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!"

[Turin]

Rakell, Graves, 1st, prospect for Marner make it happen boys

 

[MrBurghundy]

bunting is hornqvist. marner is kessel. it’s simple arithmetic. do it and don’t look back

 

[Gurglesons]

We can disagree on the trade return. Still right after landing with the King, they signed Dubois to an eight-year contract with an $8.5 million cap hit that seemed to lock him in as an important player, top-six centre and, one day, Anze Kopitar's likely replacement as "the guy" up front for the Kings. Now they just want to cut bait for whatever after a single year? It's not a flattering picture of Mr. Dubois at all.

Too close to the end of this era to bring a sad sack Dubois into this team. He'll be a cancer in the room to the younger guys that will be here in the coming years and the music is going to stop soon on his musical chair career and with that contract term he's going to be a problem to get rid of. If he's not happy in LA, he's sure as **** he's not going to be happy in Pittsburgh staring down a rebuild in no time short.

I’m sure Dubois would feel a little different about playing LW with Crosby versus playing 3rd or 4th line C with Lafierrere and Anderson Dolan.

And I don’t know if the Kings move him, but if they fire their GM and the hire someone who heard on exit interviews PLD ain’t going to work out maybe they try and exit before the trade protection hits.

Who knows. I doubt he is available too.

 

[Ulf5]

Yeah, by all indications he's well-liked by the players. It just seems like he's not that passionate about hockey; it's simply a job for him (and who hasn't done the bare minimum at a job before?).

So it seems he just plays hockey cause he feels it's what he thinks is expected of him. And it pays a hell of a lot of bills.
Any mean and nasty to his game out on the Left Coast? Any semblance to a power forward at all?

 

[Jacob]

I’ve never seen Keefe do anything or heard him say anything where I thought “wow, now THAT’S a coach.”

Seems like he makes common sense lineup decisions and largely gets out of his players way. Which is fine but nothing special.

 

[HandshakeLine]

This

Seems like he makes common sense lineup decisions

It's highly unorthodox but I'll take it.

The big issue I see with Keefe is just that it's likely this team will hold on to him way too long, but that's currently an issue with Sullivan so...

 

[Chazz Reinhold]

So it seems he just plays hockey cause he feels it's what he thinks is expected of him. And it pays a hell of a lot of bills.
Any mean and nasty to his game out on the Left Coast? Any semblance to a power forward at all?

Not much. It showed up in a few infinitesimally small periods, none of which lasted long.

 

[Sideline]

Rakell, Graves, 1st, prospect for Marner make it happen boys

That would be amazing, but I doubt all the NMC and NTCs work out.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I think something like Rakell, Koivunen/Pickering and a 2025 1st for Marner isn't that far out of question for a potential Marner trade.

 

[Gurglesons]

I think something like Rakell, Koivunen/Pickering and a 2025 1st for Marner isn't that far out of question for a potential Marner trade.

It probably isn’t. But I imagine they will want a D not a F. So it’d probably be Pettersson, pick, prospect.

 

[Empoleon8771]

It probably isn’t. But I imagine they will want a D not a F. So it’d probably be Pettersson, pick, prospect.

I think they'd take either, since they'll be needing to replace Marner on RW anyway.

Pettersson, Koivunen and a 2025 1st or Rakell, Pickering and a 2025 1st seem about equal in value to me. Wouldn't really fret on which one to give up, as long as I can trade Rakell for a LD if they trade Pettersson in that deal.

 

[molon labe]

I’ve never seen Keefe do anything or heard him say anything where I thought “wow, now THAT’S a coach.”

Seems like he makes common sense lineup decisions and largely gets out of his players way. Which is fine but nothing special.

He doesn't have his mostly 20-something-year-old roster trying to play run and gun...

.. so we could at least imagine he wouldn't be foolish enough to try it with 35+'s like someone we know. Also runs a heck of a powerplay tbh.

I'd take a pair of wet socks over Sullivan at this point. Keefe would be a massive upgrade on that.

 

[Turin]

Rakell Pickering ++ sounds like a glorious foundation for a Marner trade

(I'm not high on Pickering and seems like a guy Treliving would like)

 

[Pancakes]

I have to imagine that if Marner became available that there's lots of teams that could outbid us. But who knows. I thought Dubas could do better with a Jake trade and nobody stepped up to the plate (or Dubas bungled it, depending on how you wanna look at it).

I would gladly trade Pettersson or Rakell or whoever for Marner though tbh. Marner would be a franchise altering move for us. He'd get us back into the playoffs at least. After that, who cares. Making the playoffs is the only objective for this team. Once they can start consistently doing that again then you worry about actually winning once you get there

 

[Empoleon8771]

I have to imagine that if Marner became available that there's lots of teams that could outbid us. But who knows. I thought Dubas could do better with a Jake trade and nobody stepped up to the plate (or Dubas bungled it, depending on how you wanna look at it).

