Salary Cap: Pens Summer Salary Thread: Dull days of August... Oooo! A trade!

[Rudy Russo]

I'd be targeting teams that are near the cap floor. Flames and Ducks are just barely over the cap floor, isn't there a penalty if they go below it even during the season?

Maybe Acciari to one of those teams or even Eller or if we're lucky, both. Flames still need to sign Pelletier but have like 20m+ in cap space.

Eller would be a nice mentor for the young Ducks forwards.

I think people are doing a bit of wishful thinking.

I think if he manages to make the lineup in October, he'll probably start on the third line. I think unless he has an unreal camp and preseason and fits with Crosby or Malkin, he'll have to work his way up. It'll probably be something like this.

O'Connor - Crosby - Rust
Bunting - Malkin - Rakell
Beauvillier - Hayes - McGroarty
Lizotte - Eller - Acciari

Dubas will trade either Eller or Acciari for some cap space.

 

[Jacob]

I’d rather keep Eller, he’s good and cheap. And if we’re out of it at the deadline he’d have value.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Eller would be a nice mentor for the young Ducks forwards.


Dubas will trade either Eller or Acciari for some cap space.

I do worry with the Acciari part, Sullivan loves him and Dubas has traded for him and then signed him on two separate teams. He's like the typical annoying coach's pet that you wish teams didn't have but always do. Eller to me has value and it's odd he supposedly didn't have suitors at the deadline, something seems fishy to me about that given Eller's game and the kind teams usually stockpile at the deadline.

I’d rather keep Eller, he’s good and cheap. And if we’re out of it at the deadline he’d have value.

If...

Mate, I applaud your optimism. Just remember if Eller stays, we're going to see him on the powerplay lol.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Your whole Guenther argument kind proves that those points are to be taken with a grain of salt. His production showed he can do it but his overall game is where you needed to focus. Yager focused too much as a playmaker in 2022-23 and the area they wanted him to focus on was being a little more selfish and his overall game, if you watched last season he did just that, he was a better overall player and he was using his shot far more than he did the previous year. I think those are the areas I focused on more than say being considered a passenger.

McGroarty has another year to kind of go over what he is as a prospect, Yager was drafted a year after and we'll get to see what he does this season before the Jets even consider him a potential NHL roster player sooner than later. Yager was ranked 11th for NA Skaters for the 2023 draft and not including IT skaters, he like Rutger, went 14th overall his draft year. No one is saying he went higher or lower than he should have, but now it seems like a lot here want to say he went higher than he should have.

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I think the Jets also got a very good player, but it's weird to see fans here kind of saying he wasn't as good as others think when really he is still a very good prospect with a very high upside and is still just 19yrs old. It's funny to see Rutger McGroarty now getting super hyped, he was listed as the 22nd best NA Skater his draft year and that's not including the IT skaters, he went 14th.

I actually think you and I are on the same page for how good of a prospect is. I didn't mean my initial post as in "he's not a good prospect because he was carried by great teammates", I meant it as more "he's a great prospect that has elite production due to his teammates".

Me calling him a passenger was bad wording on my part, he was a good player benefitting from having some great teammates.

 

[Rudy Russo]

I do worry with the Acciari part, Sullivan loves him and Dubas has traded for him and then signed him on two separate teams. He's like the typical annoying coach's pet that you wish teams didn't have but always do. Eller to me has value and it's odd he supposedly didn't have suitors at the deadline, something seems fishy to me about that given Eller's game and the kind teams usually stockpile at the deadline.

I agree due to both Dubas and Sully love Acciari. Training camp is going to be fun due to the players below fighting out for one top six position, and third and fourth line forwards.
Acciari, DOC, Beauvillier, Bemstrom, Eller, Lizotte, Glass, Hayes, Ponomarev, Poulin, Puljujarvi, Puustinen and McGroarty.
I'm looking forward to opening night to see which players are with the pens, AHL bound, traded/ Waived and injured.

