Salary Cap: Salary Cap & Roster Building - Locked in until July

[Empoleon8771]

Because what happens if you pass on the BPA for him, and he either A) doesn't make the team for 4+ seasons or B) doesn't pan out at all or C) does make the team, but is only ever a 6/7D?

Pick the BPA. IF they make the team within a couple of seasons, great. IF they take 4 years, but turn into a star, that too is great. But picking someone because you think that they're one of the closest to being "NHL ready" and having those sort of expectations on them (playing in the NHL in 2 years), you're doing both them and the team a disservice.

What if the BPA does the same and ends up a bust? You're making up a scenario to say that taking someone closer to NHL ready is a bad thing. What if he ends up in the NHL next year and plays a huge role for the Penguins, while the "BPA" they picked ends up a bust. Would it still have been a bad move to take Durzi there?

Drafting is such a crapshoot in the first place, so I'd rather take the guy who can play in the pros immediately over a 18 year old USHL prospect that's viewed as the "BPA".

 

[cheesedanish87]

How do you know he is? Because as you said, we haven't gotten a chance to see him, you certainly can't go into next season depending on him to be an effective 4C. 4W? Sure. Because if for some reason he can't hack it, we have other guys who can fill that W spot. But it's different at center. If we lose one of Brassard or Sheahan, we absolutely need to bring someone in who can fill the role of the guy who left, and that cannot be someone who's never played an NHL game yet.

I don't know if Blueger is an NHL player.

I also don't know if Sprong is an NHL player.

But you gotta give them a chance to see what you have in them.

Both players were 2nd round picks, both players had good years at WB last year, its time to see what they can do.

And the Pens opening night roster is never the same after the deadline, if Blueger and Sprong aren't ready or aren't NHL players JR can try to fix the roster holes before the trade deadline.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

New comments from Rutherford to Yohe in advance of the draft.

Yohe: Jim Rutherford pulling the trigger on a trade feels...

The highlights:
- Rutherford says he doesn't feel forced to do anything on defense but that doesn't mean he won't.
- Really believes Letang will turn things around. Yohe also says Rutherford considers Dumoulin too valuable to move and that he really likes Maatta. The Penguins also highly value Schultz as Letang insurance and for his work on the PP.
- Oleksiak is a priority to re-sign as an RFA and the Pens think he has more improvement coming.
- Change is more likely to come to forwards. Rutherford wants more balance and depth.
- Daniel Sprong and Zach Aston-Reese will be in the lineup next year
- If Rutherford is going to make a trade, he'd like to do it in the summer rather than wait until closer to the deadline like he did last year.
“That’s my preference,” Rutherford said. “But I’m not going to make a trade just to make one. If something makes sense, then we’ll do it. But I don’t feel the absolute need to do something. We’re already a contender and I know that. But yes, I’d like to do something to make us even better.”
- Not every RFA will be back. They're not going to sacrifice someone they value highly to bring everyone back. “We’ll see,” he said. “We have to be careful. We can’t put ourselves in a position where we have too much money locked up. We don’t want to lose a player that we want to keep in the next couple of years.”

Me reading between the lines:
- Bryan Rust, Riley Sheahan and Jamie Oleksiak look like priorities in RFA. But could Rust be moved if he's too expensive? Or Sheahan?
- Goodbye Tom Kuhnhackl and Dominik Simon?
- Trading Phil Kessel doesn't seem to be a move someone makes if they're looking to improve scoring depth
- Trading Conor Sheary and Matt Hunwick - even though Rutherford says he thinks Hunwick will improve - on the other hand, seems like a move to free up space to acquire depth

If so, you'd have the following:
Guentzel - Crosby - Hornqvist
Hagelin - Malkin - Sprong
TBD - Brassard - Kessel
Aston Reese - Sheahan - Rust

With the caveat that more moves could be coming.

Could be an interesting week.

 

[Peat]

Sure but do you have any examples? There weren't many centers moving at the deadline.

Eric Fehr (boy would he have been happy mind), Nick Shore and Pleks all moved that deadline, first two for a 7th. Letestu moved for a 4th (wouldn't have been that happy tbf).

