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

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

No one here considered Graves a wretched UFA at the time of the signing, coming off a very strong season.
He was mostly seen as someone who can be a stabilizing force for one of our offensive D-men, that is overpaid by like 500k at most.
And people took issue with the term too. Rightly so, given the window was already closed before we signed him.

But not one person here said he'd become a 3rd pairing D-man / healthy scratch. At least not that I can recall.

It went around after Serevalli's article bashing Dubi for his signings that Graves was his 8th ranked UFA and 2nd Dman and TJ was his 11th ranked UFA and 1st Goalie.

Dubi signed the #1 goalie, #2 Dman and traded for the reigning Norris winner while getting rid of a bunch of bad money. At the time, it was a great summer. I just tuned out that all three guys ended up stinking. IMO, that has more to do with Sully than anything else.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

That’s a great question. A couple of weeks ago I said I’d either use both for picks or use both for trade. I don’t know now. Could we use 6 and 13 to get up into the top-4?

Dubas is going to have a lot of options.

Personally, I wouldn't use both picks to advance unless we 100% get Misa by doing so.

I would personally draft with the 6th pick and cross my fingers for Hagens to drop or Frondell, Eklund and be open to move pick 13 for a young roster player

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

After the success the Blues had I have to imagine there will be a good amount of offer sheets. If Dubas is planning on using it to get more young players he’s going to be disappointed.

The Oilers were in a really bad spot last off season with the cap and they f***ed up hard by signing Perry and Arvidsson. With the cap going up the next few years, how many teams are in really bad shape to sign RFA's and does anyone know who is available this summer?

 

[Khelandros]

After all, that’s why we pay Dubas and Sullivan the big bucks, to be dumber than the average HF poster.

I don't know man. I've read some downright 10 IQ level stuff on here.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I mean, this exactly is why I don't think you can discuss the future of the team or the rebuild/pivot without discussing the coaching. It's the elephant in the room.

If we keep making these kinds of signings every few off seasons and nothing changes, then we're never really going to dig ourselves out of this hole.

The issue though is that the Penguins don't have any young players beyond Pickering coming up and able to play those roles, so you need to fill them from outside the organizations.

Nothing is going to change until they start getting prospects to improve the team. Until they do that, they need to acquire guys who can fill those roles to help ease the prospects in and support their development.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Samberg is like the best D on the Jets this year.

Romanov is kind of a trash fire.

Bahl rocks.

I've wanted Hague for several years.

Yeah this tracks with what I think as well. NHL D are 100% going the way of specialization. You need to be a big rock defensively or dynamic offensively.

Takes a really good player to be a “2way D” in the classic vein. Guys like Romanov just not the move anymore unless $ and role is right

 

[Andy99]

Personally, I wouldn't use both picks to advance unless we 100% get Misa by doing so.

I would personally draft with the 6th pick and cross my fingers for Hagens to drop or Frondell, Eklund and be open to move pick 13 for a young roster player

We won’t be picking 6th…more like 8th or 9th unless we lose all of our remaining games and others near us

 

[Empoleon8771]

If the Penguins do end up keeping Letang, which I think is most likely because his contract seems to be unmovable, I really hope they limit his usage into more of a fringe 2nd/3rd pair guy. I think a part of his issues have been both him playing with a shitty Grzelcyk and playing 23 minutes a night, he's a guy that should be playing closer to 18/19 minutes a night with a partner that covers his weaknesses.

They need to change how they run with their D pairs, to instead run with 3 more balanced pairs rather than a top-4 and a bottom pair. If they were to go into next year with these D pairs:

Hague-Karlsson
Dumoulin-Timmins
Pickering-Letang

With using Hague-Karlsson as a top pair but Dumoulin-Timmins and Pickering-Letang as more of a 2A/2B pair, I think the defense should perform substantially better. Karlsson has shown that he can still be a part of a strong 5v5 pair if he has the right partner (what Pettersson-Karlsson was), but Letang's usage really needs to be reeled back from how he's being used now.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

We won’t be picking 6th…more like 8th or 9th unless we lose all of our remaining games and others near us

I think so as well, which in that case makes it even less attractable for another team to trade a top 4 pick for that..

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

It's fine, I didn't want a legit shot at Martone or Hagens anyway. I've been aboard the Desnoyers and Eklund train since the beginning.

 

[Ugene Magic]

It's fine, I didn't want a legit shot at Martone or Hagens anyway. I've been aboard the Desnoyers and Eklund train since the beginning.

