GDT: Free Agency Day 1: You're from Boston? Come on down

[Ulf5]

Something like 1 or 2 years, 4.5 or 5 mil for Tarasenko would be a good "cover your ass" move for Dubas. Top 6 player on a very movable contract. I assume they'd have to make a trade to accommodate him, though.

Shouldn't have to trade anyone. Capfriendly has us currently at $3.4 million in space.
Nieto's $900k will be LTIRed once the season starts.
And you can bury up to $1.15 in the AHL this season. They have 3 or 4 prospects for that- Poolparty, etc.

 

[Pengu]

There won't be ANY real movement towards a rebuild until the core is completely done. And then it will be 2003 level bad for a few years like it is in Anahaim, San Jose etc right now...

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Staios having that job was always stupid, this is why you don't hire your good mates that are not qualified for the job.

David Quinn is going to fix EK65.

David Quinn couldn't even fix himself a bowl of cereal mate.

 

[Terrapin]

This whole 'can't rebuild till after the core 3 are gone' is a bunch of bullshit.

Sid's still top 5 in the league

Letang's still a top 4 d'man

Geno's a good 2nd line center

All 3 are on extremely cap friendly deals, especially in this day and age.

Instead of worrying about running off 3 hall of famers, FSG and the media should take a look at the idiot coach that has done nothing with a turned over roster and 3 GMs for half a decade

 

[OnMyOwn]

Something like 1 or 2 years, 4.5 or 5 mil for Tarasenko would be a good "cover your ass" move for Dubas. Top 6 player on a very movable contract. I assume they'd have to make a trade to accommodate him, though.

I’d move acciari or eller. If we can get any actual value, Raks. Even though I like him.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Happy for POJ signing with the Blues to join his brother. Hope he has the success he deserves to have.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Yeah, I'm a bit bummed that POJ left. But Karlsson nor Letang nor Graves were a good partner for him. St. Ivany would work (Ludvig too to a lesser extent), but clearly you can't have TWO young players together.

Best wishes to POJ.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I’d move acciari or eller. If we can get any actual value, Raks. Even though I like him.

Eller is easier to move and get a better asset back. Acciari you have to attach something to dump. But as a 4c whatever he can be there and if he sucks he can be bought out next season. Eller I move now while teams have cap space and get a pick asap.

Yeah, I'm a bit bummed that POJ left. But Karlsson nor Letang nor Graves were a good partner for him. St. Ivany would work (Ludvig too to a lesser extent), but clearly you can't have TWO young players together.

Best wishes to POJ.

I thought he looked good at times with Letang when Letang wasn't absolute ass. Then the weird significant injury that we waited to hear about for Letang was a f***ing booboo to his finger.

I think he'll do well under Bannister and Julien.

 

[Ulf5]

Think I've changed my mind on Rakell. Not that he's anything special. But atm, only 3 other forwards on the team are capable of 30 goals.
If Sully ever gets his head out of his arse and with a lil ufa lil ufa luck, you could run-
Rak- Sid- Rust
Bunting- Zhenya- Tank

 

[eXile3]

This whole 'can't rebuild till after the core 3 are gone' is a bunch of bullshit.

Sid's still top 5 in the league

Letang's still a top 4 d'man

Geno's a good 2nd line center

All 3 are on extremely cap friendly deals, especially in this day and age.

Instead of worrying about running off 3 hall of famers, FSG and the media should take a look at the idiot coach that has done nothing with a turned over roster and 3 GMs for half a decade

We would be a playoff team. FSG picked the coach over the players. Or Dubas did. Someone did and it costs us at least a somewhat enjoyable walk into the sunset.

 

[IcedCapp]

did we sign that vandalism tiramisu guy yet?

 

[Deport Ogie]

did we sign that vandalism tiramisu guy yet?

We must've, that email from the Point Park intern in the ticket office said we did.

 

[orby]

In the event the Tarasenko signing is legit, would they move Rakell or Rust to LW and bump DOC to the third line, or simply put Rakell or Rust (probably Rakell) on the third line?

 

[Jag68Sid87]

Here is where I sit at the moment with this team (I am far less optimistic since Hayes, but whatever):

- the goaltending is the same as it was. I am not an alarmist at this position, because nobody knows what any goaltender will be next season. You know Nathan MacKinnon will be great. Connor Hellebuyck? Maybe. That said, I don't want to run it back. Trade Jarry for some other struggling goaltender and maybe you can add other assets to the mix.

- I was a Joseph booster, mostly because he seemed to have chemistry with Letang. And the players liked him. The coaches hated him, though. So, he had no chance. If Grzelcyk is here for one year, fine. Pickering might be ready in a year to take that spot. Aho is a guy I like, and he might be better than Grzelcyk in actuality. He is good insurance. I still think St. Ivany should have a spot on that third pairing because he brings a lot of what we need on defense. I would re-sign Pettersson, but I am not sure Dubas will.

