Salary Cap: Pens Salary Cap Thread: If we score 6 we win, its science!

[Pancakes]

Again, not a lot of options for changing up the roster.

We knew that coming into this season, for better or worse. Not a lot of options to change the roster and the coach won't be changed either.

The answers will probably be in that room or nowhere.

 

[HandshakeLine]

We knew that coming into this season, for better or worse. Not a lot of options to change the roster and the coach won't be changed either.

The answers will probably be in that room or nowhere.

There are still options, they'd just going require making a bold gamble that might blow up (but hey, on the upside, it's not like we'd be tinkering with a roster that's been one bad bounce out of the SCF). But if this team is serious about actually trying to compete then something's going to change. They're probably not serious about it at all because the ownership group makes bafflingly stupid decisions that make no logic for a competitor but perfect logic for a bunch of venture vultures who just want the team for the real estate grifting.

So, yeah, we ain't doing shit, and we're probably not going anywhere. But it'd just be nice to watch some exciting hockey for once, and f***, we all know that's not happening down the stretch.

 

[Power Surge]

Enforcing accountability arbitrarily and selectively is worse than not enforcing it at all. This shouldn't be some weird hack, this is like the very basic idea of leadership going back to the Bronze Age.

As I see it, there's two related problems: vets who should be held accountable are not, and younger players who play well are not rewarded for it, but are instead punished for slight infractions or no visible infractions at all. I ain't no Jkac Q. Admas or nothing, but that seems like a relatively easy problem to fix if you want to fix it.

Didn't think of it like that at first, Thats a good point and one way as a coach to lose a room.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Didn't think of it like that at first, Thats a good point and one way as a coach to lose a room.

It's usually a sign I think not of the coach losing the room, but the coach getting too close to part of the room. It's that same way with teachers, which is what a coach kind of is in many ways. We've probably all had teachers from middle school to wherever who absolutely lose their classes because they cut their favorite students slack and came down hard on students they don't know.

 

[Power Surge]

It's usually a sign I think not of the coach losing the room, but the coach getting too close to part of the room. It's that same way with teachers, which is what a coach kind of is in many ways. We've probably all had teachers from middle school to wherever who absolutely lose their classes because they cut their favorite students slack and came down hard on students they don't know.

That's another good point and why coaches in the NHL have a short shelf life because of developing those relationships overtime.

 

[HandshakeLine]

That's another good point and why coaches in the NHL have a short shelf life because of developing those relationships overtime.

Yeah, I don't really think of it as losing the room, just that Sully can't look at the roster objectively anymore and best use it to its potential. He's too close to it and we've gotten stale and mediocre because of it.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

It's usually a sign I think not of the coach losing the room, but the coach getting too close to part of the room. It's that same way with teachers, which is what a coach kind of is in many ways. We've probably all had teachers from middle school to wherever who absolutely lose their classes because they cut their favorite students slack and came down hard on students they don't know.

And you can excuse that stuff when the team is winning championships. For those that don't follow football, many coaches have basically said "yea there are different sets of rules for my superstars". Parcells, Jimmy Johnson, etc. Phil Jackson was notorious for it when he was with the Bulls.

But this team hasn't won dick for 6 years, so maybe that mentality should change until the results change...

 

[Power Surge]

Yeah, I don't really think of it as losing the room, just that Sully can't look at the roster objectively anymore and best use it to its potential. He's too close to it and we've gotten stale and mediocre because of it.

Even though sometimes I'm guilty of sticking with him when things are going right, I've said before that moving on is mutual not just us needing to change but for Sully to get his career back on track.

 

[HandshakeLine]

And you can excuse that stuff when the team is winning championships. For those that don't follow football, many coaches have basically said "yea there are different sets of rules for my superstars". Parcells, Jimmy Johnson, etc. Phil Jackson was notorious for it when he was with the Bulls.

But this team hasn't won dick for 6 years, so maybe that mentality should change until the results change...

Yeah, exactly. When your stars are in their physical prime and you've got a bunch of young hungry guys who are tasting their first sips of success, that kind of playing favorites isn't a hinderance. It's a motivation. It can even work when your core is a bunch of older vets in their prime and you have some more young blood who doesn't mind.

It doesn't really work well when the whole team are basically vets or journeymen and we're playing like we're hungover.

