Salary Cap: The Salary Cap Thread | Trust me... nothing has changed.

[ColePens]

Is that directed towards me, because I've actually been at two of the games in the last two Stanley Cup Finals instead of on a message board playing a holier than thou act because a user disagrees with the fact you think we had a great summer.

And I was at games throughout the whole playoffs, too. I jump on right after because I don't run to the message boards only to complain. And if you follow along in the thread, you would know who i am talking about.

 

[Fordy]

I watched every second of the playoffs just like everyone else. I'm not sure how I'm baiting because I have high expectations for this team. Do you want me to be a robot like a lot of fans here and just agree with everything the Pens do?

The Pens have a core to win again next year. Management has not helped or improved this team at all so far this summer.

what forum do you think you're posting on where we just agree with whatever the pens do

i have chosen to trust jr at this point in time. is all

 

[Shady Machine]

I swear, my pages only have 10 posts on them any more thanks to all those I've put on ignore.

Congrats?

 

[ColePens]

You are giving JR until the deadline to find a 3C? Damn that's generous.

I would say a legit time where I would be impatient is January 1, 2018. Unless someone tears it up and buys us more time. And we know that's more than possible with our WBS kids.

 

[WheresRamziAbid]

Personally i couldn't care less about when it happened unless it hinders our ability to win the Stanley Cup. So unless we get to the point where our playoffs chances are in doubt i don't care until the TDL.

 

[Blynasty]

I would say a legit time where I would be impatient is January 1, 2018. Unless someone tears it up and buys us more time. And we know that's more than possible with our WBS kids.

If you look at it like we need to have 12 forwards regardless of where they piece into the mix and what positions they will play it is really all there.

1) Crosby
2) Malkin
3) Kessel
4) Guentzal
5) Hornqvist
6) Sheary
7) Rust
8) Hagelin
9) Rowney
10) Reaves
11) Kuhnhackl
12) Archibald
13) Sprong
14) ZAR

Now it is just a matter of who plays where, but 12 of those guys deserve to be in the NHL this year and two of them have the opportunity that they deserve it.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Congrats?

Did you say something?

 

[Tender Rip]

There's no meaningful deadline for evaluating JR on the 3C issue except end of the season.

Everyone would like to have a great solution signed right now. But reality is that our present cap-room shows that we could not have signed Bonino while making the RFA deals we did. JR seemed from be aware of that with saying already on July 2nd, that he'd get a 3C through trade.... and was comfortable waiting for the right deal to materialize even if that means having no C addition for the early goings of the season. He even made a point of referencing that Sully is OK with that as long as he Sid and Geno healthy.

Now.... we are obviously very vulnerable to a Sid or Geno injury right now. That is a fact. If that happens, one imagines that there is a certain amount of panic unless a WBS options or two blows our minds, and perhaps JR is forced to pay too much to plug a capable body in there. But that is what it is.

JR is making a calculated gamble here. Whether it proves smart or ill advised.... that is entirely up in the air. One should just know that he did not have a lot of options available to him. Both for cap-reasons and because of the expansion draft that sucked a number of C's from the market, there were very few relevant options. Further, we already have a large number of capable NHL'ers and budding prospects likely to make the cut too. We likely need to let someone go also to add someone real, hence a trade makes sense in any case.

Again, I am in no way disagreeing that having better C depth right now would be preferable. It sucked that Cullen chose Minny. But that being the case, I think JR is absolutely justified in keeping cool until A: the right option is there, B: there's reason to panic.

 

[BHD]

I think JR will trade for somebody, even if that player doesn't exactly fit the bill. So while expecting them to find 'that guy' by the deadline is being optimistic, they certainly aren't going to stand pat.

A so-so, UFA-to-be 3C > An OK but overpaid 3C on a long-term contract (Bonino).

 

[Ogrezilla]

My thing with the 3c is this: I would rather wait to get the right 3c than just take what we could get right now if it's not the the right 3c. Maybe it never happens, we'll have to wait and see.

Edit: what BHD said.

 

[Shady Machine]

Personally i couldn't care less about when it happened unless it hinders our ability to win the Stanley Cup. So unless we get to the point where our playoffs chances are in doubt i don't care until the TDL.

That's short sighted. Sid and Geno are amazing and Sid, in particular, stays in incredible shape, but they aren't robots. We need to bring in legit reinforcements to help keep them fresh.

 

[Pens x]

I think it's quite telling when certain users are nowhere to be found when we win a Cup.... but everywhere to be found when it's time to complain/*****/bait.

Or because it's extremely boring without the Steelers and Penguins right now. I didn't post much in the playoffs because I was at most of the games and/or watching west coast games.

 

[WheresRamziAbid]

That's short sighted. Sid and Geno are amazing and Sid, in particular, stays in incredible shape, but they aren't robots. We need to bring in legit reinforcements to help keep them fresh.

I dont care if its shortsighted.

AFAIC its not my problem, and im not gonna worry about something until its an actual problem.

I am fully confident that GMJR is doing everything he cant to get the right 3C here for this season. Until he fails, Im just gonna sit back and enjoy the ride. He's earned that benefit of the doubt from me.

 

[Empoleon8771]

The Penguins need another NHL center before the season starts, but I'm not going to get worried about who the 3C is until like January. Having Rowney as the 3C over someone like Lindberg isn't going to have a significant impact from October to December. They just need to get the 3C early enough for the guy to be comfortable in his position by the time the playoffs roll around.

