Salary Cap: '24-'25 Salary Thread: Crosbicles Volume MMXXVI: Sid is Still Goat

[Darren McCord]

Again, young players shouldn't just be gifted spots just because they're young guys. I'm not throwing aside effective and fairly young pieces just for the sake of throwing them aside. If you can get something worthwhile in a trade for him, then sure move on from him.

I don't understand why you keep saying this. No one is gifting them spots. They need to be cycling through players. Poulin, Gruden, Pono. Young guys need cups of team during the season to be developed.

Glass was overpaid and dumped with picks. Glass had 1 good season is has been meh. I was fine with bringing him in to get picks but he should absolutely not be resigned after getting Heinen.

This team needs less bland players in the bottom 6. I have 0 worry they can't replace him internally. Spend the money on something useful. Either sign better players or take on cap for assets again.

 

[SEALBound]

I also don't know why people ignore that injuries happen and even the 13th forward on the Penguins would get a boatload of ice time. The Penguins have 14 forwards who have played in at least 25 games this year, and that's while the team has been generally healthy for the most part. Even as a 13th forward, Ponomarev would likely still be playing in about 40-50 games next year. And that's assuming he wouldn't play well enough to displace someone in the top-12 and the Penguins wouldn't sell off some of their older guys in the top-12 to open up a spot for him.

Yeah, getting 40 games as a bottom 6 player while Lizotte, Heinen, Acciari, and Hayes are on their last year isn't the worst thing. I just hope we can some more guys rotated in so that when we do have a new found gluttony of roster spots, we actually know who can fill them.

 

[Darren McCord]

Yeah, getting 40 games as a bottom 6 player while Lizotte, Heinen, Acciari, and Hayes are on their last year isn't the worst thing. I just hope we can some more guys rotated in so that when we do have a new found gluttony of roster spots, we actually know who can fill them.

They need to leave at least one spot open to rotate some youth in. They also need to bring in other players. Which is why there is not need to bring back Glass and should move on from Acciari and/or Heinen if possible.

This is the forward group for next year right now.

Rakell-Crosby-Rust
Bunting-Malkin-XXX
Heinen-Hayes-Tomasino
Lizotte-XXX-Acciari
XXX

Three spots open. They should be either bringing in top UFAs by overpaying or trying to weaponize cap. Pick a direction. Stop bringing vanilla players in their mid to late 20's. If you are bringing in plugs at least get ones you play with more heart like Lizotte.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

I also don't know why people ignore that injuries happen and even the 13th forward on the Penguins would get a boatload of ice time. The Penguins have 14 forwards who have played in at least 25 games this year, and that's while the team has been generally healthy for the most part. Even as a 13th forward, Ponomarev would likely still be playing in about 40-50 games next year. And that's assuming he wouldn't play well enough to displace someone in the top-12 and the Penguins wouldn't sell off some of their older guys in the top-12 to open up a spot for him.

great in theory if he plays 11 min + or so when he’s in the lineup.

Not so great if he rotates in and out, plays 40 games and averages 7 min.

I’m not saying he’s done much when he’s been up (I haven’t been impressed) and I don’t disagree young guys need to earn it- however he’s close to p/pg in the AHL and plays center. Some rope in terms of role/TOI for 10-20 games would be nice just to see what you’ve got.

Dude was tracking to make Carolina under the ultimate hardo Brindamour. Maybe it was a training camp mirage but between that, him being a center, and his AHL play this season… I’d like to just see what happens if you played him 13 minutes a night for 15 games.

 

[Darren McCord]

I’m not saying he’s done much when he’s been up (I haven’t been impressed)

*Checks Notes*

23 min 62% of his icetime was on a line with Nieto and Accairi

The fact that he didn't request a trade after getting that usage has impressed me.

 

[SEALBound]

They need to leave at least one spot open to rotate some youth in. They also need to bring in other players. Which is why there is not need to bring back Glass and should move on from Acciari and/or Heinen if possible.

This is the forward group for next year right now.

Rakell-Crosby-Rust
Bunting-Malkin-XXX
Heinen-Hayes-Tomasino
Lizotte-XXX-Acciari
XXX

Three spots open. They should be either bringing in top UFAs by overpaying or trying to weaponize cap. Pick a direction. Stop bringing vanilla players in their mid to late 20's. If you are bringing in plugs at least get ones you play with more heart like Lizotte.

Yeah, I would agree with this. If I'm Dubas I'm on the phones trying to trade Heinen, Hayes, or Acciari before I let Glass go.

