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

[Empoleon8771]

Also... Someone sell me on Byram cuz I don't see it, man.

23 year old top-4 LD that has the raw tools to be a dominant defenseman if he puts it together, but is already a pretty good middle pair OFD.

That kind of swing is well worth making with using the Rangers 1st as a trade chip IMO. Either you get another Matheson type of middle pair LD, which isn't ideal but still fills a huge organizational need, or he hits his upside and you have the anchor of your defense figured out.

I really want to get Hague and Byram to address the LD of this team. Hague gives them the DFD Letang needs as a partner while Byram is the HR swing to get your new #1 defenseman.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Yeah, I think Byram at least is a top 4 guy, and he's way more fun to watch than our usual bland top 4 nonsense. Maybe he's Matty Maths 2.0 or whatever, but I'd rather watch 82 games of that than 82 games of Graves.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Yeah, I think Byram at least is a top 4 guy, and he's way more fun to watch than our usual bland top 4 nonsense. Maybe he's Matty Maths 2.0 or whatever, but I'd rather watch 82 games of that than 82 games of Graves.

Yeah I think people are wrong when they try to say that he's just Matheson 2.0 as if Matheson is a terrible player. He's obviously a flawed player that you should put with a partner that covers his weaknesses, but flawed doesn't mean bad.

I know he played with the Avs on some great teams, but the dude was a +15 in 20 playoff games on their 2022 cup run while playing 20 minutes a night as a 20 year old. In the finals, he was playing even more and even better. Spending a 1st on a bit of a flawed player but one that played like he did in the cup finals at age 20? Yeah, it's well worth the gamble.

The only downside with Byram is his past injuries, but even if his play doesn't improve from what it is today, I still think it's worth trading the Rangers 1st for him. Who else do the Penguins have on LD? And who else better would you get with the 1st you'd be trading for him?

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

The question is; Do you run the risk of ruining what luster there may be to Byram's game by trading for him, knowing this team's in for some ugly shit the next five-ish years?

I dunno. I get that this team spoon feeds all this "bro trusts me, bro, we're gonna compete again real soon bro, trust me" bullshit to people but it just isn't gonna happen imo.

 

[Empoleon8771]

The question is; Do you run the risk of ruining what luster there may be to Byram's game by trading for him, knowing this team's in for some ugly shit the next five-ish years?

I dunno. I get that this team spoon feeds all this "bro trusts me, bro, we're gonna compete again real soon bro, trust me" bullshit to people but it just isn't gonna happen imo.

Byram's still young enough that I think it's worth the add. Even if it takes 5 more years of rebuilding, Byram's only going to be 28 by then.

He'd be the same age Matheson was when the Penguins traded Matheson to Montreal, and I don't think Montreal has been at all disappointed with how Matheson has played for them in the past 3 years.

 

[Empoleon8771]

That age factor is also why I consider Hague more of a "acquire him now but flip him down the line" while Byram is actually a long-term solution. Hague is 26 right now and those kind of defensemen tend to fall off in their early 30s, I'd be trying to get him to a 2-3 year deal and then flip him after playing in a top-4 role for a few years. But Byram will only be in his mid to late 20s by the time this team is good again, he's worth keeping around long-term.

I'm not saying he'd bring back the same return Pettersson did, but I'd basically be trying to pump up Hague's value like Pettersson's value got pumped up at the same age. Pettersson got a huge jump in usage at age 26 and his value skyrocketed because of it, I figure you can do the same thing with Hague. Basically play him as the DFD for Letang for 2-3 years and then trade him for likely more than what you paid for him. Even if it's just trading a 2nd for him now, play him in that role for 2 years and flip him for 2 2nds as a rental, that's still a net positive.

 

[Gurglesons]

If Byram was on a deal, I'd be fine acquiring him.

Paying assets and then giving him basically whatever he's asking for is where I can't get behind it.

Hague is someone I've wanted forever, but I just think he's going to go for a lot. And I'm curious if Vegas even lets him go with the McNabb injuries adding up.

 

[DesertPenguin]

I'd give up a painful return for Byram. Getting a player like him in the building is the A#1 priority this offseason. Whatever it takes, including using one if 11OA or the NYR pick.

 

[Gurglesons]

I'd give up a painful return for Byram. Getting a player like him in the building is the A#1 priority this offseason. Whatever it takes, including using one if 11OA or the NYR pick.

What exactly do you think Byram is?

 

[Coastal Kev]

yes

 

[Turin]

I'd give up a painful return for Byram. Getting a player like him in the building is the A#1 priority this offseason. Whatever it takes, including using one if 11OA or the NYR pick.

Naaaaaaaaaaaah bro

 

[Gurglesons]

Naaaaaaaaaaaah bro

If we are swapping Rust or Rakell for Byram, I can live with it.

