News Article: Despres/Ebbett to WBS, Bennett to ECHL, Pouliot to WHL, Letang/Vokoun to IR

[KIRK]

Do you honestly believe that? When, under Bylsma, has a young player ever kicked a vet out of a roster spot?

Bennett did everything you could possibly ask of him in camp and he's still starting the season on the third line.

Maatta got lucky with Letang's injury, so he's getting a reward for a good camp. Honestly, I don't think it matters how he plays, he will be getting sent back down.

And you know what, for all we know he might not even play a single game. Maybe they wanted that extra 54K that Maatta has on his contract compared to Despres to get closer to the 2M mark.

You very well may be right that the reason to keep Maatta up was purely about cap manipulation, which is why I added the 'if he plays' provision.

Now, as for what would happen if he thoroughly outplayed Nisky, Engo, and Borts. It very well may not make a difference, but I will grant this:

If Maatta plays, then just THAT is completely uncharted territory for Bylsma. When reasons were more compelling to keep Morrow (due to more personnel issues and comparable camp), he didn't get a cup of coffee.

 

[UnrealMachine]

Is there any chance that the Pens could get in trouble for trying to circumvent the cap? Serious question, since that is exactly what it seems like they are trying to do here.

 

[KIRK]

Is there any chance that the Pens could get in trouble for trying to circumvent the cap? Serious question, since that is exactly what it seems like they are trying to do here.

Assuredly so with Ruopp and Connor. Perhaps even so with Maatta.

Question: IF they'd kept Elmer up to start the season and then returned him when Letang came back, then would he have to clear waivers? In other words, he's waiver exempt if he's returned before the start of the year and for injury recall, so is it conceivable that he could be back? He won't be, of course, so I'm just asking about how this works.

 

[Fire Shero*]

I hate Shero

 

[KIRK]

I hate Shero

Why now?

 

[Crafton]

Why now?

i've hated Shero from the time he was a wee babe teething on Orest Kindrachuk's skate-laces.

 

[Fire Shero*]

Why now?

Did he really give no-movement clauses to Adams and Glass?

Why did they even make forwards attend camp? He knew those 2 steaming piles of dog **** would be starters.

 

[KIRK]

Did he really give no-movement clauses to Adams and Glass?

Why did they even make forwards attend camp? He knew those 2 steaming piles of dog **** would be starters.

Neither is on the list from TFP (http://www.thefourthperiod.com/trade_deadline/notrades.html)

i've hated Shero from the time he was a wee babe teething on Orest Kindrachuk's skate-laces.

Somewhere in the force, DarthVitale cackles menacingly 'Good . . . good . . . '

 

[AquaticBirdman]

God, without Kobasew it's gonna be ugly.

KCD - Great until they get shutdown in the playoffs.
JMN - The functional line.
Bennett-Sutter-Glass - Glass will ruin Bennett and make that line useless.
Vitale-Adams-Jeffrey - It actually looks better without Glass.



It's a good thing it's not then.

1.8 million then. Feel better now?

Either way, it's way too much money to be tied up into those two pylons.

 

[cygnus47]

Did he really give no-movement clauses to Adams and Glass?

Why did they even make forwards attend camp? He knew those 2 steaming piles of dog **** would be starters.

No he didn't, someone was trolling. They have no control over their future other than that they have one way deals and have to pass through wavers.

BTW, made a mistake, after Ruopp and Connor are sent down, we have 1.4 million in space until Vokoun comes back, not 1.2.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Holy ****, I never knew that.

Considering that you are generally very well informed when it comes to Penguins hockey... there is probably a reason you never knew that.

Jiggy and I are just having a little sarcasm-laden brodown.

 

[KIRK]

Considering that you are generally very well informed when it comes to Penguins hockey... there is probably a reason you never knew that.

Jiggy and I are just having a little sarcasm-laden brodown.

Aha . . .

Sorry to be so late to the party. My invitation appears to have gotten lost in the mail, or have I graduated to standing invitation status?

 

[AquaticBirdman]

Didn't say he should make league minimum. But it certainly has to be under a mil. If a team wants to pay him double that, good for him.

According to Rossi (I know I'm gonna get flamed for even quoting him, but wtv) Kobasew is targetting a 1 year deal at around 900,000 while the Pens were apparently looking to offer him around the league minimum for vets ($550,000 I believe it is?). I think it's b.s. though. I don't see how Shero could honestly think he'd get away with signing a former 3 time 20 goal scorer for that little.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Aha . . .

Sorry to be so late to the party. My invitation appears to have gotten lost in the mail, or have I graduated to standing invitation status?

The latter, of course.

And I have a feeling Shero will get Kobasew at league minimum for a year. He has him a little over the barrel, to be honest. If he turns down what is offered... there are no guarantees that he plays in the NHL anywhere, this year.

 

[AquaticBirdman]

The latter, of course.

And I have a feeling Shero will get Kobasew at league minimum for a year. He has him a little over the barrel, to be honest. If he turns down what is offered... there are no guarantees that he plays in the NHL anywhere, this year.

