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?"

[Gurglesons]

The first line got 80% ozone starts, was still a -2, and had the teams worst possession stats.

I hope this trend doesn’t continue.

-1 technically.

 

[Coastal Kev]

#1 I think it's way too early to give up on POJ. He's a cost controlled LD who still has some headroom
#2 Doubt JC waives to go ANYWHERE. Sully is the only coach that would regularly play him and JC knows this

Sully has zero patience for youthful energy. Give him crusty vets all day; The conversation at the coffee maker will be fantastic.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

The first line got 80% ozone starts, was still a -2, and had the teams worst possession stats.

I hope this trend doesn’t continue.

Sullivan will stick with Rust on that line for the next 10 games, and then when the Pens are 2-8 during that stretch and it becomes impossible for him not to try something, he'll move Rakell there for 2 or 3 games and then immediately switch back to Rust the second GCRakell has a bad game.

We saw this same script last year. Rust gets 20 games of lack of production before he's swapped out for Rakell, while Rakell gets 2 or 3 games of lack of production before he's swapped out for Rust.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Sullivan will stick with Rust on that line for the next 10 games, and then when the Pens are 2-8 during that stretch and it becomes impossible for him not to try something, he'll move Rakell there for 2 or 3 games and then immediately switch back to Rust the second GCRakell has a bad game.

We saw this same script last year. Rust gets 20 games of lack of production before he's swapped out for Rakell, while Rakell gets 2 or 3 games of lack of production before he's swapped out for Rust.

“Frankly, with the respect to the group, we feel that Rust gives us options there we frankly cannot replicate with other combos. So with respect to the group, Rusty is gonna be in that spot for the time being”

 

[Victor Z]

Joseph/Carter for Garland and a 4th

Jake-Sid-Rust
Smith-Malkin-Rakell
O'Connor-Eller-Garland
Neito-Acciari-Harkins

Graves-Letang
Petterson-Karlson
Friedman-Ruhwedel

VAN isn't going to settle for garbage for Garland, and Carter isn't going to waive his NTC/NMC or whatever to go there.

And the #3 pairing should be Ludwig-Friedman after we put Ruhwedel out by the curb for the next trash pickup. Assuming the sanitation department will even take him.

That should be our #3 pairing next game even if no trades are made.

 

[McGroarty2]

O-1-0 without Zohorna in the lineup.

Am I doing this right?

 

[pistolpete11]

O-1-0 without Zohorna in the lineup.

Am I doing this right?

I mean...you're not wrong.

 

[Al Smith]

O-1-0 without Zohorna in the lineup.

Am I doing this right?

They haven’t won a Stanley Cup since they buried Z in WBS is more like it.

 

[The Old Master]

And the #3 pairing should be Ludwig-Friedman after we put Ruhwedel out by the curb for the next trash pickup. Assuming the sanitation department will even take him.

That should be our #3 pairing next game even if no trades are made.

speaking of ludwig has any moves been made? roomers?

 

[Victor Z]

speaking of ludwig has any moves been made? roomers?

Ludwig is on the Pittsburgh roster and was a healthy scratch along with Shea for the opener. Shea looks like nothing more than a dime-a-dozen AHL type, same as the current 3rd pair, so what the infatuation with him is I don't know aside from the "Born in Massachusetts" label that makes Sully and FSG swoon with joy.

As long as I'm dreaming....

If we want Friedman here (over Sully's wishes, no doubt) then somebody has to go down and merely swapping Friedman for Shea might not work cap-wise. But dumping Ruhwedel would take care of that, and POJ can go gain some weight by eating the buffet until there's an injury or until he gets sent to WBS and Ty Smith gets recalled.

Yeah it's just a dream, though it would be the best thing that can be done to help the Pens D right now.

 

[Zirakzigil]

O-1-0 without Zohorna in the lineup.

Am I doing this right?

I like to think of it as 0-1-0 with Ruh in the line up.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

I like to think of it as 0-1-0 with Ruh in the line up.

Ruhwedel was objectively good in game 1.

 

[Zirakzigil]

Ruhwedel was objectively good in game 1.

