]

Yeah, and people thought Alexandre Daigle was going to be the next Gretzky. Hockey people love being wrong as much as they love hockey.


yay.

after 500 games i highly doubt that anyone expected much of anything from daigle

 

[molon labe]

And Raantanen and Bennett and Gavrikov

Anything less I will be disappointed

Bennett is going to be a huge buyers' remorse candidate within 3 years.

Marner would absolutely be my target and likely the only FA we have a shot with at that caliber. Seems to be friends with Sid and has a history with Dubas. Not a bad piece for now, and later, objectively.

 

[SEALBound]

Probably selling off Beauvillier for a 4th. I think their big moves are already done with the Pettersson/DOC deal.

Honestly I have a feeling they keep Grzelcyk beyond the deadline just based on not having any other LD capable of eating minutes. They seem to want Pickering to spend the rest of the year in WBS and there really aren't any other LD options beyond on the NHL team.

A month or two ago, after POJ was in the lineup for awhile, I would have said Gryz was as good as gone right next to Pettersson. But with POJ get the HS more frequently, I tend to think they will lean towards resigning Gryz instead of trading him.

Best case:

POJ-Letang
Gryz/Pick-EK
Graves/Pick-Desharnais
Pickering

If they don't keep him, they have to go find another one.

Friedman’s 32 thoughts had 2 points about the Penguins, one about them possibly flipping the Rangers 1st and one about Rakell in Winnipeg. The Rakell point seemed to be speculation more than anything though.

Rakell to Winnipeg would make them a pretty heavy favorite. I just have no idea how you get Rakell inside the cap this year. Too long to retain on and I don't think Winnipeg would pay the price. Nino is on the 3rd line and Iafallo is on the 4th, so maybe something like Iafallo+2025 1st+2026 3rd or a prospect (maybe the other Lucius brother - Chaz)?

 

[Empoleon8771]

Man I must admit Dubas looking to flipping that 1st scares the shit out of me. I don't trust him..

Dubas' trade track record has been pretty good for the Penguins overall IMO. Not sure what there is to be scared about with him making trades.

Even with how the Karlsson trade ended up a dud, he basically ended up making up for it with getting the Rangers 1st for Pettersson.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I think it'd be in the team's best interest long term to try and move one of Rakell and Bunting in season, and work the phones over the summer to find landing places for both Rust (once his NTC drops) and EK. The latter two just have to be off season moves if they ever happen imo, and with Rakell, I think it just makes sense because I don't think his value's ever gonna be higher tbh. /shrug

 

[IcedCapp]

Why doesn't Dubas simply trade all of our bad players for the good players on other teams? Is he stupid?

i know you're asking this rhetorically and sarcastically, but you know what some serious answers are gonna be, right?

 

[HandshakeLine]

I mean, the realistic thing is, you can only trade the good-ish players. I don't know why we'd want to horde assets when we're clearly in a downward spiral, but I don't really get a lot of things about yinzers these days.

As always, I blame the degenerate influence of the Stillers.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I just think the singular goal should be to be as bad as possible for the next three drafts. People constantly spitball ideas to cut corners and make the post-Sid era the least miserable possible with crazy ideas about signing FAs for max contracts and all that but the real way to do it is to try your damnedest to land a top-4 pick this year, and then stumble your way into having the best odds at McKenna and Dupont in their drafts.

No, that isn't job finished. There's more work to be done, but the important thing is landing those guys. Then you build around 'em, that's the easier part.

And why does anybody around here give a slimy rat shit about a near 33 year old Rust, or a near 32 year old Rakell? Cuz of the whole Sid chasing points thing? Be serious, man. Dude's legacy is cemented and he's a top-5 player all time regardless of whether he ends up 3rd or 5th in the all time points race. /shrug

-edit- Off topic a bit but I saw these and thought they were hilarious.

 

[eXile3]

Let’s sign both Raantanen and Marner. Bring up some young guys. Trade for a 3C with all those picks. Rebuild over.

 

[Gurglesons]

Why doesn't Dubas simply trade all of our bad players for the good players on other teams? Is he stupid?

I think the idea is to make trades that have potential to work out versus just keeping the status quo which is what Dubas has done for two years outside of the EK trade which was largely players who had been here a year or less.

