Salary Cap: Pens Summer Salary Thread: We Hayes Dubas's offseason moves so far

[Jacob]

Rutherford should get credit for trading Kessel at exactly the right time.

 

[The Old Master]

At the moment, he’d be playing RW next to Geno because of his speed. Sullivan doesn’t want Geno at wing because of lack of footspeed…same w Hayes…unless Sullivan changes his system completely….we also need Yager’s shot on the PP…if Yager can get on the forecheck and get open in the offensive zone, he should make this team…I said “should” because Sullivan is a doofus and if Yager doesn’t PK or play defense well enough, Sullivan will send him back to juniors regardless of how much he helps this weak-ass finishing team lol

speed is a priority to play center, if you want him to get back to help out in front of our net. and when our de stand to each side of the net instead of in front that's big. being a righty he will be able to trade off with Gino in the faceoff dots depending on where the faceoff is. putting Geno on wing would free him up so he wouldn't need to come all the way back to defend. (that's big for an old-timer)

 

[PensandCaps]

Rutherford should get credit for trading Kessel at exactly the right time.

Id say he was a year late, but yah saw tons of criticism by fans of that trade, when he was clearly going in decline anyway. The mistakes were letting McCann go (a good offensive and PP replacement for Kessel) And trading a good value 1st for Kap, instead of getting a legit gamebreaker to replace Kessel.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

It feels like we have been debating Malkin to the wing for almost 20 years! The game has changed, for sure, but Geno is a horse. He needs room to do his thing. He always has. One of the bigger aspects of his game is tracking back into the D zone and collecting the puck. One of the things I still enjoy most about the game of hockey is when 71 has the puck and he starts gaining steam, and he slides the puck effortlessly past the stick of an ongoing forechecker. Nobody else can do it as smoothly as Malkin can do it.

The positives outweigh the negatives with keeping Malkin at center. The only reason to move him to wing would be to play with Crosby. And I don't think we are quite there yet. Once Yager is ready to take over as the No. 2 center, then we can consider Malkin on Crosby's wing. By then, Malkin might be best suited for No. 3 center, though.

We should keep Yager and develop him as a center. Nothing about his game suggests he needs to move to wing. Nothing. However, I do like the idea of putting a center on Malkin's wing. We should try Hayes on RW with Malkin and Bunting. Hayes can do some of the defensive work that Malkin cannot, and even win a defensive draw here and there.

This would help with the bottleneck at center, too. If Hayes is playing wing, then Lizotte can center the fourth line and Eller centers the third line until/unless Yager/Ponomarev/Poulin/Broz is ready to claim that role. Rakell could play on the third line to create more depth, or the first line in O'Connor's spot. Again, it could create more depth.

O'Connor-Crosby-Rust
Bunting-Malkin-Hayes
Rakell-Eller/Yager/et al-Puustinen
Beauvillier-Lizotte-Acciari


Not great, but I prefer this idea to blocking all of the center prospects for the start of the season.

 

[Andy99]

speed is a priority to play center, if you want him to get back to help out in front of our net. and when our de stand to each side of the net instead of in front that's big. being a righty he will be able to trade off with Gino in the faceoff dots depending on where the faceoff is. putting Geno on wing would free him up so he wouldn't need to come all the way back to defend. (that's big for an old-timer)

The way Sullivan wants to play, speed is not as much a priority at center as it is on wing…

 

[Factorial]

 

[eXile3]

Maybe instead of trying to take Malkin out of the position he’s played his entire life we should give him some decent wingers and improve the PP.

 

[Trade]

Only position I’m willing to move Geno from is the point on the PP.

 

[OnMyOwn]

OV, Geno and Panarin is quite the line.

 

[Tom Hanks]

“the Phil Kessel of 4th liners”

Sprong needed to be born 10+ years earlier and he would have got paid a lot more.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1814744399210786933

 

[Coastal Kev]

Sprong would have been fire with Malkin.............. thanks sully

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Unfortunately I’m hearing CLB wants draft pick and prospects for Laine…if they won’t take like Jarry or Graves without top prospects and picks, we ain’t landing him lol

Oh, I'm under no illusions about the possibility of the Penguins acquiring Laine. I'm just saying that that type of player is exactly what the PP lacks, and has lacked, for the past handful of seasons.

Of course, that also requires the coach to utilize the players in their best spots. Knowing Sullivan, he'd probably use Laine as a net front presence in the Hornqvist role because of his size and still use Rust as our off-wing "shooter" option.

