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

[SEALBound]

Hallander coming back would be terrific for the bottom-6, I really hope that ends up being true. I'd be curious to see where he plays, I think they already have Lizotte at 3C and Ponomarev at 4C for next year but they could likely move one of those guys to the wing as well.

I think I'd be advocating for trading Bunting and running with a 3rd line of Lizotte-Hallander-McGroarty if Hallander comes back next year. Hallander's SHL performance suggests he'd be a 3C caliber player in the NHL right now, it's similar to what Soderberg was doing in the SHL before jumping into Boston's middle-6 as a center.

They need to jettison both Acciari and Hayes for this to have any meaningful impact. If he keeps up the current play, I think Lizotte is cementing himself in as the 3C for this season and defacto next season. I could see a battle between Glass, Hallander, and Pono for 4C provided the opening exists.

But yeah, I going to say that if you are looking to add the likes of McGroarty and Hallander, we need to start trading a couple of guys. Bunting being the #1 candidate. 1yr at $4.5mil with the ability to retain should be a fairly easy trade the same way it was with Reilly Smith. Cap going up to $92mil, there's plenty of teams that can easily take him in and the number of players that play like him are few.

Might also be a good time to cash in on DOC if you can get a good return. You could look at someone like Barclay Goodrow's deal and see if another playoff-bound team will bite. Something like DOC+3rd for late 1st or DOC+3rd for good prospect + 2nd. Similarly, I would also consider a 2nd straight up. Would be nice if DOC started producing though to boost his value.

Look to build something like:
Bunting for a 3rd
DOC for a 2nd
Acciari for a 4th/prospect
Resign Glass, Puljujarvi, and Tomasino
Assume a deal like Pettersson for Pettersson+2nd+

Rakell-Sid-Rust
McGoarty-Malkin-Tomasino
Glass-Lizotte-Puljujarvi
Hayes-Hallander-Pono

Pickering-Letang
Pettersson-Karlsson
Graves-JSI-Shea-etc

Still having Poulin, Koivunen, Broz, Puustinen, and Gruden in WBS

 

[Andy99]

 

[DesertPenguin]

Assume a deal like Pettersson for Pettersson+2nd+

This is the crucial move.

 

[Ryder71]

If you want to lose this is a good thing.

 

[SEALBound]

 

[Gurglesons]

x.com

fxtwitter.com

Wonder what the package was from NYR if they weren't willing to move Kaapo.

 

[Pancakes]

x.com

fxtwitter.com

Wonder what the package was from NYR if they weren't willing to move Kaapo.

Some Rangers fan in the comments said Drury blew it last year by not trading Kaapo and Othmann for Jake.

Can you even imagine how happy we would have been if Dubas had gotten that package?

 

[Gurglesons]

Some Rangers fan in the comments said Drury blew it last year by not trading Kaapo and Othmann for Jake.

Can you even imagine how happy we would have been if Dubas had gotten that package?

I mean it is way better than the package we got.

And honestly, if I'm the Rangers, why the f*** would you not trade that package for Jake even if it's only a one year run?

 

[Empoleon8771]

Kakko and Othmann for Guentzel would have been a really nice haul as the centerpieces for Guentzel. I'm not overly warm on Kakko but I think Othmann is better than any prospect they got. Kakko, Othmann and the Rangers 2nd would have been better than Bunting, Ponomarev, Koivunen, Lucius and Philly's 2nd. But if Drury wasn't willing to trade Kakko, it's kinda a moot point.

I'd be calling them up about trading for Kakko still, but I'm unsure of what the Penguins could offer for him. I really like the idea of shuffling Kakko to LW and playing him with Malkin and Tomasino.

 

[Pancakes]

I mean it is way better than the package we got.

And honestly, if I'm the Rangers, why the f*** would you not trade that package for Jake even if it's only a one year run?

I'm not sure I'd have moved Kaako for Jake if I were the Rangers. Based on the package that Jake was dealt for I bet the Rangers could have put together something else and convinced Dubas without giving up KK. It's not like the package they had to beat was a lot anyways.

But yeah I do think it was a mistake by them not to push and get him. That was a team with cup aspirations and Jake is historically a great playoff performer.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Kakko is that kinda guy you buy low on and hope he can find his pre-draft ceiling. I like the guy but I think he might be damaged goods. Still would've jumped at KK + Othmann for Jake though. But it seems when things didn't go smoothly in the summer, Jake just decided he was going to FA come hell or high water. Really ratf***ed his value.

 

[eXile3]

I'm not sure I'd have moved Kaako for Jake if I were the Rangers. Based on the package that Jake was dealt for I bet the Rangers could have put together something else and convinced Dubas without giving up KK. It's not like the package they had to beat was a lot anyways.

But yeah I do think it was a mistake by them not to push and get him. That was a team with cup aspirations and Jake is historically a great playoff performer.

Yeah I’m sure they would.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I'm not sure I'd have moved Kaako for Jake if I were the Rangers. Based on the package that Jake was dealt for I bet the Rangers could have put together something else and convinced Dubas without giving up KK. It's not like the package they had to beat was a lot anyways.

