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

[molon labe]

With the cap rising there's basically no need to retain folks preemptively.

Unless there's a clear plan of compete next year - sell what ain't bolted down if the price is right. You can get another Gryz in FA.

They need to be clear on next year before dealing EK though. Genuinely. Unless the price is great. But yeah every single supporting role player on this team is replaceable.

 

[Empoleon8771]

With the cap rising there's basically no need to retain folks preemptively.

Unless there's a clear plan of compete next year - sell what ain't bolted down if the price is right. You can get another Gryz in FA.

They need to be clear on next year before dealing EK though. Genuinely. Unless the price is great. But yeah every single supporting role player on this team is replaceable.

Yeah I think they need to replace him next season with another minute eating LD, I've been using Orlov as the main guy I want. But I don't see an issue running with Graves, POJ and Kotya as their LD for the rest of the year.

 

[The GM]

I think you just need to have the right expectations when it comes to Zegras. I do think his peak is that highly skilled 60pt wing. You may be able to push that to PPG if he's getting a center like prime Crosby.

If you think he's going to come here to be 2C with Bunting and Tomasino as his wings, I wouldn't be expecting 60pts but if he's in that 40-50pt region, people are going to sour on him, which isn't fair to him.

It's like, if you go to Olive Garden expecting fine Italian Cuisine and are disappointed, the problem is you, not Olive Garden.

Yes and no. I would say we are rebuilding via the draft and retooling via trade (with non-impact assets) and FA.

Wait, Olive Garden isn’t fine dining?

 

[SEALBound]

Wait, Olive Garden isn’t fine dining?

One of the best pieces of advice I ever heard was "never marry a girl that think Olive Garden is fancy".

 

[The Old Master]

The only way he fits into the top 6 again is on a line Geno-Sid-Bunt

Sort of baffling that Geno wasn't moved up 3 years ago but here we are - and I'm here for it. We'll still lose - but at least Sid/Geno will rack up points which is the only thing worth watching for at the present.

Sid and Geno never seemed to play well together. not sure why everyone wants them to now.

 

[Ulf5]

This won’t be popular but when do you start to wonder about keeping Gryz?

Hes not great and I’d like to capitalize on him racking up PP assists.

But say the market doesn’t value him… do you take him back at $2Mx2 instead of trading him for a 4th or 5th? Or do you just take whatever you can get and move on.

I would certainly keep him if all you can get is a 4 or 5. But I expect a 3rd, hopefully a 2nd if there's a bidding war or if you add a piece to Grizz.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Sid and Geno never seemed to play well together. not sure why everyone wants them to now.

Crosby pulled out of his rut immediately after Malkin was placed on his line.

I don't think they've been tried nearly enough together over the years to say this with any confidence. They have been given what amounts to spot duty at best 5v5 for their whole careers.

 

[Tasty Biscuits]

Yeah it's not that they weren't effective together, it's that they were more effective driving their own lines and elevating others (when they both still had the ability to do so).

 

[SEALBound]

I think in their younger years, they could both individually drive offense in a manner that made it difficult for them to "share a puck" on the ice together outside of a couple shifts here and there.

Now that they are slowing down, particularly Malkin, I think they both see value in each other and I imagine, both of their talents make things a bit easier on the both of them, so it looks and feels a bit better.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

I don't get it. We desperately need more center depth, yet here we are discussing Malkin on the wing for the 1,957,983rd time in his career. Also, if Malkin is no longer a No. 2 center, why do people think he can be a first-time LW1 as he pushes 40? None of this makes any sense.

What the goal should be, and what it should always be, is to create more balance and three lines that can score. So that is why a Zegras trade makes sense. However, the cost versus trying someone else does not. Also, trading Rakell makes no sense if we are trying to build a three-line attack. And we should be. Because Crosby won't be able to dominate forever. It's great that he is still leading this one-line team at age 37, but we need more balance.

Therefore, trading for center prospects in deals involving Grz, Beauvillier, Glass, and possibly guys like Bunting and Ned, makes too much sense for us at this time.

When I think about possible fits for our rentals, Vegas makes a lot of sense for Grz. Cassidy knows him well, and I assume he likes Grz because he almost always had him paired with McAvoy. And with Theodore out long term, Grz makes too much sense for VGK. I wonder if we could pry Sapovaliv from them. Probably not, but if the deal were to be expanded, that could be interesting.

I also read an article linking Bunting to CBJ, due to the fact Waddell acquired him once upon a time with Carolina. Luca Pinelli could be an interesting acquisition, but we probably have to aim lower.

Anyway, we desperately need to work on our center depth between now and the start of next season. And for the record, Geno can play center for us as long as he wants. Even slowing down in production, he remains our best No. 2 center option. That has to change, but so that he can be our No. 3 center (and make this team legit).

