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Salary Cap: Pens 2024 Summer Thread: "Thus, knocking us out of these superior numbers when we emerge! Mr. President, we must not allow a non-playoff bound gap!"

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Gurglesons said:
I don't mind paying money for the bottom six as long as we are paying for players that belong there and bring uniqueness.

When you are spending money on vanilla players like Lars Eller it just sucks.
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I have a big issue with constantly trying to recreate either the ultimate shutdown line (which we then over-rely upon) or Cullen 3.0, neither of which address the team's actual major fixable problems: power play and finishing. I also do not trust Dubas to build a competant bottom 6 yet, and I definitely don't trust Sullivan to coach or use it well even if properly constructed.

Lars Eller should never see the ice 3v3. :laugh:

SEALBound said:
Re: the PP, yeah and Todd Reirden, the mastermind behind it all, kept his job the entire year and Sullivan fought tooth and nail for him to stay. Cultural rot where loyalty outweighs success.
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The wild thing is that, if Reirden had listened to some feedback and gotten the powerplay to like... even 23rd in the league instead of 30th, we'd probably have gotten into the playoffs and he'd still have a job.
 
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HandshakeLine said:
I have a big issue with constantly trying to recreate either the ultimate shutdown line (which we then over-rely upon) or Cullen 3.0, neither of which address the team's actual major fixable problems: power play and finishing. I also do not trust Dubas to build a competant bottom 6 yet, and I definitely don't trust Sullivan to coach or use it well even if properly constructed.

Lars Eller should never see the ice 3v3. :laugh:


The wild thing is that, if Reirden had listened to some feedback and gotten the powerplay to like... even 23rd in the league instead of 30th, we'd probably have gotten into the playoffs and he'd still have a job.
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I mean, they do need a capable bottom 6. We longed for the bottom 6 to have an "identity" for awhile and this year they "got it". Sullivan decided there would be 2 offensive lines and 2 defensive lines. Just turns out, the defensive lines can't score for shit and they were garbage defensively. If they want to build a defensive line, great. Nieto-Eller-Acciari. Boom. Done. If that line gets 75% def zone draws and is matched up against top lines every night and does well, no one is going to care if their stat line is single digits throughout the year. You balance that, though, with another bottom-six line that can actually push the pace of the game and contribute on both ends. So if they wanted to run Nieto-Eller-Acciari and then Koivunen-Pono-Yager, I'd be a'okay with that. You are attaching an identity to each line and supplying each line with the players that fit the identity. If you need to run various systems based on that, do it.

I still don't get how the entire organization and, hell, even the players, look at the powerplay the entire season and stood by while impact changes were made.
 
I mean don't mistake me... it would be tragic in a lot of ways. Especially if it were for a team like the Leafs. But a part of me would undeniably find it hilarious if Sid was like "f*** this I'm out." Would serve these goofs right.
 
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HandshakeLine said:
And look how well that worked out. :laugh: I see the logic behind it, it's just bad logic, bad usage, and boring hockey.
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OTOH spending like 15M on your third line because you have daydreams of HBK would be utterly moronic so like... I dunno.

The answer IMO is that this team should have been developing players to rotate into their depth lines over the years and adjusting as necessary. But between drafting, development and coaching that's been a huge bust.

Someone said it the other day but if you can't develop your own Noel Acciaris... at the very least... you should just hang 'em up.
 
Eller and Acciari are fine veteran pieces for the 4th. Just find better options above them. To be honest I'd be fine with the bottom of our F lineup being:

Gruden Eller Acciari
Puljijarvi Nieto

The key is building out a 3rd line that can take some burden off the top 6, and adding a piece that can un-F the power play.

XXXXX Crosby Rust
Bunting Malkin Rakell
DOC Pono/Poulin Puustinen

Dump Smith, and go spend some cash on a stud winger. Rakell has LW/RW flexibility and has looked good in the past on the LW with Sid, so you can add to either side. Personally I'd prefer a RHS so they can fill the Kessel spot on that half wall. Depending on leftover cash, go upgrade D and G. POJ and Jarry/Blomqvist is an OK backup plan if we can't find fit or are out of money.

/Offseason.
 
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Gurglesons said:
I don't mind paying money for the bottom six as long as we are paying for players that belong there and bring uniqueness.

When you are spending money on vanilla players like Lars Eller it just sucks.

If we dropped 4+ mil on player types like Yakov Trenin, Nick Paul, and Tanner Jeannot, I'd be stoked.
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We should trade our whole 2025 draft class for Tanner Jeannot
 
MayorofWBS said:
It's going to be interesting whether Dubas can move some our vets (Smith, Eller and Acciari) this summer without paying a penalty to do so. I'm not even going to mention Rakell or Graves as their AAV and term left makes them both very problematic to move.

Petts, I see as staying with the potential to be sold off at the TDL depending on how the team is doing in the standings.
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I can't expect us to pay to get rid of any of those players.

Even in a bad year Smith got 40 points is paid 5 million. 1 year left.

Accairi would be future considerations.

Eller i am fine just to keep him.


Andy99 said:
Also according to DK, there seems to be a growing sense from some members of the organization that Brayden Yager is a legitimate threat to make the Penguins roster this fall. He'll need to add upper body strength and show resiliency to work through it, but, his stock is way up because his shot and skill is already at NHL levels.

I told people here but everyone thinks he’s a 1-2 year away lol
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He looked really good in the playoffs and in memorial cup. Really good player. Really excited to see his NHL debut.
 
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Rust hanging out with ninja feels very on brand for the dork and makes me dislike him even more. :laugh:

Also lol at the Sid to Toronto thing. Leafs media and fans take delusional to a whole different level.
 
Call me crazy, but one of the best candidates for celebrity product endorsement in Canada being spotted in the corporate capital of Canada is about as news worthy as Lebron showing up in New York or Messi being spotted in London.
 
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