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?"

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I don't think he's irreplaceable, persay. But replace him with Bertuzzi and you still need to replace the other half of the production.

Shit, man. They might even be last place in the East if they'd done that.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Also I think it's funny that people have been arguing for days between this team being a cluster because of mismanagement/coaching or because the starting goaltender is a total shitshow nightmare.

My dudes... it can absolutely be both.

I still can't believe people were arguing with me with a straight face not even two years ago that Tristan Jarry could ask for and receive a deal in the 7M dollar per year neighborhood and that would just be the price of doing business and not some twisted joke.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Shit, man. They might even be last place in the East if they'd done that.

It is really wild how in denial a good chunk of the fanbase and all of the media/organization is.

Like this season is already pretty f***ed, why not go for broke, since it's not like we have many other options?

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

It is really wild how in denial a good chunk of the fanbase and all of the media/organization is.

Like this season is already pretty f***ed, why not go for broke, since it's not like we have many other options?

I've been hoping they'd pick a lane for years, but they just keep floating down the middle of the river.

Shit, if Karlsson didn't force his way onto the team (great pick, bud) this team's off-season would be some kinda terrible. And they'd managed to eek into the playoffs instead of shitting the bed against two teams actively tanking last season, Hextall might legitimately still be the GM.

They way this organization never does anything proactively, and always waits until the time has passed, is annoying as hell. Couldn't bear the thought of their golden boy potentially hitting the open market, so they had to extend him two seasons before his current deal was even up, after his 4th consecutive 1st round exit. Yeesh.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

Exactly. Either it's Dubas' team and Sullivan has no input, no agency. Or Sullivan has agency, but it's not his fault, because it's Dubas' and the players'.

Or, as I have said repeatedly, there is a middle ground where Sullivan has ample input and works with the GM, but the GM still makes the final call.

Rutherford and Sullivan worked well together. They were on the same page, except for the few times where Rutherford just went off the reservation (Ryan Reaves).

Hextall and Sullivan didn't work together. There is ample evidence Hextall was just slapping pieces together with no attention to fit or how Sullivan wanted to play.

Dubas and Sullivan are working together. The bottom six acquisitions of Acciari, Nieto and Eller are prime examples of that. But just like Rutherford, Dubas makes the final call. And that's how you end up with the Harkins experiment and starting the season with eight defensemen.

This isn't that complicated. Sullivan has more say than most coaches, just because of his longevity. Cooper, Bednar and a few others are probably very similar.

But when push comes to shove, the GM makes the final call. That's how this league works.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Yeah, GM's take all the responsibility, they even call the players over the boards.

I hear Dubas pencils in the lineup himself every night.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I think we have a tendency to project our disdain for Sullivan onto like, GMs and players and shit. Dude's f***ing beloved and has immense respect around the hockeysphere. We see guys coach for decades on the back of just making the Finals, not even winning the Cup, one time. Sullivan's got a literal lifetime of red carpet.

It'd be cool if Dubas got strongarmed into making the roster what it is, but the two probably have mutual respect for one another and they worked together in putting this slopshit group together.

I do think if push came to shove and FSG had to choose, they'd side with Dubas because of how embarrassingly they chased him this past summer. But I don't think it'll ever get to that point tbh. If/when Sullivan's done coaching here, it'll be a mutual parting of ways where he just didn't want to coach a rebuilding team or something to that effect. I'm not sure he'll ever be fired if what's happened since 2018 hasn't been enough.

 

[SomeDude]

Is the Sullivan kool-aid just LSD dosed Sam Adams Boston Lager?

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Is the Sullivan kool-aid just LSD dosed Sam Adams Boston Lager?

I honestly can't remember the last time I saw someone intentionally order/buy a Sam Adams.

 

[Jacob]

Dumoulin was skating well in the handful of shifts I caught in the Kraken game. Really active offensively but they play a really supportive style. Wouldn’t want him back at that price, still.

