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

[Speaking Moistly]

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.

I think part of it is also admitting how much they messed up with Glass. They not including Bylsma. Which I think is a portion of their problem with Fleury, too. I think Bylsma's/Shero's idea of a 4th line is seriously flawed, outdated.

Replacing Glass with Sill or Zolnierczyk would most likely be an improvement and cheaper, at the very least it would free up some money which is helpful.

 

[MonsterSurge]

I think part of it is also admitting how much they messed up with Glass. They not including Bylsma. Which I think is a portion of their problem with Fleury, too. I think Bylsma's/Shero's idea of a 4th line is seriously flawed, outdated.

Replacing Glass with Sill or Zolnierczyk would most likely be an improvement and cheaper, at the very least it would free up some money which is helpful.

Wanna know what pisses me off about Glass? He's touted as this big hitter. How many guys did he knock off their skates last year?

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Wanna know what pisses me off about Glass? He's touted as this big hitter. How many guys did he knock off their skates last year?

Not including himself?

If Glass had one redeeming quality this would be a different conversation, but he fails at that one thing he's supposed to do. Which may explain why he doesn't get injured. My favourite thing to cringe at is when one of the idiot announcers starts going on about how tough Tanner Glass is.

But then, why should he hit anyone? Bylsma will play him anyway.

 

[MonsterSurge]

He's an average fighter at best and a crap hitter. Scrabbles is a crap fighter, but a good hitter. I'm not sure if Sill can hit, but he certainly can fight.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

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

 

[Your Boy Troy]

He's an average fighter at best and a crap hitter. Scrabbles is a crap fighter, but a good hitter. I'm not sure if Sill can hit, but he certainly can fight.

Sill can hit. He cannot hit like Steve Webb, but he can make an impact with his hits.

 

[AquaticBirdman]

A bit.

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

I was off by roughly 300K. Congrats on being a stickler for details only to arrive at the same point I was trying to make.

 

[AquaticBirdman]

Wanna know what pisses me off about Glass? He's touted as this big hitter. How many guys did he knock off their skates last year?

HE throws his body around but unfortunately it leads to absolutely nothing of any benefit, mostly because most his hits are late and the puck is already on its way up the ice. He doesn't force any turnovers or any sustained pressure in the offensive zone (unlike Cooke's hits used to), and if anything all he ends up doing is taking himself out of the play so it takes his slow ass longer to get back up the ice on the backcheck.

 

[SHOOTANDSCORE]

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

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

Definitely worth a read.

Makes sense. This makes me think that Despres is staying in the A for a while and that Maatta is gone in the next day or 2.

If the Penguins decide to keep Maatta as a seventh defenseman for the time being, they will not have room to sign camp tryout Chuck Kobasew.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

I was off by roughly 300K. Congrats on being a stickler for details only to arrive at the same point I was trying to make.

Thank you.

I'm pretty sure everyone's been at that point for awhile.

Two useful 4th liners for the price of Glass, there needs to be a vomit emoticon. Maybe Glass is why -hypothetical- Kobasew thinks he can get however much Rossi (?) said he wants; Glass ruins everything.

 

[AquaticBirdman]

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.

I really hope that that's not their actual mentality concerning Glass, as it's one that is SORELY outdated. I thought we were well past the years where a full time NHLer didn't actually need to know how to skate in order to keep his job.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

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....

I agree in principle, and started a thread making the more general version of that point a few weeks ago.

That said, in hindsight the trade was the one that was particularly lopsided. Morrow would have been a good chip to have kept to trade, perhaps this year instead. Dallas did better with him as part of a trade.

 

[SHOOTANDSCORE]

I just saw that there is a Tim Hortons in Wheeling. I think now we know why Despres wasn't sent there.

 

[Al Smith]

Makes sense. This makes me think that Despres is staying in the A for a while and that Maatta is gone in the next day or 2.

Maybe he'll get nine games, but Corrigan gives him no shot at sticking, FWIW.

