Salary Cap: 24-25 Salary Thread Crosbicles Volume MXVI: End of season wrap up

[CheckingLineCenter]

Some quick and dirty RFA trade target thoughts. I'm going to group these into a couple categories - big ticket pipe dreams, realistic targets, and bargain shopping. Also, I only targeted players who seem like realistic trade targets because they are either likely unhappy in their current situation and may not want to re-sign, or their team is going to be in a cap crunch.

PIPE DREAM

1. F JJ Peterka, Buffalo - Everyone wants him. Does he want to stay in Buffalo? If not, the price tag will still be high. This would cost a first round pick and more.
2. D Evan Bouchard, Edmonton - Oilers absolutely want to keep him, but they're tight against the cap and he's going to get a big raise. If they don't make room quickly, I could see someone try to offer sheet him or make the Oilers a deal.
3. F Matthew Knies, Toronto - The Leafs have some work to do with Marner, and who knows what they'll do with Tavares. And all of that could be really thrown into question if they exit the playoffs early again. But you have to figure Knies will be their No. 2 priority behind Marner unless someone makes a ridiculous offer.

REALISTIC

1. C Marco Rossi, Minnesota - He's been talked about before here. The Wild will have cap space, but do they see Rossi as part of their future? There has been some question about that.
2. C Mavrik Bourque, Dallas - The Stars are facing a huge cap crunch because of some new contracts (Rantanen, Johnson) and Bourque's been moved around a lot in the lineup down the stretch. Moving Bourque could help the Stars recoup some draft picks, which they lack.
3. D Nic Hague, Vegas - Another oft-discussed target, Hague may be squeezed out due to a lack of cap space in Vegas. The Knights will have some work to do on their forwards and not much space to do it.
4. F Simon Holmstrom, NY Islanders - The Isles have a ton of space, so why is Holmstrom here? Because Lou Lamouriello lacks patience and loves vets, plus Patrick Roy isn't exactly fostering a lot of good will in the Isles locker room. Holmstrom might be available if Lou goes shopping for some bigger names.
5. D Bowen Byram, Buffalo - Oft-rumored to be on the move, he seems like a more logical departure than Peterka. He could still be pricey, but if he wants out, that could drive it into a more realistic range.
6. D Jayden Struble, Montreal - The Habs have some other priorities and they could still want to make one big splash with their modest cap hit. They're also stacked with LD and could want to find better balance. Struble is on the third pair and could be the odd man out.
7. K'Andre Miller, Rangers - How desperate does NY get? And does Miller want to be part of the chaos still, or is he ready to hit the reset button on his career? If the Rangers want to shock their system under a new coach, Miller could be moved to create more cap space. Rangers also have to sign a few young forwards like Will Cuyle.

BARGAIN BIN

1. F Nicholas Robertson, Toronto - Unlike Knies, Robertson hasn't been as highly valued nor as productive. But he's still young and could get pushed out as Toronto prioritizes other players. The Leafs may be happy for mid-round pick for someone with an unclear future on their roster.
2. F Gage Goncalves, Tampa - The Lightning are up against the cap and have some bigger fish to fry (Yanni Gourge, a potential hole at RD). Goncalves has been on the third line with Geekie and Paul of late and holding his own. If the Pens want to add another middle six project to the mix, Goncalves could be a target.
3. D Zachary Jones, Rangers - If not Miller, could Jones be a cheaper option? Eleven points in 46 games is nothing to sneeze at, but he's been given a handful of games in the NHL for several years now and hasn't seized a full-time gig. Could he be out of favor in NY?

Would love Goncalves, Hague

Bourque, Struble, Holstrom would be good gambles

K. Miller blows imo. Would avoid unless it’s cheap

 

[Peat]

I’d say I’m at 90% that NY keeps the pick in 2025.

On bolded- to be clear I completely agree there’s more freedom for KD to do more. I’m just not sure there’s the motivation or need. Yet. I think next summer after the 2026 draft — once we get two top 10 picks in the system and 2 draft classes of prospects, plus more from trades — is when you see more of a shift from the FO to getting opportunistic and creative. At least that’s what I’d do.

