Salary Cap: Pens Salary Thread: Pens Ownership "Dubas... that Coca-Cola machine. I want you to shoot the lock off it. There may be some waiver players in there."

[Empoleon8771]

Malkin is so dusted at this point he'd just break his hip or something.



I take your point but if I were Crosby I'd be way more mad about the team missing the playoffs, overturning a good portion of the roster including acquiring the Norris winner and somehow getting way worse. And that's WITH his precious linemates. But honestly I don't think Crosby cares as much as people think when it comes to who he plays with. It's just that he plays for a cowardly organization and they love walking on eggshells re: him that aren't even there.

I mean, maybe Crosby is already upset about this and then trading Guentzel and Rust makes it worse?

Again, I'm not going to say that the team owes it to the core to continue to try to be competitive. But I think taking their feelings into consideration, and at least leaving open the possibility of them making the playoffs again is something you do owe them.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I mean, maybe Crosby is already upset about this and then trading Guentzel and Rust makes it worse?

Again, I'm not going to say that the team owes it to the core to continue to try to be competitive. But again, I think taking their feelings into consideration and at least leaving open the possibility of them making the playoffs again is something you do owe them.

Well I suppose at least taking 2/3 of their feelings into consideration is better than nothing, eh?

Speaking of it's weird how Letang's rapid decline as the season has progressed hasn't gotten nearly the same media play as Malkin's. Oh well.

 

[Maninthebox87]

Earlier this season.

He must have just aged like five years in two months.

Weird!

I hope this isn’t how the rest of his time in Pittsburgh goes but if this keeps up I don’t see him finishing out his contract.

 

[Coastal Kev]

PhYsICaLITy...

Gimme a break. This team won back-to-back cups staying away from the bullshit and outskating everyone.

And then the caps broke face and ended their run..........followed by the Rags knocking them into tomorrow and spittin on their grave. So they can't outskate anyone these days and are the softest team in the league... sully hockey

 

[Maninthebox87]

I mean whether that’s a mutual contract termination and he goes to Russia or if he LTIRs or whatever

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I hope this isn’t how the rest of his time in Pittsburgh goes but if this keeps up I don’t see him finishing out his contract.

I'd love for him to waive and get traded to a competitive, serious team and have him rub a bunch of ingrates noses in it. But realistically that's a pipe dream on several levels. I think he's definitely on the decline but I'm still not convinced what I'm seeing is all aging out.

 

[Maninthebox87]

I'd love for him to waive and get traded to a competitive, serious team and have him rub a bunch of ingrates noses in it. But realistically that's a pipe dream on several levels. I think he's definitely on the decline but I'm still not convinced what I'm seeing is all aging out.

I know it’s not nice to wish an injury on anyone but I’d honestly feel better if that’s all it was like hey I need some surgery to clean stuff up or something.

 

[Pancakes]

I mean, maybe Crosby is already upset about this and then trading Guentzel and Rust makes it worse?

Again, I'm not going to say that the team owes it to the core to continue to try to be competitive. But I think taking their feelings into consideration, and at least leaving open the possibility of them making the playoffs again is something you do owe them.

The nice thing is I think the Pens could easily move out a bunch of guys and not really hurt their playoff chances next year in a meaningful way.

I mean let's face it this team f-ing sucks with the roster it already has. Is it really gonna get worse if Dubas replaces half of the roster with other players? I suppose it could, but it's hard to see them getting much worse than they already are.

 

[Empoleon8771]

The nice thing is I think the Pens could easily move out a bunch of guys and not really hurt their playoff chances next year in a meaningful way.

I mean let's face it this team f-ing sucks with the roster it already has. Is it really gonna get worse if Dubas replaces half of the roster with other players? I suppose it could, but it's hard to see them getting much worse than they already are.

Yeah they could do that. I don't think Rust falls in that category whatsoever. Trading Rust does hurt their chances for next year.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I know it’s not nice to wish an injury on anyone but I’d honestly feel better if that’s all it was like hey I need some surgery to clean stuff up or something.

