Salary Cap: Season starts soon!

[PensPlz]

Can Scuds be sent to the AHL? I'm pretty sure he can't be moved, but some people are insisting he can be.

 

[Deutschland Dangler]

Can Scuds be sent to the AHL? I'm pretty sure he can't be moved, but some people are insisting he can be.

The only way we'll ever know is if he actually gets sent down at some point.

 

[mpp9]

The second line is sort of a strange situation that's difficult to answer. Ideally, you'd want a range shooter, preferably one that can skate, but Perron's the closest thing we've got to that and he's our slowest forward, which makes that line awful slow.

I understand why people are jumping the gun with keeping Sprong as he might make sense in a few years...but that's in a few years. Until then, it might be a game of musical chairs. There's not an obvious shoe to put on that foot. Maybe if Cullen wasn't 49 years old.

Ill take someone who can work give and gos with 71. That could be any number of players.

 

[DearDiary]

The discussion about Johnston using Perron on the wrong side... do you guys honestly think he's ignorantly flipping positions without discussing it with Perron? That Johnston just thought "oh I'll put Perron the RW even though I have no idea if he can and how he will play there"?

And does it really matter if Perron is the 3rd line RW to start? All it means is he needs to work hard to prove he belongs in the top 6, which he is capable of doing.

 

[SEALBound]

Can Scuds be sent to the AHL? I'm pretty sure he can't be moved, but some people are insisting he can be.

Yes he can. AFAIN, he has an 8 team no trade clause. That's not a no movement clause which says they can't send you down.

NTC Limited = 8 teams he can say no to
NMC = can't be sent down.

Scuds has a Limited NTC, not a NMC. They are exclusive too. One doesn't encompass the other. He absolutely can be waived and sent down.

 

[Deutschland Dangler]

Scuds has a Limited NTC, not a NMC. They are exclusive too. One doesn't encompass the other. He absolutely can be waived and sent down.

Was this ever confirmed anywhere?

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

The discussion about Johnston using Perron on the wrong side... do you guys honestly think he's ignorantly flipping positions without discussing it with Perron? That Johnston just thought "oh I'll put Perron the RW even though I have no idea if he can and how he will play there"?

And does it really matter if Perron is the 3rd line RW to start? All it means is he needs to work hard to prove he belongs in the top 6, which he is capable of doing.

Realistically what is a player suppose to say about that, though?

"Nah, coach... I don't think so. I'm a left wing. That's what I play. Cram it with walnuts, ugly."

You think Malkin LIKES to play left wing?

The second part I kind of agree with. If they are proving some sort of point with Perron and so long as they are being HONEST with their evaluations... he shouldn't have any problem working his way into the top six. Even if he doesn't start there.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

The discussion about Johnston using Perron on the wrong side... do you guys honestly think he's ignorantly flipping positions without discussing it with Perron? That Johnston just thought "oh I'll put Perron the RW even though I have no idea if he can and how he will play there"?

And does it really matter if Perron is the 3rd line RW to start? All it means is he needs to work hard to prove he belongs in the top 6, which he is capable of doing.

I think it's a matter of defense vs. offense. I think Perron believes he can be a better offensive winger if he's on his off-wing (left), while Johnston believes he can be a better defensive winger on his natural side (right).

Since JR has set the tone for this entire season with his moves and his fairly vocal philosophy about a four-line attack, I believe Johnston is making the wrong choice here.

This coach needs to be 'all-in' with JR's philosophy, or else he'll be unemployed by December.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

This HAS to be lip service. It simply has to be.

It better be lip service. Because otherwise, this ...

"Rob, the staple of his game is great positional play. Really sound choices defensively. He moves the puck well out of our zone but I thought last year, he got up a little more into the rush. He did a little more on the offensive blue line. We want him to keep his core foundation [and] like any other player, try and add to it. But penalty killing, he's a top guy for sure. Anytime if we're into the season where you're playing match-ups, he's a good match-up guy against top players because he always has prime ice. He always seals people out. He's a good box-out guy down low. Those are his strengths."

...doesn't sound like the analysis of someone who actually understands what he's watching out there. And as much as I question Johnston's ultimate potential as a good NHL coach, I don't think he's *that* out to lunch.

I mean, right?

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Probably. But that's what we kept telling ourselves about Disco for years.

"Surely he isn't this dumb. Surely there is a point to all this."