 

[molon labe]

I just think the singular goal should be to be as bad as possible for the next three drafts. People constantly spitball ideas to cut corners and make the post-Sid era the least miserable possible with crazy ideas about signing FAs for max contracts and all that but the real way to do it is to try your damnedest to land a top-4 pick this year, and then stumble your way into having the best odds at McKenna and Dupont in their drafts.

No, that isn't job finished. There's more work to be done, but the important thing is landing those guys. Then you build around 'em, that's the easier part.

And why does anybody around here give a slimy rat shit about a near 33 year old Rust, or a near 32 year old Rakell? Cuz of the whole Sid chasing points thing? Be serious, man. Dude's legacy is cemented and he's a top-5 player all time regardless of whether he ends up 3rd or 5th in the all time points race. /shrug

-edit- Off topic a bit but I saw these and thought they were hilarious. View attachment 973399
View attachment 973400

I doubt Sid even cares. Or perhaps he just wanted a few more in-house records before moving.

If he was concerned about points with regard to legacy he should have demanded a trade to the Avs or Toronto a while ago. He'd easily have another 15-30 playoff points. Each year he waits is another 10+ playoff points missed. We're about to miss for a third straight year.

That said - Rakell and Rust aren't difference makers. This team is immensely better losing all 3 of Guentz/Rust/Rakell in favor of 1 Marner and it's not even close. Marner would enhance either Sid or Malkin's lines (or....Marner-Sid-Malkin line) and his points would skyrocket.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I think the main point about the "get as bad as possible" argument I don't agree with is that you need to trade everyone to "get as bad as possible". This team with Crosby healthy is going to finish with like the 7th worst record. You don't need to gut everything to have a roster contending for McKenna next year.

They should be selling players they can get good returns for while holding onto guys that could have more value in the future. Sell high on players, bring in expensive short term UFAs to replace them and keep adding more and more picks and prospects to the system.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I doubt Sid even cares. Or perhaps he just wanted a few more in-house records before moving.

If he was concerned about points with regard to legacy he should have demanded a trade to the Avs or Toronto a while ago. He'd easily have another 15-30 playoff points. Each year he waits is another 10+ playoff points missed. We're about to miss for a third straight year.

That said - Rakell and Rust aren't difference makers. This team is immensely better losing all 3 of Guentz/Rust/Rakell in favor of 1 Marner and it's not even close. Marner would enhance either Sid or Malkin's lines (or....Marner-Sid-Malkin line) and his points would skyrocket.

Oh, I meant the fanbase. People balk at the idea of trading guys on the team for all kinds of dumb (imo) reasons.

But yeah, Marner is instantly this team's best player. He's what Sullivan wishes Rust was.

 

[Khelandros]

I'm reasonably certain that that reasonable trade offer is, reasonable.

Perhaps it's not likely.

Rust's got what, 2 years..3 years left? At 5M he's definitely an asset. Freaking middling 3rd/4th liners are going to be making that money during his deal. If not next year, certainly the year after. Rust also has going for him what many top 6 forwards do not: versatility and cup experience (and proven clutchness). So many forwards seem to get that check cashed for 5-7M who can literally only produce. In fairness to Rust - he can seemingly do that on any of the four lines, while pking, while playing decent defense for a forward. So yeah - for 5M I think a 1st is not at all out of the question - especially with the rising cap.


Don't you tempt me with a good time, buddy.

That guy...holy smokes. I'd have rather shipped him off than DOC in that Vancouver deal....and I was NEVER big on DOC. But, as a bottom 6 guy - DOC brings more to the table than Bunting has this year. He's been ass.

Don't know if you've been watching the games this year but,

 

[Tasty Biscuits]

Man I must admit Dubas looking to flipping that 1st scares the shit out of me. I don't trust him..

That 1st should basically be untouchable.

Not sure what there is to be scared about with him making trades.

Even with how the Karlsson trade ended up a dud, he basically ended up making up for it with getting the Rangers 1st for Pettersson.

It's tracking to be an unprotected 1st in 2026 for a team that's going to suck.

 

[Empoleon8771]

That 1st should basically be untouchable.

I wouldn't trade it now until we see how the Rangers finish the year, but if that pick is sitting at like #20 this year, they absolutely should consider trading it for a young player instead. This draft kinda sucks.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Don't know if you've been watching the games this year but,
View attachment 973403

what dweebs.

