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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[HandshakeLine]

If this team misses the playoffs entirely, or is booted in the 1st round again, I pretty much expect FSG to clean house in the FO. I don't know about Sully, because they apparently like him a lot, but a win now objective coming from ownership being met by the fifth 1st round exit in a row is probably gonna mean dramatic changes.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Surely changing next to nothing will work this time around.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Paul never scored like this until he got to Tampa. Could be the new norm now that he’s on a better team, or could just be a hot streak with his new better team. That’s why some people have hesitation over a 7 year extension.

I think the deal would look amazing if he scores like he did in Tampa, I think he just needs to be a 30 point bottom-6er to be fairly paid. Which I know is insane.

Guys like Tanev, Goodrow and such broke the market. If you're perceived as this great bottom-6 guy, you're making $20 million on a UFA contract.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

Rakell was a good pick up at a reasonable cost last deadline. Why not wait until UFA is over before arriving at a conclusion? We'll get answers soon.

Yeah, nothing is going to happen until decisions are reached on Letang/Malkin, so trying to judge any other moves is very premature.

 

[HandshakeLine]

I think the deal would look amazing if he scores like he did in Tampa, I think he just needs to be a 30 point bottom-6er to be fairly paid. Which I know is insane.

Guys like Tanev, Goodrow and such broke the market. If you're perceived as this great bottom-6 guy, you're making $20 million on a UFA contract.

Yeah, like I get the trepidation, but man, Nick Paul at 3.1 is a way better deal than Tanev.

 

[jmelm]

This is a very good post and it's what I think is happening too. I believe that once they learn the ins and outs of the league they will then begin to figure out the front office, coaching staff and player personnel that they want to build and put in place. Nothing wrong with how FSG is approaching this. Sitting back and learning from the people in place now will make them better owners (or decision makers if you prefer that) in the future.

Thank you, and I agree. I only make good posts, but the people who sometimes disagree with me don't always understand that

 

[jmelm]

He could be out of the league in 3 years or continue to get better. It’s a gamble.

It's not a gamble, certainly not at that AAV. He's an awesome player and one of only about 4 UFA wingers I'd be interested in (and he can play C as well, like Copp who is another one on that list). Heart & soul guy, the kind you win with. Tampa may not have gotten out of the first round (of 3rd) without him. He's not a flash in the pan -- he's just a late bloomer who's gotten better and better each of the last few years. Finally you got to see what he can do on a good team rather than Ottawa.

 

[Ryder71]

Hello my amigo!!!?

Hi Doc how are things?

 

[Ugene Magic]

I question what kind of expectations you have if you think all 3 of those guys are unacceptable on a bottom pair role. Look at what Ruhwedel did last year



The situation right now is that they need to see what they have in POJ and Ruhwedel had an excellent season last year, to the point where he should absolutely stay in the lineup. I don't really see anything wrong with entering next year with that bottom pair.

Because numbers don't always tell the story. You post up regular season stats like it means anything when it matters. Heck, his first year was actually better than this year in half the games. Look past the numbers, or not and come up with big fat zero's. He's not hurting the team, but he's not exactly helping them, either. It's just blah.... It's not even a case where that you don't notice him and they are winning and posting solid numbers. He's posting zeros and you don't notice him.

Keep that theme going and another theme will keep fallowing.

Ruh is not an everyday #6 you will win with when it matters.

Posting that doesn't change the end results.

You'd think after many times where it fails, and times where you put guys ahead of him and doesn't get a single game in the post season would show up on peoples radar...

I'm no expert, but even I can see he brings nothing to the table beyond a spare part you throw in there due to need/injury.

It's been 5 years....

POJ should get a shot switching in and out with Freidman and adjust. No issue with that, but you'll come to the same consensus they need 2 bottom pairing guys unless Dumo, Matheson and Petts are still here pushing the force Ruh back to a #7/#8 position with someone else.

After years of not working should start to sound alarms...

But hey, you do regular season.... drink them numbers, Koolaid.

 

[Ryder71]

Yeah, nothing is going to happen until decisions are reached on Letang/Malkin, so trying to judge any other moves is very premature.

Exactly, let the dust settle before we conclude anything. We got the draft and free agency rapidly approaching, we'll know a lot more in the next two weeks. No reason to jump ship ATM.

 

[ChaosAgent]

Hi Doc how are things?

I'm ok. On vacation now decompressing. But eagerly awaiting a resolution on the future of the franchise here.

 

[Pens x]

Rakell was a good pick up at a reasonable cost last deadline. Why not wait until UFA is over before arriving at a conclusion? We'll get answers soon.