Plus we don't know what might have shaken lose if Rutherford had gone hard for the 4C option rather than the Brassard option, although I'm guessing he was far more into finding a Brassard-like player than a 4C or Sheahan-esque 3C.

Seem to recall JGP was seen as just as likely as Brassard too... dunno if he'd have been cheaper.

 

[Riptide]

Is there anything new from JR here or is it the same stuff he has been saying?

"Sprong will be on the team next year. So will ZAR. They're young, we'll get energy from them."

Not really anything new re Sprong, but I was surprised that JR was that firm about ZAR.

Edit. Also of note: Pens will not have contract talks with Guentzel this summer.

 

[cheesedanish87]

Is there anything new from JR here or is it the same stuff he has been saying?

The interesting quotes as far as i'm concerned

Rutherford is probably more likely to change things up with his forwards. He’s very pleased with his blue line:

• The Penguins will not have any contract talks with Jake Guentzel this summer. He is scheduled to become a restricted free agent after the 2018-19 season.

• Rutherford plans on signing some of his team’s restricted free agents — Oleksiak and Sheahan are the most prominent among them — but can’t guarantee signing all of them.


I thought it was interesting Yohe didn't mention Rust being one of the prominent RFA, it makes me wonder if hes trade bait.

 

[Kasperi kapanen]

Would anyone be opposed to trading Maatta for the Blackhawks 1st+prospect or Dallas 1st+prospect, then sign De Haan or Moore? Even though Maatta is better than those two, they can really skate and they fit our system much much better.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

Would anyone be opposed to trading Maatta for the Blackhawks 1st+prospect or Dallas 1st+prospect, then sign De Haan or Moore? Even though Maatta is better than those two, they can really skate and they fit our system much much better.

Pens aren't trading Maatta.

 

[Shady Machine]

Eric Fehr (boy would he have been happy mind), Nick Shore and Pleks all moved that deadline, first two for a 7th. Letestu moved for a 4th (wouldn't have been that happy tbf).

Plus we don't know what might have shaken lose if Rutherford had gone hard for the 4C option rather than the Brassard option, although I'm guessing he was far more into finding a Brassard-like player than a 4C or Sheahan-esque 3C.

Seem to recall JGP was seen as just as likely as Brassard too... dunno if he'd have been cheaper.

Pleks is the only one that fit what we were looking for.

It's fair to question it in hindsight, but I still think that was a hell of a trade by JR, at least from an asset and value perspective. He gambled going after the big fish and it didn't work out for a Cup, but we still have the guy for this year as a valuable trade chip at the very least. I'll take my GM making those kind of moves every time.

 

[Kasperi kapanen]

Pens aren't trading Maatta.

You sound so certain.

 

[Shady Machine]

Total bummer that he really likes his blueline. I personally think that's of bigger concern than the forwards.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Edit. Also of note: Pens will not have contract talks with Guentzel this summer.

I actually don't think this is a bad call by them. Guentzel's coming off an insane playoff run, he could ask for more money based on that run. If the Penguins wait, maybe Guentzel explodes, but would his asking price be really different if he explodes next year versus right now, when he's coming off the playoff run he just had?

Rutherford is probably more likely to change things up with his forwards. He’s very pleased with his blue line:

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Total bummer that he really likes his blueline. I personally think that's of bigger concern than the forwards.

Individually, I don't mind the blueline. But the mix just seems off.

 

[Gurglesons]

Total bummer that he really likes his blueline. I personally think that's of bigger concern than the forwards.

According to Yohe he LOVES Olli Maatta and he said Hunwick will easily bounce back.

Hgghhgghhhhhhhhuhghhhuhhjhhhhhh

 

[DesertedPenguin]

You sound so certain.

Rutherford loves Olli Maatta.
Yohe: Jim Rutherford pulling the trigger on a trade feels...

 

[Empoleon8771]

Reading between the lines of these 3 points:

1. Sprong and ZAR will both be on the team next year
2. The Penguins wanting to improve their balance and depth
3. Yohe not mentioning Rust as a prominent RFA

That makes me think Rust is going to be used as a trade chip for a LW, and the Domi idea wasn't just JR really wanting Domi. You can read "balance" as either RW/LW balance or scoring/grinding balance, and I think either would fit with Rust. Rust for Domi fits both of those.

