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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[Beauner]

I’ll only eat mayo if you put chives in it and call it aioli

 

[HandshakeLine]

You got share your recipe. I've tried. Always came out terrible.

I'll throw it up in the food thread, but I've always had great luck with Kenji Lopez-Alt's recipe.

 

[KareemTrustfund]

Also a big congratulations is in order for @dogthateats for emerging as one of the best and most trust worthy insiders during the draft this year. I’ve already unfollowed all those other pretenders.

 

[HandshakeLine]

I’ll only eat mayo if you put chives in it and call it aioli

Aioli is also real simple to make. It's basically a pesto without the pinenuts.

 

[CallArnoldSlick]

I mean, besides Boston, what playoff team in the East that even has room for Geno where they’d be paying him more than what we’d offer?

Hypothetically speaking of course because I would literally die, but Washington seemingly has a ton of cap room and a need for a center with Backstrom going on LTIR....

 

[td_ice]

Hypothetically speaking of course because I would literally die, but Washington seemingly has a ton of cap room and a need for a center with Backstrom going on LTIR....

Was thinking of that as well, but apparently Backstrom has plans to return.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Hypothetically speaking of course because I would literally die, but Washington seemingly has a ton of cap room and a need for a center with Backstrom going on LTIR....

Backstrom plans on coming back so they can't give Malkin any sort of term.

 

[Lustaf]

Come follow @Honour Over Glory and I as we dress up and rock the night scene. Just don't complain when it's 4am and HoG is fighting someone because they stepped on his loafer.

Can you blame him? A good pair ain't cheap and do you really wanna deal with a scuff on them? Oof.

Also deal.

 

[LOGiK]

Lol Letangs demands were like twice malkins. Signing malkin to 5.5-6 over 4 years would be just as good

People actually want a 38, 39 and 40 year old Malkin?
Penguins supporters gave on up winning a playoff round and just want to ice the good ol boys club to parade around the ice.

 

[K Fleur]

If Palat hits the market and we have space he’d be an awesome get.

I’ll try and wake up from this dream now.

 

[CallArnoldSlick]

Was thinking of that as well, but apparently Backstrom has plans to return.

Even optimistically speaking, I don't see how he returns until very late in the season after he opted for surgery. Tom Wilson is on LTIR until the midway point as well.

Backstrom plans on coming back so they can't give Malkin any sort of term.

I'm not going to pretend to have great knowledge in the Caps long-term cap outlook or team building, but Orlov and Eller coming off the books next year frees up $8.6 million for Malkin + a young defenseman replacement if they wanted to go that route, even with Backstrom returning. I also think a team like Washington, who is in win-now mode with an aging Ovechkin, isn't necessarily worried about 2023-24 if they can make a push at another Cup this year.

I think Malkin is staying in Pittsburgh. Even if he left, I don't think he would go to Washington. But they seem like a viable option looking purely at the spreadsheets.

 

[ChaosAgent]

Also, I actually just read that Rossi article and I'm just really confused for the angle he's going for here. If Malkin was truly that devastated about not signing yet and wanted to come back to Pittsburgh that badly, why wouldn't he just take the 3x6 offer that Hextall made? Why does Malkin give a crap if it's 3x6 or 4x6 if he's so devastated to not be signed yet?

This looks like a "woe is me!" article coming from Malkin's agent more than anything. The big bad Penguins are disrespecting poor old Geno because they only want him back on their terms! Poor old Geno is devastated and is crying himself to sleep because he doesn't have a contract yet!

This just sounds like more propaganda from Malkin's agent, just like when LeBrun said "Malkin is totally willing to go to free agency if he doesn't get what he wants, guys!".

If the difference is the extra year, they're really close.

But the franchise and the key plays seem to have this "pecking order" bullshit down pat. Hextall maybe saying - okay you'll get a 4th year, but since you're just going to be a $2-3M player at best when you're 40 we'll tack that on. So the deal's 4/$21.5M.

But then nooooooooo how can we pay Geno less than Tanger and Jake noooooooooo.