- my biggest issue is up front. Most of our best young players and prospects are up front, except for Pickering and Blomqvist. While we did not "block" their path necessarily with long-term contracts, we have definitely blocked them. There is no way Mike Sullivan plays Sam Poulin, Vasili Ponomarev, Ville Koivunen or Brayden Yager (even if they all shine in camp) over players like Kevin Hayes, Anthony Beauvillier, Blake Lizotte, Lars Eller or Noel Acciari. The moves have not only ended any talk of a rookie making the team, but Puljujarvi is now going to struggle to get playing time. Heck, if we sign Tarasenko, Puustinen is out of the lineup too.

The problem with the plan is, if you are taking on contracts for picks, or bringing in cheap players to sell off for picks, you are still blocking younger players with more upside. So, are you really improving your future outlook? Also, this plan might actually work with someone other than Mike Sullivan as coach. Because a different coach might actually play Koivunen over Beauvillier, or Yager over Lizotte, if they have earned it. This coach? No chance.

So, I am very meh with this plan. Am I happy they stopped trading away draft picks? Yes, of course. But you can actually improve a team without trading draft picks. By making hockey trades, which used to be known as trades when I was a kid watching hockey. Now, everybody (GMs and teams included) seem to be obsessed with windows, two-year, five-year plans, fitting timelines, et al. It is all nonsense to me.

Whether you have Sidney Crosby, Macklin Celebrini, Tim Stutzle or Ryan O'Reilly as your top center, the goal should be the same. Improve the team and try to win more games than you did the year before. You can take a more micro or macro approach to getting there, but we are currently in a climate with extemes.

When the salary cap era first began, everybody was in agreement that the way to maintain success over the long haul with a hard cap was to incorporate ELCs into the lineups. For a bit, that was the way a lot of teams were doing it. But things have changed over time, and so teams with great prospect pools over-marinate them some of the time and end up losing an asset for nothing. That has happened with the Kings, that has happened with the Jets, and more will follow suit. Teams with shallow pools have abandoned the concept of ELCs helping the team, for whatever reason. There are a lot of teams with cap issues whose way out of it would most easily be by playing a rookieor young player. But they rarely do. Nick Robertson would fill that hole in Toronto left by Bertuzzi, but will they play him? Nope. Brendan Brisson is ready for the NHL, so will Vegas put him in as a potential Marchessault replacement? No chance.

My point with all of this is, when Dubas said he wanted to "get younger", he actually meant he wanted to get more assets instead of less. For what purpose? For the purpose of eventually trading them yet again for immediate help. There was never an intention to actually get younger. The youth makes an impact on the ice, not on prospects lists. Detroit has what many people say is the best prospects pool in the league right now. The GM keeps adding older players and clearly prefers to leave the kids "marinate".

Eventually, a kid like Rutger McGroarty comes along and realizes he has no future in his organization. And people are quick to demonize him because he should know his role and shut his mouth. But he is right. The Jets have great prospects, but that is all they are until proven otherwise.

Until Mike Sullivan is no longer employed by this organization, younger players have no shot. That is the bottom line. Dubas and co. had a strong draft and are preparing for more good ones down the line.

Meanwhile, we are stuck in neutral ON the ice, where it matters most.

In the event the Tarasenko signing is legit, would they move Rakell or Rust to LW and bump DOC to the third line, or simply put Rakell or Rust (probably Rakell) on the third line?

Tarasenko would play LW, his less preferable position, with Crosby and Rust. That is what Mike Sullivan does. He is hierarchical. Always has been.

 

[Rakell67]

Here is where I sit at the moment with this team (I am far less optimistic since Hayes, but whatever):

- the goaltending is the same as it was. I am not an alarmist at this position, because nobody knows what any goaltender will be next season. You know Nathan MacKinnon will be great. Connor Hellebuyck? Maybe. That said, I don't want to run it back. Trade Jarry for some other struggling goaltender and maybe you can add other assets to the mix.

- I was a Joseph booster, mostly because he seemed to have chemistry with Letang. And the players liked him. The coaches hated him, though. So, he had no chance. If Grzelcyk is here for one year, fine. Pickering might be ready in a year to take that spot. Aho is a guy I like, and he might be better than Grzelcyk in actuality. He is good insurance. I still think St. Ivany should have a spot on that third pairing because he brings a lot of what we need on defense. I would re-sign Pettersson, but I am not sure Dubas will.

- my biggest issue is up front. Most of our best young players and prospects are up front, except for Pickering and Blomqvist. While we did not "block" their path necessarily with long-term contracts, we have definitely blocked them. There is no way Mike Sullivan plays Sam Poulin, Vasili Ponomarev, Ville Koivunen or Brayden Yager (even if they all shine in camp) over players like Kevin Hayes, Anthony Beauvillier, Blake Lizotte, Lars Eller or Noel Acciari. The moves have not only ended any talk of a rookie making the team, but Puljujarvi is now going to struggle to get playing time. Heck, if we sign Tarasenko, Puustinen is out of the lineup too.

The problem with the plan is, if you are taking on contracts for picks, or bringing in cheap players to sell off for picks, you are still blocking younger players with more upside. So, are you really improving your future outlook? Also, this plan might actually work with someone other than Mike Sullivan as coach. Because a different coach might actually play Koivunen over Beauvillier, or Yager over Lizotte, if they have earned it. This coach? No chance.

