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

[Freeptop]

I'm not saying the team has this mentality. Some of the posters on this site seem to feel this way. We won back to back cups! What more do you want?!

I doubt the team feels the same way. Hopefully Jimmy realizes he might have been a little too passive this summer and makes some trades sooner rather than later. I'd hate to handicap this team for months while Jimmy waits for the perfect deal.

Yeah, pretty much, though I'd point out that it's pretty hard to make trades with people who are all off on vacation, so being "passive this summer" isn't exactly all by choice right now.

All this worry over the third line center seems premature - right now, JR appears to be trying to find the right player to give them the best shot at a three-peat. If he wasn't worried about that, he could have just signed a free agent off the scrap heap or traded for a lesser player. If you want the team to go for a third straight Cup, the fact that JR hasn't made a move yet shouldn't be a sign that the team isn't trying to do so. Particularly when he's stated many times that his intention is to acquire one.

From my point of view - I have no control over anything with the team. I'm pretty happy with two straight Cups. I'd love to see the Pens get a third straight one, but I don't see it as being terribly realistic for it to happen, so I just don't see the point of stressing over it.

 

[SEALBound]

Is that supposed to make me impressed that Geno had to have them as his wingers? I'm not really sure what your point it.

So you agree with it? Again, not sure what you're getting it.

There was no point to that response. Just merely a fact about that team.

Don't agree with. Was saying it was dumb logic just like using Jake at 3C is.

 

[Shady Machine]

There was no point to that response. Just merely a fact about that team.

Don't agree with. Was saying it was dumb logic just like using Jake at 3C is.

Ah okay

Sorry if my reading comprehension is off today. It's been quite a week so far.

 

[Blynasty]

Sheary - Crosby - Hornqvist
Wilson - Malkin - Rust
Hagelin - Guentzal - Kessel
Kuhnhackl - Rowney - Reaves


I get that Jake goes well with Sid, but so does Sheary and it seems like a waste to have Hornqvist playing 3rd or 4th line minutes. If Jake can't handle the center position than you move him back, but the kid has been full of surprises his entire career and just seems to be getting better. Having Hagelin and Kessel on your line doesn't hurt either.

 

[SEALBound]

Sheary - Crosby - Hornqvist
Wilson - Malkin - Rust
Hagelin - Guentzal - Kessel
Kuhnhackl - Rowney - Reaves


I get that Jake goes well with Sid, but so does Sheary and it seems like a waste to have Hornqvist playing 3rd or 4th line minutes. If Jake can't handle the center position than you move him back, but the kid has been full of surprises his entire career and just seems to be getting better. Having Hagelin and Kessel on your line doesn't hurt either.

While I do not disagree, I believe the much more likely scenario for this is if Sprong or ZAR make the team right out of camp.

Sheary-Sid-Rust
Sprong-Malkin-Horny
Hags-Jake-Kessel
Wilson-Rowns-Reaves

 

[mpp9]

We're kinda short on top 6 LWs. If we're going after some cheaply 3C, bring the guy in if you think there's a good chance he fits.

 

[Shady Machine]

We're only short of top 6 LW's because we are playing Sheary and Guentzel with Sid. If you split them up, there's your LW's. Add in ZAR as a potential LW'er and plenty of depth in Rust, Hagelin, Wilson. Plus you can try Sprong on LW. I'm not bringing in a player to have to waive or trade another one unless that player is a definite upgrade.

 

[SEALBound]

We're kinda short on top 6 LWs. If we're going after some cheaply 3C, bring the guy in if you think there's a good chance he fits.

We have as many LWs as RWs

RWs: Sheary, Rust, Hornqvist, Kessel, Wilson, Kuhnhackl, Reaves, Sprong, Rowney

LWs: Sheary, Guentzel, Hagelin, Rust, Wilson, Kuhnhackl, Sprong, ZAR, Rowney

Lots of guys can play both sides and have in the past. Kuhnhackl, Rust, and Sheary have played both sides. Sprong, it's been said, can play both sides.

There's enough to make 4 very nice wing pairs.

 

[Gurglesons]

We're kinda short on top 6 LWs. If we're going after some cheaply 3C, bring the guy in if you think there's a good chance he fits.

If you are going to potential give Rowney a slot in the bottom six, why would we not assume Guentzel, Hagelin and Wilson could 't make up our top nine. Wilson is a far better player than Rowney and Kuhnhackl proved in 2016, he is a solid if not vanilla 4th liner that is good at scoring on the PK.

