Salary Cap: Pens '23-'24 Salary Cap Thread: "But if you don't get the President of the Pittsburgh Penguins on that phone, you know what's gonna happen to you?"

[KrisLetAngry]

He was the worst forward, nothing to do with his contract…ask anyone who knows anything about the game…pretty universal among the analysts


He had a breakaway and he shot it three miles above the net…it was not good lol

Well unfortunately I looked up advanced stats.

Last game he was 3rd worse.

Against the Capitals 5th worse

Against the Hawks he was middle of the pack and 9th best - with a positive score but barely.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

Dubas may love Sullivan but if the Penguins continue to miss the playoffs or fall short of his expectations Sullivan is going to face some heat eventually.

Will he though?
I think he's set himself pretty well with the timing. If things go off the rails this year the excuses are there about an old team and terrible goaltending.

If it happens next year there will be another excuse of "well the window is shut anyway".

This is a .500 hockey team at the end of the day. And unless this team completely implodes this year (I'm talking .300 hockey), I don't see how Sully gets canned.

 

[PensandCaps]

Jeff Carter looks like he plays hockey with strings attached to him. Looks like dead body weight out there.

They can't get rid of him fast enough.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

OC has been acceptable in my eyes. He’s not really playing well but he’s working very hard out there and looks fast, brings energy. He’s almost trying too hard.

Yes I’d toss him into the sun at a moments notice and get rid of his contract if you’d let me, but imo Carter has been pretty good so far. Wing is much better for him.

Harkins or maybe Nieto are the guys I’d replace if you made me scratch someone in the bottom 6. But tbh, I think they should run with this set up a few more games. If they still all have posted 0s after this week or game 6/7ish- then I’d make some changes.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

It's three games in, and the nicest thing anyone can say of Carter's game so far is that he's playing like a 12th forward.

It's an inevitability that he falls back to "JJ at forward" levels of atrocious. It's going to happen, and the moment it does, I wish the team would just perma-bench him.

Also, I think Dubas and Sullivan are pretty tight. If the wheels came off this team again and they missed the playoffs, I imagine it'd just be a situation where the organization/ownership shrugged and chalked it up to the age of the team and situation left in JR and Hextall's wake with regard to the prospect and cap situations.

 

[PensandCaps]

Will he though?
I think he's set himself pretty well with the timing. If things go off the rails this year the excuses are there about an old team and terrible goaltending.

If it happens next year there will be another excuse of "well the window is shut anyway".

This is a .500 hockey team at the end of the day. And unless this team completely implodes this year (I'm talking .300 hockey), I don't see how Sully gets canned.

Looking at the rest of the teams, especially the Atlantic, I would be shocked if the Pens missed the postseason tbh. They look like a sure thing for atleast one of the WC spots.

I think Boston with Zacha as 1C is not gonna hold up, Tampa looks like a mess in net without Vasi, who have zero depth in the bottom 6 and at D.

Florida has like one good pairing. And Bob is far from a sure thing in net, when looking at his overall play in Florida.

Sullivan still has to win a round imo, or he's gone.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

OC has been acceptable in my eyes. He’s not really playing well but he’s working very hard out there and looks fast, brings energy. He’s almost trying too hard.

Yes I’d toss him into the sun at a moments notice and get rid of his contract if you’d let me, but imo Carter has been pretty good so far. Wing is much better for him.

Harkins or maybe Nieto are the guys I’d replace if you made me scratch someone in the bottom 6. But tbh, I think they should run with this set up a few more games. If they still all have posted 0s after this week or game 6/7ish- then I’d make some changes.

I mean JC is going to be a staple in the bottom 6, you can pretty much bank on that/can't change it

What should happen is that every F in the bottom 6 outside of Eller should be given a 5-7 game "prove something or you're scratched" treatment. If you haven't contributed anything of significance, then they should be calling up guys from WBS to replace you

But again, that's probably too nuanced for such an inexperienced HC such as Sullivan.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Broke my rule of not complaining about lists, but Patrik Laine? Come on, man.

Kadri? Boeser? Like I said it has to be intentional for the lols

 

[Pancakes]

Will he though?
I think he's set himself pretty well with the timing. If things go off the rails this year the excuses are there about an old team and terrible goaltending.

If it happens next year there will be another excuse of "well the window is shut anyway".

This is a .500 hockey team at the end of the day. And unless this team completely implodes this year (I'm talking .300 hockey), I don't see how Sully gets canned.

The excuses are there but it really depends on what Dubas' honest assessment of the roster is.

If Dubas thinks that the core is playing at a high level but Sullivan is holding them back, then change will happen there.

If Dubas thinks otherwise, then obviously Sully would be safe.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I say this as someone who is probably guilty of the crime as well, but Malkin's the most disrespected, underrated player in hockey history. Probably sports history. I can't think of a guy who has accomplished as much, individually or team-based, who is so routinely an afterthought of an afterthought.

 

[Andy99]

Well unfortunately I looked up advanced stats.

Last game he was 3rd worse.

Against the Capitals 5th worse

Against the Hawks he was middle of the pack and 9th best - with a positive score but barely.

I didn’t look at numbers lol…the eye test told me he looked the worst of our forwards, old and slow and his shot is shot too

 

[KrisLetAngry]

I didn’t look at numbers lol…the eye test told me he looked the worst of our forwards, old and slow and his shot is shot too

With my eye test honestly he is among 4 players looking really bad in the bottom 6.