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

lol at this point in Malkin's career and considering what an afterthought he appears to be re: getting him any help... I am very much making this argument on his behalf. He is absolutely not carrying around the likes of Bunting and whatever other trash they find in the bin at this point. Far from it. He's looked like hot trash the majority of the year until he decided to retire himself with a shitty, moronic, dirty attempt at a hit. Playing wing with Crosby is his only shot at not looking like a wet sack of turds.

 

[pistolpete11]

I don't get it. We desperately need more center depth, yet here we are discussing Malkin on the wing for the 1,957,983rd time in his career. Also, if Malkin is no longer a No. 2 center, why do people think he can be a first-time LW1 as he pushes 40? None of this makes any sense.

What the goal should be, and what it should always be, is to create more balance and three lines that can score. So that is why a Zegras trade makes sense. However, the cost versus trying someone else does not. Also, trading Rakell makes no sense if we are trying to build a three-line attack. And we should be. Because Crosby won't be able to dominate forever. It's great that he is still leading this one-line team at age 37, but we need more balance.

Therefore, trading for center prospects in deals involving Grz, Beauvillier, Glass, and possibly guys like Bunting and Ned, makes too much sense for us at this time.

When I think about possible fits for our rentals, Vegas makes a lot of sense for Grz. Cassidy knows him well, and I assume he likes Grz because he almost always had him paired with McAvoy. And with Theodore out long term, Grz makes too much sense for VGK. I wonder if we could pry Sapovaliv from them. Probably not, but if the deal were to be expanded, that could be interesting.

I also read an article linking Bunting to CBJ, due to the fact Waddell acquired him once upon a time with Carolina. Luca Pinelli could be an interesting acquisition, but we probably have to aim lower.

Anyway, we desperately need to work on our center depth between now and the start of next season. And for the record, Geno can play center for us as long as he wants. Even slowing down in production, he remains our best No. 2 center option. That has to change, but so that he can be our No. 3 center (and make this team legit).

I don't think anyone is suggesting to put Crosby and Malkin together to make this team legit. They are suggesting it for the funsies and to see Crosby and Malkin put up the most points they can.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

I don't think anyone is suggesting to put Crosby and Malkin together to make this team legit. They are suggesting it for the funsies and to see Crosby and Malkin put up the most points they can.

I am thinking like a GM, not like the owner in Major League.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I think in their younger years, they could both individually drive offense in a manner that made it difficult for them to "share a puck" on the ice together outside of a couple shifts here and there.

Now that they are slowing down, particularly Malkin, I think they both see value in each other and I imagine, both of their talents make things a bit easier on the both of them, so it looks and feels a bit better.

Slowing down?

Malkin was on fire, he built up chemistry with Rakell all through camp and pre-season games, he was fantastic as a duo with him and was on track to have one of his best seasons in a while and then Mike Sullivan decides, well Sidney Crosby is struggling, let's turn Malkin into a winger and remove Rakell from his line and then when Malkin went cold, lets give you the worst winger set and see if you can get back on track...

When Malkin struggled last year, there wasn't much of an effort to get him going the way they did this year, the disrespect to Malkin was always there but never as blatant as the last 2 seasons where they would bullshit you into "we don't have a 1st line, we have two 1st lines" but then they did what they did and let you know, no one else matters but 1 player.

That's what this team has become and it's a joke, it's absolute f***ing garbage.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Slowing down?

Malkin was on fire, he built up chemistry with Rakell all through camp and pre-season games, he was fantastic as a duo with him and was on track to have one of his best seasons in a while and then Mike Sullivan decides, well Sidney Crosby is struggling, let's turn Malkin into a winger and remove Rakell from his line and then when Malkin went cold, lets give you the worst winger set and see if you can get back on track...

When Malkin struggled last year, there wasn't much of an effort to get him going the way they did this year, the disrespect to Malkin was always there but never as blatant as the last 2 seasons where they would bullshit you into "we don't have a 1st line, we have two 1st lines" but then they did what they did and let you know, no one else matters but 1 player.

That's what this team has become and it's a joke, it's absolute f***ing garbage.

I mean you aren't totally wrong but this is clearly his reality and has been for seasons, now. We can pound the desk all we want to "get him help" -- they aren't going to do it. They don't care. At this point maybe they shouldn't.

The best outcome is that he plays with Crosby next season then retires. Do we really think he's gonna be anything less than f***ing abysmal once he comes back from this self-imposed knee injury? Hell he might not even be able to keep up in that role.

 

[eXile3]

I hope next year is Geno’s last. He’s not even pacing for 60 points this year. I would like to remember as he was.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I hope next year is Geno’s last. He’s not even pacing for 60 points this year. I would like to remember as he was.

Same. Frankly this year has been a big stain for him in my estimation. The topper was that knee injury. What a f***ing moron.

I had hoped he would age gracefully. Clearly he is not capable of that.