 

[Kasperi kapanen]

Rutherford loves Olli Maatta.
Yohe: Jim Rutherford pulling the trigger on a trade feels...

Yea he prolly loves a lot of players. Doesn’t mean they wouldn’t be traded.

 

[cheesedanish87]

JR not committing to signing his RFA besides Sheahan and Olek.

The only other RFA on the team are

Rust
Kuhn
Simon

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Olli Maatta is a huge problem, and that problem will only get worse as the league shifts to a more speed-oriented, skilled style. The NHL is and has always been a copycat league, and with the success the Penguins and Knights have had over the past several years, you know for damn sure more teams are gonna prefer speed and skill. Maatta's gonna get torched nightly.

 

[Empoleon8771]

JR not committing to signing his RFA besides Sheahan and Olek.

The only other RFA on the team are

Rust
Kuhn
Simon

It's making more and more sense to believe that the Penguins actually did offer Rust and Simon to Arizona for Domi if you're going to read it like they don't view re-signing Rust as a priority. It also jives with the "balance" idea, whether you're talking about RW/LW balance or skilled/grinder balance.

Olli Maatta is a huge problem, and that problem will only get worse as the league shifts to a more speed-oriented, skilled style. The NHL is and has always been a copycat league, and with the success the Penguins and Knights have had over the past several years, you know for damn sure more teams are gonna prefer speed and skill. Maatta's gonna get torched nightly.

Actually, if teams copy the Capitals going forward, that may be good for Maatta.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

According to Yohe he LOVES Olli Maatta and he said Hunwick will easily bounce back.

Hgghhgghhhhhhhhuhghhhuhhjhhhhhh

I think Rutherford is just pumping Hunwick's tires.

The Maatta stuff is real. I've read multiple stories about Maatta's high hockey IQ and that the coaching staff values his ability to play with multiple partners. Yes, he has issues with his speed. But he was very solid last year overall.

 

[cheesedanish87]

• Rutherford plans on signing some of his team’s restricted free agents — Oleksiak and Sheahan are the most prominent among them — but can’t guarantee signing all of them.

“We’ll see,” he said. “We have to be careful. We can’t put ourselves in a position where we have too much money locked up. We don’t want to lose a player that we want to keep in the next couple of years.”

He has to be talking about Rust.

Rust is the only other RFA that will make any money.

 

[Ugene Magic]

He is fine with the defense bothers me, whether he feels those guy will turn it around or not there's still no depth there to be had.

I get why he'd say that about Letang and Oleksiak will give more, but Hunwick and Ruh I just don't get it. He doesn't want to go the TDL way but somehow he feels he has depth at D?

Dumoulin, Letang
Maatta, Schultz
Oleksiak, _?_

Depth - Hunwick/Ruhwedel

Crazy talk.

 

[Peat]

Would anyone be opposed to trading Maatta for the Blackhawks 1st+prospect or Dallas 1st+prospect, then sign De Haan or Moore? Even though Maatta is better than those two, they can really skate and they fit our system much much better.

I would want a higher price because I'd totally be happy with rolling around with 5 top4 worth dmen.

Pleks is the only one that fit what we were looking for.

It's fair to question it in hindsight, but I still think that was a hell of a trade by JR, at least from an asset and value perspective. He gambled going after the big fish and it didn't work out for a Cup, but we still have the guy for this year as a valuable trade chip at the very least. I'll take my GM making those kind of moves every time.

People were questioning it before as well. I know I was. It was one hell of a trade, but I still wonder whether it was the smartest use of assets when Sheahan was doing really well for us. Given the way the injuries fell, I don't think we can ever know for sure just how wise it was that year.

I do find it odd, that with all the talk about Rutherford wanting absolute killer 3Cs, that now we've got one he's supposedly on the trade block. Obviously I get why, but it is odd at the same time.

 

[Gurglesons]

I think Rutherford is just pumping Hunwick's tires.

The Maatta stuff is real. I've read multiple stories about Maatta's high hockey IQ and that the coaching staff values his ability to play with multiple partners. Yes, he has issues with his speed. But he was very solid last year overall.

I wish I lived in a world where Olli Maatta was a solid defenseman.