Oh I'm fairly certain he's injured to some extent.

He had a bunch of maintenance days about a month back.

 

[Pancakes]

Yeah they could do that. I don't think Rust falls in that category whatsoever. Trading Rust does hurt their chances for next year.

Well Dubas has already put the kibosh on moving Rust anyhow.

Guys I think the Pens could comfortably move without meaningfully impacting their chances at a playoff spot next year:

- Anyone in the bottom six
- Graves
- Jarry/Ned (I think as long as they keep one of them they'll be fine)
- Reilly Smith
- Rakell (probably unmoveable though with the contract he has)

Guys who they should move but which will hurt their playoff chances (but they should move them anyways):

- Jake
- MP

 

[Epic Neal Time]

I'm beating a dead horse with this, but I don't see a need to trade everyone off this team right now and risk upsetting the core. Frankly Crosby's already probably not going to be happy about them trading Guentzel, I think trading Rust right now as well would really put a bad taste in his mouth.

That's actually why I like Brisson as a target for Guentzel so much, just slide Brisson into Guentzel's old spot and have Crosby take him under his wing.

The upside in Brisson (or most of the VGK guys) just isn't high enough for me. You need at least one prospect/young player with top-line/top-pair potential, even if the rest of the return is meh. Brisson probably tops out at 2LW. A list I'd be happy with:

• VAN
  • Jonathan Lekkerimaki
  • Tom Willander
• CAR
  • Alexander Nikishin
  • Scott Morrow
  • Bradly Nadeau
• FLA
  • Anton Lundell
• DET
  • Axel Sandin Pellikka
  • Marco Kasper
• DAL
  • Mavrik Bourque
  • Logan Stankoven
• COL
  • Mikhail Gulyayev
• MIN
  • Danila Yurov
  • Marco Rossi
• WPG
  • Brad Lambert
  • Rutger McGroarty

 

[Ulf5]

Pod cant even score in the AHL and has questionable hockey IQ

 

[Coastal Kev]

Why have ERod when you can have Big Jeff Carter for three years on a lucrative, unmovable contract though? Why... he might have even gone to the SWISS LEAGUE if they hadn't of done something!

Someone should reopen the Carter resigning thread......then we'll get to see who's opinions at the time really hold up.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Well Dubas has already put the kibosh on moving Rust anyhow.

Guys I think the Pens could comfortably move without meaningfully impacting their chances at a playoff spot next year:

- Anyone in the bottom six
- Graves
- Jarry/Ned (I think as long as they keep one of them they'll be fine)
- Reilly Smith
- Rakell (probably unmoveable though with the contract he has)

Guys who they should move but which will hurt their playoff chances (but they should move them anyways):

- Jake
- MP

Yeah I don't disagree with any of this. I think Nedjelkovic, Smith and Guentzel are obvious guys to trade, and they should move Rakell based on what they get back for Guentzel. If they pull off someone like Brisson or Hoglander to play with Crosby, there isn't a spot for Rakell here.

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

Pod cant even score in the AHL and has questionable hockey IQ

He'd fit right in then.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Someone should reopen the Carter resigning thread......then we'll get to see who's opinions at the time really hold up.

As a guy that is likely as wrong as he is right at best... I have no interest in backdiving into old opinions haha

Although FWIW I despised that deal at the time.

 

[SEALBound]

Someone should reopen the Carter resigning thread......then we'll get to see who's opinions at the time really hold up.

I don't this it was the price and term per say...it was the NMC. Carter should have been waived last year. He's getting a free year of hockey and salary thanks to Hextall.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Brisson's a whatever prospect with a famous last name because of his super agent dad. No thanks. Like @Epic Neal Time said; the prospect(s) need to be much better than that imo. And I think they will be. Jake's a very valuable piece that's still in his prime, at 50% retained Dubas should have his pick of some big returns.