People repeatedly suggest starting the season with holes in the lineup, acting like Hextall will make sweeping changes. He’s good for one trade during the season - choose wisely.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Because numbers don't always tell the story. You post up regular season stats like it means anything when it matters. Heck, his first year was actually better than this year in half the games. Look past the numbers, or not and come up with big fat zero's. He's not hurting the team, but he's not exactly helping them, either. It's just blah.... It's not even a case where that you don't notice him and they are winning and posting solid numbers. He's posting zeros and you don't notice him.

Keep that theme going and another theme will keep fallowing.

Ruh is not an everyday #6 you will win with when it matters.

Posting that doesn't change the end results.

You'd think after many times where it fails, and times where you put guys ahead of him and doesn't get a single game in the post season would show up on peoples radar...

I'm no expert, but even I can see he brings nothing to the table beyond a spare part you throw in there due to need/injury.

It's been 5 years....

POJ should get a shot switching in and out with Freidman and adjust. No issue with that, but you'll come to the same consensus they need 2 bottom pairing guys unless Dumo, Matheson and Petts are still here pushing the force Ruh back to a #7/#8 position with someone else.

After years of not working should start to sound alarms...

But hey, you do regular season.... drink them numbers, Koolaid.

Ruhwedel was a positive player in the playoffs. And I think you just have completely ridiculous expectations for what a #6 defenseman is supposed to be.

You're criticizing him for him being nothing more than a guy that doesn't "hurt the team". Dude, what the hell do you expect depth players to be? A guy who doesn't "hurt the team" is basically the definition of a depth defenseman or a depth forward

I don't really give a crap enough about Ruhwedel because he's thoroughly vanilla, but if you find yourself having a problem with him being a regular because "he's not exciting enough" or "he's just not hurting the team", you really need to reconfigure your expectations for the role. The amount of #6D who actively help their team win is 0. A guy in a #6D role is literally the definition of a "don't screw up" role.

The type of defensemen who have been #6D on the most recent cup winners have been guys like JJ, Schenn, Coburn, Bortuzzo and Djoos. Expecting your #6D to be anything more than a "good god, please don't lose the game for us" is just being completely unrealistic for the role we're talking about. This isn't even me defending Ruhwedel, he's thoroughly whatever in my eyes, it's just insanity to be mad that you don't have a #6D that's winning you games because literally no one has a #6D who's winning you games.

 

[Pens x]

If this team misses the playoffs entirely, or is booted in the 1st round again, I pretty much expect FSG to clean house in the FO. I don't know about Sully, because they apparently like him a lot, but a win now objective coming from ownership being met by the fifth 1st round exit in a row is probably gonna mean dramatic changes.

Why wait for that inevitable fifth season before making changes?

They have four straight years of playoff failures to critique Sully.

Also, they have two seasons of treading water from Sleepy to evaluate.

Why waste anymore time with either?

 

[Tom Hanks]

Great. He's Gord Dineen. He looks like store brand Mr. Clean.

Store brand Mr Clean still works well and is cheap to allow you to spend more in the ice cream aisle.

 

[molon labe]

Ruhwedel was a positive player in the playoffs. And I think you just have completely ridiculous expectations for what a #6 defenseman is supposed to be.

You're criticizing him for him being nothing more than a guy that doesn't "hurt the team". Dude, what the hell do you expect depth players to be? A guy who doesn't "hurt the team" is basically the definition of a depth defenseman or a depth forward

I don't really give a crap enough about Ruhwedel because he's thoroughly vanilla, but if you find yourself having a problem with him being a regular because "he's not exciting enough" or "he's just not hurting the team", you really need to reconfigure your expectations for the role. The amount of #6D who actively help their team win is 0. A guy in a #6D role is literally the definition of a "don't screw up" role.

The type of defensemen who have been #6D on the most recent cup winners have been guys like JJ, Schenn, Coburn, Bortuzzo and Djoos. Expecting your #6D to be anything more than a "good god, please don't lose the game for us" is just being completely unrealistic for the role we're talking about. This isn't even me defending Ruhwedel, he's thoroughly whatever in my eyes, it's just insanity to be mad that you don't have a #6D that's winning you games because literally no one has a #6D who's winning you games.

To add to this - my genuine criticism of Ruh is that he absolutely cannot pass the puck.

If Ruh -> then shoot. Open man in the slot? Oh well. Burn some extra clock? Nah. If the puck touches his stick he's shooting the damn thing. If they could convince him to actually make a play now and then we'd be in better shape. Ironic that he's the guy that can't stop shooting and our powerplay still likes to umbrella the puck for 45 seconds.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Ruhwedel was a positive player in the playoffs. And I think you just have completely ridiculous expectations for what a #6 defenseman is supposed to be.