I don't want to have to defend Jeff Carter here I really don't. He has a shitty contract and honestly stopped us from getting an actual bottom 6 impact player or upgrade for the 3C though Eller has been looking pretty damn good.

Yes he sucks but not as much as everyone else. Thats my thoughts.

 

[Andy99]

Just because…from Taylor…I need ideas for my own Halloween party

“HALLOWEEN COSTUMES​

I asked around the locker room today about what players were at the team Halloween party, here's what I learned.
• Evgeni Malkin was a big ketchup bottle. Not part of a group with mustard or anything, just a lone ketchup bottle.
• Marcus Pettersson and his wife Beatricewere astronauts.
• Kris Letang and P.O Joseph, after much debate on what pair they should go as (Ken and Barbie was Letang's original idea), settled on Joseph as Donkey Kong and Letang as a banana. But then the costumes were delivered, and Letang didn't like the banana suit so he dug through his wife Catherine's old costumes and settled on Wonder Woman. Joseph stayed Donkey Kong by himself.
• Sidney Crosby and his girlfriend Kathyand Jeff Carter and his wife Megan were racecar drivers from Talledega Nights.
• Jake Guentzel was an Amazon driver and his wife Natalie was a package.
• Erik Karlsson and his wife Mel were David and Victoria Beckham.
• There were two different Little Mermaid groups. Bryan Rust was Ursula, full makeup and everything (one player joked that he still looked a little purple). Chad Ruhwedel was Ariel. Then Ryan Graves and his wife Molly were a different Little Mermaid group, he was King Triton and Molly was Ursula.
• Rickard Rakell and his wife Emmeli were each other, and Rakell had a strict "no picture" policy for his costume.
• Tristan Jarry and his wife Hannah were Dog the Bounty Hunter and his wife.
• Jansen Harkins was Jack Sparrow.
• Matt Nieto was Rooster from Top Gun.
• Drew O'Connor was a hospital patient, he wore a gown with an open back and a big fake butt and his girlfriend Anoush was a nurse.”

 

[Zirakzigil]

 

[Gurglesons]

Rathbone. Interesting. He was allegeldy the return we'd get for Marino if he went to Vancouver.

 

[tom_servo]

The AHL ppg Jack Rathbone? Ok Kyle.

 

[Andy99]

I despise Kan Dingerski, but count him among the many who see Carter as the weakest link in already piss poor line…lol

Kingerski: Penguins Not Playing Their Best 12; One Move Can Change Several Things

After a demolition derby-type preseason and training camp during which no fewer than seven or eight players fought for a few spots on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ roster, none of the original combatants made the cut. After calling a draw with no winners, the Penguins claimed defenseman John Ludvig...

pittsburghhockeynow.com

 

[orby]

I liked Friedman but I don't think he really moved the needle. He's at best a 7th defenseman on a cup contender. Maybe Rathbone can get it together here, maybe not. I'm pretty neutral about this one.

 

[KrisLetAngry]

Honestly Friedman to me is that 6th 7th defensemen a team could use. Has some sand paper to his game.

Any potential with Rathbone?

@Andy99 How many games are you giving Harkins before he gets waived. Let's say you are the coach you giving him 2 more?

 

[SomeDude]

Any potential with Rathbone?

He’s a poor man’s Ty Smith.

Naturally he’s the next big thing.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Calling up Poulin to play him on the 4th line would be an incredibly dumb move.

I'm already irritated that they're not playing Poulin in a top-6 role in the AHL, and calling him up just to play him on the 4th line is probably the only move they can make that I'd dislike more.

 

[Darren McCord]

Calling up Poulin to play him on the 4th line would be an incredibly dumb move.

I'm already irritated that they're not playing Poulin in a top-6 role in the AHL, and calling him up just to play him on the 4th line is probably the only move they can make that I'd dislike more.

If Poulin comes up he should be line 3 center but they won't do that.

DOC/Harkin - Poulin - Acciari
DOC/Harkin - Eller - Nieto

 

[Sidgeni Malkby]

I might be misremembering, but I think there detail that is missing is that people didn't want Trocheck OVER Malkin.

It was "if Geno doesn't resign here, here is a viable option"

There were some (a significant number even if not the majority) that wanted to move on from Malkin and get younger. The doubts of the effectiveness of a 36 year on the verge of decline, etc etc.

It says Malkin is a 2nd liner...
Maybe ESPN doesn't like 2nd liners in their top 100 .

 

[Andy99]

Honestly Friedman to me is that 6th 7th defensemen a team could use. Has some sand paper to his game.

Any potential with Rathbone?

@Andy99 How many games are you giving Harkins before he gets waived. Let's say you are the coach you giving him 2 more?

I’d move Harkins down to L4 personally and move Acciari to third line RW…already on record giving out some lines to that effect…I would give Harkins overall 8-10 games before replacing him

Calling up Poulin to play him on the 4th line would be an incredibly dumb move.

I'm already irritated that they're not playing Poulin in a top-6 role in the AHL, and calling him up just to play him on the 4th line is probably the only move they can make that I'd dislike more.

Yeah, I’d call up White or Zohorna ahead of him

 

[Zirakzigil]

If Malkin broke Carters leg accidentally on purpose in practice I’d call up Poulin. Otherwise I’d keep him in the AHL. Top 9 or let him play minutes in the A.