I would imagine barring anything big, those three spots go to Pono, Poulin, and Hallander de facto due to waiver status. But honestly, you can still build a decent team:

Raks-Sid-Rust
Bunting-Malkin-Tomasino
Heinen-Hayes-Hallander
Pono-Lizotte-Acciari
Poulin

That's a reasonable guess for opening night. That said, I'd much rather get 2 4ths for Heinen and Acciari and look to add another young kid.

For example: Gryz+Nieto for Parssinen+5th (he's getting 9min/night so Nieto might be more effective. That said, it could be Heinen or Acciari as well).

Raks-Sid-Rust
Bunting-Malkin-Tomasino
Parssinen-Hayes-Hallander
Pono-Lizotte-Poulin

Final comment: I don't think we're going to find "non-vanilla" players outside of the trade. 75% of the league is "vanilla". Heinen, Tomasino, Glass - that's your average NHL player. Impact guys or shit disturbers are few and far in between.

 

[Empoleon8771]

great in theory if he plays 11 min + or so when he’s in the lineup.

Not so great if he rotates in and out, plays 40 games and averages 7 min.

I’m not saying he’s done much when he’s been up (I haven’t been impressed) and I don’t disagree young guys need to earn it- however he’s close to p/pg in the AHL and plays center. Some rope in terms of role/TOI for 10-20 games would be nice just to see what you’ve got.

Dude was tracking to make Carolina under the ultimate hardo Brindamour. Maybe it was a training camp mirage but between that, him being a center, and his AHL play this season… I’d like to just see what happens if you played him 13 minutes a night for 15 games.

I want them to do this for the rest of the year with him, I'm not saying to not do that. My point was that I'm not going to throw aside Glass, who's still fairly young and you know is an effective bottom-6 center, just to gift Ponomarev a spot.

Ponomarev's realistic upside is just what Glass is anyway.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

I want them to do this for the rest of the year with him, I'm not saying to not do that. My point was that I'm not going to throw aside Glass, who's still fairly young and you know is an effective bottom-6 center, just to gift Ponomarev a spot.

Ponomarev's realistic upside is just what Glass is anyway.

Oh yea for sure

I meant next season anyway.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I also think it's a legitimate alternative to keep Glass as the righty faceoff guy/PKer on L4 and run with something like Lizotte-Ponomarev-Glass as the 4th line. I like Glass at center more than I like him at RW, but playing him at RW makes any sort of role Acciari may offer completely irrelevant. The big question I have from doing that is where it leaves Hallander, but that may be speaking way too soon on him.

Either way, I think they should be planning on going cheap in the bottom-6 with either Lizotte/Glass/Tomasino type of younger players or prospects. I don't know where Heinen fits in that but I'm not really holding my breath that they'll move him anytime soon.

 

[SEALBound]

I also think it's a legitimate alternative to keep Glass as the righty faceoff guy/PKer on L4 and run with something like Lizotte-Ponomarev-Glass as the 4th line. I like Glass at center more than I like him at RW, but playing him at RW makes any sort of role Acciari may offer completely irrelevant. The big question I have from doing that is where it leaves Hallander, but that may be speaking way too soon on him.

Either way, I think they should be planning on going cheap in the bottom-6 with either Lizotte/Glass/Tomasino type of younger players or prospects. I don't know where Heinen fits in that but I'm not really holding my breath that they'll move him anytime soon.

Yeah, we are starting to get pretty heavy on NHL talent again for next year already. As I said, I think Dubas needs to work the phones a bit to see if he can't open up a slot or two by moving Heinen, Acciari, and Hayes.
Best situation for us would be if someone in camp really steps up and forces their way to the top 6. Perhaps Hallander and create: Bunting-Malkin-Hallander which is reminisce of Hagelin-Malkin-Hornqvist. Then you can leave Tomasino on the third line, give a young kid the center or LW spot and use a current player for the other.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Yeah, we are starting to get pretty heavy on NHL talent again for next year already. As I said, I think Dubas needs to work the phones a bit to see if he can't open up a slot or two by moving Heinen, Acciari, and Hayes.
Best situation for us would be if someone in camp really steps up and forces their way to the top 6. Perhaps Hallander and create: Bunting-Malkin-Hallander which is reminisce of Hagelin-Malkin-Hornqvist. Then you can leave Tomasino on the third line, give a young kid the center or LW spot and use a current player for the other.

They should be moving Acciari and Hayes regardless, because Acciari sucks and Sullivan seems to really dislike Hayes due to his skating.

I don't agree that they're pretty heavy on NHL talent for next year, either. They're pretty heavy on 4th liners and waiver eligible young guys who haven't shown to be NHL ready yet. The only guys they have that I'd be okay with on a 3rd line is Heinen and Tomasino, and it's more about his PP ability in Tomasino's case than his 5v5 ability. If they actually wanted to be a playoff caliber team next year, the only 3rd line forwards on the team right now IMO are Bunting and Heinen.