At the same time someone will throw 3/$20-$21 at Geno in the next week if he gets to the open market.

 

[ChaosAgent]

Based on everything? What do you want? Game tape of him skating in sand? Examples of him relying on the power play (Kessel esque). Examples of him failing with good linemates after everyone clammored about how he never gets any? Examples of how we've been a 1 line team for 2 years - whether he's healthy or not?

Geno of yesteryear would dominate regardless of game type or situation. Geno of today is slower, less lethal, can't make it work against stingier defensive teams, almost never drives a play resulting in a scoring opportunity - typically relies on a play to unfold while he's on the ice. He's just not the playmaker he once was. I don't see how anyone can refute this whatsoever.

I mean - if all someone did was look at stats - they'd think all PPG players are made equal. That's just a fallacy. At this point Geno plays like an elite winger....nothing wrong with that and nothing to scoff at... but if you're putting him in your lineup to be driving offense and you're relying heavily on that (sort of how the Pens have been constructed for years) - you're going to be left with a lot to be desired.

This is coming from a big Malkin fan. Sorry. I just don't find it diffficult at all to see it. Hell - I've had family text me in the last several playoffs saying things like "is that Malkin injured or something." "jesus dude Geno looks like he's skating in sand.".... casual fans can see it. Unless you've got blinders on - I don't know how others don't as well. He's taken the biggest steps back of any player outside of maybe Dumo.

This is pretty much where I'm at.

Having said that, we absolutely need him on the Powerplay.

And the elite winger thing should be explored. He could totally do it but he needs the help. Either with Sid or we do the Staalkin thing with Trocheck. Maybe not this year but certainly by next year.

One part I'll quibble with is the playoffs. He has been great the last 2 playoffs IMO. But the regular season is a larger sample and he's been average at best 5-on-5 since COVID. Screw the 97% WAR chart.
Also I will call out the Zucker-Geno-Rust was considered to be this amazing idealized Geno line for almost a year running and then they totally blew chunks in the bubble. This board claimed it was because of the chemistry between Zucker and Rust

 

[Coastal Kev]

All of these posts, waxing poetically about our core. I read little in regards to how this team gets better next year.

And if you want a real brain teaser, how do they get better the following season.


You should sticky my following quote for this team and for life....experience taught me this tough lesson

By taking the easy path 18 through the current day, they have made their journey horrifically more difficult moving forward. ​

​

 

[ronduguayshair]

Can I ask you a serious question? Why do you think you are special? Like what makes you think talking about having season tickets make you think you or your opinion actually matter? What makes you believe that you are special in any way? Because newsflash…you aren’t

Well as a season ticket holder I did pay for #71's last season with 3 primary 5 on 5 assists.

Not a great investment.

I think that’s a fair analysis. We haven’t had third a guy who can create opportunities with their skillset since Kessel left. And Kessel could both create opportunities and finish.
Rakell can certainly shoot and has the skillset to play with Malkin & Crosby, but he’s not going to drive offense at Kessel’s level. The problem there is you’re going to pay a lot in FA for someone like that, and I’d rather retool this defense that has been stale for years.


Malkin literally still does both of those things at an elite level.

3 Primary Assists 5 on 5 all season. It is raining wrong drops on your head. You're soaked in wrong in fact.

 

[Empoleon8771]

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

People actually want a 38, 39 and 40 year old Malkin?
Penguins supporters gave on up winning a playoff round and just want to ice the good ol boys club to parade around the ice.

Because that's so much different from a 38, 39, and 40 year old Letang, to whom we've already committed.

This is pretty much where I'm at.

Having said that, we absolutely need him on the Powerplay.

And the elite winger thing should be explored. He could totally do it but he needs the help. Either with Sid or we do the Staalkin thing with Trocheck. Maybe not this year but certainly by next year.

One part I'll quibble with is the playoffs. He has been great the last 2 playoffs IMO. But the regular season is a larger sample and he's been average at best 5-on-5 since COVID. Screw the 97% WAR chart.
Also I will call out the Zucker-Geno-Rust was considered to be this amazing idealized Geno line for almost a year running and then they totally blew chunks in the bubble. This board claimed it was because of the chemistry between Zucker and Rust

Did I miss that year or was it just idiots thinking that would be a great fit?

