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

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Yes and it has a campsite and there's lots of yelling

Yeah I mean I DEFINITELY have heard the yelling. Lots of yelling. Sometimes I yell at the yelling.

Are there S'Mores? And whiskey?

 

[Pancakes]

Yeah I mean I DEFINITELY have heard the yelling. Lots of yelling. Sometimes I yell at the yelling.

Are there S'Mores? And whiskey?

There are s'mores. We had to cut off the whiskey after Ragamuffin got a little too belligerent at the Pens for being f-ing losers.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Wouldn't Van also want him bc his brother is on the team? They may see some value in that.

I don’t think the Petterssons are related

 

[KrisLetAngry]

I'm only a little surprised a team like Colorado or Toronto with the injuries did not take a flyer on Puus.

They decided he isn't important enough to take so there it is. Back to AHL

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

There are s'mores. We had to cut off the whiskey after Ragamuffin got a little too belligerent at the Pens for being f-ing losers.

Must be nice to be that dude's local drywall guy. Makin' bank.

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

I need to be careful about how I phrase this, because I know replies are going to take what I write and run the wrong way with it.

Puustinen is small, weak, not all that fast, and probably not an NHLer.

But it's a microcosm of the old boy's club style of coaching and GMing that's really frustrating. Creative players need opportunities to be creative. Play to their skillset. They shouldn't be forced into a checking role with plugs and when they can't carry the line by themselves at five minutes a night, be sent packing.

In this specific case, Puustinen should have had a five-game stint on the top line and top PP to see what he could really do. Instead, he was scratched or in the bottom-six because if he was in the top-six, that might mean having to move someone like Bryan Rust to the third line, and Rust has "earned" his spot there. What if Sid and Puustinen had instant chemistry? I felt the same way about Janne Pesonen too.

Now again, I don't think Puustinen is an NHLer, and I don't think Pesonen was either. But Calgary also thought Martin St. Louis wasn't an NHLer. You don't know what you have in a player until you've really played them to their strengths.

 

[SEALBound]

Must be nice to be that dude's local drywall guy. Makin' bank.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I need to be careful about how I phrase this, because I know replies are going to take what I write and run the wrong way with it.

Puustinen is small, weak, not all that fast, and probably not an NHLer.

But it's a microcosm of the old boy's club style of coaching and GMing that's really frustrating. Creative players need opportunities to be creative. Play to their skillset. They shouldn't be forced into a checking role with plugs and when they can't carry the line by themselves at five minutes a night, be sent packing.

In this specific case, Puustinen should have had a five-game stint on the top line and top PP to see what he could really do. Instead, he was scratched or in the bottom-six because if he was in the top-six, that might mean having to move someone like Bryan Rust to the third line, and Rust has "earned" his spot there. What if Sid and Puustinen had instant chemistry? I felt the same way about Janne Pesonen too.

Now again, I don't think Puustinen is an NHLer, and I don't think Pesonen was either. But Calgary also thought Martin St. Louis wasn't an NHLer. You don't know what you have in a player until you've really played them to their strengths.

Puustinen played 40% of his ice time last year with Malkin. This idea that he never got a chance in the top-6 is demonstrably false.

Puustinen ended up on waivers because he’s an offense only player that can’t produce in the NHL.

Some guys never got a chance in the top-6 with the Penguins, but Puustinen wasn’t one of those guys. He got an extended look with Malkin and did basically nothing after his first 10 games last year. For the entire 2024 calendar year, he was a 25 point player that played with fairly good linemates (mostly Smith-Malkin-Puustinen and Smith-Eller-Puustinen) and offered literally nothing beyond playmaking.

 

[The Old Master]

I’m stunned that Puustinen cleared… absolutely floored. I can’t believe that a 25 year old offense only guy who doesn’t really provide much offense didn’t get picked up by another team. I was sure he’d get claimed and his new team would truly unlock the superstar that is Big Puus

if you were another gm and saw a team that's almost last. and they send down a player that seems to be struggling would you be looking to pick up that player?

 

[Empoleon8771]

Yeah that's about where I'm at. A lot of these young guys are trash, but they're cheap trash and young enough to maybe claw their way out of the dumpster. Nieto? Acciari? Hayes? Beau? Permanent dumpster residents.

Play the youth.

Tbh the fact that people shit on Beauvillier but prop up Puustinen makes me really confused. Dude has as many goals this year alone as Puustinen has in his NHL career, all while being barely older than Puustinen.

