DesertedPenguin
Registered User
- Mar 11, 2007
- 6,950
- 9,676
The Pens have upwards of $20 million in cap space. They can easily sign Marner and a solid LD if they wanted to, even without moving out contracts.For those who keep close track of the cap and assets, where are we sitting heading into the offseason money wise?
Is it realistic we can sign someone like Marner without moving EK specifically? And what are the odds Dubas actually wants to, or is able to move that kind of money considering EK isn't worth the contract at this stage of his career.
Depth at F is obviously a problem right now, though with some of the prospects we have waiting in the wings, should hopefully work itself out, but that isn't the biggest issue at all.
Just like the post 08-09 Cup run world of the Bylsma era, defense and goaltending is shit, and that might be a generous term. Fixing those 2 areas seems to be the biggest obstacle to the Pens legitimately competing for a deep playoff run.
Even if you can run a tighter defensive ship, I have zero confidence in any of the goaltenders currently on the roster being SC caliber. Maybe one of the young guns like Murashov are diamonds in the rough, but we won't find that out next year.
Karlsson likely has trade value if the Pens retain $2-3 million.
With Koivunen, McGroarty, Ponomarev, Pickering, and potentially others are likely being in the NHL next year while on entry-level deals, the Pens will have a lot of cap flexibility.