Brooks Orpik - trade him sooner than later?

[Sidney the Kidney]

Priority #1: Re-sign Letang and Malkin to what will be VERY expensive contracts, and with a shrinking salary cap.


Priority #2: Re-sign or extend Dupuis, Cooke, Kennedy and Kunitz, and with a shrinking salary cap.


Priority #3: Sign a UFA or trade for a legit top-line winger to play with Crosby, and with a shrinking salary cap.


Priority #4: Sign a UFA or trade for a legit top-pairing Dman partner for Letang, if there is one available, and with a shrinking salary cap.


Priority #5: Get our NHL-ready young defenders spots in our line-up so they can progress and get acclimated to the NHL, if deserving, and as expected for at least one or two of them by next season.


So a BIG NO THANK YOU and see ya later to Brooks Orpik at $4million/season.

I'd hope priority #3 is higher on Shero's list than priority #2.

 

[jmelm]

I'd hope priority #3 is higher on Shero's list than priority #2.

It probably is, but at the same time, we know it's depth and overall team play that keeps us so competitive and among the best teams in the league. It is really, REALLY important for us to retain that because, outside of Bennett, none of our forward prospects (Archibald, Agostino, Sundqvist, Blueger, Wilson, etc.) are anywhere close to being NHL-ready -- unlike many of our D-prospects, who are ready/close.


Oh, and I forgot to add Sutter (and Jeffrey, and Vitale), which makes #2 even more important.


So we can call it 2a & 2b, cool?

 

[KIRK]

Those entry level contracts are what will keep him here having him take the leadership role and help the kids out playing in a more reduced role that should suite him in the coming years.

Year 3/4 could be like this
Despres, Letang
Dumoulin/Maata, Morrow
Orpik, Harrington
Bortuzzo/Pouliot

Now what's the problem? I don't see any. We'll lose one of these young guys in some sort of a trade, maybe two.

At the same 3.75M he's making now or something closer to 3M?

 

[JQR]

I was saying this last season. Orpik was all but missing until after the All-Star break, then he started showing a glimmer of why he has the A on his sweater.

 

[Slabber Chops]

Goofs will happen, especially early season after a protracted lock-out. There is nothing to see here, move along.

Orpik is not being traded. Martin is not being traded. The D yesterday was fine.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Priority #1: Re-sign Letang and Malkin to what will be VERY expensive contracts, and with a shrinking salary cap.

Combated with ELC's.

Priority #2: Re-sign or extend Dupuis, Cooke, Kennedy and Kunitz, and with a shrinking salary cap.

2 of these guys maybe more will not be resigned.

Priority #3: Sign a UFA or trade for a legit top-line winger to play with Crosby, and with a shrinking salary cap.

Beau Bennett.

Priority #4: Sign a UFA or trade for a legit top-pairing Dman partner for Letang, if there is one available, and with a shrinking salary cap.

Or... they feel they have that within the system.

Priority #5: Get our NHL-ready young defenders spots in our line-up so they can progress and get acclimated to the NHL, if deserving, and as expected for at least one or two of them by next season.

Totally agree

So a BIG NO THANK YOU and see ya later to Brooks Orpik at $4million/season.

If they resign him with the ELC's and even Letang at top salary they can keep Brooks around until those ELC's start to turn into there second contracts.

What Brooks has done for this team on and off the ice, Signing for well below market value, Leadership on defense, ect... he deserves a chance at a final contract with the Pens. His play hasn't gone into oblivion. He had an injury and the season after he had a bad showing, are you really that shocked? We won't know who can replace his many attributes but one thing is fore sure, none of them can do it today, tomorrow, or in the near future.

If you ship out Orpik you better have another coming back. Which brings up the final point of at what cost cap wise? If it's near the same why trade/let go Orpik at all?

 

[mpp9]

If Brooks would resign at 3 mil and play a 4/5 role in the coming years, Id be down. But it's not like we're throwing the guy to the curb if we don't keep him. He'll get overpaid big time by some team. Hopefully if that happens he can have another cup with us before then.

 

[Ugene Magic]

At the same 3.75M he's making now or something closer to 3M?

This is the one area I don't think will be much of an issue either way. We are all in this uproar over a guy who's been taking below market value for 6 years and are still going to complain if he wants the same deal for 3/4 years?

Orpik, could have easily been getting 4.5/5.5 for these past years.

You basically are getting him at fair market value if he signs for the same or near at the end of his deal. You most likely won't bring in a guy at what Orpik signed for.

