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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?"

How soon before Letang is back on PP1:

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We have a 2014-15 roster. Two top 6 lines that we depend solely on to score. And we have 2 4th lines that we have playing a low risk game to not get scored on.

We're capped out. We have few assets. I don't know what the solution is other than have low expectations and just enjoy each game. Be happy when they win, be bummed but not devastated when they lose.

I think this team with minor tweaks COULD go on a run if everything aligns but I don't think it will happen under Sullivan's strategy/methodology.
 
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pistolpete11 said:
It's a fantastic line because Malkin and Smith are on fire and meshing well. Rakell is just along for the ride so far.
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Not true at all. Rakell is doing everything he should be doing. Parking at the net, making himself available for shots, and even though he didn't touch the puck in the Smith goal vs Calgary, got his stick checked (Weegar) allowing the puck to keep going, Weegar gets that puck that went to Geno otherwise.

I don't know what you guys are watching, but Rakell is not just along for the ride.

Edit: Also, the Karlsson affect.
 
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SEALBound said:
We have a 2014-15 roster. Two top 6 lines that we depend solely on to score. And we have 2 4th lines that we have playing a low risk game to not get scored on.

We're capped out. We have few assets. I don't know what the solution is other than have low expectations and just enjoy each game. Be happy when they win, be bummed but not devastated when they lose.

I think this team with minor tweaks COULD go on a run if everything aligns but I don't think it will happen under Sullivan's strategy/methodology.
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Except for that our top two centers aren’t 27-28 anymore lol…
 
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• It's Ruhwedel and Graves working as a pair on the penalty-kill, and Joseph and Ludvig rotating in. So that would suggest that Shea-Ruhwedel is the third pairing and Joseph and Ludvig are the odd ones out.
 
SEALBound said:
We have a 2014-15 roster. Two top 6 lines that we depend solely on to score. And we have 2 4th lines that we have playing a low risk game to not get scored on.

We're capped out. We have few assets. I don't know what the solution is other than have low expectations and just enjoy each game. Be happy when they win, be bummed but not devastated when they lose.

I think this team with minor tweaks COULD go on a run if everything aligns but I don't think it will happen under Sullivan's strategy/methodology.
Click to expand...

Pretty much.

We're a team full of Eric Fehr's from spots 7-12. They MIGHT score a goal, but it'll probably come from an egregious giveaway or fluke play. They're never going to actually generate a chance...and I think we knew that coming...well...most of us.

On one hand I want to say the 'deep' teams have reigned supreme and we stand no chance. On the other - the league is chalk full of paper tigers and has been since the Pens/Caps era faded. Tampa took over but honestly there aren't any amazing teams around the league. Anything CAN happen. A Pens team with only 2 scoring lines could absolutely win.

...But i'm with you. I genuinely don't think Sully is the guy that'll do it. He's just way, way, way too stuck in his own ways and too cool with the players to shake things up in any meaningful way. Putting Letang on PP2 for a few games is the biggest decision he's made since Murray over Fleury.....almost 6 years ago. That's far too few moves/shakes for a team that's been full of failures. His allergy to physicality, to me, is the biggest problem he has. A team with 2 scoring lines - that are old - need guys to grind the other team down. Nobody is going to respect our players and that'll cost us down the stretch if we're not cautious. We could really use a few guys taking liberties as well....Sully would just never ever support that.
 
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Andy99 said:
Yep, that’s why the coach is a moron lol…the style of two top lines being high risk and two bottom six lines being completely risk averse is not a way to win two-thirds of the games, which is necessary to get into the playoffs
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I agree with you here. My original view was our bottom 6 isn't much better before I read about what Sully was doing (just now).

Sully shouldn't be neutering them without at least giving them a chance. You score 2 and let 1 in is worth it. The old Sully (cup winning years) did that. We played fast and just chipped pucks which was mad risky, but it pushed players to leverage their abilities more.

The no-risk play should be reserved for when we have a 2-goal lead, and all lines should be doing it.
 
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• No talks between the Penguins and Jake Guentzel toward an extension. None are expected imminently. That said, I wouldn't waste any worrying on it. There's tons of time, not to mention tons of mutual will. He's Sidney Crosby's left winger, for crying out loud, and everything that's being witnessed with this roster construction is being done to support Sid.
 
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Sidgeni Malkby said:
I agree with you here. My original view was our bottom 6 isn't much better before I read about what Sully was doing (just now).

Sully shouldn't be neutering them without at least giving them a chance. You score 2 and let 1 in is worth it. The old Sully (cup winning years) did that. We played fast and just chipped pucks which was mad risky, but it pushed players to leverage their abilities more.