Also, the core should be upset. The era's dead. There are no "chances next year" imo.

 

[cygnus47]

Well at least the murmurings all say we’re selling and not delulu about making a push. Thing is, with the AHL guys plus benching the obvious, the only guy I hate on our roster is graves and I doubt he’s movable with his contract without taking something bad back. I would have liked to see this years roster with an offensive minded coach that would let the young guys play and sort out the power play. I think we’d hate Smith and Rakell a lot less and Rust would get less rope to dog it.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Brisson's a whatever prospect with a famous last name because of his super agent dad. No thanks. Like @Epic Neal Time said; the prospect(s) need to be much better than that imo. And I think they will be. Jake's a very valuable piece that's still in his prime, at 50% retained Dubas should have his pick of some big returns.

I think with this team the best hope is to sell off as much as humanly possible and just pray that by sheer odds and volume that at least ONE thing pans out. Because whoever still has much hope in this team actually developing talent must not be watching the same thing I am.

 

[Johnny Rifle]

As a guy that is likely as wrong as he is right at best... I have no interest in backdiving into old opinions haha

Although FWIW I despised that deal at the time.

The Carter deal doesn’t upset me. His ice time and usage does.

He’s an ideal 13th forward playing on a fourth line that gets less time per game. He should be a healthy scratch more often than he is.

I know he gets a lot of hate, but in a more limited role he’s not bad. I just think he’s burned out.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I'd be pretty shocked if Jake ended up in Vegas or Edmonton tbh. I'd cross them off the list. Neither can re-sign him long term imo, and neither has the prospects/young guys to be worthwhile to this team.

I think with this team the best hope is to sell off as much as humanly possible and just pray that by sheer odds and volume that at least ONE thing pans out. Because whoever still has much hope in this team actually developing talent must not be watching the same thing I am.

Yeah, until you're landing top-5 picks, it's quantity over quality. But in Jake's case, they should try and snag as good a prospect (or two) as they can. Like we've agreed on before, I'd like to take the responsibility out of this amateur scouting group's hands and go with guys already drafted who are doing well in their post-draft years. As much as we all agree the coaches need to be nuked, so too should the pro and amateur scouts asap. The guys this org has targeted in the draft and in trades/signings have been, uhhhhh, not superb.

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

Well at least the murmurings all say we’re selling and not delulu about making a push. Thing is, with the AHL guys plus benching the obvious, the only guy I hate on our roster is graves and I doubt he’s movable with his contract without taking something bad back. I would have liked to see this years roster with an offensive minded coach that would let the young guys play and sort out the power play. I think we’d hate Smith and Rakell a lot less and Rust would get less rope to dog it.

I think I'd still hate Reilly Smith if he found a cure for every disease, balanced the nation's budget, and wiped out worldwide homelessness, I just want him gone, g-o-n-e, out of town, out of mind, I cant remember the last time I severely disliked a guy on the roster as much as him, Endicott or Moran are the probably closest.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

The Carter deal doesn’t upset me. His ice time and usage does.

He’s an ideal 13th forward playing on a fourth line that gets less time per game. He should be a healthy scratch more often than he is.

I know he gets a lot of hate, but in a more limited role he’s not bad. I just think he’s burned out.

This isn't wrong. And FWIW I don't think Hextall signing him to a three year deal was him just going rogue and saying "Imma do what I want." I think Sullivan was right there on that one, too. How could he not be? Like you said look at how he's used. If Sullivan doesn't like a player he has no issue scratching him, demoting him into obscurity or making sure he's traded. But doing things like shoving his hoary old bones out there for an attempt at EN points when the season is on the line tells me he loves him some Big Jeff.

The real crime with that deal was the money was pretty generous for where Carter was in his career, had term AND is ironclad re: trade clauses. That's just like... willingly putting yourself over the barrel. And for what? Old-ass Jeff Carter? And with other viable options on the roster to fill that role at the time? Silly stuff.