 

[Tasty Biscuits]

I wouldn't trade it now until we see how the Rangers finish the year, but if that pick is sitting at like #20 this year, they absolutely should consider trading it for a young player instead. This draft kinda sucks.

If the pick is 13 or higher, Rags keep it. If it's lower, it defaults to 2026.

 

[Empoleon8771]

It's tracking to be an unprotected 1st in 2026 for a team that's going to suck.

I don't see any reason to think that the Rangers are going to suck next year. Not only that, but with how the Rangers have been playing since the trade the pick will likely fall in 2025 rather than 2026. They're most likely not picking in the top-13 this year.

If the pick is 13 or higher, Rags keep it. If it's lower, it defaults to 2026.

Yes and I think it's more likely that the pick will be a 2025 pick because it will be sitting around #20.

I wouldn't trade the pick before the deadline, but I'd absolutely trade it if/when the pick ends up a 2025 pick. Which is what I'm thinking is the more likely outcome here.

 

[HandshakeLine]

I just think the singular goal should be to be as bad as possible for the next three drafts. People constantly spitball ideas to cut corners and make the post-Sid era the least miserable possible with crazy ideas about signing FAs for max contracts and all that but the real way to do it is to try your damnedest to land a top-4 pick this year, and then stumble your way into having the best odds at McKenna and Dupont in their drafts.

No, that isn't job finished. There's more work to be done, but the important thing is landing those guys. Then you build around 'em, that's the easier part.

And why does anybody around here give a slimy rat shit about a near 33 year old Rust, or a near 32 year old Rakell? Cuz of the whole Sid chasing points thing? Be serious, man. Dude's legacy is cemented and he's a top-5 player all time regardless of whether he ends up 3rd or 5th in the all time points race. /shrug

-edit- Off topic a bit but I saw these and thought they were hilarious. View attachment 973399
View attachment 973400

Lol what maniacs WANT to play for Torts?

Damn, NHL players are dumb.

 

[IcedCapp]

I love the Petts trade and I already laid out my thoughts on the Rangers pick, but I cannot fathom a world where it's more valuable than our own first, which still has a chance at being friggin 1OA

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I think the main point about the "get as bad as possible" argument I don't agree with is that you need to trade everyone to "get as bad as possible". This team with Crosby healthy is going to finish with like the 7th worst record. You don't need to gut everything to have a roster contending for McKenna next year.

They should be selling players they can get good returns for while holding onto guys that could have more value in the future. Sell high on players, bring in expensive short term UFAs to replace them and keep adding more and more picks and prospects to the system.

You'd be selling high on Rakell if you moved him this season. Nobody's value is gonna be higher in the future than it is now. /shrug

This team's just gonna keep getting worse, but they're still not in the absolutely dreadful category. That's the goal by moving guys who have any value. Much, much more important to chase the top picks in the next few drafts than to hang on to guys in hopes that a 2nd can turn into a late 1st imo.

None of these guys are worth hanging on to in the hope that you can eek out a tiny bit more value later. None of these players we're talking about trading are worth keeping around in mentor roles, or in the hope that they can be supporting cast depth for the next chapter of competing--they'll all have aged out by then. Pales in comparison to the importance of chasing top picks and trying to make the post-Sid misery as short and painless as possible.

I dunno. I'm sick of all the half efforts. It's been abundantly clear for years that this team's chosen the wrong approach with just about everything they've been faced with. Hanging on to the Buntings, Rusts, Rakells, EKs, etc. is just another mistake to me for several reasons.

I say all this knowing full well the team's not just gonna rip it down to studs and bolts. Which is probably why I'm so annoyed/disgusted tbh.

 

[Tasty Biscuits]

I don't see any reason to think that the Rangers are going to suck next year. Not only that, but with how the Rangers have been playing since the trade the pick will likely fall in 2025 rather than 2026. They're most likely not picking in the top-13 this year.



Yes and I think it's more likely that the pick will be a 2025 pick because it will be sitting around #20.

I wouldn't trade the pick before the deadline, but I'd absolutely trade it if/when the pick ends up a 2025 pick. Which is what I'm thinking is the more likely outcome here.

Yeah I'm an idiot and mixed up my shit. Still, don't wanna move it until that's certain.