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!"

[HandshakeLine]

Yeah the part where we disagree is whether the 2nd is worth it to take his deal. I think it is while you don't think it is.

I have extremely low expectations for Hayes as a player, especially after seeing the identical statline between him and Carter along with the 8th percentile skating speed.

I think that the deal will be perfectly fine IF we can get rid of some deadweight somewhere else, that's the issue I have with it mostly. I'm dreading watching Hayes play though, so maybe he takes a slapper off the foot in camp and LTIR's it for the rest of the year.

Also it's like a bazillion degrees here and our newly-adopted tomcat/furnace thinks that it's cool to sleep on my chest so I'm just grumpier than usual here.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I think that the deal will be perfectly fine IF we can get rid of some deadweight somewhere else, that's the issue I have with it mostly. I'm dreading watching Hayes play though, so maybe he takes a slapper off the foot in camp and LTIR's it for the rest of the year.

Yeah like I said in another post, coupling that move with Eller for a 3rd/4th would have made a ton of sense.

I think free agency will be really telling for how bad the Hayes addition will be, and it's less Hayes individually and more "bottom of the roster clutter" that Dubas is going to add before the season starts. Just adding Hayes in isolation leaves open spots for young guys. Adding Hayes and another 2-3 guys like Nieto, Harkins or Hinostroza won't leave open spots for young guys, and that's a huge issue.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Skinner's probably gonna sign somewhere for pennies to try and compete for the first time in his career, if I had to guess.

Still hoping Dubas moves Rakell and/or Smith, and finds some way to find a taker for Jarry.

 

[chethejet]

Pens can go either way here. But the future has to have players and Dubas knows he needs a stronger farm system to be in a position when the picks are higher end. Even selecting very high is no guarantee of anything. But higher end talent will be needed to be able to compete and be relevant to winning.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Yeah, I don't think there's any way we're in on Skinner.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

I really hope we are in on Skinner. A 1 year deal would be tremendous!!

 

[K Fleur]

Yeah, I don't think there's any way we're in on Skinner.

Yeah he wants to go to a playoff team.

So we’re not on his radar.

 

[Sideline]

Yeah, I don't think there's any way we're in on Skinner.

He seems like a guy that would try to latch on to a sure fire playoff team.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

Yeah he wants to go to a playoff team.

So we’re not on his radar.

With a 1 year deal, he can pick the team in February lol

 

[HandshakeLine]

Yeah like I said in another post, coupling that move with Eller for a 3rd/4th would have made a ton of sense.

I think free agency will be really telling for how bad the Hayes addition will be, and it's less Hayes individually and more "bottom of the roster clutter" that Dubas is going to add before the season starts. Just adding Hayes in isolation leaves open spots for young guys. Adding Hayes and another 2-3 guys like Nieto, Harkins or Hinostroza won't leave open spots for young guys, and that's a huge issue.

I'm sort of dreading free agency next week TBH, but you're right, that's the real make-or-break moment for Dubas' vision this year.

He seems like a guy that would try to latch on to a sure fire playoff team.

For real, and as much as it pains me to admit it, we're not that.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Caps adding Thompson in net could hurt the amount of points we take off them.
To get your starter next year at 766K is crazy. He'll have so much value at the deadline if they're sellers.

 

[Empoleon8771]

My guess right now is that any sort of UFA they'd be in on is a top-9 guy to push O'Connor for the L1 spot, not a guy to push O'Connor off of L1 entirely. I know Beauvillier isn't an attractive option, but that's the general level I'd be expecting out of any top-9 signing. Get a top-9 forward who could boom and outperform his contract, with the thought of selling him either this year or next year if that happens.

I'm sort of dreading free agency next week TBH, but you're right, that's the real make-or-break moment for Dubas' vision this year.


For real, and as much as it pains me to admit it, we're not that.

I'm legitimately concerned that Dubas is going to sign 4th liner types that's going to prove the "blocking young guys" concern true. I already don't like both Hayes and Acciari on L4, but I'm concerned he'll add even another guy or two that just eliminates any changes for Ponomarev or Poulin to make the team. Maybe Acciari is better at RW than he is at C, but I'm not holding my breath on it. Dude had like 3 points last year or something like that.

I'm not even high on Poulin and pretty much consider him a bust, but they can't just keep bringing in these Nieto type of guys and guaranteeing them 4th line spots.

 

[SEALBound]

Yeah like I said in another post, coupling that move with Eller for a 3rd/4th would have made a ton of sense.

