Salary Cap: 24 25 Salary Thread Crosbicles Volume Mmxxvii Retool over Time to Go for A Cup in 2026

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Dubas went back and forth, doing a bunch of hand wringing over firing Todd f***ing Reirden after this team had a historically terrible power play, man. They're a *shockingly* unserious organization.

Every summer, we all sit around like dipshits, throwing together these super ambitious plans to turn things around and we get a presser from FSG and Dubas like "Dudes, we pinky promise that we're gonna be better. Please continue to buy merch and tickets." Then they take on some of the worst f***ing players in the league and eight months later, the cycle repeats.

 

[Pancakes]

"For the first time in a long time I feel like a Pens gm has a plan I trust. We will see how long he stays patient. If he tries to pivot too soon to trying to contend I won't be pleased."

I dunno man. I just feel like you're being optimistic as f*** about a guy who has one more many playoff round than Ron Hextall in the last ten years.

I'm a glass half full guy what can I say

Hell, we should simply just lock this thread until the offseason because really, what's the point?

You're not wrong. Tbh when the forums were down for a day or whatever I wasn't that against it.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Like if we want to discuss how we are pivoting to the Washington model (lol), why can't we discuss what a misstep it was to not trade Rackell? Because that makes Dubas look bad?

What fans don't get is that Protas and McMichael were a year out from finishing their development before that turnaround. They drafted them in 2019. They both play C, both defend well and both have over 50 points right now. Oh and they're cheap af.
But we haven't even started the development of our replacement Centers.

People make it sound like Washington turned it around in a year, but really they are profiting from seeds they planted years ago. Plus they got a ridiculous deal on their starting goalie, and got big cap relief from Oshie and Backstrom hanging them up.
I mean credit to them for savvy GM'ing, but there was good fortune involved too.

They have almost no bad contracts, very much unlike us. It's just not a model the Pens can replicate.
If things were different, keeping Rakell would make more sense. But we're not in a position to take advantage of him.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

Like if we want to discuss how we are pivoting to the Washington model (lol), why can't we discuss what a misstep it was to not trade Rackell? Because that makes Dubas look bad?

If Rakell is on this team in September, then it's a mistake by Dubas.

The trade deadline is not the only point in the season where players can be moved for high value.

Edit: Just to further this point, the Staal trade and the Neal/Hornqvist trade both took place at the draft (and the latter didn't involve picks). The Kessel trade took place on July 1. Hextall's defensemen trades when he sent out Marino and Matheson were in mid-July. And, of course, the Karlsson trade didn't occur until August.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Rakell being on this team now is a mistake by Dubas. His value's never gonna be as high as it was at the TDL, the prices were insane, and it's considered a weak draft so teams were more willing to part with 1sts than usual imo.

Simply put, he f***ed up. It's not a f*** up that really matters in the sense that it's a trajectory altering decision, but it's still a f*** up.

 

[sovietsanta87]

They have the best center prospect in the game and Eklund and Smith in the NHL on top of it.

They are also actually going to draft in the top 3.

They chose a direction.

If PIT had a prospect the quality of Eklund or Smith since Dubas came abroad I’d give him flowers.

You didn’t answer my question. When are they going to be good? Is it next year? I get that they decided to blow up the entire roster (not that it was much of a roster to begin with) but when do they start winning?

 

[eXile3]

I completely believe Dubas when he says he’s holding on to Rakell to compete in the near future. His plan is one more year of “retooling” or whatever this is, and then take one more run with Sid.

 

[Penguin Suited Up]

Is it really such an awful thing to keep Crosby’s line in tact while he’s chasing history?

I get that everyone wants to trade everything away, but that’s not the direction the team is going to go as long as the guys who gave us 3 Cups are still playing.

And that’s a different perspective than just about 90% of this board is willing to acknowledge. But it doesn’t make it dumb, or stupid, or a mistake to not trade Rakell, who is a piece that helps Crosby to continue putting up points.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Rakell is still on the team because this team is trying to be competitive again for the 2026-2027 season. I don’t really agree with how aggressively they’re trying to turn it around, I think they need another year or two at minimum of getting a high pick, but they seem really intent on being good again in 2 seasons.

Dubas likely wanted a top young NHLer to justify trading Rakell and the Penguins never got offered that.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Rakell is still on the team because this team is trying to be competitive again for the 2026-2027 season. I don’t really agree with how aggressively they’re trying to turn it around, I think they need another year or two at minimum of getting a high pick, but they seem really intent on being good again in 2 seasons.

Dubas likely wanted a top young NHLer to justify trading Rakell and the Penguins never got offered that.

Rumor has it he wanted 2 1sts +, which is kind of an unrealistic ask even when things were in a bidding frenzy. But more to the point, keeping Rakell now doesn't do anything for being competitive or the long-term future. It's not like he's a line driver for most of his career. He's a low-end top-6/very good top 9 guy shooting unsustainably well. Somtimes it's better to move a guy for a very good return instead of an outright fleecing.

That's why I have little faith about us pulling this off-- we aren't looking honestly at what we have, so how can we trust what this team wants to develop? I think this team is still kidding itself thinking it can play a speed game, but honestly, we can't, and Sullivan can't coach any other way. 2 years out of contention is delusional thinking.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Is it really such an awful thing to keep Crosby’s line in tact while he’s chasing history?

I get that everyone wants to trade everything away, but that’s not the direction the team is going to go as long as the guys who gave us 3 Cups are still playing.

And that’s a different perspective than just about 90% of this board is willing to acknowledge. But it doesn’t make it dumb, or stupid, or a mistake to not trade Rakell, who is a piece that helps Crosby to continue putting up points.

