I don't think that's the perspective. I would have liked an absolute resistance to sign anyone over 29. And if that means we walk into camp with a ton of cap space - so be it. I would have tried to offload (still possible) one of Carter, Petry, or Gran. Still possible.
Honestly the "theme" of the Pittsburgh Penguins is get old players and hope it works. We are going to be skated around with ease.
I don't think asking for a purpose to get younger is too much to ask. And that Jarry signing.. YEEEESH.
I hear you on a lot of these fronts, but I do take issue with the idea that Dubas is not trying to get younger. Eller is really the only "older" player he acquired. I would have preferred someone like Morgan Geekie or Michael McLeod, but we don't know if they were ever a possibility. I certainly prefer Eller over Blueger or Kampf. AND, Dubas did acquire a young No. 3 center...Brayden Yager. It may take a few years, but he could slide into that spot. Poulin is also still here (for now).
He has moved out one future asset, just one. The pick we had acquired for Blueger turned into Reilly Smith. That is a win. Is Smith older than Zucker? Absolutely. He is also better in my humble opinion. Far more reliable and proven when it matters most. He is a great addition. Also, Graves is younger than Dumoulin and much needed for this soft roster. He will make an impact. Ditto Acciari, who is a massive upgrade over Archibald.
Nieto is meh, but so was Heinen. Nieto fits the checking line much better. Not sure he makes the team, since guys like O'Connor and Johnsson may beat him out. Johnsson looks like the type of reclamation project Dubas was talking about. Overall, we have improved the bottom six (is it enough? Maybe not). Especially if guys like Nylander, Puustinen, Poulin and O'Connor are given more opportunities. That will be key.
There is no point in moving Carter. He has the NMC and he is finishing his contract this season (and likely his career). Playing under 10 minutes a game should help him. If his line (the fourth) becomes more of a depth scoring line, that could help the team. Also, if he sits out some games, we have the players to replace him...maybe even Poulin? Carter still has some value on special teams, imo. As for Petry and Granlund, clearly Dubas is TRYING to move both of them. Will he succeed? I don't know, there seems to be gridlock with most NHL teams right now. I do suspect someone will be shipped out.
In terms of Jarry, Dubas picked a goaltender and went with it. At least he chose a 27-year-old with some untapped upside. And, he covered himself by adding depth. Quality depth. I think Nedeljkovic will turn out to be one of the best signings of this summer. For me, he is a big upgrade over DeSmith. And he is another goaltender with untapped upside.
If Dubas is done with the off-season, then for sure it will be disappointing. But, the good news is he kept most of our future assets.
I think it is time to pivot away from Karlsson and start looking for other impact player possibilities. I still think he has talked to the Rangers this off-season about Lafreniere, and I think he should continue to pursue that. I would also like him to maybe sign someone like Jesper Boqvist, who played some with Johnsson in NJ and has some untapped upside. He is quite versatile, too.
Until Dubas gives me a reason to dislike what his plan is, I will continue to support it. It does feel like that is a slippery slope, though.