 

[KIRK]

This is the one area I don't think will be much of an issue either way. We are all in this uproar over a guy who's been taking below market value for 6 years and are still going to complain if he wants the same deal for 3/4 years?

Orpik, could have easily been getting 4.5/5.5 for these past years.

You basically are getting him at fair market value if he signs for the same or near at the end of his deal. You most likely won't bring in a guy at what Orpik signed for.

No offense, but I'm with mpp9 on this. I've got no problem with a 3M 'thanks for the memories' deal comparable to what Ottawa gave Chris Phillips.

But, with Sid and Geno's wingers AND Letang being issues, overpaying Orpik shouldn't be a priority IMO.

 

[Ugene Magic]

No offense, but I'm with mpp9 on this. I've got no problem with a 3M 'thanks for the memories' deal comparable to what Ottawa gave Chris Phillips.

But, with Sid and Geno's wingers AND Letang being issues, overpaying Orpik shouldn't be a priority IMO.

 

[Crafton]

brooks is officially coveted by wings fans - be prepared for underwhelming offers.

 

[KIRK]

brooks is officially coveted by wings fans - be prepared for underwhelming offers.

Datsyuk works.

Wonder if Bylsma would find a place for him on the PK or the top PP?

BTW, I was joking about the first part and only half-joking about the second part.

 

[Bennett Brauer]

Priority #1: Re-sign Letang and Malkin to what will be VERY expensive contracts, and with a shrinking salary cap.

I can see Malkin taking the same money he's making. $8.7M

I can see Kris Letang getting a raise anywhere from $3M - $3.5M more than he's making, so a $6.5M - $7M a year for him.

Priority #2: Re-sign or extend Dupuis, Cooke, Kennedy and Kunitz, and with a shrinking salary cap.

Like Ugene Malkin said, all of them won't be brought back. Kunitz took the same amount of money in a recent extension, Dupuis took less money.

If some of these guys want to stay, they will take acceptable money to make it work, someone's not getting re-signed if Bennett is making the team.

It's early to tell, but I don't see guys like Dupuis, Kunitz and Cooke demanding big raises if they want to stay. Cooke may do what Dupuis did and take less, Dupuis might get a little raise. It depends on them really.

Priority #3: Sign a UFA or trade for a legit top-line winger to play with Crosby, and with a shrinking salary cap.

Like Ugene Malkin said, Beau Bennett.

Priority #4: Sign a UFA or trade for a legit top-pairing Dman partner for Letang, if there is one available, and with a shrinking salary cap.

From what I hear, Despres might be that partner for Letang.

Priority #5: Get our NHL-ready young defenders spots in our line-up so they can progress and get acclimated to the NHL, if deserving, and as expected for at least one or two of them by next season.

You want the Penguins to sign an established, top pairing defenseman AND get the young guys chances to play?

I cannot understand or see the point you are trying to make, the cap will decrease but it's not going to be so low that we have to trade key players.

If Bennett makes the team, we can trade Kennedy's RFA rights and his $2M is off the books, re-sign Dupuis and Cooke to play 3rd line with Sutter. Bennett plays with Crosby.

IF a defenseman needs to be traded, why should it be a stay at home, physical, franchise defenseman (for the Penguins) like Brooks Orpik and not the most expensive defenseman on our blue line in Paul Martin? If we're clearing salary, why not trade or buy out the $5M defenseman and give the guy who has been a part of our organization for almost 13 years a $25,000 raise? Why can't Dumoulin take Martin's spot and learn from Brooks Orpik, a fellow Boston College Alumni? Why should it be Brooks Orpik to be traded.

If Orpik is asking for a big raise, then you don't bring him back, but currently making $3.75, if he asks for $4M, $25,000 more than he's making now, why not give it to him? I think he's earned it.

You make Priority's 3 and 4 sound so easy, oh just trade or sign a big time winger and defenseman. They're hardly available.

 

[mrzeigler]

I don't have a problem giving him a 3/4 year deal at his same or near cap hit.

He's only 32 and it's not like he'll hammer the team with the 35+ rule here. If the team runs 8 D-man from now on it's even easier to keep'em.

I don't see him sticking around after his current deal, and I don't see him retiring as a Pen except in the case of him signing a one-day contract at the end of his career. It's not because this organization doesn't value loyalty, but because we have a logjam of defensive prospects and Orpik likely will have one last good-money contract in him (three years, $11-12.5M, I'm thinking). There's a lot of salary relief to be found in these young blueline prospect, and the organization will take it to ensure that Geno & Letang are retained, so I expect an amicable parting of ways.