 

[Pancakes]

Sid would be lucky to be remaining a PPG if he had to play with the trash Malkin has had all year.

And I love Sid, but let's be real. Malkin has been giving dog shit to play with this year and is old as f*** so is it any wonder he's struggling? How would Sid look playing the whole year with Bunting and *insert plug lord here* ?

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Sid would be lucky to be remaining a PPG if he had to play with the trash Malkin has had all year.

And I love Sid, but let's be real. Malkin has been giving dog shit to play with this year and is old as f*** so is it any wonder he's struggling? How would Sid look playing the whole year with Bunting and *insert plug lord here* ?

Again... accurate. To the point where Sid struggled pretty hard to start the year while Malkin was on fire and the juggling immediately began regardless. I think even the biggest Malkin hater would acknowledge that's a bit of a double standard. Seeing as how Malkin is allowed to just languish for months at a time with increasingly worse and worse linemates.

But again... that isn't changing so best to hope he can end his career on his buddy's line and maybe not look like severe depression in the form of a hockey player every night out there. Actually if I'm being honest I doubt they do it. Sullivan seems to revel in shitting on Malkin so he probably just gets his role even further reduced and plays like 7-10 minutes a night all next year on L4 with the REAL dregs while Mike constantly tosses soft barbs at him after every loss. That's more this team's style.

 

[Pancakes]

Again... accurate. To the point where Sid struggled pretty hard to start the year while Malkin was on fire and the juggling immediately began regardless. I think even the biggest Malkin hater would acknowledge that's a bit of a double standard. Seeing as how Malkin is allowed to just languish for months at a time with increasingly worse and worse linemates.

But again... that isn't changing so best to hope he can end his career on his buddy's line and maybe not look like severe depression in the form of a hockey player every night out there. Actually if I'm being honest I doubt they do it. Sullivan seems to revel in shitting on Malkin so he probably just gets his role even further reduced and plays like 7-10 minutes a night all next year on L4 with the REAL dregs while Mike constantly tosses soft barbs at him after every loss. That's more this team's style.

Yeah and I mean that's fine and whatever I just think it's a bit of joke how much people are shitting on Geno when Sid is being given the absolute best circumstances possible to produce while Geno is a year older and is being given worse linemates.

I bet if Sid were to get injured and sit some games out and they went Rust-Malkin-Rakell that Geno would magically start producing again and people would be talking about how he looks rejuvenated from the break lol

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Yeah and I mean that's fine and whatever I just think it's a bit of joke how much people are shitting on Geno when Sid is being given the absolute best circumstances possible to produce while Geno is a year older and is being given worse linemates.

I bet if Sid were to get injured and sit some games out and they went Rust-Malkin-Rakell that Geno would magically start producing again and people would be talking about how he looks rejuvenated from the break lol

Maybe last year or earlier this year. After his reckless, moronic decision to stick his knee out in the NZ because he's too stupid/slow to keep up anymore... I doubt it. That was when I was done. And realistically that's probably the final nail for him, too.

 

[eXile3]

Same. Frankly this year has been a big stain for him in my estimation. The topper was that knee injury. What a f***ing moron.

I had hoped he would age gracefully. Clearly he is not capable of that.

I thought he would age into becoming a power play merchant but he’s seemed to have gotten worse there.

 

[Pancakes]

Maybe last year or earlier this year. After his reckless, moronic decision to stick his knee out in the NZ because he's too stupid/slow to keep up anymore... I doubt it. That was when I was done. And realistically that's probably the final nail for him, too.

Certainly seems like we're dead in the water for this year not only because of our current position in the standings but because both Sid and Malkin are injured. I would not be surprised if Sid has to sit out games coming back from the 4 Nations.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I thought he would age into becoming a power play merchant but he’s seemed to have gotten worse there.

To be fair they haven't given him what I would consider many REAL chances to prove himself there or win back that job the last couple of seasons. They were pretty quick to yank him both years when to my eyes he wasn't often the main culprit out there. Again... most of this is his fault but he also is only being given token help or shots at roles he once held. To me it seems clear they already had pre-built ideas and moved to them quickly. And to be fair the powerplay isn't an issue this year so who am I to complain.

Certainly seems like we're dead in the water for this year not only because of our current position in the standings but because both Sid and Malkin are injured. I would not be surprised if Sid has to sit out games coming back from the 4 Nations.

Indeed. Well that and the roster is a dumpster fire. Whether on purpose or not I do not know.

Also I'm pretty sure Sullivan would preference putting literally anyone on L1 over Malkin in place of Crosby. He went to Jeff f***ing Carter in the playoffs in that same situation and that was back when Malkin was still pretty good.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Malkin is just no longer capable of carrying a line, put him with Crosby and I think he'd be significantly more successful. Just let those two play as long as they want together on L1 and rebuild the rest of the team.

Hell, keep Rust too and just have it be Malkin-Crosby-Rust.