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

[CheckingLineCenter]

Ah, good, add some young guys hungry to prove themselves and breathe new life into an aged, bottom 5/6 team in the league when the only goal is to be as bad as possible for the next 10ish games to secure the best pick possible. Love that.

We have the 4th least regulation wins in the league and 3rd worst goal differential and are gonna finish 9th.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

We have the 4th least regulation wins in the league and 3rd worst goal differential and are gonna finish 9th.

Experience Penguins hockey™

 

[DesertedPenguin]

Maybe now that Sid has his record, they'll put the two youngsters with him and have Rakell/Rust on the second line. When Malkin returns he centers Rust and Rakell.

Also, I would hope that Dubas has had a conversation with Sullivan and essentially made it clear that these two need to play solid minutes in various situation so they can get a good look at them.

 

[Ryder71]

Excited! But not really with Sullivan still employed here lol

No no no no no no no! Why would you do that now? That's the last thing this team should be doing!

This could F everything up!

 

[Ryder71]

Let them disintegrate, don't throw them a life line, leave the kids down in WB, do this shit next year!

If the kids do well this could F up the draft, if they don't this could F with their confidence at the end of the year playing meaningless games here! This is a no win Situation!

What the f*** KYLE???????

 

[MrBurghundy]

Let them disintegrate, don't throw them a life line, leave the kids down in WB, do this shit next year!

If the kids do well this could F up the draft, if they don't this could F with their confidence at the end of the year playing meaningless games here! This is a no win Situation!

What the f*** KYLE???????

I generally agree, but there's also a world where they play well but the team still loses right?

 

[Ryder71]

I generally agree, but there's also a world where they play well but the team still loses right?

Why tempt fate?

 

[Ryder71]

Poor kid is doomed before he's even played a game.

They should be doing this shit next season, not now! WTF!

 

[Hockey4Lyfe]

Pens can be in top 5 but man win the lottery and take Misa or get high end draft capital to add a center and RW. Dubas has to accept the fact Sully is not the coach from here and grab the AV's coach or the WB guy to work with the younger guys. Pens may need to blow it up no matter how much Dubas wants to try to stay relevant. Pedal to the metal here on a rebuild. These are enough parts here to be much better in a couple. On the block Karlsson, Rust, maybe Rakell with the right deal. Draft a top 6 center. Maybe with the trades and potential rangers pick, Dubas can walk away with top 6 center, R winger, very good center prospect in tow.

Truly outside of trading Crosby, I am unsure of more that could have been done to speed towards said rebuild.

I guess the big what if surrounds Raks. That will always be remembered on the other side of this.

Beyond that, I think Dubas hands were tied to speed it along any faster. Barring the Jarry/Graves deals. That set us back. Letang deal isn’t helping either.

But we have a ton of cap space this year for the first time in forever and what will be some very high end picks for the first time ever.

Yes this season has been miserable to make through but there is some reasons for optimism.

 

[Ugene Magic]

These guys have done nothing meaningful in the NHL, relax.

 

[Ryder71]

Truly outside of trading Crosby, I am unsure of more that could have been done to speed towards said rebuild.

I guess the big what if surrounds Raks. That will always be remembered on the other side of this.

Beyond that, I think Dubas hands were tied to speed it along any faster. Barring the Jarry/Graves deals. That set us back. Letang deal isn’t helping either.

But we have a ton of cap space this year for the first time in forever and what will be some very high end picks for the first time ever.

Yes this season has been miserable to make through but there is some reasons for optimism.

It has been miserable, so why not get something for your troubles? You know, like a key piece for the future in this coming draft?

You don't want or need these kids sparking any late season surge here. It'll just F up our draft!

 

[Ryder71]

Why is this team actively trying to damage their draft positioning? I just don't see a coherent plan anymore! Keeping Rakell was beyond absurd! Now calling up kids to try and spark a winning streak when the draft could afford us a staple piece in the top six for 10-15 years possibly? What is the point of this? What is the overarching objective? To f*** with everyone? To sabotage any chance for upward mobility?

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

Let them disintegrate, don't throw them a life line, leave the kids down in WB, do this shit next year!

If the kids do well this could F up the draft, if they don't this could F with their confidence at the end of the year playing meaningless games here! This is a no win Situation!

What the f*** KYLE???????

Yeah, things will be much better next year when this aged roster is even older.

 

[Ryder71]

Yeah, things will be much better next year when this aged roster is even older.

If the objective is to suck even worse for a key cornerstone in the '26 draft then yes! I hope they're worse next year. Unless they go out and get Marner this won't be a quick fix. Lose as much as possible this year and next! At least try to get a difference maker or two.

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

If the objective is to suck even worse for a key cornerstone in the '26 draft then yes! I hope they're worse next year. Unless they go out and get Marner this won't be a quick fix. Lose as much as possible this year and next! At least try to get a difference maker or two.

Then what does it matter if they come up for 8 games now, or start the next season with the big club?

 

[Ryder71]

Then what does it matter if they come up for 8 games now, or start the next season with the big club?

Because IF they spark the team for even a game or two it could cost us a few spots in the draft. Drafting 7th OA as opposed to say 10OA in this draft for example is pretty big because of the drop off after 7th-8th OA.

How does that help anyone when wins now only hurt us?