 

[Jacob]

O’Connor - Crosby - Rust
Bunting - Malkin - Rakell
McGroarty - Eller - Beauvillier
Lizotte - Hayes - Glass
Poulin, Puljujarvi, Puustinen

Pettersson - Karlsson
Graves - Letang
Grzelcyk - St. Ivany
Aho, Ludvig

Jarry / Nedeljkovic

Kinda more a depth chart than lineup projection. Those top 3 LWs are interchangeable to your tastes as are the top 2 RWs, and the bottom 6 is entirely interchangeable as well. Only posting to speculate on who gets waived. They like carrying 8 D so Puljujarvi and maybe Puustinen? I don’t think they risk losing Poulin. But all it takes is 1 injury and they don’t have to worry about it.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I agree due to both Dubas and Sully love Acciari. Training camp is going to be fun due to the players below fighting out for one top six position, and third and fourth line forwards.
Acciari, DOC, Beauvillier, Bemstrom, Eller, Lizotte, Glass, Hayes, Ponomarev, Poulin, Puljujarvi, Puustinen and McGroarty.
I'm looking forward to opening night to see which players are with the pens, AHL bound, traded/ Waived and injured.

I think Glass added kind of blocks Pono right now so if anything he's going to have camp to show what he can do and then spend the start in WBS. I think it'll be an interesting camp for sure, I'm going to be very keen on how well the young players do over the vets and then how Sullivan tries to phrase it in his dipshit way to pick veterans over them like it was "close" all camp, lol. You know, the usual the last 7yrs.

O’Connor - Crosby - Rust
Bunting - Malkin - Rakell
McGroarty - Eller - Beauvillier
Lizotte - Hayes - Glass
Poulin, Puljujarvi, Puustinen

Pettersson - Karlsson
Graves - Letang
Grzelcyk - St. Ivany
Aho, Ludvig

Jarry / Nedeljkovic

Kinda more a depth chart than lineup projection. Those top 3 LWs are interchangeable to your tastes as are the top 2 RWs, and the bottom 6 is entirely interchangeable as well. Only posting to speculate on who gets waived. They like carrying 8 D so Puljujarvi and maybe Puustinen? I don’t think they risk losing Poulin. But all it takes is 1 injury and they don’t have to worry about it.

Sullivan broke Jacob.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I actually think you and I are on the same page for how good of a prospect is. I didn't mean my initial post as in "he's not a good prospect because he was carried by great teammates", I meant it as more "he's a great prospect that has elite production due to his teammates".

Me calling him a passenger was bad wording on my part, he was a good player benefitting from having some great teammates.

Nah mate its all good. I think passenger was a bad choice but for me, should we really dock points for players having chemistry? That's like being mad if McGroarty doesn't produce with Eller but then does with Sid, you know? Yager is a good prospect that showed a ton of chemistry with better linemates, ideally you want your best to play his best with the best and I saw that more often with Yager last season than say him coasting you know?

Good players thrive with other good players, for me that was Yager last year.

 

[PensPlz]

I hate learning new names so pobably just going to call this new guy McGuentzel

 

[Honour Over Glory]

If you're Kindergarten Kyle, do you take this high of swapping picks and go ham and try to move Blomqvist + Poulin/Puustinen/pick for Askarov? If he's speeding up the wait process for prospects, adding Askarov also does that and forces Jarry and Ned to either show up or move out by the deadline if Askarov pushes them for a spot asap.

Blomqvist isn't in a rush to push for a spot yet so Nashville can take their time with him and he's also a very good goalie prospect in his own right, not as insane of an upside as Askarov, but not a slouch either. I might slightly respect Kindergarten Kyle if he did something like that.

 

[Gurglesons]

If you're Kindergarten Kyle, do you take this high of swapping picks and go ham and try to move Blomqvist + Poulin/Puustinen/pick for Askarov? If he's speeding up the wait process for prospects, adding Askarov also does that and forces Jarry and Ned to either show up or move out by the deadline if Askarov pushes them for a spot asap.

Blomqvist isn't in a rush to push for a spot yet so Nashville can take their time with him and he's also a very good goalie prospect in his own right, not as insane of an upside as Askarov, but not a slouch either. I might slightly respect Kindergarten Kyle if he did something like that.