One thing about other teams is when a forward covers for D they’re not just.. there. They play the position. Tight gaps, good stick. Ours is more like token coverage like “okay I’m back, and I can’t wait to get out of here.” Often overcompensating by falling waaay back and also standing too still.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Shit, if anything, somebody needs to slip some ayahuasca into Sully's morning coffee. Dude could use a colossal dose of ego death.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Dumoulin is being used in a substantially easier/more appropriate role in Seattle, so I’m not surprised with what I’ve seen from him for the Kraken. At the same time, the Kraken are a much better built team than the Penguins and they actually have the speed to effectively run their system.

I think it’s a little bit of all 3 things, in that Dumoulin is playing better, he’s being put in a much better position to succeed and Seattle is a much faster/better team than the Penguins.

 

[Gurglesons]

Dumoulin is being used in a substantially easier/more appropriate role in Seattle, so I’m not surprised with what I’ve seen from him for the Kraken. At the same time, the Kraken are a much better built team than the Penguins and they actually have the speed to effectively run their system.

I think it’s a little bit of all 3 things, in that Dumoulin is playing better, he’s being put in a much better position to succeed and Seattle is a much faster/better team than the Penguins.

This forward group is not much better than ours.

 

[Empoleon8771]

View attachment 763007


This forward group is not much better than ours.

Burakovsky and Tanev are both hurt and not included in that lineups. Their normal forward group is:

McCann-Beniers-Eberle
Tolvanen-Gourde-Burakovsky
Schwartz-Wennberg-Bjorkstrand
Tanev-Bellemare-Yamamoto
Kartye-Shore

I'd easily take the Krakens' forward group over the Penguins. That 3rd line is a downright monster 3rd line that I'd kill to have on the Penguins.

 

[Zbynek]

Pretty sure Sid could bounce points off of Bertuzzis butt just as easily as Jake.

Really? Cuz what I'm seeing is a pretty flat Sid (1 stinking point versus the league's worst team in 50 years) and a Jake Guentzel who just outscored Bertuzzi's whole season in one game

 

[mpp9]

Really? Cuz what I'm seeing is a pretty flat Sid (1 stinking point versus the league's worst team in 50 years) and a Jake Guentzel who just outscored Bertuzzi's whole season in one game

I think you move Jake if the right scenario’s out there. But I agree Sid has been pretty meh. Rust has been the most noticeable player on that line this year. If anything, Sid needs a play driver now from what I’ve seen this year.

 

[SEALBound]

Bertuzzi at $5mil could "replace Jake" who might get $8mil in the sense that you MIGHT be able to add another $3mil to the roster to replace production.

1:1, no he does not replace him and it is absolutely beyond ridiculous to suggest such.

 

[Turin]

Dubas should try to get Barabanov back from SJ

 

[Headshot77]

Toronto has been absolutely pissed off at Bertuzzi. He's been benched a few times and doesn't seem to care all that much.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Toronto has been absolutely pissed off at Bertuzzi. He's been benched a few times and doesn't seem to care all that much.

Dangle had a nervous breakdown because Bertuzzi grinned at Marchand talking shit to the Leafs bench. Buncha weirdos in Toronto and Montreal.

 

[Headshot77]

Dangle had a nervous breakdown because Bertuzzi grinned at Marchand talking shit to the Leafs bench. Buncha weirdos in Toronto and Montreal.

Toronto Maple Leafs Fans are the most neurotic fans of any franchise in North American sports. Usually fans of shit teams know their team is shit and they are relatively mellow. Like Pirates fans!

Toronto fans are having an EXISTENTIAL CRISIS every single damn game. I feel so bad for them. I don't know if any TML fans actually like hockey or if they are trapped in a horrible marriage with hockey.

 

[Gurglesons]

Dubas should try to get Barabanov back from SJ

He’s out for weeks

 

[K Fleur]

I wish we’d traded for Smith 4 years ago instead of Zucker.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I wish we’d traded for Smith 4 years ago instead of Zucker.

Give it time, this team'll turn him into a plug.

Zucker had 6g and 10pts in his first 11 games with the Pens. Smith's got 6g and 11pts in his first 10 games with the Pens.

 

[Andy99]

Give it time, this team'll turn him into a plug.

Zucker had 6g and 10pts in his first 11 games with the Pens. Smith's got 6g and 11pts in his first 10 games with the Pens.

Exactly…as I said in the GDT, once he’s indoctrinated fully in Sullivan hockey he’ll rarely score again lol