Salary Cap: The Endless Speculation Edition

[EightyOne]

Guenztel HAS to have an injury, right, like, he died, right? He is a ghost right now.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I don't even know what his deal is, to be honest. I'm starting to think the stars may have aligned during our Cup runs and he just happened to play way above his head, and this muddled blueliner we've had for 2+ seasons now is a Hell of a lot closer to the actual player Schultz is. Wouldn't be the first time someone in this organization rose above and beyond during a Cup run, that's for sure.

Part of the reason I want Schultz moved is because he's just not nearly good enough an option when Letang goes down, and Letang goes down frequently. I know it's a no-brainer to say I want JR to find someone for Gonchar/Martin to groom into Letang's heir apparent, and I know it's going to be tough and expensive to find that guy, but I do think that's what this team needs desperately. Schultz just isn't cutting it, and I'm honestly worried we're gonna hand him an absurd contract this summer just because we can't/won't move on. I don't like Schultz at $5.5 million, and there's been talk of his next contract being right around Letang-money at $7 million. Abso-****ing-lutely not.

I do wonder if the best course of action is to hit the reset button this season and use this year to weed out bad fits and try to build a team to legitimately compete next season and the following one. I always sort of leaned that way after the amount of question marks we had heading into this season, but the constant injuries to important players, and for relatively long periods of time, just highlight how flawed the supporting cast really is and how much work JR has to do in order to get this team to be a legitimate contender as opposed to "Well, I hope Sid/Geno/Letang are on fire".

I think we've seen too many positive things (ie. renewed work ethic, much better commitment to playing team defense, coming out party for a guy like Marino, etc.) to scrap the season. Instead, I think JR has to really analyze this roster and realize that it needs to add some more high-end scorers. I think this team is a legitimate scorer or two away from being a threat to win it all.

 

[Pancakes]

That’s actually a good description of him tbh.

Except that TK actually had grit and won battles

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I think we've seen too many positive things (ie. renewed work ethic, much better commitment to playing team defense, coming out party for a guy like Marino, etc.) to scrap the season. Instead, I think JR has to really analyze this roster and realize that it needs to add some more high-end scorers. I think this team is a legitimate scorer or two away from being a threat to win it all.

I know a lot has gone right, but the makeup of the roster just isn't there imo. I'll die on the Schultz hill; he's simply not good enough. We need another impact winger to help ease up the pressure to produce from Sid, Geno and Jake. We need to remove/replace ineffective guys like Galchenyuk, Bjugstad, ZAR (who, to be fair, shouldn't be playing over Lafferty when we're all healthy but we know he will).

It'd take a ton of things going just right for this team to legitimately contend this season as currently constructed. Not the least of which is Murray finding his absolute best again, and guys like Sid/Geno/Letang not missing any more time. If any of those kind of cogs fail; stars remaining healthy and producing, Murray fixing his game, guys picking up the slack (Galchenyuk, Bjugs, Schultz, etc). If any of those factors don't happen, I think we're going to be hard pressed to even make the playoffs.

I think the odds of us being well out of the picture by the time Sid returns are pretty high, to be honest. The most realistic outcome we can probably hope for is for this team to tread water around .500 until mid-January or whenever Sid's able to return, but the chances that someone gets hurt or an important guy slips up are also pretty high.

I wonder if that would even be the worst thing for this franchise, to miss the playoffs and sell off guys like Schultz, Bjugstad and Galchenyuk at the deadline and use those guys to get better fits or to get assets to flip for said better fits. I have all the faith in the world in guys like Sid, Geno, Letang, Jake, McCann, Rust, and even guys like Marino, Tanev, Kahun, Blueger. It's just, well, pretty much everyone else.

I've always sort of viewed this as a transition kind of season. Way too many question marks up and down the lineup for me to really invest any kind of serious hope into us contending. I know, I know, the age old "as long as we have Sid and Geno" blah blah blah. These guys are several years into 30 now, they're not bad by any means but they're not the guys who are going to score 35pts in the playoffs anymore. They need much better support than JR has given them, and he should be busting his ass over the next 10 months or so to solve these problems. Instead, I fully expect him to stay the course, we'll lose Galchenyuk and Schultz for nothing this summer, and he'll put all his eggs in the Taylor Hall basket only to strike out and sign guys out of desperation that don't make sense.

 

[JTG]

I think Petts is still pretty raw and could use more time on the 3rd pairing, to be honest. He's only 23, and has his fair share of rough nights. That kind of depth would be fantastic, too. I think we need a better offensive punch for that 2nd pairing than what anyone outside of Letang can bring--including Schultz.

