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?"

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I've always hated GCRust, but I don't know if you can break up that line. Rak being moved up will be at the expense of Rust and that sends a poor message. Rust is probably playing his best hockey in 2 years

If you want to play fantasyland, I'd be all ears with a Rak-C-Rust but it'll never happen

Right. I want to see Raks back on track too but I don't know what you do right now as a team to accommodate that. I like Smith way more on the top PP and Rust is doing too well on the top line to move IMO.

I definitely don't want to give the impression that I'm rarin' to dump the guy for peanuts. But it's a little eye opening that he's produced 3 assists (with 2 of those in the SJ clowning) on a terrific line and playing on the powerplay. But it's still early.

 

[lokomotiv15]

Would you say Backstrom's game was predicated on speed? I don't. At some minimum, you have to be able to move without pain.

No, definitely not. He's relied on good vision, patience and passing almost as much as Kane relied on insane hands and instincts.

Tough because of the ones that have had it, they were all totally different players who played different styles and skated so differently. Jovanovski was a great skater early on and was very fluid, but had lost that a bit by the time he was 37 and had the surgery. Kesler had great straight line-speed, with a choppier stride that he had also lost by the time he had his surgery at 35. Obviously Backstrom and Kane both differ greatly from those two and each other in terms of skating style and ability, so who knows. Maybe Kane's the first one it works for. Definitely too much risk to start trading away players and assets to make room for in my eyes, though.

 

[The Old Master]

Contracts expiring in 2025 are perfect for the end of our window. I would not be in a hurry to extend Petts.

he can be traded easer if he's signed. imo

 

[Khelandros]

I've always hated GCRust, but I don't know if you can break up that line. Rak being moved up will be at the expense of Rust and that sends a poor message. Rust is probably playing his best hockey in 2 years

If you want to play fantasyland, I'd be all ears with a Rak-C-Rust but it'll never happen

Let's not conflate what is actually happening. Rust is still playing shit hockey, being lazy, making turnovers and generally ruining possession. The only difference is his shots are going in more frequently this year.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

Let's not conflate what is actually happening. Rust is still playing shit hockey, being lazy, making turnovers and generally ruining possession. The only difference is his shots are going in more frequently this year.

I've been as critical on Rust as anyone here. But I cannot agree with this statement.
Part of being a good linemate isn't just getting goals/assists, it's supporting play and possession.

I can't think of any time over the past 5+ games where I've thought that Rust was floating around or doing those things you accuse him of.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I like Graves' willingness to shoot but he's also a little aggravating because he loves to just wing shots on net even when there's no traffic there. I'd like him to be a little bit more selective sometimes.

In fairness to Graves this team is also generally bad at getting to the net so if he waited for traffic he might have to wait all night

The only traffic you consistently see in front of the net is the Pens own net.

 

[KrisLetAngry]

With the cap going up.

I think there's a difference now between 4 million and 6 million defensemen

Also the importance with the top 4 being minute logging consistently solid also seems important.

Graves at 4.5 million we may have to curb our expectations of him. I think he is slowly looking better every game and catching up to the system. He makes bad moves but I have felt he has down well on the PK and has showed improvement at Even strength.

 

[ChaosAgent]

he can be traded easer if he's signed. imo

Not for 8 years though

 

[Ryder71]

Here is what I think may be more realistic:
Rakell and Garland swap. Would give the Pens a different type of winger than they have

Although not sure Vancouver is interested in trading anyone since their record is pretty darn good

RR's value currently is minimal, not sure about Garland but I'd hate to sell low on any player if it's avoidable.

 

[Ryder71]

Let's not conflate what is actually happening. Rust is still playing shit hockey, being lazy, making turnovers and generally ruining possession. The only difference is his shots are going in more frequently this year.

What? Yeah, that's completely untrue.

 

[BusinessGoose]

Not for 8 years though

Nor with the customary full NMC

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I guess I dunno why Garland's name keeps coming up... at least as a top six player, here. Dude is like the world's most okayest player and makes like five mil a year. Nah.

 

[Andy99]

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

I guess I dunno why Garland's name keeps coming up... at least as a top six player, here. Dude is like the world's most okayest player and makes like five mil a year. Nah.

Would you describe Rak any differently?

My thing with Garland is he seems more likely to dig into the corners/has intensity. Could be a boon for Geno or Sid and put less wear/tear on their bodies

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Would you describe Rak any differently?

My thing with Garland is he seems more likely to dig into the corners/has intensity. Could be a boon for Geno or Sid and put less wear/tear on their bodies

I appreciate his spunk but he's another lightweight waterbug type with a pretty unimpressive or at best common overall skillset. He might or might not be better than Raks in the overall scheme of things but I'd rather stick with the guy that potted nearly 30 goals recently. I'm too lazy to look up Garland's most common linemates but for a hot-as-lava team scoring boatloads of goals his 5 points doesn't seem very impressive. And every time I have watched him I don't remember one impactful thing he's done (which admittedly is a limited sample size and very anecdotal).