The no-risk play should be reserved for when we have a 2-goal lead, and all lines should be doing it.
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Completely agree with this…I also think he overrates our top six abilities and PP to get substantial leads anymore…also overrates Jarry…I think it‘s maybe too late to let the third line play the same way as the first two because we went out and got players for this no-risk bottom six without considering their abilities to play offense…but it’s worth a shot…cause I don’t think we’re going where we’d like without changing up this approach
 
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Josey Wales said:
• It's Ruhwedel and Graves working as a pair on the penalty-kill, and Joseph and Ludvig rotating in. So that would suggest that Shea-Ruhwedel is the third pairing and Joseph and Ludvig are the odd ones out.
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How does that have anything to do with Shea?

The two PK pairings are Petts/Letang and Graves/Ruhwedel

That doesn't have anything remotely regarding 5 on 5 status.
 
I feel like the lack of production in the bottom-6 is both their lack of skill and Sullivan's system being horrendous for non-skilled players. The bottom-6 is full of pretty proven 10+ scorers, which isn't a crazy amount but it's solid bottom-6 goal production. This team should still be able to chip in a few goals in the bottom-6, the reason they can't is because this team is allergic to going to the dirty areas.

The bottom-6 needs to play a crash the net, grit grinder type of style to get goals. Does anyone think they're playing that way? Of course not.
 
SEALBound said:
We have a 2014-15 roster. Two top 6 lines that we depend solely on to score. And we have 2 4th lines that we have playing a low risk game to not get scored on.

We're capped out. We have few assets. I don't know what the solution is other than have low expectations and just enjoy each game. Be happy when they win, be bummed but not devastated when they lose.

I think this team with minor tweaks COULD go on a run if everything aligns but I don't think it will happen under Sullivan's strategy/methodology.
Click to expand...
Bingo.

Team needs a couple of tweaks (such as another top 6 wing) and a coaching change to go on any sort of playoff run.
 
Gurglesons said:
Because Ruh is with an NHLer and Ludvig and POJ are together. Hints at the fact Ruh will be PKing and POJ wouldn’t.
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He really wasn't part of the actual two pairings to begin with. Him rotating in actually shows more to 5 on5 status than a guy not getting any at all. POJ gets PK if there's reasons the other 4 cant be on it, they took the penalty or were out there recently.

Just because Ruh is with his regular partner on the PK suggests nothing 5 on 5 for the LD.
 
Josey Wales said:
• No talks between the Penguins and Jake Guentzel toward an extension. None are expected imminently. That said, I wouldn't waste any worrying on it. There's tons of time, not to mention tons of mutual will. He's Sidney Crosby's left winger, for crying out loud, and everything that's being witnessed with this roster construction is being done to support Sid.
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Not opposed to trading away as a rental if pens are not even close to in it later
 
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AuroraBorealis said:
No surprise that POJ is the one out.
We already may be without a PKer in Letang. They weren't gonna scratch another. POJ not being a PKer is gonna continue to haunt him here.
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Mike Sullivan says that he expects both Kris Letang and Noel Acciari to be available tomorrow in St. Louis. They were both full participants in practice today.
 
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Andy99 said:
Except for that our top two centers aren’t 27-28 anymore lol…
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Fair but I think their wing support is significantly better.

Kunitz Sid Horny
Dupuis Malkin Perron/Comeau

Roughly. Vs:

Jake Sid Rust
Smith Malkin Rakell
 
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TheGoldenJet said:
Bingo.

Team needs a couple of tweaks (such as another top 6 wing) and a coaching change to go on any sort of playoff run.
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We were always a team that could actually ice the upper cap limit. But now with $2.4mil to Petry and JJ and $3.125 to JC, we are down roughly $5.5mil. Imagine being able to add Zucker to the bottom 6. Or a Tatar. Or ROR or ERod or similar to the center position. ERod plus Tatar would be $4.5mil and be 2/3 of a solid 3rd line for us.

Oh well though, I'm just talking shit really. It is what it is.
 
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Andy99 said:
Yep, that’s why the coach is a moron lol…the style of two top lines being high risk and two bottom six lines being completely risk averse is not a way to win two-thirds of the games, which is necessary to get into the playoffs
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Harkins must have high risked himself back to the A unless someone picks/has picked him up. Could tell the dude was radically free lancing against the Wings.
 
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SEALBound said:
Fair but I think their wing support is significantly better.

Kunitz Sid Horny
Dupuis Malkin Perron/Comeau

Roughly. Vs:

Jake Sid Rust
Smith Malkin Rakell
Click to expand...
But they are our most dangerous players and they’re a step slower and don’t go to the net nearly as much
 
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