IMO Kyle just inserted his guy at head scouting czar (Clark runs both pro annd amateur) after the draft last summer. You could make an argument Dubas isn’t very beholden to a single player in the current system. I bet he doesn’t love the prospect pool and wants to add more of he and Clark’s stamp to it before he makes a pivot.

Fairy nuff. Me, I think if he wants a quick turn around, I think he's got to start pushing to get at least some pieces in place this summer. Get some quality young D. But maybe he won't see it that way.

One final point though I would make is that if Dubas looks at the Pens youth system and sees a bunch of guys he doesn't care about, what better reason could there be for him to look at supplanting them where possible with young guys on other teams that he scouted a while back and does believe in if they are available?

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I wonder what kind of utter trash will be sold as "smart" moves this offseason.

I just hope someone sabotaged KD's phone and made sure to block Trotz's number.

 

[Jared Grayden]

Post them.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

Failing upward in Seattle.



Kind of feel bad for Bylsma. He really did do a nice job with Coachella Valley, worked his way back up, and he gets the rug pulled out from under him after one year.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Seravalli utterly despises Pittsburgh and has already created a number of false narratives in recent years especially to make the team look worse (not that they really need the assist, mind you).

Also I didn't realize he SOUNDED as much of a knob as he looks.

 

[Gurglesons]

So the guy who said Sully was gonna leave in a power struggle is the source?

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Fairy nuff. Me, I think if he wants a quick turn around, I think he's got to start pushing to get at least some pieces in place this summer. Get some quality young D. But maybe he won't see it that way.

One final point though I would make is that if Dubas looks at the Pens youth system and sees a bunch of guys he doesn't care about, what better reason could there be for him to look at supplanting them where possible with young guys on other teams that he scouted a while back and does believe in if they are available?

Oh I totally think bolded is happening already

If I was a betting man.. Id bet you a Leafs scout that had Dubas respect/ear liked Koivunen at the draft in 2021

Then last summer- Clark comes in, Pryor leaves pretty quick. Thereafter Yager (the only first pick in the Dubas era to this point) gets dumped for McGroarty.

I’m def curious about the 2024 picks. How does he view them?

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Kind of feel bad for Bylsma. He really did do a nice job with Coachella Valley, worked his way back up, and he gets the rug pulled out from under him after one year.

Honestly I have not much love at all for Disco but I agree that Seattle seems like a trainwreck.

I'm glad we have all these teams in the NHL. We sure need them.

 

[Ryder71]

Failing upward in Seattle.



Kind of feel bad for Bylsma. He really did do a nice job with Coachella Valley, worked his way back up, and he gets the rug pulled out from under him after one year.

Seattle should take a defensemen with their 1st round pick.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

Did you listen to what Seravalli actually said there? It was all sheer speculation. Nothing actually reported like, "I've been told that FSG will not let Dubas fire Sullivan." And Seravalli even said that it's possible Dubas could play a card that could still lead to a coaching change.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

I just hope someone sabotaged KD's phone and made sure to block Trotz's number.

No way! We should keep dealing with them. We netted

Bunting
2027 4th

for

2027 3rd
Stillman
Graham
2025 3rd
2026 2nd
2027 4th
Tomasino
Novak

Keep Trotz on speed dial lmao

 

[DesertedPenguin]

Seravalli utterly despises Pittsburgh and has already created a number of false narratives in recent years especially to make the team look worse (not that they really need the assist, mind you).

Also I didn't realize he SOUNDED as much of a knob as he looks.

He HATES Dubas, too. He's very much driven by an agenda in his reporting. Sometimes it comes out to be true, but anything he says - particularly about the Penguins and Dubas - should be taken with a tractor trailer full of salt.

 

[Gurglesons]

I wonder what kind of utter trash will be sold as "smart" moves this offseason.

I just hope someone sabotaged KD's phone and made sure to block Trotz's number.

Wait. Why would we block Trotz's number?

We been ripping him off all season.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

No way! We should keep dealing with them. We netted

Bunting
2027 4th

for

2027 3rd
Stillman
Graham
2025 3rd
2026 2nd
2027 4th
Tomasino
Novak

Keep Trotz on speed dial lmao

I don't mind the Novak deal... had very little use for Bunting and not nearly as enamored with him as the local media seems to be.