I am going to kill a sacred cow here, but I am bored with all this talk about Crosby's history and talk about he's the Franchise GOAT, to be quite honest. He's a top 5 player all time, but I much more enjoyed watching Mario Lemieux than Crosby and I'm tired of watching subpar hockey just so we can cater to any player's legacy.

I would find this whole thing as attrocious if it was for Lemieux, tbh. At least that era ended definitively and with purpose.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Now pretend I wrote some self-righteous drivel about how I'm taking the only moral stance and am more correct than just about 90% of this board is willing to acknowledge and watch me wrench my arm out of the socket congratulating myself.

 

[Andy99]

If Rakell is on this team in September, then it's a mistake by Dubas.

The trade deadline is not the only point in the season where players can be moved for high value.

Edit: Just to further this point, the Staal trade and the Neal/Hornqvist trade both took place at the draft (and the latter didn't involve picks). The Kessel trade took place on July 1. Hextall's defensemen trades when he sent out Marino and Matheson were in mid-July. And, of course, the Karlsson trade didn't occur until August.

I’ll add that not only Rakell needs to not be here in September, but Sullivan as well…if Sullivan is here there is absolutely no point in bringing up the kids from Wilkes…and if the POHO can’t fire the coach, then that’s a bigger black mark on Dubas and his ability to turn this around…

Rakell is 32, people…he’s not going to get better than this and his contract is great…get rid of him! We’re not competing next season

 

[sovietsanta87]

It’s why they can’t nuke the team to the ground and start over without first seeing if Sullivan is the main problem. Which he probably is

 

[Mr. T]

I think Rakell is moved after free agency begins. Some team will make the playoffs and immediately eat shit due to a lack of scoring and subsequently miss out on the big UFAs. Their Imodium AD-chugging make a panic move.

Apologies in advance for this sliver of a positive thought. I'll now return to posting about shitting, man's goo, and bald or balding players that I dislike

 

[chethejet]

Rakell is an asset here. He may be moved at the price Dubas wants. Dubas doesn't have to move Rakell and Pens will add more prospects in the draft. Yes Karlsson will be moved for an asset return and at this point, cap space is not critical in a rising cap. But yes having say Karlsson and say Rust or Rakell gone certainly allows big game hunting. Trades or a Marner changes the dynamic and that is what Dubas is saying. Sid with 2 years Marner can be moved after year 2. But lets see what the Pens can do with a top 6 that adds a couple big time talents and a D that is getting bigger faster and younger. Add in the WB guys, Brunicke, who could have made the team last year with another year of maturing and off season conditioning.

 

[HandshakeLine]

bald or balding players that I dislike

players with hair? they care. players who bald? they get u-hauled.

 

[Mr. T]

players with hair? they care. players who bald? they get u-hauled.

 

[Snooki Stackhouse]

I am going to kill a sacred cow here, but I am bored with all this talk about Crosby's history and talk about he's the Franchise GOAT, to be quite honest. He's a top 5 player all time, but I much more enjoyed watching Mario Lemieux than Crosby and I'm tired of watching subpar hockey just so we can cater to any player's legacy.

I would find this whole thing as attrocious if it was for Lemieux, tbh. At least that era ended definitively and with purpose.

Imagine if in 2002 Lemieux said as the owner "we're going to pivot here (after one year of rebuilding) to maximize the last few years of my career."

The pens gave Sid nearly 2 decades of nonstop focus on winning. They've run out of steam, haven't picked higher than 14th in 19 years (ignoring the Staal trade which was a failure), and the play was to get AT LEAST this year's top 5, and they couldn't commit even once.

 

[Gurglesons]

Is it really such an awful thing to keep Crosby’s line in tact while he’s chasing history?

I get that everyone wants to trade everything away, but that’s not the direction the team is going to go as long as the guys who gave us 3 Cups are still playing.

And that’s a different perspective than just about 90% of this board is willing to acknowledge. But it doesn’t make it dumb, or stupid, or a mistake to not trade Rakell, who is a piece that helps Crosby to continue putting up points.

I don't really have a problem keeping Crosby's line in tact.

If you're going to do that, focus on being a team that is trying to win.

I don't care if we burn a bunch of assets and fail.

At least it's a plan.

What we are doing now is not a plan. Despite people wanting to try to act like it is.

 

[Gurglesons]

You didn’t answer my question. When are they going to be good? Is it next year? I get that they decided to blow up the entire roster (not that it was much of a roster to begin with) but when do they start winning?

Typically teams don't draft 1st overall and then immediately start winning.

 

[Pens x]

I still cant believe Kyle Pivot asked for 2 first round picks and a top prospect for Rakell. Dude is delusional.

 

[HandshakeLine]

The whole pivot plan is like 4 years too late, unless we some how get a very good top 6 C in the draft or via trade who can eat tons of minutes and drive tons of offense. That's my whole beef with it. The idea isn't stupid in a vacuum, we just have none of the parts you need to pull it off.

 

[HandshakeLine]

View attachment 993595

Sam Bennett looks like he wants to talk to you about his Sons of Anarchy fanfic where Jax invites him over for bbq and they both take turns playing lead guitar on a cover of Foghat's "Leaving Again (Again)".

 

[chethejet]

The transition from two of the hockey greats is rare. Even more rare is to draft them although ping pong ball played a part. I am fine with Dubas still trying to blend a competitive roster that is getting younger to the need to do so. Dubas has cap space especially after moving Karlsson. Teams also have room so it is not any real advantage. But no question Dubas will make offers here to top talent that becomes available. Teams can rebuild and still look to improve. Dubas knows he needs to keep adding prospects I do think FA opportunities will be slim with cap space in the NHL. Trades in the off season certainly will add to the system.