 

[Pens x]

I dont care if its shortsighted.

AFAIC its not my problem, and im not gonna worry about something until its an actual problem.

I am fully confident that GMJR is doing everything he cant to get the right 3C here for this season. Until he fails, Im just gonna sit back and enjoy the ride. He's earned that benefit of the doubt from me.

So you have no problems with the 3C right now? Technically we could sign Tanner Glass and you wouldnt get upset because it's not s problem yet. You are just as shortsighted saying you don't care until it's a problem.

If you see a kitchen fire in your house are you going to sit there until half of the house is on fire before you do something?

 

[Empoleon8771]

If you think your house being on fire and the Penguins not having a 3C are equivalent issues, I don't think anyone here can help you come off the bridge.

 

[Shady Machine]

I dont care if its shortsighted.

AFAIC its not my problem, and im not gonna worry about something until its an actual problem.

I am fully confident that GMJR is doing everything he cant to get the right 3C here for this season. Until he fails, Im just gonna sit back and enjoy the ride. He's earned that benefit of the doubt from me.

I didn't say that I don't trust JR. I'm just saying that something can be a problem and not jeopardize their chance at the playoffs.

Relying on Sid and Geno to play 20+ minutes a night October - January because you have Rowney and McClement as your centers (assuming Mc is signed), likely keeps you in the playoff hunt, but it also creates an injury and fatigue risk that will rear it's head in March - June.

 

[Shady Machine]

If you think your house being on fire and the Penguins not having a 3C are equivalent issues, I don't think anyone here can help you come off the bridge.

Agreed. Pens x, I appreciate your concern, but you are way too dramatic about the issues. They are issues and ones I think a lot of posters are downplaying, but you aren't helping my cause

 

[Empoleon8771]

I didn't say that I don't trust JR. I'm just saying that something can be a problem and not jeopardize their chance at the playoffs.

Relying on Sid and Geno to play 20+ minutes a night October - January because you have Rowney and McClement as your centers (assuming Mc is signed), likely keeps you in the playoff hunt, but it also creates an injury and fatigue risk that will rear it's head in March - June.

Easy solution: just don't play Crosby and Malkin 20 minutes a night in October to January. If your 3C is Rowney, just use Rowney like a 3C. It's not rocket science. You don't have to allocate more minutes to Crosby and Malkin in November because your 3C sucks, because having a bad 3C isn't going to have a drastic impact on this team in November.

Let's say your 3C and 4C are Rowney and McClement, which is by far the worst case scenario IMO. Just play Crosby and Malkin 19 minutes a night (around what they played last year I think, I don't have the stats in front of me), Rowney like 12 minutes a game and McClement like 10 minutes a game.

 

[Shady Machine]

Easy solution: just don't play Crosby and Malkin 20 minutes a night in October to January. If your 3C is Rowney, just use Rowney like a 3C. It's not rocket science. You don't have to allocate more minutes to Crosby and Malkin in November because your 3C sucks, because having a bad 3C isn't going to have a drastic impact on this team in November.

Okay sure, you can do that and then your team is more likely to lose. I think Rowney at 3C and McClement at 4C is a pretty bad solution. You can survive with it, but in my view, it requires a much heavier load on Sid and Geno. You obviously disagree.

 

[Pens x]

Agreed. Pens x, I appreciate your concern, but you are way too dramatic about the issues. They are issues and ones I think a lot of posters are downplaying, but you aren't helping my cause

Haha right now a kitchen towel just caught of fire. You can put it out with a bottle of water. But we don't have the bottle of water, we have a cap full of water in Carter Rowney and Jay McClement.

 

[Pens x]

Okay sure, you can do that and then your team is more likely to lose. I think Rowney at 3C and McClement at 4C is a pretty bad solution. You can survive with it, but in my view, it requires a much heavier load on Sid and Geno. You obviously disagree.

Yes that is a good point. You don't want to ride Sid and Geno too hard because management has failed to do its job in a timely manner for the center slot.

I just think the third line center is crucial for this team since Geno always gets injured. Our fourth line is a dumpster fire so we can't also have an ineffective third line center. We rolled 4 great lines last season. As of today, we might be down to 2.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Okay sure, you can do that and then your team is more likely to lose. I think Rowney at 3C and McClement at 4C is a pretty bad solution. You can survive with it, but in my view, it requires a much heavier load on Sid and Geno. You obviously disagree.

"More likely to lose"

That's true, but the team is still really damn good in that scenario. You can play Crosby and Malkin the same ice time as what they got last year (say 20 for Crosby and 19 for Malkin) and then play Rowney 11 minutes a night and McClement 10 minutes a night. That's also the worst case scenario.

 

[WheresRamziAbid]

Haha right now a kitchen towel just caught of fire. You can put it out with a bottle of water. But we don't have the bottle of water, we have a cap full of water in Carter Rowney and Jay McClement.

No nothing is on fire.

I just dont panic when my gas tank is half empty. If im near a gas station i will fill up but im not making a special trip until my gas light goes off.

 

[SEALBound]

Agreed. Pens x, I appreciate your concern, but you are way too dramatic about the issues. They are issues and ones I think a lot of posters are downplaying, but you aren't helping my cause

The situation is even more funny when you consider Bonino's performance for 75% of the season in both years has people wanting him traded.