Dont care, you guys have you unhealthy fixation, I have mine

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I’d actually have “an ounce” more optimism if Sullivan wasn’t here…this team needs to clog the NZ and play more of a trap in the third period if they’re leading because it’s clear their old legs can’t skate with other teams at the end of the game

Yeah, sounds like the worst garbage hockey imaginable. People are wishing for Trotz brand Isles-style hockey and they'd get Mike Johnston brand Penguins hockey. Jarry's not the goalie for that, and this team's skaters are all varying degrees of soft, sluggish, and dogshit defensively.

 

[Zbynek]

So Lafferty traded to VAN for a 5th just 7 months after getting traded to TOR for a 1st+2nd? I know McCabe came over in that deal too but how did his value get pumped so much last year?

Should I be concerned it was the Doobler that made that deal?

 

[Zirakzigil]

So Lafferty traded to VAN for a 5th just 7 months after getting traded to TOR for a 1st+2nd? I know McCabe came over in that deal too but how did his value get pumped so much last year?

Should I be concerned it was the Doobler that made that deal?

He was far more closer to a throw in piece than a main part. That trade was about McCabe.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

Yeah, sounds like the worst garbage hockey imaginable. People are wishing for Trotz brand Isles-style hockey and they'd get Mike Johnston brand Penguins hockey. Jarry's not the goalie for that, and this team's skaters are all varying degrees of soft, sluggish, and dogshit defensively.

Well I do think that insulating Jarry a bit more wouldn't be the worst thing for this team.

 

[Gurglesons]

So Lafferty traded to VAN for a 5th just 7 months after getting traded to TOR for a 1st+2nd? I know McCabe came over in that deal too but how did his value get pumped so much last year?

Should I be concerned it was the Doobler that made that deal?

The payment was largely based on the retention they got on McCabe for multiple years.

 

[HandshakeLine]

I remember people still insisting over the off season that we were a “speed” team, lol.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Well I do think that insulating Jarry a bit more wouldn't be the worst thing for this team.

Of course. But you're talking about insulating Jarry with guys like Jake and Karlsson. I know I half-jokingly picked the worst defensive players, but genuinely, I don't think this team has the guys to do it--nor do I think Sullivan's the guy to coach that style.

And people would just shit their pants and whine about Sullivan neutering the offense or something anyway, because people are psychotically obsessed with the dude at this point. /shrug

I've said repeatedly that I'd rather the team lose in entertaining ways than eek out wins by playing what I'd consider awful, boring hockey. Wins and losses don't matter to me as much as how fun the game was to watch, as I don't think this team's ever gonna compete again during the era. Hell, they may not even win another playoff round, let alone Cup. As awful standings-wise last season was, I still got a hell of a lot of entertainment out of watching this team comically blow leads in the most absurd ways possible.

 

[Coastal Kev]

I like to think of it as 0-1-0 with Ruh in the line up.

Or 0-1-0 with GCR reunited

 

[McGroarty2]

So Friday's game is on ESPN+/Hulu. Is there another way to watch this game? Thanks!!

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Dont care, you guys have you unhealthy fixation, I have mine

Yeah i don’t really have an unhealthy fixation. Outside of hoping every Canadian team is relocated to the Southern US.

Ruh - No shot attempts or shots when he was out there.

 

[Victor Z]

Ruh - No shot attempts or shots when he was out there.

Bravo. Ruh wasn't terrible (though not good either) for one game in heavily sheltered minutes.

Even so, we can do much better on the 3rd pair by getting some guys out there to make our goalie crease a tad less hospitable than a Holiday Inn Express, as opposed to having a duo that contributes nothing and a top-4 which is forced to play 50 minutes a game while being as soft as marshmallows too. At least those 4 either contribute offense or aren't totally clueless in their own end.

We have at least one of those 3rd pair replacements here already (Ludwig) and can promote another (Friedman) if Shea isn't the answer on the right side, which he probably isn't.

 

[Josey Wales]

Bravo. Ruh wasn't terrible (though not good either) for one game in heavily sheltered minutes.

Even so, we can do much better on the 3rd pair by getting some guys out there to make our goalie crease a tad less hospitable than a Holiday Inn Express, as opposed to having a duo that contributes nothing and a top-4 which is forced to play 50 minutes a game while being as soft as marshmallows too. At least those 4 either contribute offense or aren't totally clueless in their own end.

We have at least one of those 3rd pair replacements here already (Ludwig) and can promote another (Friedman) if Shea isn't the answer on the right side, which he probably isn't.

Friedman Blows Goats