I would gladly trade Pettersson or Rakell or whoever for Marner though tbh. Marner would be a franchise altering move for us. He'd get us back into the playoffs at least. After that, who cares. Making the playoffs is the only objective for this team. Once they can start consistently doing that again then you worry about actually winning once you get there

Marner has a full NMC so the return he'd bring back will likely be pretty tame.

Pettersson, Koivunen and a 1st for Marner followed by Rakell for a similarly aged and priced LD would be a no brainer IMO. I'm honestly not sure that they'd even need to add Koivunen on top of Pettersson and a 1st in that deal.

 

[Gurglesons]

P

Marner has a full NMC so the return he'd bring back will likely be pretty tame.

Pettersson, Koivunen and a 1st for Marner followed by Rakell for a similarly aged and priced LD would be a no brainer IMO. I'm honestly not sure that they'd even need to add Koivunen on top of Pettersson and a 1st in that deal.

Petts Rust 1st

 

[Turin]

NMC you say?


Side note: how tf a guy with smaller arms than me a pro athlete?

 

[Pancakes]

Marner has a full NMC so the return he'd bring back will likely be pretty tame.

Pettersson, Koivunen and a 1st for Marner followed by Rakell for a similarly aged and priced LD would be a no brainer IMO. I'm honestly not sure that they'd even need to add Koivunen on top of Pettersson and a 1st in that deal.

Honestly the bigger issue than the price is going to be would he even waive to come here, and is it even worth risking major assets to get him knowing he's gonna be a UFA after next year.

Dubas knows him well, which I think is the biggest reason why we might actually have a chance at getting him. If Dubas acquires him I think it would be with the thought that he could actually sell Mitch on staying past next year.

View attachment 865520

NMC you say?


Side note: how tf a guy with smaller arms than me a pro athlete?

Sid on the other hand is about as jacked as a hockey player can get without compromising their on ice ability.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Honestly the bigger issue than the price is going to be would he even waive to come here, and is it even worth risking major assets to get him knowing he's gonna be a UFA after next year.

Dubas knows him well, which I think is the biggest reason why we might actually have a chance at getting him. If Dubas acquires him I think it would be with the thought that he could actually sell Mitch on staying past next year.


Sid on the other hand is about as jacked as a hockey player can get without compromising their on ice ability.

I don't think Marner would waive to come to Pittsburgh if he didn't want to re-sign with Pittsburgh. That's also partially why I think the cost for him wouldn't be that crazy.

I could definitely see something like Pettersson, Broz and a 1st being enough, where they wouldn't even need to include a guy like Koivunen, Pickering or Yager. It's the same way that Kessel didn't bring back nearly as much as Leafs fans were thinking.

 

[Turin]

Dump Jarry with Rakell for them to platoon with Woll and you still have 7 million+ in space after getting Marner. Just sayin.

 

[Pancakes]

I don't think Marner would waive to come to Pittsburgh if he didn't want to re-sign with Pittsburgh. That's also partially why I think the cost for him wouldn't be that crazy.

I could definitely see something like Pettersson, Broz and a 1st being enough, where they wouldn't even need to include a guy like Koivunen, Pickering or Yager. It's the same way that Kessel didn't bring back nearly as much as Leafs fans were thinking.

I honestly hate the thought of giving up any firsts, because even with Marner it's not out of the question we could become a lottery team soon if our old guys decline.

I would do it for Marner still. I think the risk is worth it in that case. I would lottery protect it though.

We would also have to clear out some other cap space even with moving salary to Toronto in a Marner deal. So that's another problem. Not an insurmountable one though. But one Dubas may have to pay to do (getting rid of smith, etc)

 

[Turin]

Marner is a very poor playoff player relative to his regular season play but look at him and it just seems psychological. Get him away from his hometown team, with guys who not only have won before but were better players than him doing it, and I think he would lose the yips. Not to mention nobody on his team can score in the playoffs, so it seems like a systematic issue. I would pay through the nose for him, he's the best winger the team would have since Hossa. He's significantly better than Guentzel.

 

[Empoleon8771]

To make the cap work, just do Pettersson, Smith, Koivunen and a lottery protected 2025 1st for Marner with a bit of salary retention. All 3 of those guys have only 1 year left on their deals, so there is no long-term money commitments being swapped in that deal. Then you try to find a Rakell trade where you can swap him for a similarly priced middle pair D.

I could see Rakell for Girard making sense if Drouin doesn't re-sign with the Avs. Both guys make $5 million a year and Girard has 3 more years left on his deal.

 

[Turin]

To make the cap work, just do Pettersson, Smith, Koivunen and a lottery protected 2025 1st for Marner with a bit of salary retention. All 3 of those guys have only 1 year left on their deals, so there is no long-term money commitments being swapped in that deal. Then you try to find a Rakell trade where you can swap him for a similarly priced middle pair D.

I could see Rakell for Girard making sense if Drouin doesn't re-sign with the Avs. Both guys make $5 million a year and Girard has 3 more years left on his deal.

NAH

 

[Jacob]

We don’t have the assets. They’d want Yager and a 1st, plus a roster player like DOC.