IMO, Puljujarvi’s usage has been significantly more egregious than Puustinen’s. Puljujarvi is actually producing well and has a track record of having success in the NHL. Puustinen is just another soft Euro AHL/SHL scorer.

 

[eXile3]

So there ya go, 31 other GMs wouldn't take the guy for free.

Can we all calm down and slow the Puustinen hype train?

31 other teams would have also passed on Acciari, Lizotte, Nieto, Hayes, probably even Glass.

31 teams passing on him doesn’t mean we made the right lineup decision which is what it’s always been about.

 

[Turin]

Guess we’ll see if Jiricek is scratched tonight in the AHL

 

[Empoleon8771]

31 other teams would have also passed on Acciari, Lizotte, Nieto, Hayes, probably even Glass.

31 teams passing on him doesn’t mean we made the right lineup decision which is what it’s always been about.

The Penguins needing to waive more of the shit in their bottom-6 doesn't make waiving Puustinen and sending him to the AHL a mistake. Puustinen should not be playing for the NHL team. Them needing to also get rid of guys like Acciari and Nieto doesn't change that truth.

I'm still waiting for some sort of argument for why Puustinen deserved to play more in the NHL while Bemstrom doesn't. Bemstrom has proven more in the NHL and is the same exact age as Puustinen (born 3 days apart), but no one gave a crap when he was waived and some people here even hated him.

 

[SEALBound]

31 other teams would have also passed on Acciari, Lizotte, Nieto, Hayes, probably even Glass.

31 teams passing on him doesn’t mean we made the right lineup decision which is what it’s always been about.

Not arguing that necessarily. I agree, I would have waived Nieto and Acciari before Puustinen. The others, meh.

I was more speaking to the people who think we waive Mitch Marner who are trying to turn Puustinen into something he isn't.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Ohhhhhhhhhhh I see the camp, now!

It's not where you said it was though, @Pancakes...

 

[Empoleon8771]

Puustinen 2023-2024: 5 goals and 20 points in 52 games

Bemstrom 2022-2024: 15 goals and 38 points in 111 games (7 goals and 18 points per 52 games)



Hell even if you want to include Bemstrom's Pittsburgh numbers, he had 8 goals and 16 points in 56 games in 2023-2024. Not really all that different from Puustinen.

 

[eXile3]

The Penguins needing to waive more of the shit in their bottom-6 doesn't make waiving Puustinen and sending him to the AHL a mistake. Puustinen should not be playing for the NHL team. Them needing to also get rid of guys like Acciari and Nieto doesn't change that truth.

I'm still waiting for some sort of argument for why Puustinen deserved to play more in the NHL while Bemstrom doesn't. Bemstrom has proven more in the NHL and is the same exact age as Puustinen (born 3 days apart), but no one gave a crap when he was waived and some people here even hated him.

I think we’re a better team with both Puustinen and Bemstrom playing over the garbage we march out now that are supposedly so special defensively they can’t be waived despite what happens on the ice says the opposite.

Puustinen was a young 3rd/4th liner. At 25 years old he what he is, which isn’t much, but still better than what we ice currently outside of Puljujariv in the bottom 6.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

I need to be careful about how I phrase this, because I know replies are going to take what I write and run the wrong way with it.

Puustinen is small, weak, not all that fast, and probably not an NHLer.

But it's a microcosm of the old boy's club style of coaching and GMing that's really frustrating. Creative players need opportunities to be creative. Play to their skillset. They shouldn't be forced into a checking role with plugs and when they can't carry the line by themselves at five minutes a night, be sent packing.

In this specific case, Puustinen should have had a five-game stint on the top line and top PP to see what he could really do. Instead, he was scratched or in the bottom-six because if he was in the top-six, that might mean having to move someone like Bryan Rust to the third line, and Rust has "earned" his spot there. What if Sid and Puustinen had instant chemistry? I felt the same way about Janne Pesonen too.

Now again, I don't think Puustinen is an NHLer, and I don't think Pesonen was either. But Calgary also thought Martin St. Louis wasn't an NHLer. You don't know what you have in a player until you've really played them to their strengths.

Why is his limit 5-10 games and worthless vets get 40+?
There's no standards elsewhere on the team. Why do standards only apply now?

 

[Empoleon8771]

Ohhhhhhhhhhh I see the camp, now!

It's not where you said it was though, @Pancakes...