Petts has been playing great as a 2nd pairing guy. He's not nearly as raw as you are suggesting.

If you want an offensive defenseman better than Schultz, you're paying them 7-9m a year.

Guenztel HAS to have an injury, right, like, he died, right? He is a ghost right now.

I don't think he has been invisible. He was close to having one last night, and took one off the cross bar. He is having a harder time without Sid, but any player would. Jake is a phenomenal complementary player. I never expected him to keep up the same production without Sid.

 

[Mrs Crosby's Dryer]

I’m shocked that Brian Gibbons was put on and subsequently cleared waivers and there aren’t a dozen plus posts on here clamoring for and then lamenting that we didn’t pick him up.

He’s the preferred archetype - 5’8”, 175lbs, soft as butter, and probably still “speedy”.

This is disappointing to say the least.

 

[ChaosAgent]

I know a lot has gone right, but the makeup of the roster just isn't there imo. I'll die on the Schultz hill; he's simply not good enough. We need another impact winger to help ease up the pressure to produce from Sid, Geno and Jake. We need to remove/replace ineffective guys like Galchenyuk, Bjugstad, ZAR (who, to be fair, shouldn't be playing over Lafferty when we're all healthy but we know he will).

It'd take a ton of things going just right for this team to legitimately contend this season as currently constructed. Not the least of which is Murray finding his absolute best again, and guys like Sid/Geno/Letang not missing any more time. If any of those kind of cogs fail; stars remaining healthy and producing, Murray fixing his game, guys picking up the slack (Galchenyuk, Bjugs, Schultz, etc). If any of those factors don't happen, I think we're going to be hard pressed to even make the playoffs.

I think the odds of us being well out of the picture by the time Sid returns are pretty high, to be honest. The most realistic outcome we can probably hope for is for this team to tread water around .500 until mid-January or whenever Sid's able to return, but the chances that someone gets hurt or an important guy slips up are also pretty high.

I wonder if that would even be the worst thing for this franchise, to miss the playoffs and sell off guys like Schultz, Bjugstad and Galchenyuk at the deadline and use those guys to get better fits or to get assets to flip for said better fits. I have all the faith in the world in guys like Sid, Geno, Letang, Jake, McCann, Rust, and even guys like Marino, Tanev, Kahun, Blueger. It's just, well, pretty much everyone else.

I've always sort of viewed this as a transition kind of season. Way too many question marks up and down the lineup for me to really invest any kind of serious hope into us contending. I know, I know, the age old "as long as we have Sid and Geno" blah blah blah. These guys are several years into 30 now, they're not bad by any means but they're not the guys who are going to score 35pts in the playoffs anymore. They need much better support than JR has given them, and he should be busting his ass over the next 10 months or so to solve these problems. Instead, I fully expect him to stay the course, we'll lose Galchenyuk and Schultz for nothing this summer, and he'll put all his eggs in the Taylor Hall basket only to strike out and sign guys out of desperation that don't make sense.

BFD I'm just not there with you, yet.

This team is good. It passes the eye-test with flying colors in everything except the PP - and occasionally the overrated Matt Murray. This is not a continuation of last year's flailing.

Having said that, it's also possible that there are endemic issues with the team's shooting accuracy and philosophy and that their pitiful conversion rate on their myriad chances has some reality behind it and won't just regress to the mean. Thinking about the game yesterday again, I'm really starting to consider this possibility in which case we are stuck this year.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I'd claim Pirri personally

 

[Gurglesons]

I'd claim Pirri personally

That makes me seriously question his analytic metrics.

 

[vodeni]

Guenztel HAS to have an injury, right, like, he died, right? He is a ghost right now.

perfect Geno's linemate

 

[Peat]

Every winger in the league other than the Kanes and Panarins is a product of their C. Guentzel is fantastic but he's not in their league. Probably never will be. I don't think him struggling a little when downgrading from Sid to McCann should really be held against him or considered much of a surprise.

That said... I thought he was struggling a little before Sid went down anyway.

 

[Andy99]

BFD I'm just not there with you, yet.

This team is good. It passes the eye-test with flying colors in everything except the PP - and occasionally the overrated Matt Murray. This is not a continuation of last year's flailing.

Having said that, it's also possible that there are endemic issues with the team's shooting accuracy and philosophy and that their pitiful conversion rate on their myriad chances has some reality behind it and won't just regress to the mean. Thinking about the game yesterday again, I'm really starting to consider this possibility in which case we are stuck this year.