Why would you not make this deal lol

I hate learning new names so pobably just going to call this new guy McGuentzel

It’s funny because he’s probably going to be the 2nd best Nebraska player in the league behind Jake.

 

[BusinessGoose]

I hate learning new names so pobably just going to call this new guy McGuentzel

Papa Deuce

 

[SEALBound]

I think Eller will be traded to Buffalo.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Why would you not make this deal lol



It’s funny because he’s probably going to be the 2nd best Nebraska player in the league behind Jake.

Pens have their first for 2025, I'd maybe move that 1st in 2026 + Blomqvist for Askarov and maybe a 3rd rounder (Avs). Leave that pick unprotected as well, maybe that's a lot or it's not enough but it's a strong framework I think. Askarov + McGroarty in the same summer pushes the Penguins forward a few years for their "retool/rebuild" and with good options.

 

[Tom Hanks]

I hate learning new names so pobably just going to call this new guy McGuentzel

The Jets are calling him McLovin

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I think Eller will be traded to Buffalo.

I thought the addition of McLeod and Lafferty basically sorted out their bottom 6 C's.

Thompson
Cozens
McLeod
Lafferty/Krebs

Eller wouldn't really make sense there. Anaheim or Calgary having a ton of cap and likely with so many young players, might? They could also see the potential of retaining a lot to dump him at the deadline for more given the cap space and they're not in any rush.

 

[Malkinstheman]

Wasn't there smoke about Dubas trying to trade Eller at the last deadline? I think the main holdup right now is getting a decent pick for him vs just dumping him for free. No point in giving him away for free. Better to wait until teams will have a better idea of their needs after camp.

 

[Tom Hanks]

I think Eller will be traded to Buffalo.

Probably not. Their “Stanley Cup” is to have the fastest bottom 6 in the league.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Wasn't there smoke about Dubas trying to trade Eller at the last deadline? I think the main holdup right now is getting a decent pick for him vs just dumping him for free. No point in giving him away for free. Better to wait until teams will have a better idea of their needs after camp.

Might be worse if he loses his spot in camp and drops his value I think, especially as a 35yr old that has 1yr left and likely retiring after it or taking 1yr deals on contenders for one last run at cups.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

The games I watched of Yager didn't show he was a passenger either, he was a catalyst each time he was out there and at times just looked like he was toying in the offensive zone with his hockey IQ. It's weird that blokes even say this sort of thing and then claim others stated it when blokes like you and I have actually seen some games and never noticed it. Must be the 16 games or something that he did it in that somehow we missed.

Don’t agree with the bolded here either though. Probably my biggest issue with Yager is he was too quiet and never overtly dominant.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I think Eller will be traded to Buffalo.

For their next best prospect?

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Puus has to be kicking himself taking that team friendly deal (technically being a UFA) and then the Pens adding Hayes, Glass, Lizotte, Beauvillier, and McGroarty

 

[Pancakes]

Puus has to be kicking himself taking that team friendly deal (technically being a UFA) and then the Pens adding Hayes, Glass, Lizotte, Beauvillier, and McGroarty

I doubt he'd have teams lining up to sign him if he got to ufa. I mean somebody would but it's not like he's some super hot commodity.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I doubt he'd have teams lining up to sign him if he got to ufa. I mean somebody would but it's not like he's some super hot commodity.

I think that's an awful take on Puustinen. You might want to look around at what type of players ended up getting a contract.

To say Puustinen wouldn't get a contract and then seeing Matthew "Hobbit" Phillips literally getting one is quite the take. I mean hell if Puustinen was called to a cash strapped team to take a 1yr deal knowing he'd get played in the line-up, he'd be an Avs forward right now.

Fairly certain the Canucks or Wild probably would have signed him as well, Guerin has a thing for Ex Penguins and we know Allvin would love to pick up a winger he scouted and likely picked that draft year.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I get Trotz doesn't want back another goalie so its a matter of which prospect moves the needle for him most. I wonder if something like Pens 1st in 2026, Pickering, Poulin (change of scenery) for Askarov and the Avs 3rd.

Pens can then shop Blomqvist to another team to recoup a pick.