Having discussions on Puustinen's strengths and weaknesses are regularly muddied by pointing out players that this board deems worse, so why would anyone be surprised when the people who talk down on Puustinen take a victory lap when no one claims him on waivers? The "Puustinen isn't good" posts and posters regularly get replies of "Nieto is worse". So why act shocked that the "Puustinen isn't good" people react when Puustinen clears waivers? That's what they've been arguing for a while and those arguments have been shut down based on flimsy "Nieto is worse" arguments.

This isn't saying anyone is right or wrong in the discussion (although I've made my opinions clear), but when one side constantly shuts down an argument by not actually refuting the argument, I don't think people should be surprised when that side cheers when something happens that supports their argument. Especially considering the Penguins have 2 statistically identical players (Bemstrom and Puustinen) that get wildly different treatment here.

Why is his limit 5-10 games and worthless vets get 40+?
There's no standards elsewhere on the team. Why do standards only apply now?

Puustinen got 50 games of being useless before he got waived.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Having discussions on Puustinen's strengths and weaknesses are regularly muddied by pointing out players that this board deems worse, so why would anyone be surprised when the people who talk down on Puustinen take a victory lap when no one claims him on waivers? The "Puustinen isn't good" posts and posters regularly get replies of "Nieto is worse". So why act shocked that the "Puustinen isn't good" people react when Puustinen clears waivers? That's what they've been arguing for a while and those arguments have been shut down based on flimsy "Nieto is worse" arguments. Puustinen got 50 games of being useless before he got waived.

Having discussions on Puustinen's strengths and weaknesses are regularly muddied by pointing out players that this board deems worse, so why would anyone be surprised when the people who talk down on Puustinen take a victory lap when no one claims him on waivers? The "Puustinen isn't good" posts and posters regularly get replies of "Nieto is worse". So why act shocked that the "Puustinen isn't good" people react when Puustinen clears waivers? That's what they've been arguing for a while and those arguments have been shut down based on flimsy "Nieto is worse" arguments.



Puustinen got 50 games of being useless before he got waived.

Stop messaging me, clinger creep. Wtf is wrong with you?

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Having discussions on Puustinen's strengths and weaknesses are regularly muddied by pointing out players that this board deems worse, so why would anyone be surprised when the people who talk down on Puustinen take a victory lap when no one claims him on waivers? The "Puustinen isn't good" posts and posters regularly get replies of "Nieto is worse". So why act shocked that the "Puustinen isn't good" people react when Puustinen clears waivers? That's what they've been arguing for a while and those arguments have been shut down based on flimsy "Nieto is worse" arguments.

lol a victory lap? For this?

Like who are ya'll even arguing with? I see a buncha shrugs and like one superfan not even logged on rn.

I mean you guys go off. I'm just having a laugh over here is all don't mind me. I understand we have to take the victories where we can get them these days.

 

[BusinessGoose]

This team is full of guys only a mother could love

 

[Freeptop]

No clue what that would be about. Goalies? Flyers have no goalies.

It will absolutely, positively, never happen in a million years, but if Dubas somehow convinced the Flyers to take Jarry? His entire 2023 offseason could be forgiven, even though we'd still be stuck with Graves
Too bad there's no chance of that happening.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I think we’re a better team with both Puustinen and Bemstrom playing over the garbage we march out now that are supposedly so special defensively they can’t be waived despite what happens on the ice says the opposite.

Puustinen was a young 3rd/4th liner. At 25 years old he what he is, which isn’t much, but still better than what we ice currently outside of Puljujariv in the bottom 6.

But again, people keep making arguments against this that are constantly brushed aside based on "well he's better than Nieto". Puustinen is a 25 point winger that doesn't offer anything beyond playmaking. That's not a "3rd/4th liner", that's an AHLer. That's Emil Bemstrom, who's not a NHLer either.

lol a victory lap? For this?

Like who are ya'll even arguing with? I see a buncha shrugs and like one superfan not even logged on rn.

I mean you guys go off. I'm just having a laugh over here is all don't mind me. I understand we have to take the victories where we can get them these days.

Anyone who deflects a "is Puustinen good?" question with "he should be playing over Nieto"? That was kinda my point.

I'm not referring to the "Puustinen isn't Mitch Marner" type of posts, but I feel like any Puustinen discussion regularly gets deflections of "he's better than Nieto" to refute any criticisms of Puustinen. Something similar happens on the Penguins subreddit regarding Sullivan.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I mean Puus is a borderline NHLer... maybe even at BEST... but he IS better than Nieto?

WTF does that guy do except suck wind?

I saw more out of Puus in just his little decent stretch last year than I've seen in Matt Nieto's entire career.