You're criticizing him for him being nothing more than a guy that doesn't "hurt the team". Dude, what the hell do you expect depth players to be? A guy who doesn't "hurt the team" is basically the definition of a depth defenseman or a depth forward

I don't really give a crap enough about Ruhwedel because he's thoroughly vanilla, but if you find yourself having a problem with him being a regular because "he's not exciting enough" or "he's just not hurting the team", you really need to reconfigure your expectations for the role. The amount of #6D who actively help their team win is 0. A guy in a #6D role is literally the definition of a "don't screw up" role.

You literally just called him a depth player, but he's not being used in that role.

C'mon, my expectations are pretty much spot on for a depth player being used as a regular.

The fact he turned down more money to play elsewhere is a bit skeptical or plain outright BS.

Most likely, had he took the other offer it was marginally more and not coming with a secured #6 job. I mean, is Ruhwedel that important to not lose him to give him that #6 spot?

F-no....

I find it rather lazy that you couldn't find a #6 who could bring more to the table and he's not exactly young at 32 with all the vets out there who've done quite a bit more in this league.

 

[Tom Hanks]

Buffalo will entertain moving pick 16 or 28 for an “established young NHL player”.

Buffalo meet ‘Established Kapanen’

 

[Empoleon8771]

You literally just called him a depth player, but he's not being used in that role.

C'mon, my expectations are pretty much spot on for a depth player being used as a regular.

The fact he turned down more money to play elsewhere is a bit skeptical or plain outright BS.

Most likely, had he took the other offer it was marginally more and not coming with a secured #6 job. I mean, is Ruhwedel that important to not lose him to give him that #6 spot?

F-no....

I find it rather lazy that you couldn't find a #6 who could bring more to the table and he's not exactly young at 32 with all the vets out there who've done quite a bit more in this league.

He played 14 minutes a night in the playoffs. He is literally being used like a depth player.

Actually go look at past cup winners and look at who their #6D were. 95% of the time, you find scrubs like Djoos, Johnson and Schenn in those roles.

Also, what the hell are you talking about that Ruhwedel "took more money to play elsewhere"? Ruhwedel re-signed months and and I feel like he has always re-signed early.

 

[Empoleon8771]

"Ruhwedel turned down more money to play elsewhere"

Here are the dates that Ruhwedel has signed his extensions in the past:

-February 19th, 2022: 2 year extension when he was in the last few months of his current deal (not legally allowed to talk to other teams)
-August 28th, 2020: 1 year extension a year before his deal expired (not legally allowed to talk to other teams)
-May 23rd, 2019: 2 year extension before he hit free agency in 2019 (not legally allowed to talk to other teams)
-June 22nd 2017: 2 year extension before he hit free agency in 2017 (not legally allowed to talk to other teams)

Where did Ruhwedel even have the opportunity to "turn down more money" to sign with anyone else? He legally hasn't even been allowed to talk to other teams about an extension since 2016.

 

[dogthateats]

What if we traded Kapanen’s rights for Puljujarvi’s rights

 

[Tom Hanks]

What if we traded Kapanen’s rights for Puljujarvi’s rights

 

[dogthateats]

View attachment 564443

My cat loves that movie some reason

 

[Ugene Magic]

He played 14 minutes a night in the playoffs. He is literally being used like a depth player.

Actually go look at past cup winners and look at who their #6D were. 95% of the time, you find scrubs like Djoos, Johnson and Schenn in those roles.

Also, what the hell are you talking about that Ruhwedel "took more money to play elsewhere"? Ruhwedel re-signed months and and I feel like he has always re-signed early.

Depth players are not taking regular shifts. A depth player for the defense are your #7 and beyond whom switch in and out due to injuries and rest.

Your top 6 D-men are your regulars. Those guys you mentioned have roles and do more by either using their size, blocking shots and doing all the little, more dirty jobs..

Ruwedel said he took less to stay.


I Wanted to be Penguin: Ruhwedel Finds Vindication in Role, New Contract

On Saturday, Ruhwedel signed another two-year deal with the Penguins with a very team-friendly cap hit of $800,000 per season. As an everyday regular, he probably could have received more money on the open market in July. Right-handed defensemen are always in demand, but the supply is small, hence the Penguins slotting the reliable defenseman into the lineup.

“It really doesn’t come down to (money) for me. I wanted to stay in Pittsburgh. I wanted to be a Penguin. It’s where my heart is for sure,” Ruhwedel said.

He was given, Given the #6 spot as a regular. That is not a depth player.

 

[Factorial]

Is Geno in Russia?

Pure sports terrorism has returned.