Salary Cap: Pens Salary Cap: Free Agency, everyone panic!!! Geno talk to the Geno thread only please

[Zirakzigil]

Off season time. New thread time apparently cause @Ugene Magic doesn’t like high page counts.

So how about them Malkin and Letang UFAs? Maybe we should sign one or both.

Geno thread. Keep Geno talk here:

Rumor: - Geno where art thou?

With all the Geno rumors and news, time for its own thread. Keep the Geno talk here please.

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[Empoleon8771]

But very unlikely to get under 3m in arbitration.

Gurianov just got $2.9 million and I think he's about as good of a comparable for Kapanen as you can find.

 

[HandshakeLine]

To be honest and to Hextall's credit, the AAV on all of the signed contracts thus far have been pretty reasonable even if I'm not a fan of how Carter's contract is basically un-moveable / bearish on CDS as a durable backup. So, while I don't expect there to be a huge hometown discount or anything, I'm going to be shocked if Letang's contract is signficantly overpriced.

 

[Goalie_Bob]

I think Pagnotta proved he's the most reliable source when he called the DeSmith signing a few days ago, and he said Letang will be coming around the $7 million to $8 million range. If it does end up a 3 years deal, which I'm thinking is a mistake by Hextall (should be longer to keep the cap hit down), I'm thinking it will be $8 million AAV, maybe even a bit higher. I want Hextall to give him 4 years to get the AAV into the 7s.

I'm hoping the Letang contract get sorted out today. I want the team to have some extra clarity going into the draft so they know what they have to do with regards to the cap.

My thought is that Letang doesn't want a deal longer than 3 years so that it coincides with when Crosby deal is up. There seems to be the general consensus that Letang wants 5 years...etc....but maybe he doesn't and that is where the length of contract debate is being processed between him and the Pens.

Aka, Pens want 4-5 years and Letang wants 3 years. Which is the opposite of what everyone has been discussing for the past 6 months.

 

[HandshakeLine]

My thought is that Letang doesn't want a deal longer than 3 years so that it coincides with when Crosby deal is up. There seems to be the general consensus that Letang wants 5 years...etc....but maybe he doesn't and that is where the length of contract debate is being processed between him and the Pens.

Aka, Pens want 4-5 years and Letang wants 3 years. Which is the opposite of what everyone has been discussing for the past 6 months.

It's certainly plausible, that's for sure. I wouldn't be shocked by it, the question is what would Letang give up for less term in negotiations?

 

[Ryder71]

Dumo took a decided step backward last season. Yet He'd still fetch a good return IMO.He'd be the defensemen I'd move. That said I'm not married to anyone on our blueline. Beyond Matheson anyone of them could be had for the right price.

 

[Empoleon8771]

My thought is that Letang doesn't want a deal longer than 3 years so that it coincides with when Crosby deal is up. There seems to be the general consensus that Letang wants 5 years...etc....but maybe he doesn't and that is where the length of contract debate is being processed between him and the Pens.

Aka, Pens want 4-5 years and Letang wants 3 years. Which is the opposite of what everyone has been discussing for the past 6 months.

No, I don't think this is right. Everything we've heard suggests that Letang wants to play longer than just through Crosby's deal and isn't as married to retiring with Crosby as Malkin is.

I'm pretty sure Letang himself said he wanted to play for 5 more years at the end of season press conference.

 

[Deport Ogie]

No, I don't think this is right. Everything we've heard suggests that Letang wants to play longer than just through Crosby's deal and isn't as married to retiring with Crosby as Malkin is.

I'm pretty sure Letang himself said he wanted to play for 5 more years at the end of season press conference.

This is true but of course, he never said play for PITTSBURGH for 5 more years. After the 3 years is up and Crosby retires...THAT'S when he'll sign in Montreal as all players who grew up speaking French are contractually obligated to do.

Honestly though, I'm not convinced Crosby actually has plans to retire after these 3 years.

 

[Ryder71]

My thought is that Letang doesn't want a deal longer than 3 years so that it coincides with when Crosby deal is up. There seems to be the general consensus that Letang wants 5 years...etc....but maybe he doesn't and that is where the length of contract debate is being processed between him and the Pens.

Aka, Pens want 4-5 years and Letang wants 3 years. Which is the opposite of what everyone has been discussing for the past 6 months.

This is gonna be Letangs biggest contract AAV, I can't imagine him wanting a shorter deal, truthfully that doesn't make much sense. He's gonna wanna garner as much term as possible as it's likely his last contract.

 

[reino]

Crosby won't retire any time soon

 

[Ryder71]

Crosby won't retire any time soon

It might depend on just how many more headshots he takes. It might get to the point he's had enough. He loves the game but I'm sure he doesn't want to go through life with more head trauma.

 

[Zbynek]

My thought is that Letang doesn't want a deal longer than 3 years so that it coincides with when Crosby deal is up. There seems to be the general consensus that Letang wants 5 years...etc....but maybe he doesn't and that is where the length of contract debate is being processed between him and the Pens.

Aka, Pens want 4-5 years and Letang wants 3 years. Which is the opposite of what everyone has been discussing for the past 6 months.

It's like in NHL in Franchise mode when players asking price goes up when you increase the term.

But yea I still don't buy it, why wouldn't Letang want to cash out on the biggest deal he can now after his career season.

Pagnotta may have got the CDS thing right but I still don't have any faith in Pittsburgh guys for UFA intel.