I can see there being other teams willing to take a chance on him for a modest 1 year deal.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I suppose so. I guess it wouldn't surprise me. But I have to think nearly every team has their roster more or less set, for now... including potential callups in case of injury. There is also that familiarity with the players they've seen all camp and preseason. Kobasew would likely have to wait around for something to materialize. Most players would rather take the sure thing and try to run with it to get a better deal a year from now, IMO.

 

[Fire Shero*]

According to Rossi (I know I'm gonna get flamed for even quoting him, but wtv) Kobasew is targetting a 1 year deal at around 900,000 while the Pens were apparently looking to offer him around the league minimum for vets ($550,000 I believe it is?). I think it's b.s. though. I don't see how Shero could honestly think he'd get away with signing a former 3 time 20 goal scorer for that little.

Kobasew hasn't scored 20 goals since 08-09. It's not like he's coming off a 20 goal season. He's another bad year away from playing in Europe. He hasn't even scored 20 points in a season since then. He is probably worth around league minimum at this point. Having said that, he's a better option than either Adams or Glass.

Why wasn't Glass demote? (Nobody would pick him up off waivers) what does management see in him????

 

[cygnus47]

Kobasew hasn't scored 20 goals since 08-09. It's not like he's coming off a 20 goal season. He's another bad year away from playing in Europe. He hasn't even scored 20 points in a season since then. He is probably worth around league minimum at this point. Having said that, he's a better option than either Adams or Glass.

Why wasn't Glass demote? (Nobody would pick him up off waivers) what does management see in him????

We don't know what they see. We hope that there is an ultimate plan, but it certainly hasn't seemed that way.

 

[Jacob]

According to Rossi (I know I'm gonna get flamed for even quoting him, but wtv) Kobasew is targetting a 1 year deal at around 900,000 while the Pens were apparently looking to offer him around the league minimum for vets ($550,000 I believe it is?). I think it's b.s. though. I don't see how Shero could honestly think he'd get away with signing a former 3 time 20 goal scorer for that little.

Dude couldn't get a single contract offer all summer.. I'd say the league minimum is more than fair and he should take what he can get. He has zero leverage.

I don't believe Rossi ever, but if hypothetically Kobasew is making salary demands he can go elsewhere.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

We don't know what they see. We hope that there is an ultimate plan, but it certainly hasn't seemed that way.

If they are trying to look past Despres to see something in him... they better put a full tank of gas in the car and prepare for a road trip.

Alright, I'm done. For real.

Probably not.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

1.8 million then. Feel better now?

Either way, it's way too much money to be tied up into those two pylons.

A bit.

It's too much money, but it's not as much as you were saying. You should feel better about that.

 

[mpp9]

You very well may be right that the reason to keep Maatta up was purely about cap manipulation, which is why I added the 'if he plays' provision.

Now, as for what would happen if he thoroughly outplayed Nisky, Engo, and Borts. It very well may not make a difference, but I will grant this:

If Maatta plays, then just THAT is completely uncharted territory for Bylsma. When reasons were more compelling to keep Morrow (due to more personnel issues and comparable camp), he didn't get a cup of coffee.

Maybe they sent Despres down to see if Maatta is a better NHL player at this point? And Letang's injury gives them that chance.

 

[shureshot66]

Mike Colligan's always excellent analysis of the salary cap situation:

http://thehockeywriters.com/pittsburgh-penguins-roster-moves-2013/

Definitely worth a read.

 

[Gallatin]

You very well may be right that the reason to keep Maatta up was purely about cap manipulation, which is why I added the 'if he plays' provision.

Now, as for what would happen if he thoroughly outplayed Nisky, Engo, and Borts. It very well may not make a difference, but I will grant this:

If Maatta plays, then just THAT is completely uncharted territory for Bylsma. When reasons were more compelling to keep Morrow (due to more personnel issues and comparable camp), he didn't get a cup of coffee.

I know some folks don't want to here this, but Prince Joe Morrow had glaring holes in his defensive game. Maatta is much, much more sound defensively.

There's a reason Joe Morrow got traded twice last year....

 

[Jacob]

I think that a good rule of thumb should be that a team's 4th line + 13th forward (4 players total) should NOT cost more than $2.5 million total. That's an average of 625k per player. Adams is a little above that, Vitale & D'Agostini are a little under it. Glass brings ours to a total of $2,925,000 for our bottom 4 forwards. That not-quite-a-half-a-million may not seem like much but it truly is, not to mention considering Glass doesn't even earn that kind of a paycheck. You could literally replace him with Zolnierczyk or Sill or even Conner and lose nothing in the grand scheme of things.

I think the reason they're so stuck on Glass is because he has the appearance of a prototypical 4th liner and the other guys that are cheaper and outperformed him in camp do not. But at some point you have to ice a 4th line that's going to help you win hockey games, not the one that fits the majority's ideal of what a 4th line should be.