Malkin's 5v5 numbers have declined since Covid because he's had shit wingers since Covid. How this keeps getting minimized/ignored is mind-boggling.

Like any center is going to thrive with the likes of f***ing Zucker and Kapanen. It's a real mystery why Crosby won't tolerate either on his line, let alone both.

 

[Turin]

if Malkin blinks first it’ll be 6 for 3. If the Pens do it’ll be 6 for 4. Everything else is JP Barry crying

 

[ChaosAgent]

Did I miss that year or was it just idiots thinking that would be a great fit?

Malkin's 5v5 numbers have declined since Covid because he's had shit wingers since Covid. How this keeps getting minimized/ignored is mind-boggling.

Like any center is going to thrive with the likes of f***ing Zucker and Kapanen. It's a real mystery why Crosby won't tolerate either on his line, let alone both.

I'm not enough of a psychopath to go back to threads from 2.5 years ago, but people salivated about Zucker-Malkin-Rust that entire year.

You're right that his wingers suck, though you seem to love Carter and Geno is openly advocating for the team to bring back Kapanen (maybe you, Geno and objectively reality don't all agree).

But we're in a double-bind. A Geno L2 is likely no longer effective with subpar talent in a low-event style (e.g., 2016 playoffs). Or there isn't a great Geno L2 "fit" to elevate the line beyond the individual talent (e.g., Hagelin-Geno-Hornqvist). And the team seems unwilling to push their chips in the middle on an elite talent to pair with Geno - due in part to having to eat it on Zucker's contract.

So enjoy Heinen-Geno-Rust I guess. Or Zucker-Geno-Rakell or whatever. It is what it is. There's people in the fanbase who think those lines can still light it up given health - bless their souls.

 

[LOGiK]

Because that's so much different from a 38, 39, and 40 year old Letang, to whom we've already committed.

Defense is different.
Malkin is different.
Health issues aside from Letang even making it that far (he's pretty healthy now, yeah?) - I'd figure Letang would have a much better chance of making it to 40 than Malkin would.

Me personally?
I'd take Letang for three more. Depending on his body maybe 39, but 40 and 41 that is pushing it. Gonchar did it. Zubov did it. Letang seems like he'd be able.
Malkin? A year, maybe two. Tops. If he's lucky and has productive good healthy runs... he may get three years.

This isn't the senior league. Their bodies will not keep up with 25 year old's.

 

[Pancakes]

Rossi is a sensationalist but there's definitely some truth to that article if it's been this long and Malkin still isn't signed or reportedly all that close to.

 

[ChaosAgent]

Rossi is a sensationalist but there's definitely some truth to that article if it's been this long and Malkin still isn't signed or reportedly all that close to.

The team and Geno are either 1 million apart or $3M apart over the lifetime of the contract, depending on how you look at it.

It isn't all that significant but I could still see Geno pridefully going to FA to throw a competitor's offer in the team's face. Will the Penguins be persuaded when Detroit throws 4/$26 his way? Dunno.

 

[Pancakes]

The team and Geno are either 1 million apart or $3M apart over the lifetime of the contract, depending on how you look at it.

It isn't all that significant but I could still see Geno pridefully going to FA to throw a competitor's offer in the team's face. Will the Penguins be persuaded when Detroit throws 4/$26 his way? Dunno.

I think if he gets to FA he's as good as gone. He'll 100% see bigger offers there so if he's already uncomfortable with what the Pens are offering he's not going to get any less so in free agency. If Geno feels the offer is bad now wait until he sees a huge contract from FA like you said...

 

[Invalid cuz QoC]

Geno has all the leverage, Geno has the high profile support. On top of letang doing the pens a favor. Malkin will be a Pen and it’ll be for the term he wants.

 

[reino]

Can/will any contender offer him much more than 3x7m? He won't go bottom feeder unless they offer him something ridiculous.