Trading a 1st makes me uncomfortable.

 

[Guins71]

Marner was over a point per game in the playoffs this year. Could he have been better? Sure. But I wouldn't call him a no-show.

Toronto got crushed in their own zone against Florida and that ultimately deflated the offense. They couldn't escape their zone.

Perimeter player

 

[Jacob]

Not gonna happen but it would be interesting if we flipped Rust or Rakell (or both) for futures and then use the cap space to sign Marner or Ehlers (or both).

You get 1. Younger. 2. Better. 3. More picks/prospects.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Naaaaaaaaaaaah bro

Nah with how this draft is looking, you 100% trade pick #12 for Byram if the Rangers hand it over.

Who's the best D you can take in that spot? It's Aitcheson and Smith, both of who project to be equal or worse than Byram is now.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I saw really good signs of development at the NHL level from Woodcroft. He had good results with Bakersfield too.
He's shown an ability to win series'. Three in 2 years is encouraging.

He got fired for a poor first 15 games or w/e, but I'm not gonna project a blip like that onto his next job, when he was a .643 overall.

I'm not really against Love though. He has some qualities we need too.

Mark Recchi endorses Jay, that is enough for anyone with a brain cell to say thanks but no thanks.

Nelson turned the Oilers affiliate into a solid development team and then the oilers barely drafted well outside of their tank picks, to have any of them make a big impact. Who developed under Woodcroft that wasn’t already on that trajectory?

Bouchard's growth exploded under Knobber. The fact is Jay didn’t have many prospects to develop in Edmonton because they barely had any worthwhile ones, they had McDavid, Drai, RNH, Hyman, all already veterans by the time he is there.

Nelson is a better option than Woodcroft. For the options that are available - Mitch Love and Todd Nelson are the two I’d be fine with, either or. Nelson has a very good and long list of players that developed under him, including RNH who credits him with helping him with his 2way game, Love also does with some of the Flames prospects like Zary and he coaches a more staunch defensive system.

It’s one of those pick a side options between the two. Nelson will be great for the forwards and playing a fun system, Love will be amazing for the goalies and the defense.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Not gonna happen but it would be interesting if we flipped Rust or Rakell (or both) for futures and then use the cap space to sign Marner or Ehlers (or both).

You get 1. Younger. 2. Better. 3. More picks/prospects.

Yes to flipping Rust.

Immediately.

His contract clause, always injured for 10-20+ games a season (mostly 20+), head entirely up Sullivan’s ass…yes. Bye Felicia.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Vancouver's dysfunctional and run by complete morons so you never know. Biggest hurdle is navigating any NTCs Rakell or Rust may have, and of course, dealing with this organization's psychotic reverence for Bryan Rust.

I think the best way to approach it is wait for the dust to settle after the first day or so of FA in July, and try to fleece some team that missed out on signing a big name.

I don't think Rust wants to play in Canada. He seems like he would have all the Canadian teams on his no trade list.

 

[Gurglesons]

Nah with how this draft is looking, you 100% trade pick #12 for Byram if the Rangers hand it over.

Who's the best D you can take in that spot? It's Aitcheson and Smith, both of who project to be equal or worse than Byram is now.

I think the issue once again is with the contract you have to give Byram. He's going to ask for 8 years.

 

[Pancakes]

I think the issue once again is with the contract you have to give Byram. He's going to ask for 8 years.

I'm not super high on Byram but what's wrong with 8 years? The cap is going up and the Pens are rebuilding and likely to be jettisoning a lot of cap soon anyways

 

[Gurglesons]

I'm not super high on Byram but what's wrong with 8 years? The cap is going up and the Pens are rebuilding and likely to be jettisoning a lot of cap soon anyways

Just having a player like him for 8 years if he doesn't pan out. It's another Graves contract IMO.

 

[Pancakes]

I don't think Rust wants to play in Canada. He seems like he would have all the Canadian teams on his no trade list.

I bet if he were to get dealt that he'd like to be on Detroit.

 

[chethejet]

Rust was my package as Buffalo will be moving someone as they have 21 million in cap space but need to sign a number of RFA to deals that will take most of that space. Byram has risk and not sure a deal for 7 million AAV for them or the Pens is worth that commitment.

 

[Gurglesons]

I bet if he were to get dealt that he'd like to be on Detroit.

I feel very convinced if Marner doesn't go to Vegas, he goes to Detroit.

 

[OtherThingsILike]

Have we any indication as to the team's willingness to retain on Karlsson to get a return? Because a good rule of thumb is teams are usually a lot less keen on the idea than fans.

Well, we retained on Petry in order to be able to move him so we could fit Karlsson in, and the retention on Petry was for two seasons, the same as it would be on Karlsson now.