Salary Cap: Pens '24-'25 Salary Thread: The Crosbicles Volume XIX

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I know, right? We should be trading those picks for Kapanen, man!

Garbage in garbage out one way or the other.

You know what would be nice is consequences. Like... how many times have we seen the GM make what looks like a pretty good deal only for the coach to utterly ratf*** the whole thing and the response is the GM falling on his sword and being like "oh shucks I knew I should have gotten you prime Bure instead my bad."

This team couldn't make a 100+ point Norris winning defenseman look anything other than ass and we're excited about Tomasito. And they say optimism is dead around here! That seems downright delusionally optimistic, to me!

 

[Gurglesons]

Rakell - Crosby - Rust
DOC - Malkin - Tomasino
Bunting - Glass - Pulju

Should be the top nine IMO.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Garbage in garbage out one way or the other.

You know what would be nice is consequences. Like... how many times have we seen the GM make what looks like a pretty good deal only for the coach to utterly ratf*** the whole thing and the response is the GM falling on his sword and being like "oh shucks I knew I should have gotten you prime Bure instead my bad."

This team couldn't make a 100+ point Norris winning defenseman look anything other than ass and we're excited about Tomasito. And they say optimism is dead around here! That seems downright delusionally optimistic, to me!

I dunno. Tomasino's a deal where this team (potentially accidentally) made a smart, zero risk/decent return move for once. Considering how incompetent and cowardly they've been since the B2Bs I'll take it.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I wonder how many players the team will have to go through before it finds a "Sullivan Player."

It's really bizarre how such an incredible coach has a long trail of burned out husks of failed roster acquisitions in his wake.

I dunno. Tomasino's a deal where this team (potentially accidentally) made a smart, zero risk/decent return move for once. Considering how incompetent and cowardly they've been since the B2Bs I'll take it.

As big a weenie as Dubas is... I mostly hate him because he's the GM and just allows this to go on.

As far as little cheap trades go he's done pretty well, actually. This one included. But that isn't the problem.

 

[K Fleur]

I can’t believe people on this board still go on about Puustinen. What a nothing player.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Who could have predicted Poulin would get absolutely shot when he was called up? Must really sap a kid's motivation for working hard down in the AHL. Any other organization and that hard work results in a fair stint in the NHL. With the Pens, it's a game or two on the 4th line before being removed from the lineup in favor of useless f***ing veterans.

I really, really can't stand this f***ing coach.

 

[Turin]

I think DOC is still on the right side of 28 and we should be keeping guys like him and Puljujarvi because they’re at least somewhat likely to be getting better (or at least not declining).

Acciari, Bunting, Hayes and Nieto need to F off.

I think Bunting is still way better than the other guys listed here

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I wonder how many players the team will have to go through before it finds a "Sullivan Player."

It's really bizarre how such an incredible coach has a long trail of burned out husks of failed roster acquisitions in his wake.



As big a weenie as Dubas is... I mostly hate him because he's the GM and just allows this to go on.

As far as little cheap trades go he's done pretty well, actually. This one included. But that isn't the problem.

I still think Sullivan's a dead man walking at coach. Maybe it's me huffing an entire hot air balloon's worth of copium but man, we're almost a decade into this. I gotta have some kinda hope.

 

[K Fleur]

I don’t why people still care about Poulin either. We’ve all seen him play, and he sucks.

 

[Jacob]

I don’t why people still care about Poulin either. We’ve all seen him play, and he sucks.

But 23 year olds can improve and find roles. Maybe he doesn’t, but you gotta give him time to try.

We gave up on Sundqvist after like 12 meh games.

 

[Duffy13]

With everyone and their dog getting a chance on Crosby's wing the only player that has looked decent for most of his shifts that does not have 1 top 6 minute is Puljujarvi.

Not even a single shift on the 1st or 2nd line.

Is he suited for it long term? No

Is he suited for it on this particular roster for even a try? Absolutely

Also, is f*** head Sullivan intent to play 1st line vs 1st line the whole season even when he has last change at home?

f*** me this coach is bad

 

[Jag68Sid87]

What is the point? That is my initial reaction to the Tomasino acquisition. Had he been acquired in the off-season, instead of the zillion bottom-six forwards and awful defensemen this summer, I would have cared. This is a good deal that will go sour faster than last month's milk.

a) is Tomasino coming here to play as a top-six winger AND be allowed to fail before he succeeds? Of course not. He is coming here as Poulin's replacement, because, you know, one 23-year-old forward is the maximum allowed. Sully's rules y'all!

b) Tomasino is exactly the type of player that will fail under Sullivan because he is exactly what Sullivan hates: a creative, east-west winger with first-round pedigree who can play both RW and LW. But can he kill penalties?

