Salary Cap: 2016-17 roster-building part XVIII | Contract/FA charts, cap info in post #1 ‎

[Empoleon8771]

Yeah, Chistov is a pretty good comparable for Yakupov. I've used this one in the past too, but I'd even throw out Fata as a Yakupov comparable, although Yakupov had a lot more early success than Fata had. Basically any fast forward who was drafted too high due to their speed fits Yakupov pretty well.

I also wouldn't trade Kunitz for Yakupov because Kunitz is a significantly better player than Yakupov. Like it's not even a debate, we wouldn't be getting any cap space (we're already over the cap, so the Pens need to get a player as close to Kunitz's salary possible to maximize the LTIR space) and we'd be getting a drastically worse player.

 

[CanadianPensFan1]

Right. And that's what makes it all so unrealistic to begin with.

They aren't trading Kunitz. He's already skating in prominent roles in preseason and camp. And he, as always, was there. And they aren't trading Fehr. Coaches love players like Fehr. And in a lot of ways I can see why.

It all sounds tempting because I think this team could use a little bit more top end talent and finishing ability. But in the end it just doesn't make much sense, especially at the top of the season after just winning a Cup with pretty much exactly this same group. You have to at least give that a long look before you tinker too much. If tinkering was going to happen... it should have already happened.

I agree which is mostly why I hadnt chimed in until now. The reasoning behind obtaining Yak is odd to me. This team is finally in an enviable position .. lets not muss with it TOO much. Again, to move out Kunitz? Sure, I do that trade every day. If we werent a cap team, meh, sure, maybe take a flier. For a team like NJ, 2.5 in cap space is nothing. But for us, its huge so its not even worth the discussion.

I agree on Fehr as well. He brings a lot to the table. He isnt "amazing" at any one thing. But he is pretty decent at a LOT of things. I suspect he will be better this year.

 

[Winger for Hire]

Agreed with the timing.

If they were going to bring in a guy like Yak, it should have been long ago before camp or later near the deadline if the team looks to be missing something. Right now just doesn't seem to be a great time to bring in a reclamation project like Yak.

 

[Tender Rip]

Your ignoring the fact that a significant amount of that production was on the PP, a spot he will get very little time at in Pittsburgh.
At ES he put up 11 goals or a 19 goal pace. Still a very solid clip, but one he hasn't come close to repeating.

I am not ignoring it.
I am just using those numbers to say that once he came into the league, he did pretty well and showed talent.

The next season he was used entirely differently by a new coach, got consistently hung out to dry by same, and gradually came apart.
For a player of pedigree, he should never have been as useless as he has been, and no matter the circumstances, a lot is on him. But there is also a lot of reason to think that there is another player under that which we have seen in the last couple of years. As for the PP, the good version of Yakupov at least could be a boon for the second unit.

Also, I'm not sure why you want to dump Fehr. Fehr is a guy that put up 8 goals in 55 games last year (4 ES and 4 SH) in a down season (he averages 14 ES goals a year over his full career), doesn't hurt you defensively, can play all 3 forward positions and still costs 500K less. I'm not opposed to moving him, but I wouldn't do it to open up cap space to bring in Yak.

I have nothing against Fehr, but I think he is slowing down, that his injury history over the last few years seems troublesome, and I largely think he is a redundant asset for us going forward. To me he is the first player you move off of this roster to get flexibility - and unlike Kunitz his salary shouldn't make that a problem either. But to be sure, I don't think Fehr is a problem at all.

The important thing in this hypothetical scenario is that Fehr is never going to be more for us than a utility bottom 6 player and while having a two year deal on 2 million dollars, at some point he is rather going to block the road for someone else. I'd risk losing him for nothing for a 20% shot at getting a meaningful version of what Yakupov should have been - any day. Again, if Yakupov were to flame out with us... sayonara. Nothing real is lost. Fehr, yes. And then effectively we'd have gained 2 million in cap-space. Aight. I can easily live with that.


And COLE.... There is no better time to try and make a turnaround on a talented, out of favor kid than the start of the season. As if any of us would ever contemplate such a move late in the season when teams are settling in on what should be their playoff rosters. You do it at a time when you can adjust later if it turns out to be a bad idea.
And seriously..... what's that "room" stuff? He is a 22 year old with no confidence who has never been a troublemaker. If he didn't look like a solution he'd be benched and then waived. What's the trouble?
Btw. are you telling me you would not have made the necessary changes if Vesey had been wanting to sign for the Pens? Or if Versteeg had gotten a try out and rocked camp? Of course you would.

NB: I don't about Yakupov and all this will 99% certain never be close to concrete. But to me it is just nonsense to intimate that there'd be any risk in giving it a go if the price/assets involved was anything like what is being discussed.

 

[DegenX]

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