A good coach should be flexible. Sullivan is not flexible right now. I ain't a mathematician, but the transitive property is a thing.

Even though sometimes I'm guilty of sticking with him when things are going right, I've said before that moving on is mutual not just us needing to change but for Sully to get his career back on track.

Yeah, I don't think he's a bad coach at all, just stale. It'd be better for his legacy to move on and have success somewhere else, but with his guaranteed 5 year at 4+ million, I don't blame him for staying. I just wish he'd go out for a pack of cigarettes and never come back to this club.

That said, if you're not going to get rid of Sullivan, for the love of god, the GM has to bring in some other guys to bring more perspective to the club.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Yeah, exactly. When your stars are in their physical prime and you've got a bunch of young hungry guys who are tasting their first sips of success, that kind of playing favorites isn't a hinderance. It's a motivation. It can even work when your core is a bunch of older vets in their prime and you have some more young blood who doesn't mind.

It doesn't really work well when the whole team are basically vets or journeymen and we're playing like we're hungover.

A good coach should be flexible. Sullivan is not flexible right now. I ain't a mathematician, but the transitive property is a thing.


Yeah, I don't think he's a bad coach at all, just stale. It'd be better for his legacy to move on and have success somewhere else, but with his guaranteed 5 year at 4+ million, I don't blame him for staying. I just wish he'd go out for a pack of cigarettes and never come back to this club.

That said, if you're not going to get rid of Sullivan, for the love of god, the GM has to bring in some other guys to bring more perspective to the club.

Yeah, that's the weird thing. Roster doesn't seem in a good enough spot and the assistants seem stale. If ownership is cranking off at the thought of their Masshole bro being around forever, may as well treat him as a member of the core and surround him with the best talent available behind the bench and give him the roster he needs to execute his style. I don't think guys like Carter and Dumo do that, and I think the goaltending is pretty iffy imo.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Yeah, that's the weird thing. Roster doesn't seem in a good enough spot and the assistants seem stale. If ownership is cranking off at the thought of their Masshole bro being around forever, may as well treat him as a member of the core and surround him with the best talent available behind the bench and give him the roster he needs to execute his style. I don't think guys like Carter and Dumo do that, and I think the goaltending is pretty iffy imo.

It makes total sense when you realize the ownership doesn't care if they win as long as they can leverage the team for some dumb venture capital horseshit. All this talk about them being ruthless bean counters who wouldn't accept any sort of failure seems like it was absolutely Ayn Rand fanfiction they penned for themselves.

The roster could still be better utilized. There's parts on this team that could be moved for real returns and possibly extend the streak. But there's no evidence ownership wants to actually compete beyond some mealy-mouthed press release and internet rumors.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Also, I cannot stress how bad most of the non-core contracts are at the moment. Ricky Racks is probably the only real deal we actually got.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

It makes total sense when you realize the ownership doesn't care if they win as long as they can leverage the team for some dumb venture capital horseshit. All this talk about them being ruthless bean counters who wouldn't accept any sort of failure seems like it was absolutely Ayn Rand fanfiction they penned for themselves.

The roster could still be better utilized. There's parts on this team that could be moved for real returns and possibly extend the streak. But there's no evidence ownership wants to actually compete beyond some mealy-mouthed press release and internet rumors.

Oh yeah, no, I don't think FSG bought the Pens for the team. They bought into a shitload of real estate garbage in downtown Pittsburgh that just so happened to come with a team coincidentally.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Oh yeah, no, I don't think FSG bought the Pens for the team. They bought into a shitload of real estate garbage in downtown Pittsburgh that just so happened to come with a team coincidentally.

We finally got our very own Harold Ballard, and in true Pittsburgh fashion, it's not even an actual villain we get to hate but some dumb faceless corporate entity!

 

[Power Surge]

Apparently FSG had been busy with this, settled 2 weeks ago.

Settlement reached in lawsuits over sale of Penguins to Fenway Sports Group

A pair of lawsuits over the sale of the Pittsburgh Penguins to Fenway Sports Group have been settled according to a statement from a law firm that represented the plaintiff. In mid-December of 2021, Wildfire Productions, L.P. — which was part of the Team Lemieux LLC group that previously owned

triblive.com

 

[HandshakeLine]

Big

Apparently FSG had been busy with this, settled 2 weeks ago.