It's not out of the question to get two duds in a row. At least MJ doesn't make me want to carve my ears out with a melon baller whenever he's giving an interview or press conference.

 

[steveg]

The second line is sort of a strange situation that's difficult to answer. Ideally, you'd want a range shooter, preferably one that can skate, but Perron's the closest thing we've got to that and he's our slowest forward, which makes that line awful slow.

You keep referring to all these "issues" with Perron; I get that you don't like him. However, is it really correct to say he's our slowest forward? I didn't watch him much in his career prior to coming to the Pens, but I hadn't heard this being a knock on him prior to you saying this. I DO recall him saying that he was injured last summer, and thus couldn't work on his conditioning, such that by the end of the season he was essentially "out of gas." Thus, he focused on it (conditioning) this summer, along with alot of power skating, so as to be in a much better place this season.

Is your assessment of him being "our slowest forward" a legitimate complaint, that has been the case with him throughout his career, or is this your view based on a small sample size with the Pens last year?

For instance, here's a quote from one SI article, that I found with a quick google search, which confirms my impressions of Perron i.e. that I'd never heard him referred to as being "slow." This, from when he was traded to Edmonton; the article specifically mentions his SPEED as being an asset to Edmonton...

But while Perron's speed makes him a natural fit for Edmonton's high-flying top six, he doesn't fit the team's clear need for a power forward, grit and experience on the bottom six or a reliable, two-way defenseman.

http://www.si.com/nhl/home-ice/2013/07/10/st-louis-blues-trade-david-perron-to-edmonton-oilers

 

[mpp9]

Yeah I think Bonino is definitely slower. Players with similar speed are probably PH, Plotnikov, Bennett.

I think Billy's right though that Perron with a half step more is a significantly more dangerous player. If he hast that this season, then we're in business.

 

[Deutschland Dangler]

...doesn't sound like the analysis of someone who actually understands what he's watching out there. And as much as I question Johnston's ultimate potential as a good NHL coach, I don't think he's *that* out to lunch.

I certainly don't remember Scuderi being matched up against top lines last year. So it seems somewhat unlikely that he really thinks that.

 

[steveg]

Yeah I think Bonino is definitely slower. Players with similar speed are probably PH, Plotnikov, Bennett.

I think Billy's right though that Perron with a half step more is a significantly more dangerous player. If he hast that this season, then we're in business.

Yeah, I was thinking that last year, he and PH were similar, speed-wise, along with Bennett (though he was also wearing two knee braces). Bennett should be faster with his better conditioning and losing the two knee braces, but I also expect Perron to be faster as well, given his focus on conditioning and skating this summer. I don't think it's fair to call him "slow," but that's just me. billybudd seems to be excessively critical of Perron, IMO, but to each his own.

 

[steveg]

I certainly don't remember Scuderi being matched up against top lines last year. So it seems somewhat unlikely that he really thinks that.

That whole thing simply didn't make sense. I don't get it. CERTAINLY, MJ had to see his inability with the puck (as opposed to someone good at getting the puck out of the zone, or good at joining the rush, as MJ claimed of Scuds), and certainly he doesn't truly believe that Scuds' lack of speed and physicality are traits you want in someone you intend to match up against top players...

That's one of the most "off" anaylses I've seen a coach give, about one of their own players...

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I certainly don't remember Scuderi being matched up against top lines last year. So it seems somewhat unlikely that he really thinks that.

That, along with the stuff about being good at moving the puck out of the defensive zone, just seems like weird things to make up just to pump up Scuderi.

I mean, even if you're just trying to give him props and not say "yeah, he sucks", MJ could have stuck with the comments about Scuderi being "solid positionally" or "good on the PK". You know, things that he is, or at one time, was actually good at. I just don't get outright making things up that Scuderi's clearly not good at.

 

[JTG]

And neither is he fully developed.

He's way more developed than Kapanen was last season, and people were talking about keeping him around.

Not saying he's a finished product, but he's not that far off. He has awesome puck poise for an 18 year old, his speed is NHL level, his shot is NHL level, and he has shown some pretty good vision thus far.

 

[steveg]

That, along with the stuff about being good at moving the puck out of the defensive zone, just seems like weird things to make up just to pump up Scuderi.

I mean, even if you're just trying to give him props and not say "yeah, he sucks", MJ could have stuck with the comments about Scuderi being "solid positionally" or "good on the PK". You know, things that he is, or at one time, was actually good at. I just don't get outright making things up that Scuderi's clearly not good at.

