Confirmed with Link: Pens sign F Nick Spaling to 2-year, $4.4M contract (2.2AAV)

[mpp9]

And if Scuderi is as bad as everyone makes him out to be, why would another team want him? We no longer have the option of shipping him to teams that need to reach the cap floor.

If McGinn is your top 6 winger solution, then your expectations are set too low IMO. He's a valuable player, but another tweener.

Scuderi isn't as bad as everyone makes him out to be. That was kind of my point there. He can be moved if need be. I'm pretty confident in saying that.

As for McGinn. I think he fits the mold of a player who brings a top 6 skill to the table and gives us something tangible when he isn't scoring. I.e., board work, physicality and net front presence.

He's the low end of what I'd accept when rounding out our forward group. But I think he'd be enough to make us competitive with the best.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I don't think it's unreasonable to hope. I think it's a stretch to assume. But others who watch WBS closely would know what are reasonable expectations in that time frame.

If they don't, then yeah, re-signing's always an option.

Didn't say deadline. I singled out Maatta's return and Ehrhoff possibly being re-signed in January.

And JR has shown he's willing to deal roster players. Shero wasn't. That gives you far more trade possibilities.

What does it matter if the trade's made in January or April? The point is that the roster is fleshed out before the playoffs, and it has been.

We'll see what roster possibilities Rutherford exploits here. If Shero wanted to double-down on value for every star player he had, I'm sure he wouldn't have had a problem. Getting another quality top 6 option will require Rutherford to actually trade up in value, which will probably prove more difficult.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Why would Spaling sign for that number longer than 2 years?

The same reason Dwight King did? Because it's his current market value?

 

[Shady Machine]

It seems to me that the King deal was partially a player taking a pay cut so maybe it isn't an entirely fair comparison.

But he didn't take a pay cut. He made less last year. So why isn't it fair? We are both contending teams up against the cap signing RFA players around the same age and had similar stat lines last year.

 

[IcedCapp]

Not for some odd reason. Put anyone in to that spot. I don't care who it is. The point is, it's going to cost a lot in free agency to add some garbage option.

And why would people prefer Neal/Stempniak? Haven't we seen that that doesn't work?

1) Glass isn't some garbage option. He was one of the 5-worst NHL players last year.

2) You could find multiple people who signed THIS YEAR for ~1MM who are significantly better than Spaling.

 

[IcedCapp]

It seems to me that the King deal was partially a player taking a pay cut so maybe it isn't an entirely fair comparison.

according to this board, players never take pay cuts and never should take pay cuts and players and humans in general always get as much money as possible every single time.

So I'm not sure what you're implying here, but I'm keeping my eye on you.

 

[billybudd]

1) Glass isn't some garbage option. He was one of the 5-worst NHL players last year.

2) You could find multiple people who signed THIS YEAR for ~1MM who are significantly better than Spaling.

You're taking it for granted that Stempniak would have re-signed here for $1 million. If I was traded to a team that treated a series 1 playoff win with all the enthusiasm of a funeral, there's no way I re-sign with them at a reduced rate.

Goc did, but that's probably only because Rutherford let him bring his own private Oktoberfest with for his second stint.

 

[IcedCapp]

Yeah I'm a big homer when it comes to what we've done this offseason. But I'd say middle of the pack bottom six is fair. But that's all we've really needed. A bottom six that doesn't get owned, provides energy and can score a big goal occasionally.

Getting Sid/Geno with a proper supporting cast takes care of the rest. We're one top 6 forward away from having that.

The bottom-6 needed an overhaul, for sure. But as we saw this year, it's not that hard to turn it over.

It just seemed hard to overhaul the bottom-6 because Shero and Bylsma literally didn't give a **** about doing it.

While I agree that the Bottom-6 has gone from 30th to ~15th, I don't think it's enough, because the top-6 has gotten worse.

When the Top-6 was better, yes, all they needed to do was fix the bottom-6.

However, now we have, at best (my opinion, I get it) Hornqvist being a lateral move on Neal, Kunitz being a year older, and then two of the following three in the top-6: Beau Bennett, Downie, and Dupuis.

I do not think any combination of those 3 players gives the Penguins an above average set of top-6 wingers. In fact, I would say they are easily in the bottom third of the league.