 

[Duffy13]

Glass is terrible, he is ok at faceoffs, and that's pretty much it. Getting rid of these Sullivan players is just as important as getting rid of Sullivan. Heinen was bad the first time he was here, bad in Vancouver and has been invisible the couple games he's been back, he can go away too. The players this team targets because of this coach is plain awful.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Glass is f***ing lame, I don't think he's terrible. We gotta make sure we reserve that kinda distinction for guys like Acciari and Nieto.

Like, I don't care either way if Glass is on the team moving forward. I absolutely do not want Acciari or Nieto on the team moving forward.

Cue the debate perverts telling me that they're actually required presence because they're proficient in the hidden arts (PKing) or something.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Glass is f***ing lame, I don't think he's terrible. We gotta make sure we reserve that kinda distinction for guys like Acciari and Nieto.

Like, I don't care either way if Glass is on the team moving forward. I absolutely do not want Acciari or Nieto on the team moving forward.

Cue the debate perverts telling me that they're actually required presence because they're proficient in the hidden arts (PKing) or something.

Yeah I understand the negative comments with Acciari and Nieto because they're legitimately terrible. Glass is just boring. He's a defensive 3C/4C that is basically what Ponomarev projects to be. It's just weird to me that some are screaming to get rid of him to play the young guys when the young guys are basically just going to be him if they pan out. This is especially true with Poulin, who at this point turning into Glass would be great.

 

[Turin]

People see Ponomarev play like 15 minutes and say his upside is Glass now.

 

[Empoleon8771]

People see Ponomarev play like 15 minutes and say his upside is Glass now.

If people were judging Ponomarev based on his NHL performance, they'd be saying that he's a bust that will never be able to play in the NHL. Because he's been awful in the NHL.

His upside has always been a bottom-6 center. He's basically projected to be another Blueger caliber guy.

 

[Turin]

If people were judging Ponomarev based on his NHL performance, they'd be saying that he's a bust that will never be able to play in the NHL. Because he's been awful in the NHL.

His upside has always been a bottom-6 center. He's basically projected to be another Blueger caliber guy.

He's played 4 f***ing games for the Pens playing less than 10 minutes every game. In his two games with Carolina he has two points.

 

[Empoleon8771]

He's played 4 f***ing games for the Pens playing less than 10 minutes every game. In his two games with Carolina he has two points.

Okay? I don't see how that refutes anything I said.

Wheeler ranked him as the 14th ranked prospect in the Penguins system. His scouting report makes it pretty clear his upside is a bottom-6 center.

 

[Turin]

Okay? I don't see how that refutes anything I said.

Wheeler ranked him as the 14th ranked prospect in the Penguins system. His scouting report makes it pretty clear his upside is a bottom-6 center.

Bottom six center has a wide range of ability. You didn't say he would be a bottom six center, you said his upside is Glass, who is a relatively bad 4th line center who should be a winger. Who cares what Scott Wheeler says lol

 

[Empoleon8771]

Bottom six center has a wide range of ability. You didn't say he would be a bottom six center, you said his upside is Glass, who is a relatively bad 4th line center who should be a winger. Who cares what Scott Wheeler says lol

That's not what Glass is at all. He's a fringe 3C/4C who's good defensively. Which is exactly what Blueger is as well, and also what Ponomarev projects to be.

 

[Turin]

That's not what Glass is at all. He's a fringe 3C/4C who's good defensively. Which is exactly what Blueger is as well, and also what Ponomarev projects to be.

Nah, aside from 2023 he has been pretty ineffective. If he was actually really good defensively Sullivan would have used him like he’s using Lizotte. This year is more of what he is, between his decent bottom six C 2023 and unusable not an NHLer 2024.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Yeah I understand the negative comments with Acciari and Nieto because they're legitimately terrible. Glass is just boring. He's a defensive 3C/4C that is basically what Ponomarev projects to be. It's just weird to me that some are screaming to get rid of him to play the young guys when the young guys are basically just going to be him if they pan out. This is especially true with Poulin, who at this point turning into Glass would be great.

I'm glad you're cool and didn't lose your shit over that light dig, Emp.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Rakell, Grz, and Ned traded this TDL. Draft Misa. Rust and EK dealt this summer. Jarry either continues to be buried in WBS or bought out.

Misa-Sid-Geno
Bunting-Glass-Tomasino
McG-Broz-Koivunen
Pono-Lizotte-Hayes

Pickering-Letang
POJ-Brunicke
Graves-Desharnais

Blomqvist
Larsson

One Gavin McKenna, please. And one Landon Dupont the year after. Thank you.