 

[Hockey4Lyfe]

Why is this team actively trying to damage their draft positioning? I just don't see a coherent plan anymore! Keeping Rakell was beyond absurd! Now calling up kids to try and spark a winning streak when the draft could afford us a staple piece in the top six for 10-15 years possibly? What is the point of this? What is the overarching objective? To f*** with everyone? To sabotage any chance for upward mobility?

I mean has Rakell done anything to tarnish his trade stock in the last couple of weeks? I don’t believe he has.

Why not wait until the summer when teams cap space opens up and a better package can be had?

If it is their goal to trade him, it always made more sense to trade him and Karlsson during the summer instead of at the deadline and accepting a deal that didn’t fit value.

There were almost no 2025 1st rounders to be had from the playoff level teams looking to upgrade. And I am sure with the season Rakell was having, that’s 100% what they wanted in return.

I see no issues of trading him in the summer for 2026 draft picks or just letting him play out next season attached to Crosby and 100% trading him next deadline.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

If nothing else, it'll be fun to see McG and Koivunen on the big team and maybe they show some top 6 chops.

 

[molon labe]

We have the 4th least regulation wins in the league and 3rd worst goal differential and are gonna finish 9th.

Experience Penguins hockey™

The right way hockey*

Guys, we tried. We signed Jarry and Graves and gave Acciari 16 minutes a night. Clearly the core can't compete anymore with the likes of that roster bolstering. Just look at Malkin's stats! [But do not bring up his linemates - they're all top 6 NHLers] Time to turn the page on them but keep everything else the same.

I do like tuning in for the obscure penalty kill stat that always makes the broadcast. We're always doing something well there - so clearly we ARE keeping in line with the overall mission objective.

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

Because IF they spark the team for even a game or two it could cost us a few spots in the draft. Drafting 7th OA as opposed to say 10OA in this draft for example is pretty big because of the drop off after 7th-8th OA.

How does that help anyone when wins now only hurt us?

You're acting like two players - with zero experience at this level - completely nullify the fact that half of this roster doesn't belong in the NHL.

EDIT: Like others have said, they belong on the second line flanking Geno, but we still don't know how far Sully will Sully. He could keep both of them in the press box in favor of Imama and Bemstrom.

Or bench one or both of them when they inevitably turn the puck over. The same way Kolyachonok got 8 minutes of ice time against Buffalo, so that Graves and Shea could get 12. When in reality, Kolya is the objectively the better player in every regard.

 

[DesertPenguin]

I think this is a good thing. They'll go back down for the playoff run, and might not even stay up the whole time, but if you're penciling those guys into your opening night roster for next season, you probably ought to get a look at them now to gain some confidence it's going to work. Otherwise you're signing or trading for stop gap veterans because you arent sure they're ready, and that makes two more logjam barriers to the kids coming up.

Let's learn something now before we have to make those decisions.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

What I like about the Pens' position right now - including keeping Rakell rather than simply trading him for the best package we could find at the deadline - is that they have a diversity of assets.

Pens have a ton of cap space, a wealth of draft picks (including 3 really good ones this year and next), a group of promising B grade prospects, and a couple veteran 1st line wingers on bargain deals. Different trade partners are going to prioritize different types of assets, and we have a pretty good variety.

The only (ha!) thing we're really missing to accelerate the rebuild are good young roster players. But we can target those now, either with offer sheets OR a varied package of assets. We've got options.

 

[Darren McCord]

The only (ha!) thing we're really missing to accelerate the rebuild are good young roster players. But we can target those now, either with offer sheets OR a varied package of assets. We've got options.

And a coach who will play them

 

[Ryder71]

You're acting like two players - with zero experience at this level - completely nullify the fact that half of this roster doesn't belong in the NHL.

EDIT: Like others have said, they belong on the second line flanking Geno, but we still don't know how far Sully will Sully. He could keep both of them in the press box in favor of Imama and Bemstrom.

Or bench one or both of them when they inevitably turn the puck over. The same way Kolyachonok got 8 minutes of ice time against Buffalo, so that Graves and Shea could get 12. When in reality, Kolya is the objectively the better player in every regard.

It's an unnecessary risk. It also puts pressure on the rest of the roster to buckle up and play better. This isn't done to further a tank! They're trying to win games that only hurt us! It's like having a headache and hitting yourself in the head with a hammer to cure it! It's asinine!

The intent is to try and spark the team.

Unfortunately many here do not understand that you win in this league by drafting and developing core pieces. It's been a while since we've drafted such a player but without that we'll never be good again.

 

[Ryder71]

I mean has Rakell done anything to tarnish his trade stock in the last couple of weeks? I don’t believe he has.

Why not wait until the summer when teams cap space opens up and a better package can be had?

If it is their goal to trade him, it always made more sense to trade him and Karlsson during the summer instead of at the deadline and accepting a deal that didn’t fit value.

There were almost no 2025 1st rounders to be had from the playoff level teams looking to upgrade. And I am sure with the season Rakell was having, that’s 100% what they wanted in return.

I see no issues of trading him in the summer for 2026 draft picks or just letting him play out next season attached to Crosby and 100% trading him next deadline.

With the cap going up that also affords teams the ability to trade for players like Rakell who are younger or better! If the cap goes up his salary which is very reasonable will also not matter as much to them. He'll be 32, he could get injured in the interim. His value will not go up! Him being here now harms our ability to tank. I'm sure if he weren't here now we'd be lower in the standings affording us the opportunity to draft a higher caliber draft pick. It was the biggest sellers market many have ever seen and that's not hyperbole. It's far from a guarantee that scenario will repeat itself this summer.