So, I am very meh with this plan. Am I happy they stopped trading away draft picks? Yes, of course. But you can actually improve a team without trading draft picks. By making hockey trades, which used to be known as trades when I was a kid watching hockey. Now, everybody (GMs and teams included) seem to be obsessed with windows, two-year, five-year plans, fitting timelines, et al. It is all nonsense to me.

Whether you have Sidney Crosby, Macklin Celebrini, Tim Stutzle or Ryan O'Reilly as your top center, the goal should be the same. Improve the team and try to win more games than you did the year before. You can take a more micro or macro approach to getting there, but we are currently in a climate with extemes.

When the salary cap era first began, everybody was in agreement that the way to maintain success over the long haul with a hard cap was to incorporate ELCs into the lineups. For a bit, that was the way a lot of teams were doing it. But things have changed over time, and so teams with great prospect pools over-marinate them some of the time and end up losing an asset for nothing. That has happened with the Kings, that has happened with the Jets, and more will follow suit. Teams with shallow pools have abandoned the concept of ELCs helping the team, for whatever reason. There are a lot of teams with cap issues whose way out of it would most easily be by playing a rookieor young player. But they rarely do. Nick Robertson would fill that hole in Toronto left by Bertuzzi, but will they play him? Nope. Brendan Brisson is ready for the NHL, so will Vegas put him in as a potential Marchessault replacement? No chance.

My point with all of this is, when Dubas said he wanted to "get younger", he actually meant he wanted to get more assets instead of less. For what purpose? For the purpose of eventually trading them yet again for immediate help. There was never an intention to actually get younger. The youth makes an impact on the ice, not on prospects lists. Detroit has what many people say is the best prospects pool in the league right now. The GM keeps adding older players and clearly prefers to leave the kids "marinate".

Eventually, a kid like Rutger McGroarty comes along and realizes he has no future in his organization. And people are quick to demonize him because he should know his role and shut his mouth. But he is right. The Jets have great prospects, but that is all they are until proven otherwise.

Until Mike Sullivan is no longer employed by this organization, younger players have no shot. That is the bottom line. Dubas and co. had a strong draft and are preparing for more good ones down the line.

Meanwhile, we are stuck in neutral ON the ice, where it matters most.



Tarasenko would play LW, his less preferable position, with Crosby and Rust. That is what Mike Sullivan does. He is hierarchical. Always has been.

Rakell Crosby Rust
Bunting Malkin Tarasenko
O'Connor Hayes Beaulivier
Lizotte Aciari Puljujarvi

 

[Pens1566]

Ugh, that lineup is awful.

 

[molon labe]

I pushed for Tarasenko last Summer.

I have a really hard time believing he's interested in Pittsburgh whatsoever at this point. There's a TON of teams with more cap space than us and several (likely) willing to go 2-3 years on him.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

Something like 1 or 2 years, 4.5 or 5 mil for Tarasenko would be a good "cover your ass" move for Dubas. Top 6 player on a very movable contract. I assume they'd have to make a trade to accommodate him, though.

Has to be a 1 year deal for Tarasenko if he really wants to play here. We don't even know if Sid will be here for the 2025-26 season!

 

[Pens1566]

Not sure Tarasenko is the home run we need to push the needle past "hey, we're hoping to be in the WC hunt in March" vibe we're giving off.

And that's if injuries don't hit. We've been super lucky in that department the last few years.

 

[eXile3]

Not sure Tarasenko is the home run we need to push the needle past "hey, we're hoping to be in the WC hunt in March" vibe we're giving off.

And that's if injuries don't hit. We've been super lucky in that department the last few years.

I think it’s more about putting a respectful roster out at this point. Right now we’re in at least bottom 10 territory in my opinion.

 

[Ryder71]

I pushed for Tarasenko last Summer.

I have a really hard time believing he's interested in Pittsburgh whatsoever at this point. There's a TON of teams with more cap space than us and several (likely) willing to go 2-3 years on him.

I mentioned Tarasenko a few days ago. He at least would be a name the fan base knows well. I think that would help put a decent spin on the offseason.

 

[orby]

I think Tarasenko is obviously past his prime but he's still a good player. He is an upgrade on Rakell at the very least. I would be fine with giving him $5 mil for a year and then moving him at the deadline if the team sucks.

 

[Ryder71]

I think it’s more about putting a respectful roster out at this point. Right now we’re in at least bottom 10 territory in my opinion.

Yep, that looks about right to me as well.

I think Tarasenko is obviously past his prime but he's still a good player. He is an upgrade on Rakell at the very least. I would be fine with giving him $5 mil for a year and then moving him at the deadline if the team sucks.

We don't have that much cap, maybe 3.5 mil? We have more with Nieto on LTIR but Kyle likely wants to keep a bit in reserve.

 

[OnMyOwn]

The whole point in tarasenko would be to put a decent team out there and if we suck, sell him for futures at the deadline.

I’m for that.

 

[Ryder71]

I think if we offered Tarasenko a two year deal it'd get done.