Exactly what I thought when I read that...fine, pump his tires, but to literally praise him in some of the areas he is actually WEAKEST in? I don't get it...

 

[SEALBound]

He's way more developed than Kapanen was last season, and people were talking about keeping him around.

Not saying he's a finished product, but he's not that far off. He has awesome puck poise for an 18 year old, his speed is NHL level, his shot is NHL level, and he has shown some pretty good vision thus far.

Unless Sundqvist just absolutely kills it, I would love for him to get a cup of coffee when the season starts. He won't stay but a couple NHL games just to see what we have in him could be a real confidence booster for him. Him and Sundy can switch off.

 

[Riptide]

Time will tell if they are committed to the 4 line model. You pick the guys that fit best with Crosby/Kessel and Malkin/Hornqvist, and then flesh out the remaining lines accordingly. Being on line 1 or line 4 isnt really as important as how many minutes each line and player get, and what situations they are employed in. If the 4th line is playing 12-15 minutes a night, is it really a 4th line?

Both lines (3 & 4) will be hard pressed to top 13/14 minutes. The moment lines 3/4 top 11 minutes means lines 1/2 are under 19 minutes. 12 minutes means they're under 18 minutes. Sorry, but I do not want to see them playing that much. Crosby and Malkin should be between 18 and 20 minutes depending on how the game is going.

 

[mpp9]

After watching tonight's game, this team still has close to nada in the minors to call up. Even Sundqvist was pretty meh.

The guy playing in NA for the first time was our best player. All the more reason to give Sprong as much opportunity as possible in camp. Cut the rest of the minor leaguers so we can see players who legitimately have a chance to be in the NHL soon.

 

[billybudd]

You keep referring to all these "issues" with Perron; I get that you don't like him. However, is it really correct to say he's our slowest forward? I didn't watch him much in his career prior to coming to the Pens, but I hadn't heard this being a knock on him prior to you saying this. I DO recall him saying that he was injured last summer, and thus couldn't work on his conditioning, such that by the end of the season he was essentially "out of gas." Thus, he focused on it (conditioning) this summer, along with alot of power skating, so as to be in a much better place this season.

Is your assessment of him being "our slowest forward" a legitimate complaint, that has been the case with him throughout his career, or is this your view based on a small sample size with the Pens last year?

For instance, here's a quote from one SI article, that I found with a quick google search, which confirms my impressions of Perron i.e. that I'd never heard him referred to as being "slow." This, from when he was traded to Edmonton; the article specifically mentions his SPEED as being an asset to Edmonton...



http://www.si.com/nhl/home-ice/2013/07/10/st-louis-blues-trade-david-perron-to-edmonton-oilers

If Alan Muir thinks David Perron of the Oilers is fast, he got his number mixed up with Yakupov. It's possible Bonino's as slow as Perron, but that's it. Plotnikov, so far, covers way, way more ground.

It's not "hating" him to make note of that. I'm floored that anyone would argue that he's got great footspeed, frankly. He acknowledged it as a problem in his camp interview just last week.

 

[drpepper]

If Alan Muir thinks David Perron of the Oilers is fast, he got his number mixed up with Yakupov. It's possible Bonino's as slow as Perron, but that's it. Plotnikov, so far, covers way, way more ground.

It's not "hating" him to make note of that. I'm floored that anyone would argue that he's got great footspeed, frankly. He acknowledged it as a problem in his camp interview just last week.

I don't think Perron is fast; his edge work is impressive though.

However, Hornqvist (love the dude but skating isn't his strength), Bonino, Plotnikov, & Bennett are at least as slow if not slower. On defense, I don't think Lovejoy, Cole, & Maatta are fast skaters either.

 

[Penguinsyay]

I understand that there is plenty of room for development for Sprong, as is the usual case with 18 year old players. However, I don't think he has shown enough deficiencies to NOT be seriously considered this year. He has stood out more than probably any other prospect in the rookie tourney and the preseason. It'd be a shame to send him back to Juniors without at least giving him a shot at several NHL games to see if he continues to play at the same level.

 

[888 98 twins]

How many games in Fehr supposed to miss? I have no issue with JR giving Sprong the 11 game tryout til Fehr is healthy. Who knows, maybe if he's put with Malkin and Hornqvist he could tear it up. His big knock was that he doesn't use his linemates enough right? Can't see that being a problem playing with Geno.