 

[Tender Rip]

Seriously.... lets worry about next season when we've lifted the cup or gotten booted from the playoffs.

Brooks will play heavy minutes every game he is healthy until then, as will Martin for that matter. This will be the case also after we have added a D-man at the deadline, which I fully expect us to.

What will hopefully happen is that one or two of our young D-men, lets just say Despres and Bortuzzo, will make this debate relevant after this season.

 

[mgd525]

I can see Malkin taking the same money he's making. $8.7M

I can see Kris Letang getting a raise anywhere from $3M - $3.5M more than he's making, so a $6.5M - $7M a year for him.




Like Ugene Malkin said, all of them won't be brought back. Kunitz took the same amount of money in a recent extension, Dupuis took less money.

If some of these guys want to stay, they will take acceptable money to make it work, someone's not getting re-signed if Bennett is making the team.

It's early to tell, but I don't see guys like Dupuis, Kunitz and Cooke demanding big raises if they want to stay. Cooke may do what Dupuis did and take less, Dupuis might get a little raise. It depends on them really.



Like Ugene Malkin said, Beau Bennett.



From what I hear, Despres might be that partner for Letang.



You want the Penguins to sign an established, top pairing defenseman AND get the young guys chances to play?

I cannot understand or see the point you are trying to make, the cap will decrease but it's not going to be so low that we have to trade key players.

If Bennett makes the team, we can trade Kennedy's RFA rights and his $2M is off the books, re-sign Dupuis and Cooke to play 3rd line with Sutter. Bennett plays with Crosby.

IF a defenseman needs to be traded, why should it be a stay at home, physical, franchise defenseman (for the Penguins) like Brooks Orpik and not the most expensive defenseman on our blue line in Paul Martin? If we're clearing salary, why not trade or buy out the $5M defenseman and give the guy who has been a part of our organization for almost 13 years a $25,000 raise? Why can't Dumoulin take Martin's spot and learn from Brooks Orpik, a fellow Boston College Alumni? Why should it be Brooks Orpik to be traded.

If Orpik is asking for a big raise, then you don't bring him back, but currently making $3.75, if he asks for $4M, $25,000 more than he's making now, why not give it to him? I think he's earned it.

You make Priority's 3 and 4 sound so easy, oh just trade or sign a big time winger and defenseman. They're hardly available.

Great post. Cooke, Duper and most likely Kunitz imo will take a salary they need to. They did it before and im really pretty sure they will again.

Kennedy i'm 99% sure is the guy that will be out. Kennedy imo will go for the money. In all honesty even if he doesn't he will be the guy out due to the fact Duper/cooke are great pkers.

Like you said about Orpik. He left 1.5 million on the table when he resigned after the finals that year. I remember the Rangers offered him 5 million/yr. I 100% believe he will retire a Penguin.

Martin will be the odd man out for sure.

 

[Darth Vitale]

Until Bortuzzo can show consistently that he can muscle up on people the way Orpik can, a trade is a bad idea unless we're getting someone who can adequately fill his skates in the Top 4. Orpik has his moments and his value will diminish as he gets older but right now we have no one that can take his place. Also he's going to be rusty; I don't think he played anywhere during the lockout. Hopefully the extra rest will mean a healthier season and post-season.

 

[sluice]

Orpik is too important for this team to even think about moving him.

Main shutdown guy.
Good leader.

I like what I see in the Orpik/Martin duo.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

I think that Orpik read this thread.

 

[MonsterSurge]

Kreider and Boyle agree with this thread.

 

[HuskerTornado]

I think that Orpik read this thread.

He did have 2 huge hits tonight.

 

[Harv]

 

[ObsessedCreative*]

Pretty much the only guy I would trade Orpik for would be in a package for Weber, and that isn't happening so... we NEED him, BADLY.

 

[ObsessedCreative*]

Orpik is too important for this team to even think about moving him.

Main shutdown guy.
Good leader.

I like what I see in the Orpik/Martin duo.

It's amazing what happens when you ask a guy to play his game that has made him successful in the past, rather than forcing him to be someone he is not.

Martin has looked amazing so far, you can just tell he is WAYYYY more confident out there in just two games!

 

[KIRK]

Pretty much the only guy I would trade Orpik for would be in a package for Weber, and that isn't happening so... we NEED him, BADLY.

Even most of the biggest Orpik homers wouldn't go that far.