Hated the Hayes and Glass deals the moment they were done and personally don't find all the 9 percenter picks or whatever to be worth the roster bloat. But YMMV and I'm certainly not debating the merits of all that again... I just don't see much upside there. Tomasino was fine for the price but he faded HARD as the year wore on.

It just seems like a large quantity of... stuff. Need to be a lot more bold this year. I think everyone would be extremely disappointed if he just collected a bunch of toxic contracts and plugs to fill out the roster again this year for the sake of some low potential picks. Though I'm sure the usual crowd would attempt to spin it, anyway.

 

[Jared Grayden]

Did you listen to what Seravalli actually said there? It was all sheer speculation. Nothing actually reported like, "I've been told that FSG will not let Dubas fire Sullivan." And Seravalli even said that it's possible Dubas could play a card that could still lead to a coaching change.

Did you listen to it? He acknowledges Sullivan being "thick as thieves" with FSG and received his extension directly from FSG above Hextall's head.

 

[SEALBound]

REALISTIC

1. C Marco Rossi, Minnesota - He's been talked about before here. The Wild will have cap space, but do they see Rossi as part of their future? There has been some question about that.
2. C Mavrik Bourque, Dallas - The Stars are facing a huge cap crunch because of some new contracts (Rantanen, Johnson) and Bourque's been moved around a lot in the lineup down the stretch. Moving Bourque could help the Stars recoup some draft picks, which they lack.
3. D Nic Hague, Vegas - Another oft-discussed target, Hague may be squeezed out due to a lack of cap space in Vegas. The Knights will have some work to do on their forwards and not much space to do it.
4. D Zachary Jones, Rangers - If not Miller, could Jones be a cheaper option? Eleven points in 46 games is nothing to sneeze at, but he's been given a handful of games in the NHL for several years now and hasn't seized a full-time gig. Could he be out of favor in NY?

I forgot about Hague when I said Jones and KAM. Problem sort of is, he's 26. Might be a tad "old" for what Dubas wants but he'd be a great interm player.

I still have doubts about Rossi and us being compatible. Minny is gonna want an equivalent back which we don't have. I can't see them wanting old guys like Rust or Rakell or non-1st round picks which we can't offer unless they want the Rags 1st.

Failing upward in Seattle.



Kind of feel bad for Bylsma. He really did do a nice job with Coachella Valley, worked his way back up, and he gets the rug pulled out from under him after one year.

I loved Botterill as the AGM here but he stunk as GM for Buffalo in my opinion. But he's in a good spot with Seattle right now. They are a young team that made good moves and now some of their young kids are starting to hit their stride. I'm certainly not down on them. They are a team going through their growing pains.

Seattle should take a defensemen with their 1st round pick.

I said in the other thread and that if they draft 7th, they should take Eklund. I thought that was too high to take Smith or Mrtka and they are pretty set on center. A high skill, high energy wing would do them good.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

Did you listen to it? He acknowledges Sullivan being "thick as thieves" with FSG and received his extension directly from FSG above Hextall's head.

It's all couched in speculation and innuendo. And even then, in the following comments, he says things could change and that Dubas could still make a move.

You're hearing what you want to hear.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I don't really care one way or another about the Nashville deals tbh. Quantity is cool in that you need scratch offs in order to hit on one, but I just kinda assume those are what the returns are; scratch off tickets. Trotz does seem like kind of a dipshit though.

I don't know that Tomasino's anything more than a 3rd liner with some offensive upside on a decent team. Haven't really even noticed Novak's presence at all since being acquired tbh. Did he get hurt or something? Honest question, I have no clue.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

I don't mind the Novak deal... had very little use for Bunting and not nearly as enamored with him as the local media seems to be.

Hated the Hayes and Glass deals the moment they were done and personally don't find all the 9 percenter picks or whatever to be worth the roster bloat. But YMMV on all that and I'm certainly not debating the merits of all that again... I just don't see much upside there. Tomasino was fine for the price but he faded HARD as the year wore on.

It just seems like a large quantity of... stuff. Need to be a lot more bold this year. I think everyone would be extremely disappointed if he just collected a bunch of toxic contracts and plugs to fill out the roster again this year for the sake of some low potential picks. Though I'm sure the usual crowd would attempt to spin it, anyway.