 

[Goalie_Bob]

I'm not saying Crosby is going to retire. But Letang may want the ability to make a decision the same time that Crosby is making a decision. That is different than him wanting to play another 5 years.

 

[Super Luigi]

It might depend on just how many more headshots he takes. It might get to the point he's had enough. He loves the game but I'm sure he doesn't want to go through life with more head trauma.

Exactly this. It might be even possible he doesn't finish his current contract if he gets another bad headshot.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Crosby can obviously still play and he takes great care of himself. I could see him wanting to keep on keepin' on after his deal is up.

Then again he's probably gonna want to hang 'em up after just a couple of seasons of having to put up with some ham-and-egger Brassard 2.0 as his 2C.

 

[Peat]

Gurianov just got $2.9 million and I think he's about as good of a comparable for Kapanen as you can find.

I would expect Kapanen's extra tenure in the league and turbo-charged last season to get him a bit above, but I will amend that to very unlikely to not get around 3m just to be sure.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Fiddle farting around with Kapanen and his QO seems like a bit of a hazardous game.

Potentially having all of Carter, McGinn, Zucker, and Kap at ~3M or more while not one of them looks better than aggressively average in the top six seems... rough.

 

[Empoleon8771]

This is true but of course, he never said play for PITTSBURGH for 5 more years. After the 3 years is up and Crosby retires...THAT'S when he'll sign in Montreal as all players who grew up speaking French are contractually obligated to do.

Honestly though, I'm not convinced Crosby actually has plans to retire after these 3 years.

I keep having this thought too that it's a bad assumption to assume they only have Crosby for 3 more years.

If Crosby is still capable of playing in the NHL at a high level, I really don't see him retiring at 37. He's putting up a 100 point pace at 34, I can't see him hanging them up at age 37.

Fiddle farting around with Kapanen and his QO seems like a bit of a hazardous game.

Potentially having all of Carter, McGinn, Zucker, and Kap at ~3M or more while not one of them looks better than aggressively average in the top six seems... rough.

I think that's valid, but it's also worth pointing out that Kapanen was a fantastic top-6 option as recently as 2020-2021. Kapanen had a bad year last year, but I don't really know that selling low on him is the best idea.

I also have the probably hot take that I'd be fine with having a very similar top-9 to start next year as they had in game 7 last year though. That had Rakell-Malkin-Kapanen and Zucker-Carter-Heinen as the middle-6.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Ya'll sure do flip around a lot on your opinions on Kapanen.

I literally just got put on blast yesterday for even implying that dude's problems were at least partially explainable by something beyond his own screw ups lol

EDIT: I see the appeal in Kapanen. I really do. I just said before this past season that I figured he was in for a big year (WHOOPS). But I don't think he would be worth it to this team at 3M and one of his best strengths isn't even utilized, here. Then again I suppose they need to fill out the roster somehow and they should have some cap space left over after they are done screwing around with L2 so whatever... sign him up.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Ya'll sure do flip around a lot on your opinions on Kapanen.

I literally just got put on blast yesterday for even implying that dude's problems were at least partially explainable by something beyond his own screw ups lol

I think you can have some nuance here

I think Kapanen after Malkin came back last year, but I thought he was good in the playoffs and the upside of what he showed in 2020-2021 may make selling low on him a bad idea.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Well that's always the thing with Kap... he dangles all that promise in front of you since he basically has all the tools to be a top six wing. Maybe even a really good one. But I get the feeling he's just one of those guys that can't quite put it together. But it makes sense that people are reluctant to move on out of fear that he finally gets everything to click.

I will say that even as-is he is probably a good third liner and COULD be great on the PK. If the coach would ever use him there.

 

[Peat]

Fiddle farting around with Kapanen and his QO seems like a bit of a hazardous game.

Potentially having all of Carter, McGinn, Zucker, and Kap at ~3M or more while not one of them looks better than aggressively average in the top six seems... rough.

I am up for rolling the dice again on Kapanen - not quite advocating, but kinda interested - if we can shift Zucker and get a top 6 option in that we like more for the money so he's a bottom 6 scoring piece with the potential to resurge and make a difference. If we can't, I don't think the money woks. One or t'other for me.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I've said this a few times but I want the forward group to be this next year:

Guentzel-Crosby-Rust
Rakell-Malkin-Trocheck
Heinen-Carter-Kapanen
O'Connor-Blueger-McGinn

What's interesting is that I actually think this forward group is attainable from a cap perspective if you get that 2nd line to sign for cheap enough. If Malkin signs for $6 million, Trocheck signs for $5.5 million and Rakell signs for $4.5 million, that works with the cap after moving Pettersson and Zucker.

 

[Andy99]

I hope the team doesn’t roll the dice with a Kap qualifying offer…if they can negotiate a one year deal with him at like $2 mil, I’d take him back…otherwise, trade his rights at the draft…won’t get much but whatever…

 

[HandshakeLine]

The thing that would help Kap the most, I think, is having a stable position in the bottom 6 for him to find his game (and use where he excels like there and on the PK) I think. He's got these glimpses of putting it all together, but he doesn't have the confidence or mental game to be there all the time at the moment. He's not the kind of guy where rapid demotions/promotions seem to spark him to play better.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

I guess I put it this way: I have more faith in Zucker living up to his potential vs Kap. Even factoring the injury history