"But if and when the Penguins decide to demote him, Maatta must return to his junior team in London (OHL). "

Or could it be that Shero is still trying to swing a Nisky deal . . . Nah.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

It's a pretty impressive example of Botterill massaging the cap a little bit for the Penguins. Until you consider that the only reason they were "forced" to get this creative is to guarantee roster spots for mediocre to flat out bad players with overblown contracts. The Despres situation is obviously frustrating... but like MrBurgundy said, we'll have to wait and see to really gauge that.

I'm very eager to see Maatta in some games that matter (HA!), though. He certainly earned his extended look, even if it's mostly due to Letang's injury. It's also encouraging to see that Kobasew looks like he'll get his contract.

So... some good... some bad.

I wouldn't be so sure that Olli will get any NHL games. he could still be on the roster for his cap hit and get sent back to his team once Vok gets put on LTIR.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

I defend Shero and he is one of the top GMs in the business, but those NMCs are an albatross around their neck right now.

Imagine what they could do with roughly 3.2m in cap space.

Imagine playing better players in their spot for less than half that cap hit.

If only Shero didn't handcuff himself.

If only a GM could hit a proverbial home run with every draft pick and every FA signing, eh?

Shero is going to have his misses. Luckily his misses are of the relatively minor variety compared to most other GMs. The misses merely are magnified because of the big name signings we had to make the past couple years along with the cap dropping significantly this coming year. But $3.2 million in questionable signings is peanuts comparatively.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

I just saw that there is a Tim Hortons in Wheeling. I think now we know why Despres wasn't sent there.

There's a stand right in the arena in Wilkes-Barre. It's more convenient for him.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

There's a stand right in the arena in Wilkes-Barre. It's more convenient for him.

Safety risk, they would never be able to get insured.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I wouldn't be so sure that Olli will get any NHL games. he could still be on the roster for his cap hit and get sent back to his team once Vok gets put on LTIR.

Yeah... that's very true. It could be another paper transaction. But I would certainly hope they wouldn't be so dense as to not work him into at least a few games while they have him kicking around on the roster, already. Especially after showing that he can at least keep up with NHLers... in preseason.

But yeah. Who knows with this team sometimes.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

There's a stand right in the arena in Wilkes-Barre. It's more convenient for him.

Yeah... but wouldn't he have to walk up stairs to get there?

The one in Wheeling is a full-on Tims. With a drive thru.

 

[MonsterSurge]

Inb4 Adam Ross plays in an NHL game this year.

 

[SHOOTANDSCORE]

There's a stand right in the arena in Wilkes-Barre. It's more convenient for him.

He's doomed.

Maybe they're making Stay Puft Simon jog to Scranton

 

[froods]

I wouldn't be so sure that Olli will get any NHL games. he could still be on the roster for his cap hit and get sent back to his team once Vok gets put on LTIR.

Vok is on LITR. You had to be compliant today. This same thing happened in 2010. LITR wouldn't be "announced", they just call it IR.

Here is another thing to ponder, keeping Bennett and sending Maata back would have actually helped the Pens get even closer to that 2 million mark. That makes me think he is sticking.

 

[KIRK]

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

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

Definitely worth a read.

Here's the relevant bit on Maatta:

While Ruopp and Conner will almost surely be demoted on Tuesday in order to clear space for Bennett’s return, Pittsburgh has flexibility with Olli Maatta.

Maatta is able to play nine games at the NHL level without burning a year of his entry-level contract. But if and when the Penguins decide to demote him, Maatta must return to his junior team in London (OHL). CBA restrictions do not allow him to play in the AHL or ECHL. It’s all or nothing.

EDIT: Just saw the Kobasew thing. Interesting.

Actually, I'm the one here who should be offended. You and BlindWilly held a SarcasmFest, and my invitation gets lost in the mail. Or, did I just not realize that I've got a standing invitation?

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Yeah... but wouldn't he have to walk up stairs to get there?

The one in Wheeling is a full-on Tims. With a drive thru.

It's on ground level near one of the entrances. He can roll right up to it.