Settlement reached in lawsuits over sale of Penguins to Fenway Sports Group

A pair of lawsuits over the sale of the Pittsburgh Penguins to Fenway Sports Group have been settled according to a statement from a law firm that represented the plaintiff. In mid-December of 2021, Wildfire Productions, L.P. — which was part of the Team Lemieux LLC group that previously owned

triblive.com

When you think about how much these lawsuits cost in billable hours and attorney fees, sometimes I wish I'd heeded my mom's advice and gone into law.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

We finally got our very own Harold Ballard, and in true Pittsburgh fashion, it's not even an actual villain we get to hate but some dumb faceless corporate entity!

FSG at Bohemian Grove e5

 

[HandshakeLine]

FSG at Bohemian Grove e5

Just you try throwing eggs and batteries at an LLC! You can't do it!

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I'm still waiting to see evidence of FSG ruling with an iron fist and firing people into the sun for poor results regardless of loyalty or tenure like we were told to expect of them.

 

[66-30-33]

Also, I cannot stress how bad most of the non-core contracts are at the moment. Ricky Racks is probably the only real deal we actually got.

Rust is a pretty good deal compared to what he could have got (6.5), Rust at 5.1M is a good deal if he can produce like he has been in the past.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I'm still waiting to see evidence of FSG ruling with an iron fist and firing people into the sun for poor results regardless of loyalty or tenure like we were told to expect of them.

Well, like HSL and I were saying, they'd have to give a f*** about the hockey side of things. Maybe that happens when they line up all their building permits and sort all the real estate shit out, but sure feels like they're just gonna let this haggard old ship drift over the waterfall slowly and on its own.

 

[Power Surge]

Rust is a pretty good deal compared to what he could have got (6.5), Rust at 5.1M is a good deal if he can produce like he has been in the past.

Despite what some feel about Heinen 1.1 million is a steal. Kapanen was market value. Ruuta was a deal at 2.75 since he can play the top pairing (has played with Hedman)

 

[HandshakeLine]

Despite what some feel about Heinen 1.1 million is a steal. Kapanen was market value. Ruuta was a deal at 2.75 since he can play the top pairing (has played with Hedman)

I think a good amount of the contracts are market value-ish, like Heinen is performing like he's making 750K, so getting paid 1.1 million as a vet who is flexible isn't a huge stretch. He's just shitty this year and last year looks like an outlier in terms of play, not production. But Carter is brutal. Rust is fine, but when he's not on, he's not helping this team at all and we probably could have used that 5 million + not signing Carter to get someone way better. Kap is way overpaid for his usage. If they're gonna pay him 3.2 million, don't play him for 8 minutes a night. That's what I mean.

We have the pieces that could work, but we're not using them effectively and thus, what's the point of spending the money there for them? We could have avoided signing Carter and let Kapanen walk and we'd have 6.325 more cap space to get someone or two players who actually could take those minutes.

Rust is a pretty good deal compared to what he could have got (6.5), Rust at 5.1M is a good deal if he can produce like he has been in the past.

I think the production isn't really the thing we should be looking at with Rust. His perimeter play and lackluster presence on the PP aren't really what this team needs. Again, like Neal for Hornqvist, sometimes you need a different kind of player on the line, not simply the guy who produces the most. This team does not have a problem producing. We have problems forechecking, playing defensively, PKing, running all 4 lines, goaltending... but scoring isn't a problem we should worry about.

 

[HandshakeLine]

I'm still waiting to see evidence of FSG ruling with an iron fist and firing people into the sun for poor results regardless of loyalty or tenure like we were told to expect of them.

I'm pretty sure that was just business dudes wanking it into the triple ply in the executive washroom.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Rust is a pretty good deal compared to what he could have got (6.5), Rust at 5.1M is a good deal if he can produce like he has been in the past.

Rust's production is typically fine (minus his shit 25 game start). The issue with Rust is he too often plays like he's a 40 goal floating sniper when his real value used to be his two-way ability and endless motor.

Honestly, I'd rather have a 15-20 goal Rust who did all the things he did prior to 2019 rather than a 25-30 goal Rust who floats around the perimeter thinking he's Alex Ovechkin.