 

[Ogrezilla]

We're kinda short on top 6 LWs. If we're going after some cheaply 3C, bring the guy in if you think there's a good chance he fits.

We have 4 top 6 Lws if you count rust. 3 otherwise.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

We're kinda short on top 6 LWs. If we're going after some cheaply 3C, bring the guy in if you think there's a good chance he fits.

Guentzel, Hagelin, Rust, and Wilson are our current (projected) LWers. Even if Rust is played at RW on Crosby's line, that just means Sheary is shifted back to his natural LW.

The only position we're currently short at it center. We've got more wingers (LW and RW) than we know what to do with.

 

[billybudd]

I hate this mentality. Why do you want to just settle because they won back to back cups? They still have a great roster despite a putrid offseason by management. I don't understand why people are essentially just throwing in the towel. This team is still better than any other eastern conference team. You make the necessary moves and you go for it all again. If they don't make it and run out of gas, oh well. But let's at least try. I don't understand the attitude of just hopefully a center option becomes available later in the season, our roster is fine until then! Do you really expect any of these AHL guys to actually make an impact?

Considering you find the Penguins recent work "depressing," I can't say I'm shocked by this, exactly.

 

[WayneSid9987]

For anyone that has seen Blueger play more than like 5 games in the AHL, who does he even compare to? Strengths? Weaknesses? Does he put sugar in his coffee or does he drink it manly like?

He's solid defensively in the A. And isn't afraid to mix things up in the Ozone. ie. get in there and battle for pucks. He does have some offensive skill too.
For me, to get to the next level, he needs to gain a little more strength and quickness. Thats where a more matured Rowney has him beat.

 

[Pens x]

Considering you find the Penguins recent work "depressing," I can't say I'm shocked by this, exactly.

The Pens' offseason certainly hasn't been joyful. It's all up hill from here, I hope.

 

[mpp9]

We have 4 top 6 Lws if you count rust. 3 otherwise.

Quality top 6 LWs. I count Guentzel as the only guy who fits that description who works with Malkin. And he's with Sid or possibly a stopgap 3C. Sheary doesn't work with 71. And Rust is a high end 3rd liner. Not someone you want flanking 71 all season.

If we get an impact 3C, we can go back to 3 scoring lines and in that setup, I'm cool with the LW depth chart being our only real weakness.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Quality top 6 LWs. I count Guentzel as the only guy who fits that description who works with Malkin. And he's with Sid or possibly a stopgap 3C. Sheary doesn't work with 71. And Rust is a high end 3rd liner. Not someone you want flanking 71 all season.

If we get an impact 3C, we can go back to 3 scoring lines and in that setup, I'm cool with the LW depth chart being our only real weakness.

When has sheary really spent time with malkin? And rust is good with malkin. And hagelin. I just straight up disagree.

 

[Pens x]

He's solid defensively in the A. And isn't afraid to mix things up in the Ozone. ie. get in there and battle for pucks. He does have some offensive skill too.
For me, to get to the next level, he needs to gain a little more strength and quickness. Thats where a more matured Rowney has him beat.

His [Blueger] numbers aren't impressive in comparison to a lot of these prospects. He is average size and weight. How does he stand out at all compared to the other mediocre prospects? As always, posters are severely overrating prospects on this site.

 

[ColePens]

The Pens' offseason certainly hasn't been joyful. It's all up hill from here, I hope.

Winning a Cup isn't joyful? Not re-signing old names to keep the band together isn't joyful?

YIKES.

 

[Empoleon8771]

There are multiple lineup options I could post right now where the wingers fit with the centers and the line would work well. The Penguins aren't at all short on wingers, they're just not. If you're concerned with how anyone but Guentzel fits with Malkin, play Guentzel with Malkin and Sheary with Crosby. Or move Rust to LW and play Rust-Malkin-Kessel as your 2nd line. Or reunite Hagelin-Malkin-Kessel. I'd be concerned if the Penguins 2nd option after Guentzel was Wilson, not Rust or Hagelin.

I'd be happy with any of these top-9s:

Guentzel-Crosby-Sheary
Rust-Malkin-Kessel
Hagelin-3C-Hornqvist

Guentzel-Crosby-Hornqvist/Rust
Hagelin-Malkin-Kessel
Sheary-3C-Rust/Hornqvist

Sheary-Crosby-Hornqvist
Guentzel-Malkin-Rust
Hagelin-3C-Kessel

Guentzel-Crosby-Sheary
Hagelin-Malkin-Hornqvist
Rust-3C-Kessel

I could make more, but you get the point. Those also don't include Sprong, which I could make a few more top-9s I'd like. You can make any wing combination of Rust, Hornqvist and Hagelin with Sheary or Guentzel for Crosby's line and have it be effective, and just replace Sheary with Kessel in that for Malkin's line.