At #8/#9 I don't think either will be there.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I'd bet a significant amount of fake internet money that their 1st rounder is going to be Eklund or O'Brien, with an outside chance at Brady Martin.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

I'd bet a significant amount of fake internet money that their 1st rounder is going to be Eklund or O'Brien, with an outside chance at Brady Martin.

agreed, Frondell, Eklund and O'Brien would be my bet that we walk out with 1 of those 3

 

[Jared Grayden]

I'd bet a significant amount of fake internet money that their 1st rounder is going to be Eklund or O'Brien, with an outside chance at Brady Martin.

I agree they will have those three higher on their draft board relative to most teams. O'Brien and especially Martin are two being speculated as risers. If PIT is picking #9 or later, all three might be gone.

 

[Andy99]

It's fine, I didn't want a legit shot at Martone or Hagens anyway. I've been aboard the Desnoyers and Eklund train since the beginning.

Eklund won’t be there either when we pick and Desnoyers coming out of the Q has real doubts whether he can be a top six impact player, which you want if you’re picking in the top 10

 

[Empoleon8771]

I agree they will have those three higher on their draft board relative to most teams. O'Brien and especially Martin are two being speculated as risers. If PIT is picking #9 or later, all three might be gone.

If all 3 of those guys are gone by 9, that means Frondell, Desnoyers or Martone has fallen to 9.

Schaefer, Misa and Hagens are guaranteed to go before 9. If all 3 of Eklund, O'Brien and Martin are also gone, that means one of Frondell, Desnoyers or Martone will be available at 9.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

I really want Hagens to fall to us

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

The 1 player I really think will drop is McQueen, so much that if we are to get the Rags pick this year, I think he might still be there... I'm still not sure I'd take the risk and take him

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I probably wouldn't even take McQueen with the 20th pick tbh. Too low a chance he hits his ceiling with his skating and injury issues.

 

[Ryder71]

Eklund won’t be there either when we pick and Desnoyers coming out of the Q has real doubts whether he can be a top six impact player, which you want if you’re picking in the top 10

We'll miss out on all the top guys. We'll pick something like 10th or 11th. With pick 14th-17th Get a guy I've mentioned several times Brady Martin with our 2hd pick of the 1st round. He's a heart and soul player. Tenacious.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Just saying "the Penguins are going to pick 10th or 11th" over and over again doesn't magically make it true.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

I probably wouldn't even take McQueen with the 20th pick tbh. Too low a chance he hits his ceiling with his skating and injury issues.

I kinda don’t care after certain names are gone. Could mean I’m ok with him starting at 13 or 33 but he’s pretty interesting at a certain point

 

[Jared Grayden]

If all 3 of those guys are gone by 9, that means Frondell, Desnoyers or Martone has fallen to 9.

I don't mind Frondell as a winger, but I doubt he ends up at center. I am skeptical of Desnoyers and the Q as a whole. It's a weak league and he reminds me alot of Kotkaniemi.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I kinda don’t care after certain names are gone. Could mean I’m ok with him starting at 13 or 33 but he’s pretty interesting at a certain point

If it was a coachable thing like focus or whatever, I guess. I'd be really annoyed if the Pens used either their 1st or the Rangers' 1st, if the Rangers send it over this year, on McQueen with his issues (physical limitations). Maybe he makes me eat crow in a few years but I dunno.

 

[Ugene Magic]

I think because the Pens are so bare at the center position this is the opportune time to throw both darts at the position.

They win lottery #1

Schaefer/ Bear - unfortunately O'Brien won't be there for the NYR's pick

They win the lottery #2

Misa/Bear - unfortunately O'Brien won't be there for the NYR's pick

They don't win the lottery, either of them

O'Brien/ Bear

They have a 2nd and 3-3rds to address other needs to either pick or use in a trade to move up a couple spots to ensure they get their guy with the NYR's pick.

I'd bet a significant amount of fake internet money that their 1st rounder is going to be Eklund or O'Brien,
with an outside chance at Brady Martin.

If all 3 of those guys are gone by 9, that means Frondell, Desnoyers or Martone has fallen to 9.

Schaefer, Misa and Hagens are guaranteed to go before 9. If all 3 of Eklund, O'Brien and Martin are also gone, that means one of Frondell, Desnoyers or Martone will be available at 9.

I agree on O'Brien, but I have a hard time believing teams are going to take McQueen this early to push guys highly ranked over him after him. If the true top ranked guys go in order even O'Brien could be gone if we're #9.

This is totally possible.

1. Schaefer
2. Misa
3. Martone
4. Hagens
5. Frondell
6. Desnoyers
7. Eklund
8. O'brien
9. Who do you take if the teams ahead are center contingent too?

There's no longer a choice being there 100%, they only have that in the #6/#7/#8 slot.

I'd have a better bet saying McQueen goes out of the top 10.

Plus, I don't think this team is a Eklund to being better without a significant center addition.