I do think Sully values shooting or creating shots in certain ways and for whatever reason we’re not really good at it...we don’t have anyone really good net front besides Horny, nor are we good at getting shots on net at longer distances and creating tips/deflections...we seem better at sniping it so far and off the rush...maybe we should play a less aggressive style, clog the NZ and DZ and create more TOs for rush opportunities

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

That makes me seriously question his analytic metrics.

First thing I thought as well.

I feel dirty now.

 

[Gurglesons]

Every winger in the league other than the Kanes and Panarins is a product of their C. Guentzel is fantastic but he's not in their league. Probably never will be. I don't think him struggling a little when downgrading from Sid to McCann should really be held against him or considered much of a surprise.

That said... I thought he was struggling a little before Sid went down anyway.

I imagine he probably is playing through a wrist or lower body injury.

 

[ChaosAgent]

Every winger in the league other than the Kanes and Panarins is a product of their C. Guentzel is fantastic but he's not in their league. Probably never will be. I don't think him struggling a little when downgrading from Sid to McCann should really be held against him or considered much of a surprise.

That said... I thought he was struggling a little before Sid went down anyway.

In fairness to Jake, so was Sid. Sid needs the time off. We just gotta tread water without him and Letang.

 

[Peat]

I imagine he probably is playing through a wrist or lower body injury.

General Penguinitis or more specific think he's not acting quite right in some way?

In fairness to Jake, so was Sid. Sid needs the time off. We just gotta tread water without him and Letang.

True, but there shouldn't be multiple games where I think Dominik Simon looked a better player than Guentzel when Simon wasn't playing awesomely himself. That's not on Sid not quite being Sid.

 

[Gurglesons]

General Penguinitis or more specific think he's not acting quite right in some way?



True, but there shouldn't be multiple games where I think Dominik Simon looked a better player than Guentzel when Simon wasn't playing awesomely himself. That's not on Sid not quite being Sid.

I’ve never considered Jake a perimeter player and he’s missing goals and passes he’d normally slam dunk with regularity.

Generally losing a ton of battles too. It just strikes me as odd.

 

[Peat]

I’ve never considered Jake a perimeter player and he’s missing goals and passes he’d normally slam dunk with regularity.

Generally losing a ton of battles too. It just strikes me as odd.

He went through a bad case of perimeter playerness the second season. But yeah, there did seem to be a point this season where he seemed to go overnight from heart and soul to perimeter. The misfiring on skill, that's probably just a funk to me, but the slight change in intensity, maybe that's an injury.

 

[Malkinstheman]

I wonder if Jake is having the same problem Rust did last year? Both were given big contracts and rust mentioned that it kind of put pressure on him.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Petts has been playing great as a 2nd pairing guy. He's not nearly as raw as you are suggesting.

If you want an offensive defenseman better than Schultz, you're paying them 7-9m a year.



I don't think he has been invisible. He was close to having one last night, and took one off the cross bar. He is having a harder time without Sid, but any player would. Jake is a phenomenal complementary player. I never expected him to keep up the same production without Sid.

Petts has had his fair share of absolute stinkers. He's not bad, and I like the player a lot, but let's pump the brakes before we overdo it. He's still developing and growing as a player. Dude's like two years younger than Jake.

 

[Peat]

I wonder if Jake is having the same problem Rust did last year? Both were given big contracts and rust mentioned that it kind of put pressure on him.

I wonder about that but remember also that Jake got his mid-season and celebrated by playing even better - and then started this season like he was shot out of a cannon. Maybe its preying on him now that things aren't going all his own way I guess.

 

[66-30-33]

What would Barrie cost us? he would do well here probably. Schultz out and Barrie in. Probably wont cost as much as he used to with a brutal season.

 

[JTG]

Petts has had his fair share of absolute stinkers. He's not bad, and I like the player a lot, but let's pump the brakes before we overdo it. He's still developing and growing as a player. Dude's like two years younger than Jake.

Not over doing it whatsoever. He is a middle pair defenseman right now. His age is irrelevant.

He will be paid like a middle pair defenseman next season.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Not over doing it whatsoever. He is a middle pair defenseman right now. His age is irrelevant.

He will be paid like a middle pair defenseman next season.

I mean, agree to disagree I guess. Dude has had some really rough nights this season. His age is absolutely relevant, I think he's still got some learning/developing to do and I don't think he's good enough offensively to be on the 2nd pairing with Marino moving forward.

 

[The Greatest 101]

What would Barrie cost us? he would do well here probably. Schultz out and Barrie in. Probably wont cost as much as he used to with a brutal season.

Does that make us better?