 

[The Old Master]

It feels like we have been debating Malkin to the wing for almost 20 years! The game has changed, for sure, but Geno is a horse. He needs room to do his thing. He always has. One of the bigger aspects of his game is tracking back into the D zone and collecting the puck. One of the things I still enjoy most about the game of hockey is when 71 has the puck and he starts gaining steam, and he slides the puck effortlessly past the stick of an ongoing forechecker. Nobody else can do it as smoothly as Malkin can do it.

The positives outweigh the negatives with keeping Malkin at center.

and you think he can't do that at wing?
you see it even more from the wing when he doesn't need to come all the way back.
and the reason to move Geno to wing is not to play with Sid. they don't fit. it's so he can cut down on the mileage he puts in, he's not a kid anymore.

 

[Jacob]

Malkin sucks defensively and isn’t making up for it with 90+ points anymore, that’s all it comes down to for me.

 

[BusinessGoose]

Malkin sucks defensively and isn’t making up for it with 90+ points anymore, that’s all it comes down to for me.

Be better off putting him with Sid fulltime. Cause no one is gonna center L2 any better

 

[Jacob]

Be better off putting him with Sid fulltime. Cause no one is gonna center L2 any better

Malkin can still shoulder the offensive load on the line, just needs someone to take some of the D-zone responsibilities. Thornton & Lemieux did it later in their careers too.

 

[The Old Master]

just think how many more times he could do that skating around the blue line at wing.
edit; he will have them backing up to center ice.

 

[Gurglesons]

Oh, I'm under no illusions about the possibility of the Penguins acquiring Laine. I'm just saying that that type of player is exactly what the PP lacks, and has lacked, for the past handful of seasons.

Of course, that also requires the coach to utilize the players in their best spots. Knowing Sullivan, he'd probably use Laine as a net front presence in the Hornqvist role because of his size and still use Rust as our off-wing "shooter" option.

“we are putting out the combinations we think give us the best chance to win.”

 

[Pancakes]

“we are putting out the combinations we think give us the best chance to win.”

I can't wait to hear that another 100 times this year while he runs a 12% powerplay without changing anything and gives Malkin absolute garbage to play with

 

[BusinessGoose]

Malkin can still shoulder the offensive load on the line, just needs someone to take some of the D-zone responsibilities. Thornton & Lemieux did it later in their careers too.

New phone, who dis?

 

[The Old Master]

The way Sullivan wants to play, speed is not as much a priority at center as it is on wing…

maybe ... but if you want to put players in the possession to do well.
1. geno can't cover the ice like he once did.
2. you can cover for a less than best player.
3. yager is fast enough to cover the ice in front of our net and still join the rush down the ice.
4 geno who at this point would rather do loops than starts and stops which he could do out at the blueline (forcing both de to keep an eye on him stopping them from pinching)
5. Sid want his wings to play a certain way. (that's not Geno)

 

[Andy99]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1814687274862325911

maybe ... but if you want to put players in the possession to do well.
1. geno can't cover the ice like he once did.
2. you can cover for a less than best player.
3. yager is fast enough to cover the ice in front of our net and still join the rush down the ice.
4 geno who at this point would rather do loops than starts and stops which he could do out at the blueline (forcing both de to keep an eye on him stopping them from pinching)
5. Sid want his wings to play a certain way. (that's not Geno)

I doubt Yager is ready to shoulder the 2C load…hopefully he is in a couple years…in the meantime, Geno’s the best we have for that position

 

[ChaosAgent]

Malkin sucks defensively and isn’t making up for it with 90+ points anymore, that’s all it comes down to for me.

I think he was much better defensively this year.

He has bad foot speed and acceleration but he read the plays well and wins most battles along the boards when he gets involved.

We don't have a suitable replacement 2C either. If Yager explodes, maybe.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I'm fine with that as long as he looks ready for it. There's no point in forcing it though if he has a mediocre camp.

When I said that, it was with the intention he looks good enough for an extended look. Trust me the longer he stays away from Sully the more at ease I am about any prospect.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1814687274862325911

I doubt Yager is ready to shoulder the 2C load…hopefully he is in a couple years…in the meantime, Geno’s the best we have for that position

Yager starting at wing isn't a bad thing either. You see where he is at with face offs and rotate him in with his right handed shot but otherwise why rush a lad right? Sullivan has him pencilled in to learn as a 4c to add some juice and jam to his sticktoitiveness sammich.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I think he was much better defensively this year.

He has bad foot speed and acceleration but he read the plays well and wins most battles along the boards when he gets involved.

We don't have a suitable replacement 2C either. If Yager explodes, maybe.

If Malkin sucks defensively then Crosby is right there with him.

Unless you lot are ridiculously blind wankbuckets.