You're asking all three of those guys to rebound from significant injuries. You're asking Downie to play at a level he's done once in his entire career. You're asking Bennett to take the next step offensively, despite a consistent lack of practice, training camp, and even knowing which of the two centers he'll play with. You're asking Dupuis to reach a level he's reached once, maybe twice, at the age of old, with one knee, and in a system that may or may not fit a guy who can't handle the puck.

I'm not being negative for the sake of being negative. I just don't know how we can look at this roster objectively and think the is better set up for the long term than it was a year ago.

So, to keep it on topic, I don't think Spaling, and Sutter, when it happens, are the kinds of guys you worry about spending market or slightly-above market value on. They aren't critical. I don't think this team loses ANYTHING if they aren't here. If you told me right now that they were both out for the year with some injury, does it really change your opinion on the team?

Kunitz - Crosby - Dupuis
Bennett - Malkin - Hornqvist
Downie - Goc - Megna
XXX - Sill - Adams

is that significantly worse than

Kunitz - Crosby - Dupuis
Bennett - Malkin - Hornqvist
Downie - Sutter - Spaling
Megna - Goc - Adams

?

Did you go from, "wow, contender" to "hehheh, 2nd round loss" ?

I really hope not. Sutter and Spaling are the walking epitome of average.

 

[IcedCapp]

You're taking it for granted that Stempniak would have re-signed here for $1 million. If I was traded to a team that treated a series 1 playoff win with all the enthusiasm of a funeral, there's no way I re-sign with them at a reduced rate.

Goc did, but that's probably only because Rutherford let him bring his own private Oktoberfest with for his second stint.

There were other guys who signed cheap deals, too. And while I can't say Stempniak WOULD have signed here, I don't think we can say he wouldn't have. But, just to be clear, I would have take Stempniak at 2.2 over Spaling at the same number.

 

[canadianguy77]

I would've liked to sign him for about 700k less/year. Oh well.

 

[stepdad gaary]

King is in a place to give a hometown discount. Why would spaling afford the pens that same right? King just wont a cup. He has reason to stick around. Spaling is new here.

King's situation is different enough that its not really worth comparing.

 

[Gurglesons]

There were other guys who signed cheap deals, too. And while I can't say Stempniak WOULD have signed here, I don't think we can say he wouldn't have. But, just to be clear, I would have take Stempniak at 2.2 over Spaling at the same number.

I think the main reason Stempniak signed for the Rags on that contract is the fact he is from New York and Buffalo and Isles aren't really contenders at the moment.

I agree with everything you're saying by the way, IcedCapp. It is insane to me that Shero got criticized for his contracts and than half of the forum is defending the Hornqvist trade when we were supposed to trade Neal for cap room. Instead, we have two less skilled players that are making almost 2 million more. Also, Spaling fits a role we could've simply given to Sutts while signing everyone else. Might as well have just gotten a draft pick for what we gave up for him.

 

[Gurglesons]

King is in a place to give a hometown discount. Why would spaling afford the pens that same right? King just wont a cup. He has reason to stick around. Spaling is new here.

King's situation is different enough that its not really worth comparing.

Or maybe, just maybe it's because Dean Lombardi is the best GM in the league and has proved it judging by his time in San Jose and LA. I mean think of the trades this guy has accomplished. Think about his drafting, he just runs a franchise right. Lombardi would hang up and laugh if someone was trying to pry a player like Neal from him for a lateral player and then a player that is over demanding in an RFA year.

 

[billybudd]

There were other guys who signed cheap deals, too. And while I can't say Stempniak WOULD have signed here, I don't think we can say he wouldn't have. But, just to be clear, I would have take Stempniak at 2.2 over Spaling at the same number.

Stempniak made $3 million last year. If I were him, walking into the situation he walked into, I'd have insisted on a raise to stay.

 

[stepdad gaary]

I think the main reason Stempniak signed for the Rags on that contract is the fact he is from New York and Buffalo and Isles aren't really contenders at the moment.

I agree with everything you're saying by the way, IcedCapp. It is insane to me that Shero got criticized for his contracts and than half of the forum is defending the Hornqvist trade when we were supposed to trade Neal for cap room. Instead, we have two less skilled players that are making almost 2 million more. Also, Spaling fits a role we could've simply given to Sutts while signing everyone else. Might as well have just gotten a draft pick for what we gave up for him.

unless they sign a better player than Spaling for less than 1.45 mil, you'd did get cap room in the neal trade.

If you think thats stempniak, fine. I personally don't but you're entitled to that opinion.