Why will this one be different? And why is Dubas shitting on his own resume as a GM? Seriously, I am starting to think behind those nerd glasses sits a very stupid person. Only a stupid person, or perhaps a spineless one, would allow a subordinate to ruin his team and sully his reputation in the process...pun intended!

 

[BusinessGoose]

So, what happens at the end of the year with him? He is RFA and arbitration eligible...

Will he be around longer on this team than a random 4th round draft pick?

Just seems like we didn't need this. This is a move isn't furthering a rebuild. Just eats 845k at a minimum for no reason.

I'll have to take everyone's word that he's like.. Good. Cause I don't know about him at all.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Yeah, I'd run like, Tomasino-Sid-Puljujarvi, DOC-Geno-Rust/Rakell, Beau-Glass-Rust/Rakell for a top-9. But that sure as shit isn't gonna happen.

 

[eXile3]

Lmao no he's not

In Puustinen's 10 games this year, he has 1 secondary assist, 4 shots, 6 shot attempts and is getting smoked analytically. Dude is a nothing piece.

So you’re not actually watching him play?

Yes, he’s a piece. One that’s better than the majority of our bottom 6.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I still think Sullivan's a dead man walking at coach. Maybe it's me huffing an entire hot air balloon's worth of copium but man, we're almost a decade into this. I gotta have some kinda hope.

I don't really get how anyone could see what they have seen go on here and have any confidence that Sullivan isn't around at least until his current deal is up. But I understand wanting to hold on to some kind of hope and avoid coming in here like a angry little stormcloud every day droppin' vitriol like yours truly so hey... no judgement.

 

[Duffy13]

He's a young player with 1st round draft status who can be traded... I expect him to be included in a Karlsson trade instead of including higher draft picks and massive retention

 

[BusinessGoose]

He's a young player with 1st round draft status who can be traded... I expect him to be included in a Karlsson trade.

Don't we already have that in Puljujarvi? I guess not the young part...

 

[Jag68Sid87]

Those who are shitting on the Poulin's and Puustinen's of this lineup right now, which includes Josh Yohe (who wrote a ridiculous take on Poulin), are basically enabling Sullivan.

Nobody is delusional about any of our under 26 players, plus Puljujarvi. They are no great shakes. They are also victims of piss-poor development and largely unfinished products.

All I am asking is to see (once and for all) what we have in some of these guys, instead of getting destroyed nightly with the likes of Nieto, Acciari, Hayes, Grz and Shea in the lineup.

I don't think that is a massive ask.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I think Puustinen kinda sucks, same with Poulin and Pono. I also think they should be permanent roster spots over the likes of Acciari, Nieto, Hayes, Glass, etc. /shrug

 

[BusinessGoose]

Yes, he’s a piece. One that’s better than the majority of our bottom 6.

.... This isn't the compliment you think it is

(I'm just getting a joke in, don't take it as an attack)

 

[Duffy13]

Don't we already have that in Puljujarvi? I guess not the young part...

GMs, some of them are not very smart.... Including a 1st round drafted player who hasn't developed is a pet project, and for some weird reason it adds a not insignificant value to these trades.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

The players in question... DOC included who I just crapped on... could almost all to a man be perfectly serviceable depth players. Particularly on a shit team like this one.

People get far too worked up over the bottom six and what it takes to play there.

EDIT: Then again the truly horrific coaching on this team goes a long way towards making that difficult.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I don't really get how anyone could see what they have seen go on here and have any confidence that Sullivan isn't around at least until his current deal is up. But I understand wanting to hold on to some kind of hope and avoid coming in here like a angry little stormcloud every day droppin' vitriol like yours truly so hey... no judgement.

Yeah, don't get me wrong. This team's dogshit. Ownership's a buncha aloof buffoons. Dubas is a dweeb. Sullivan's a miserable f*** with an ego to rival Jagr's. The way things are going, this team's got me resenting Crosby re-signing. That's how ratf***ed it all is.

But god dammit, I gotta pretend there's a chance Sullivan's canned after missing three times in a row and not winning a playoff round in nearly a decade. I'm skeptical it actually happens, but for the first time I feel like we're at "there's literally no excuse anymore" territory. Not that there has been for years, but folks are speaking up and talking about Sully's job security for the first time ever, and that might mean the facade is starting to crack and crumble.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

Looking at the practice lines from today, Tomasino will slot in where Puustinen was today. I think we can probably put it in ink. Otherwise, he is taking Puljujarvi's place. I mean, how long has it been since Sullivan scratched 18?

There is no way Mike Sullivan will have Valtteri Puustinen, Jesse Puljujarvi AND Phillip Tomasino in his lineup. And scratch a potential penalty-killing forward? Are you nuts?

Welcome to hell, Mr. Tomasino.