But yeah I do think it was a mistake by them not to push and get him. That was a team with cup aspirations and Jake is historically a great playoff performer.

They could have done Othmann and a 1st and I think that was about equal in value to what Carolina gave up. That said, Koivunen and Ponomarev are both looking good now so I'm not one to really complain about it.

KK, Othmann and a 2nd or Othmann and a 1st would have both been good alternatives.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I think it was a pretty big f*** up by both the Rangers and the Canucks to not chase Jake, even if he was only a rental. Those two teams were primed for deep playoff runs with a Jake addition imo.

 

[SEALBound]

I thought Kakko looked best when he was on the third line with Lafreniere on the LW and Chytil in the center. Since then, it seems like they keep wanting him to develop into a play driver that he may never be. If you can put him with Malkin and Tomasino, it might work. I'm not sure I would trade for him in hopes that he comes the driver on a line. That said, I'm not even sure what we have to offer. We don't have a Kakko at the moment.

I'm not sure they had the means to resign Jake so it would have been a pure rental anyway. You don't give up Othmann nor your 1st for a pure rental. I could see something around Sykora, their 2nd, maybe Cuylle? I remember the reports were that Othmann and Perreault were off the table. If this report is right, Kakko was off the table as well. After that, it's hard to see an offer at the time that would have been better than what Carolina gave us.

 

[Pancakes]

Yeah I’m sure they would.

Like @Empoleon8771 said I bet there's a reasonable chance that 1st + Othmann + some other piece would have done it.

They could have done Othmann and a 1st and I think that was about equal in value to what Carolina gave up. That said, Koivunen and Ponomarev are both looking good now so I'm not one to really complain about it.

KK, Othmann and a 2nd or Othmann and a 1st would have both been good alternatives.

Yeah those guys are looking alright so hopefully the trade pans out.

Between those guys and Broz/Mcgroarty I'm cautiously optimistic that the Pens will undergo a big transformation on forward in the next few years. Probably not enough to forestall disaster but maybe to lay the groundwork for the next group of Pens.

 

[SEALBound]

I think it was a pretty big f*** up by both the Rangers and the Canucks to not chase Jake, even if he was only a rental. Those two teams were primed for deep playoff runs with a Jake addition imo.

Canucks in particular. Going in on Lindholm early was certainly a mistake. They figured out he wasn't the play driver they thought. Same with Boston.

Adding Jake to their roster would have been a lot better. But oh well.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Like @Empoleon8771 said I bet there's a reasonable chance that 1st + Othmann + some other piece would have done it.

Yeah those guys are looking alright so hopefully the trade pans out.

Between those guys and Broz/Mcgroarty I'm cautiously optimistic that the Pens will undergo a big transformation on forward in the next few years. Probably not enough to forestall disaster but maybe to lay the groundwork for the next group of Pens.

Yeah and if Hallander ends up actually coming back to NA, I think you can throw him in that group as well. This is purely captain hindsight, but I wonder if you would have still gone for Ponomarev in the Guentzel deal if you would have known Hallander would be coming back.

 

[Pancakes]

I'm not sure they had the means to resign Jake so it would have been a pure rental anyway. You don't give up Othmann nor your 1st for a pure rental.

I'd give that up in a heartbeat as a Rangers fan if I felt like Jake gave me a chance at a cup.

A guy I wouldn't have given up is Perreault. He looks insanely good and it's unfortunate the Pens passed him up.

Yeah and if Hallander ends up actually coming back to NA, I think you can throw him in that group as well. This is purely captain hindsight, but I wonder if you would have still gone for Ponomarev in the Guentzel deal if you would have known Hallander would be coming back.

I think it's easier to go from center to wing than it is from wing to center. If the Pens like Hallander and Ponomarev enough to play them both they'll fit one of them on the wing if they have to.

 

[Gurglesons]

Like @Empoleon8771 said I bet there's a reasonable chance that 1st + Othmann + some other piece would have done it.

Yeah those guys are looking alright so hopefully the trade pans out.

Between those guys and Broz/Mcgroarty I'm cautiously optimistic that the Pens will undergo a big transformation on forward in the next few years. Probably not enough to forestall disaster but maybe to lay the groundwork for the next group of Pens.

Yeah we're going to have a bottom six of Broz, McGroarty, Ponomarev instead of a bottom six of DOC, Glass, Lizotte. How exciting!

 

[Randy Butternubs]

How exciting!

It's not that exciting.

 

[Gurglesons]

It's not that exciting.

Koivunen and Ponomarev have really done nothing for me in the AHL.

 

[Pancakes]

Yeah we're going to have a bottom six of Broz, McGroarty, Ponomarev instead of a bottom six of DOC, Glass, Lizotte. How exciting!

Hey it can't be worse than what we have been doing with the bottom six for the past half decade

 

[SEALBound]

Koivunen and Ponomarev have really done nothing for me in the AHL.

Like you would admit it they did

 

[Gurglesons]

Like you would admit it they did

I would. I'm not focused on always being right like you, SEAL.