Salary Cap: Pens Off Season Thread: Pre Free Agency Shenanigans!

[Ulf5]

Where is everyone getting this leaked Poehling medical history??

• Much would have to be processed about Ryan Poehling, too, and his own ongoing health issue -- which I know but am not yet at liberty to divulge -- but he's very much a candidate to be brought back provided there's evidence the issue can be deemed manageable. And my goodness, the Penguins should certainly hope it is. He's young, fast, capable of contributing at both ends and a great kid. Everything they need.
(dkpghsports friday insider june 23rd)

 

[Rakell67]

• Much would have to be processed about Ryan Poehling, too, and his own ongoing health issue -- which I know but am not yet at liberty to divulge -- but he's very much a candidate to be brought back provided there's evidence the issue can be deemed manageable. And my goodness, the Penguins should certainly hope it is. He's young, fast, capable of contributing at both ends and a great kid. Everything they need.
(dkpghsports friday insider june 23rd)

Manageable? Maybe he is a chronic masterbater and it hurts his ability to properly grip his hockey stick.

 

[Gurglesons]

Manageable? Maybe he is a chronic masterbater and it hurts his ability to properly grip his hockey stick.

No that’s me.

I think it would have been really cool to draft Kostin and not trade for Reaves.

Coulda traded him to Edmonton.

 

[Ugene Magic]

No? Clang was the Penguins best goalie prospect at the time. He was and still is a good prospect.

ZAR and Simon were the throw-ins for that deal, the value there was Clang and the 2nd for Rakell.

Also, what's the point of differentiating here? The only context of talking about Rakell was that a 3rd for Smith was better value than a 2nd and Clang for Rakell.

As someone pointed out, Rakell was younger and the value is different. Comparing a TDL acquisition and a pure salary dump acquisition is the biggest difference here.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

I just want a Korpisalo and Talbot duo for the chaos.

 

[SEALBound]

I think it would have been really cool to draft Kostin and not trade for Reaves.

We weren't drafting Kostin. We were taking Lauzon. JR said this in an interview post-draft. He said they would have taken him at 31 but were lucky to have gotten him at 51.

The Reaves trade was absolutely irrelevant to anything concerning the Penguins in the 2017-18 season. He played all of what, 60-some games here? Then was traded away.

 

[Ugene Magic]

I just want a Korpisalo and Talbot duo for the chaos.

Okay....

 

[Empoleon8771]

As someone pointed out, Rakell was younger and the value is different. Comparing a TDL acquisition and a pure salary dump acquisition is the biggest difference here.

Neat. Doesn't change the fact that Clang wasn't a throw in for that deal.

Dubas paid less for Smith than Hextall paid for Rakell. That's just a fact. That Dubas deal was great and it's something that Hextall never did as the Penguins GM.

I wouldn't point to the Rakell deal as something bad Hextall did. I'd point to most other things he did.

 

[mephisto1812]

“For me, the most important thing is that we look at our core group of players and figure out what their strengths are, we’re going to build an identity around that,” Sullivan reiterated. “Our group has certainly shown plenty of evidence that we can be a competitive team when we surround these guys with the right people, and we put a game on the ice that sets us up for success.”

This dude thinks we are a competitive group

Well, I read it as "we could be a competitive group if we get the right support players", at least that's how I'd like to read it. And honestly, if the big guns stay even close to as healthy as they were this last year, he's not wrong. Perhaps I'm an optimist, or perhaps I've just grown weary of all the pessimism on this board lately.

Either way, I choose to believe there is a chance. Unless you are blowing it up / intentionally tanking, where's the enjoyment unless you allow yourself a bit of hope. Misguided though it may be (or not), I still choose that route over absolute negativity. For me, the day I stop thinking that way, is the day I should take a break for a bit.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Granted this was from this morning and Kostin has since been unqualified by the Wings, but might be worth noting.

 

[mephisto1812]

Jagrwatch, 12 years ago today... Never forget.

Now that one I took far too personally, I'd like to think I've gained some perspective since then. Having said that, if Sid or Geno had pulled that, yeah.... I've not gained THAT much perspective, I'd go off the deep end.

 

[Gurglesons]

Neat. Doesn't change the fact that Clang wasn't a throw in for that deal.

Dubas paid less for Smith than Hextall paid for Rakell. That's just a fact. That Dubas deal was great and it's something that Hextall never did as the Penguins GM.

I wouldn't point to the Rakell deal as something bad Hextall did. I'd point to most other things he did.

I think the part that is a little preemptive is saying Riley Smith is the huge, great trade before he plays a single game with us.