 

[Empoleon8771]

Yeah I'd much rather have Rakell than Garland. Garland's a guy I'd love to have on the 3rd line if he was making like $2.5 million, but absolutely not at the price he's making.

I really wish they would have signed Sheary in free agency, he only signed for 3 years at $2 million a year and he's pretty much exactly what I want out of that 3rd line RW spot. I would have been willing to pay more to San Jose to get them to retain that extra $2 million to afford Sheary.

 

[Ryder71]

I appreciate his spunk but he's another lightweight waterbug type with a pretty unimpressive or at best common overall skillset. He might or might not be better than Raks in the overall scheme of things but I'd rather stick with the guy that potted nearly 30 goals recently. I'm too lazy to look up Garland's most common linemates but for a hot-as-lava team scoring boatloads of goals his 5 points doesn't seem very impressive. And every time I have watched him I don't remember one impactful thing he's done (which admittedly is a limited sample size and very anecdotal).

RR has better high end offensive acumen, three seasons of 28, 33 and 34 goals. Although the last two were a while ago. But he had 28 just last season. I'm not pressing the panic button here. He's a good player, he just needs a bit of luck to get it going. He's getting the chances, it'll come.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Yeah I'd much rather have Rakell than Garland. Garland's a guy I'd love to have on the 3rd line if he was making like $2.5 million, but absolutely not at the price he's making.

I really wish they would have signed Sheary in free agency, he only signed for 3 years at $2 million a year and he's pretty much exactly what I want out of that 3rd line RW spot. I would have been willing to pay more to San Jose to get them to retain that extra $2 million to afford Sheary.

Yeah I don't HATE Garland. He'd be great on L3 not just for the sake of that line itself but also because he could be competent top six insurance. But at like 5M and especially if we are talking at the expense of a 30 goal scorer like Raks I'd say no. For ~3M (and say... Carter on Robidas Island) and in ADDITION to the current roster then yes.

And before someone says "Well ~40-50 point wings are just worth 5M!" -- terrific. I'm not interested in this particular one at that price.

 

[Zirakzigil]

Yeah I'd much rather have Rakell than Garland. Garland's a guy I'd love to have on the 3rd line if he was making like $2.5 million, but absolutely not at the price he's making.

I really wish they would have signed Sheary in free agency, he only signed for 3 years at $2 million a year and he's pretty much exactly what I want out of that 3rd line RW spot. I would have been willing to pay more to San Jose to get them to retain that extra $2 million to afford Sheary.

Except Sid would demand he play on the top line, and we dont need that happening again.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Except Sid would demand he play on the top line, and we dont need that happening again.

The option of being able to bump up Sheary to L1 and bump someone in their top-6 to the 3rd line would be a major benefit, though.

I wouldn't be bringing in Sheary to play with Crosby, but Sheary was consistently excellent with Crosby. I don't know why you'd bring that up as a negative.

 

[Zirakzigil]

The option of being able to bump up Sheary to L1 and bump someone in their top-6 to the 3rd line would be a major benefit, though.

I wouldn't be bringing in Sheary to play with Crosby, but Sheary was consistently excellent with Crosby. I don't know why you'd bring that up as a negative.

How was he excellent? He was a 3rd wheel on a line with one of the best players in the world. He wasnt adding to that line, he just existed on it. Sheary is your typical middling winger, nothing special.

 

[Empoleon8771]

How was he excellent? He was a 3rd wheel on a line with one of the best players in the world. He wasnt adding to that line, he just existed on it. Sheary is your typical middling winger, nothing special.

Sheary literally put up 53 points in 61 games in a season while playing with Crosby.

 

[Zirakzigil]

Sheary literally put up 53 points in 61 games in a season while playing with Crosby.

The only good season he had, the rest were meh at best.

 

[Empoleon8771]

From 2015-2018:

-Crosby with Sheary: 3.28 GF/60 and 59.32% GF% in 1279 minutes at 5v5
-Crosby without Sheary: 2.64 GF/60 and 52.04% GF% in 2314 minutes at 5v5

There is a pretty massive sample size that shows that Crosby was substantially more productive while playing with Sheary than playing without Sheary in the main sample size Sheary was here.

Sheary is wildly disrespected by Penguins fans, I really don't understand it. He's put together and incredibly solid career as a 2-way 3rd liner yet people still talk down on him. I don't want to bring him in to play with Crosby, absolutely not, but he would have been an amazing 3rd line addition that would also satisfy people's concerns about not having top-6 injury replacements.

The only good season he had, the rest were meh at best.

He played 2 full seasons with the Penguins.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I think the one thing we can say with certainty is that there are too many damned Con(n)ors in this league.