Nah I think it’s smart to recycle literally nothing into a million 2nd-4th, even 5th picks (let’s assume Novak and Tomasino are zeroes)

Say you have 15 of em over next 3 years. 12 end up being nothing. But one pick ends up a top 6 guy for next 10 years, one pick gets traded for a guy that’s a decent 5D for 5 years, and another pick becomes a cheap backup goalie for 3 years.

You turned nothing but roster space/cap space into some decent pieces just by playing volume game. Basically gave yourself so many trade chips that one had to turn into something. Gave your scouts so many draft picks that 1-2 had to hit.

It’s not what you want to trade Marcus Pettersson for… but it is what you want to use $5M of cap in a year you’re gonna miss the playoffs on. IMO.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I don't really care one way or another about the Nashville deals tbh. Quantity is cool in that you need scratch offs in order to hit on one, but I just kinda assume those are what the returns are; scratch off tickets. Trotz does seem like kind of a dipshit though.

I don't know that Tomasino's anything more than a 3rd liner with some offensive upside on a decent team. Haven't really even noticed Novak's presence at all since being acquired tbh. Did he get hurt or something? Honest question, I have no clue.

Yeah he was injured immediately.

Just Penguins things.

 

[Ryder71]

I forgot about Hague when I said Jones and KAM. Problem sort of is, he's 26. Might be a tad "old" for what Dubas wants but he'd be a great interm player.

I still have doubts about Rossi and us being compatible. Minny is gonna want an equivalent back which we don't have. I can't see them wanting old guys like Rust or Rakell or non-1st round picks which we can't offer unless they want the Rags 1st.

I loved Botterill as the AGM here but he stunk as GM for Buffalo in my opinion. But he's in a good spot with Seattle right now. They are a young team that made good moves and now some of their young kids are starting to hit their stride. I'm certainly not down on them. They are a team going through their growing pains.

I said in the other thread and that if they draft 7th, they should take Eklund. I thought that was too high to take Smith or Mrtka and they are pretty set on center. A high skill, high energy wing would do them good.

I don't disagree, however they have no Studs on defense. And a top four defensemen especially the 2hd or 3rd best in this draft class might entice them. Also with McCann and Schwartz they have guys who can play both wing and center. Their blue line is fairly unremarkable.

 

[Gurglesons]

Not sure why you would be upset about any move we made with Nashville.

Every move we made with them this year is exactly what Dubas should be doing.

Kevin Hayes was acquired from St. Louis as was POJ. Those are the deals I'd avoid.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Nah I think it’s smart to recycle literally nothing into a million 2nd-4th, even 5th picks (let’s assume Novak and Tomasino are zeroes)

Say you have 15 of em over next 3 years. 12 end up being nothing. But one pick ends up a top 6 guy for next 10 years, one pick gets traded for a guy that’s a decent 5D for 5 years, and another pick becomes a cheap backup goalie for 3 years.

You turned nothing but roster space/cap space into some decent pieces just by playing volume game. Basically gave yourself so many trade chips that one had to turn into something. Gave your scouts so many draft picks that 1-2 had to hit.

It’s not what you want to trade Marcus Pettersson for… but it is what you want to use $5M of cap in a year you’re gonna miss the playoffs on. IMO.

I think my POV just does not line up with the board's in general and I suppose that is fine.

I don't enjoy being a doormat and getting my ass kicked all over the place for the pleasure of some second round picks and watching players that are so terrible that their former teams literally pay to give them away is not my idea of fun or productive. At the very least I absolutely do not agree sitting here at season's end that it was this galaxy brained move everyone sold it as at the time. Just seems a bit flailing, now.

I'm not one of these "DUBAS SUX" guys but lets be honest... dude has been way less than inspiring so far even adjusting for challenge we all knew he'd have.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Not sure why you would be upset about any move we made with Nashville.

Every move we made with them this year is exactly what Dubas should be doing.

Kevin Hayes was acquired from St. Louis as was POJ. Those are the deals I'd avoid.

Ugh sorry my mistake. Completely biffed on Hayes.

That DOES make it a little less shit TBH.