He's 32. He's really good at transition, but he's been getting less minutes every year with Vegas. He's not really a "great" goal scorer. He's not really a "great passer". He's a solid defensive minded player. I could see him having a huge impact here, I also could see Sullivan totally butchering his usage and turning him yet another player whose process looks great by the finishing just isn't there.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I think the part that is a little preemptive is saying Riley Smith is the huge, great trade before he plays a single game with us.

He's 32. He's really good at transition, but he's been getting less minutes every year with Vegas. He's not really a "great" goal scorer. He's not really a "great passer". He's a solid defensive minded player. I could see him having a huge impact here, I also could see Sullivan totally butchering his usage and turning him yet another player whose process looks great by the finishing just isn't there.

Smith had 26 goals and 56 points last year.

 

[Gurglesons]

Smith had 26 goals and 56 points last year.

Is 26 goals and 56 points, great?

 

[Pancakes]

Smith's rate scoring compares favorably to what Zucker did this year. More assist heavy, lower on the goalscoring.

 

[mephisto1812]

Get ready for Comtois-Granlund-Wheeler on the 3rd line!!!!

Friedman also mentioned that the Penguins were interested in Wheeler but it "didn't go anywhere", which I believe is referring to a trade. I imagine they'll be calling him once free agency opens.

I mean... in fantasy land... If he wanted to sign a 1 year for a stupidly low contract, I'd have to do it. I know the risks with the supposed attitude and demeanor problems, but I likely give it a shot.

 

[DearDiary]

Is 26 goals and 56 points, great?

Smith was 15th at ES among RW last season

 

[Empoleon8771]

Is 26 goals and 56 points, great?

It's clearly top-6 production.

I understand you like to be contrarian here, but let's be real. Getting Smith for a 3rd was a phenomenal deal by Dubas.

 

[Gurglesons]

Smith was 15th at ES among RW last season

He had the same amount of 5v5 points as Brock Boeser. Is Brock Boeser great?

It's clearly top-6 production.

I understand you like to be contrarian here, but let's be real. Getting Smith for a 3rd was a phenomenal deal by Dubas.

I'm not being a contrarian. It is a good deal. Potential to be an amazing deal.

I just take pause with declaring it "better than anything Hextall ever did".

I am a big fan of the deal. There is risk with it.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I'm not being a contrarian. It is a good deal. Potential to be an amazing deal.

I just take pause with declaring it "better than anything Hextall ever did".

I am a big fan of the deal. There is risk with it.

The bar for this is so low that saying "Smith for a 3rd is better than anything Hextall ever did" isn't saying a ton about the trade.

 

[mephisto1812]

The thing that sucks with trying to figure out a logical 3rd line with Granlund on it is that there is absolutely no one available in UFA that fits what you want out of a LWer for Granlund. Kostin fit that perfectly but it seems like he's going to stay with the Wings.

I could squint and see a line that could work if the 3rd line was Kostin-Rodrigues-Granlund. You can still get ERod, but who are you playing at LW between them? You need a physical LWer, ideally a guy who can score goals for that spot.

Miles Wood is the closest in UFA to fitting that spot but I think someone gives him a downright moronic contract in UFA. If you could get him and ERod for less than $6 million combined, I could see myself not hating a 3rd line of Wood-Rodrigues-Granlund. But I'm super skeptical the Penguins can make the money work with that line.

I've said it before and I'll say it again... fire Granlund into the Sun by whatever means available/necessary.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Neat. Doesn't change the fact that Clang wasn't a throw in for that deal.

Dubas paid less for Smith than Hextall paid for Rakell. That's just a fact. That Dubas deal was great and it's something that Hextall never did as the Penguins GM.

I wouldn't point to the Rakell deal as something bad Hextall did. I'd point to most other things he did.

The initial deal was Simon, ZAR, a prospect (not known at first) and a 2nd 2022.

Clang was unsigned at the time. He was signed by Anaheim and is currently on loan to Rogle BK.

Nobody ever said the Rakell deal was bad.

 

[Gurglesons]

The bar for this is so low that saying "Smith for a 3rd is better than anything Hextall ever did" isn't saying a ton about the trade.

I think it's just wanting to rewrite Hextall's time here. Most of his trades prior to the Granlund trade were at worst washes and the Rakell and Carter trades were incredibly good for the value we got.

 

[Empoleon8771]

The initial deal was Simon, ZAR, a prospect (not known at first) and a 2nd 2022.

Clang was unsigned at the time. He was signed by Anaheim and is currently on loan to Rogle BK.

Nobody ever said the Rakell deal was bad.

Clang was announced as the prospect at the time of the trade.

I think it's just wanting to rewrite Hextall's time here. Most of his trades prior to the Granlund trade were at worst washes and the Rakell and Carter trades were incredibly good for the value we got.

What

 

[DearDiary]

He had the same amount of 5v5 points as Brock Boeser. Is Brock Boeser great?

Boeser is a 1 dimensional forward that played with better linemates