Or maybe, just maybe it's because Dean Lombardi is the best GM in the league and has proved it judging by his time in San Jose and LA. I mean think of the trades this guy has accomplished. Think about his drafting, he just runs a franchise right. Lombardi would hang up and laugh if someone was trying to pry a player like Neal from him for a lateral player and then a player that is over demanding in an RFA year.

um... i dont understand your point. The pens don't have lombardi so argggh? Or be more like lombardi?

 

[billybudd]

Or maybe, just maybe it's because Dean Lombardi is the best GM in the league and has proved it judging by his time in San Jose and LA. I mean think of the trades this guy has accomplished. Think about his drafting, he just runs a franchise right. Lombardi would hang up and laugh if someone was trying to pry a player like Neal from him for a lateral player and then a player that is over demanding in an RFA year.

One might argue that Wayne Simmonds is a more effective player than Mike Richards at this point in time and Lombardi added to Simmonds to get Richards.

 

[stepdad gaary]

its so funny that a people are calling for the pens to have just let Spaling go...

This board LOST ITS MIND when Strait was waived...or god, remember Nick Johnson? Now a useful 3rd line RFA capable of 30 points gets 2.2 million but they should have just let him walk?

 

[Gurglesons]

One might argue that Wayne Simmonds is a more effective player than Mike Richards at this point in time and Lombardi added to Simmonds to get Richards.

Mike Richards was a core part of their first cup run. He also was playing second line duty in the majority of the final this year and was one of the Kings best players in that series, but yeah. LA has won the Philly trade by 8000 times.

 

[billybudd]

its so funny that a people are calling for the pens to have just let Spaling go...

This board LOST ITS MIND when Strait was waived...or god, remember Nick Johnson? Now a useful 3rd line RFA capable of 30 points gets 2.2 million but they should have just let him walk?

Lol.

I still like Johnson for the record. He did some good work in Minnesota. If only he didn't skate like a broken tractor, he could have carved himself out a decent career. Alas, he does.

 

[Gurglesons]

its so funny that a people are calling for the pens to have just let Spaling go...

This board LOST ITS MIND when Strait was waived...or god, remember Nick Johnson? Now a useful 3rd line RFA capable of 30 points gets 2.2 million but they should have just let him walk?

Or we shouldn't have signed Comeau, Downie, Goc, etc. We should've allocated our money towards what we needed in our top six. We need a top flight winger, it is why we have lost every playoff series since the cup win besides the Tampa series. Instead, we have Staal Kennedy Cooke back at an inflated price, yay.

 

[stepdad gaary]

Or we shouldn't have signed Comeau, Downie, Goc, etc. We should've allocated our money towards what we needed in our top six. We need a top flight winger, it is why we have lost every playoff series since the cup win besides the Tampa series. Instead, we have Staal Kennedy Cooke back at an inflated price, yay.

you realize the team was most successful when they had a great bottom 6 to compliment crosby and malkin on the top 2 lines...right? You do get that? This team won a cup that way and went to another.


raise your hand if you'd love the vintage staal-cooke-kennedy trio back?

 

[Coach Travis]

2) You could find multiple people who signed THIS YEAR for ~1MM who are significantly better than Spaling.

I won't disagree with that. I can't do anything about it so I'm just deciding to wait and see.

 

[NeedleInTheHay]

JR isn't Shero. That should be quite obvious at this point. Value is secondary to building a team.

Have you looked at Carolina rosters throughout the years? What team did he exactly build? what was their identity?

 

[billybudd]

Mike Richards was a core part of their first cup run. He also was playing second line duty in the majority of the final this year and was one of the Kings best players in that series, but yeah. LA has won the Philly trade by 8000 times.

Majority? No. Richards was spotfilling on the second line in the finals, but mostly playing on the fourth.

He made a couple key picks throughout the playoffs, but nothing that Clifford (who is a fourth line player and Richards' most-frequent linemate in the finals) didn't do 5 times as frequently.

 

[Gurglesons]

you realize the team was most successful when they had a great bottom 6 to compliment crosby and malkin on the top 2 lines...right? You do get that? This team won a cup that way and went to another.


raise your hand if you'd love the vintage staal-cooke-kennedy trio back?

We also had a more composed top six. Also, Sutter is a downgrade from Staal, Spaling a Cooke without the physical edge, and Kennedy sucked total dick so who cares who takes that third wing role.