The only things I think you really can't do are play Sheary and Kessel together and you should try to avoid Hornqvist and Hagelin together (the combination works, it's just putting too much on the center). But that's really about it.

 

[Gurglesons]

Winning a Cup isn't joyful? Not re-signing old names to keep the band together isn't joyful?

YIKES.

I mean, you're honestly being just as bad as Pens X about this.

The reality is in the middle right? It is awesome we have back to back cups and the majority of our major players in the playoffs tied up to solid deals. At the same time, it sucks that Rutherford has been less than proactive in preparing a roster that can repeat without a couple of costly moves, right?

 

[Gurglesons]

There are multiple lineup options I could post right now where the wingers fit with the centers and the line would work well. The Penguins aren't at all short on wingers, they're just not. If you're concerned with how anyone but Guentzel fits with Malkin, play Guentzel with Malkin and Sheary with Crosby. Or move Rust to LW and play Rust-Malkin-Kessel as your 2nd line. Or reunite Hagelin-Malkin-Kessel. I'd be concerned if the Penguins 2nd option after Guentzel was Wilson, not Rust or Hagelin.

I'd be happy with any of these top-9s:

Guentzel-Crosby-Sheary
Rust-Malkin-Kessel
Hagelin-3C-Hornqvist

Guentzel-Crosby-Hornqvist/Rust
Hagelin-Malkin-Kessel
Sheary-3C-Rust/Hornqvist

Sheary-Crosby-Hornqvist
Guentzel-Malkin-Rust
Hagelin-3C-Kessel

Guentzel-Crosby-Sheary
Hagelin-Malkin-Hornqvist
Rust-3C-Kessel

I could make more, but you get the point. Those also don't include Sprong, which I could make a few more top-9s I'd like. You can make any wing combination of Rust, Hornqvist and Hagelin with Sheary or Guentzel for Crosby's line and have it be effective, and just replace Sheary with Kessel in that for Malkin's line.

Yeah, it is pretty crazy that like two years ago we would have been happy with Shero's drafting turning out a Wilson like player.

Now we have Rust, Sheary, Kuhn, Guentzel, and Archibald of that could play in our line-up and flirt with at the very minimum 20 pats.

When Carl Hagelin is your potential worst winger in your top 9 you can't really complain.

 

[Rufus]

The Pens' offseason certainly hasn't been joyful. It's all up hill from here, I hope.

I mean, outside of not having a 3C, what was so bad about it?

 

[ColePens]

I mean, you're honestly being just as bad as Pens X about this.

The reality is in the middle right? It is awesome we have back to back cups and the majority of our major players in the playoffs tied up to solid deals. At the same time, it sucks that Rutherford has been less than proactive in preparing a roster that can repeat without a couple of costly moves, right?

If you say so. Sure. I clearly don't agree with you. Proactive could mean many things. You have no clue what is going on behind the scenes. You just don't. I'd rather him wait then go spend out of his mind for a marginal guy.

He could be on the phone daily for Duchene. He could be calling GMs. He could have a list of 3-4 guys he's ready to throw in big for. You do not know a single thing. And I think we have to give him the benefit of the doubt. Why would we not?

 

[Empoleon8771]

Yeah, it is pretty crazy that like two years ago we would have been happy with Shero's drafting turning out a Wilson like player.

Now we have Rust, Sheary, Kuhn, Guentzel, and Archibald of that could play in our line-up and flirt with at the very minimum 20 pats.

When Carl Hagelin is your potential worst winger in your top 9 you can't really complain.

We were, his name was Beau Bennett. Although that's probably unfair to Wilson, at least Wilson put up a full season at close to 30 points.

It's kinda crazy looking back on it, people were crazy about Bennett in like 2013-2014 and 2014-2015, and now Scott Wilson as a rookie already beat Bennett's best. Wilson's never even going to have a top-9 spot here, and he's already beat Bennett's best when Bennett had basically no competition for a top-6 spot.

 

[ColePens]

I mean, outside of not having a 3C, what was so bad about it?

Won the Cup (again) - Check
Signed up our RFAs - Check.
Didn't get stuck keeping the band together - Check


Only 2 things that stand out are no 3C, which I'm fine with right now. I don't know if I would have wanted to give Bones 4M. So I'm fine. The Cullen thing is a bummer... but I get it. He was legit the best 4C we could have.