I think free agency will be really telling for how bad the Hayes addition will be, and it's less Hayes individually and more "bottom of the roster clutter" that Dubas is going to add before the season starts. Just adding Hayes in isolation leaves open spots for young guys. Adding Hayes and another 2-3 guys like Nieto, Harkins or Hinostroza won't leave open spots for young guys, and that's a huge issue.

Nieto shouldn't play another game for us. I anticipate him being waived post camp. But that said, WBS needs guys too. Kinda feel that way about Bemstrom too. Fine for WBS. Not the worst thing to give our youth some good players to develop with in WBS.

I still expect one of Eller or Acciari to be moved.

 

[Maninthebox87]

I feel a lot of the big names of players who were rumored to be traded are still out there guys like Laine,Necas,Zegras,Chycrun. The whole offseason since the cup final has been kinda rushed. I didn’t really expect the pens to be big spenders in free agency but wish they would have set themselves up just incase a situation or trade would appear and they’d be able to do something without any finagling.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I think the "ideal" setup of the forward group right now has Hayes at 3C being carried by an O'Connor and Smith wing duo. I have grown more and more skeptical of Hayes the more I've read about him, but the 2 inarguably facts I can see are that he's slow as shit and is a good playmaker. I think surrounding him with speed and giving him guys who can shoot the puck is probably better than just throwing him on L4, especially with Eller being the other bottom-6 center.

I think you'd want to run with:

Free agent-Crosby-Rust
Bunting-Malkin-Rakell
O'Connor-Hayes-Smith
Ponomarev-Eller-Acciari
Poulin-Puustinen

With rotating O'Connor up to the top-6 and Puustinen onto the 3rd line when there is an injury. There will be enough injuries that Puustinen will play in a ton of games even without being one of their "top-12" forwards.

If O'Connor is up on L1, they need to get another speedy winger to play with Hayes. I don't think Smith-Hayes-Puustinen as option 1 really cuts it. I know we talked about him like yesterday, but Anthony Duclair makes a bunch of sense as a free agent for that L3 spot if they go that route.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Hayes will spend at least part of the year on L2 until even Sullivan can't justify it, anymore. Probably at center/hybrid. Top powerplay, as well.

Go ahead and bookmark this one.

 

[Ryder71]

OUR beat writers did a piss poor job, it's as if they folded up tent after the 2hd round. Absolutely incompetent pieces of shit!

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Oh, they're definitely gonna sign at least one loser that'll make us all groan. NHL execs and coaches can never help themselves when it comes to absolutely ratf***ing their team with an overemphasis on vet leadership, even if it means paying too much, for too long, and blocking cheaper/younger options with higher upside.

It's a guarantee, imo.

 

[Coastal Kev]

For all of the handwringing on cap issues, Dubas/Hextall all like to fart away a bunch of cap $'s with overpaid/overaged vets in the bottom 6.

All of those guys working for the Pens front office making all of that money and not a one have a clue.

 

[Empoleon8771]

For all of the handwringing on cap issues, Dubas/Hextall all like to fart away a bunch of cap $'s with overpaid/overaged vets in the bottom 6.

All of those guys working for the Pens front office making all of that money and not a one have a clue.

The Penguins don't really have "cap issues" at this point because they're rebuilding. The only way they'd have "cap issues" is by not being able to be cap compliant.

 

[Turin]

When is the last time the Pens had all their picks over the next 3 years? Like, 9 years ago? Theyre missing a 6th in 2026, but have an extra third that year but aside from that they have their full stock of picks.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Just for the love of god shop Petts and be prepared to ask Rust to waive at the deadline, man. That's like two more 1sts and/or picks imo for guys who don't matter anymore.

 

[Tom Hanks]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1807143579380314618

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

When is the last time the Pens had all their picks over the next 3 years? Like, 9 years ago? Theyre missing a 6th in 2026, but have an extra third that year but aside from that they have their full stock of picks.

On a quick glance, the Crosby draft, I think.

In 2012 they had everything (plus another first, third and fourth) except the 7th.

Boy... THAT was a fulfilling draft, too.

 

[Malkinstheman]

Just for the love of god shop Petts and be prepared to ask Rust to waive at the deadline, man. That's like two more 1sts and/or picks imo for guys who don't matter anymore.

Rust's trade protection drops off completely next summer. If he doesn't drop off next year, a guy like him might get a nice package