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

[KIRK]

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

How close is 'near'? Is a Segway available?

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

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?

When you sober up think about it... Glass.... NMC... the fact there is no drug in existence that would bend Shero's mind enough to put those two things together in the same sentence....

It's gonna hit you hard when your mind clears in the AM and you will feel unbearable shame.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

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.

That's not true.

Read the article posted. They'll wait till the last possible moment to put Vok on LTIR to get the most relief possible.

 

[Captain Hook]

Bennett will obviously be back before the season begins and Despres likely won't. Bennett got sent to Wheeling for a reason. The player actually has to report to the team he's sent down to as part of the transaction and Wheeling is closer to Pittsburgh than Wilkes-Barre. The Pens likely would have done the same thing with Despres if he were coming right back but they didn't. He's likely in WBS to stay until there's an injury or two.

Not sure if the Maatta move is to give him a look or just a move to be closer to the cap. Hard to tell.

 

[froods]

That's not true.

Read the article posted. They'll wait till the last possible moment to put Vok on LTIR to get the most relief possible.

They had to be compliant today. Period. Only putting #92 on LTIR would accomplish that.

 

[froods]

Bennett will obviously be back before the season begins and Despres likely won't. Bennett got sent to Wheeling for a reason. The player actually has to report to the team he's sent down to as part of the transaction and Wheeling is closer to Pittsburgh than Wilkes-Barre. The Pens likely would have done the same thing with Despres if he were coming right back but they didn't. He's likely in WBS to stay until there's an injury or two.

Not sure if the Maatta move is to give him a look or just a move to be closer to the cap. Hard to tell.

Why not just keep Bennett up then? They could have actual saved another 5 grand without going over. I think that is very telling that Maatta is not just a cap move.

 

[Zirakzigil]

These moves don't bother me. The Pens are monitoring their cap hit closely and doing everything they can to keep space for the future. Game day will be when we really see what the roster is looking like.

 

[NatureBoy]

So it looks like that Kobasew can only be signed if Maata is returned today or tomorrow.

 

[vecens24]

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.

I mean, I'm sure that his agent is posturing to try and get him more money. The 900k offer was probably the first offer made, as he should try to do. Obviously the Pens came back with the minimum as they should do. Just a simple negotiation and Rossi is reporting it all, when in reality he should probably use some discretion on what information matters and what doesn't.

Wouldn't surprise me if he got somewhere around 600-700k, but not much more than that.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I love the first few posts in this thread...

It's a lot of the sky is falling type of stuff...relax people.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Bennett will obviously be back before the season begins and Despres likely won't. Bennett got sent to Wheeling for a reason. The player actually has to report to the team he's sent down to as part of the transaction and Wheeling is closer to Pittsburgh than Wilkes-Barre. The Pens likely would have done the same thing with Despres if he were coming right back but they didn't. He's likely in WBS to stay until there's an injury or two.

Not sure if the Maatta move is to give him a look or just a move to be closer to the cap. Hard to tell.

The last part is why I opened this thread, I am surprised as hell that Olli is still up with the team, I know he impressed the brass a lot and he's a guy that a lot of people couldn't understand why we wanted to keep him over Joe Morrow and I hope to hockey gods that they find out when they see him play. If he's earned his cup of tea (9 games is it?) then albeit, let's see what he can do!

I still think Ray is going to make a move, I think this is just to get under the cap, the Beau Bennett thing as you mentioned, is the smart play given the location and it saves a few bucks in a full season and that all adds up, Simon hasn't earned his spot yet, but I hope he does soon.

I really hope they sign Chuck Kobasew, he's earned his spot in the line-up, move Glass already.

 

[Zero Pucks]

I still don't get the point of recalling of Ruopp. Why recall someone to save capspace when you don't really need to?

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I still don't get the point of recalling of Ruopp. Why recall someone to save capspace when you don't really need to?

I think Shero has a move he's making and is just waiting for the team to get the space needed, only other reason I could come up with for keeping Olli and calling up Harrison.

I wouldn't be mad at all of Niskanen, Engelland and Glass were all moved tomorrow. I would actually be ecstatic if that happened. It would mean Bortuzzo is a regular and when Letang is back, Ruopp would be back in WBS and maybe Olli is ready.

 

[Zero Pucks]

I think Shero has a move he's making and is just waiting for the team to get the space needed, only other reason I could come up with for keeping Olli and calling up Harrison.

I wouldn't be mad at all of Niskanen, Engelland and Glass were all moved tomorrow. I would actually be ecstatic if that happened. It would mean Bortuzzo is a regular and when Letang is back, Ruopp would be back in WBS and maybe Olli is ready.

Could be, to ensure they have enough bodies on the roster. But I'm not getting my hopes up too high for trades to happen though.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

I still don't get the point of recalling of Ruopp. Why recall someone to save capspace when you don't really need to?

Because he puts them just under 2M over the cap, which maximizes the LTIR relief.

Pretty much all to start banking as much space as possible for the TDL.

 

[penguins2946*]

Maatta is definitely playing some gases in the NHL. He was practicing with Bortuzzo at West Point and the Pens demoted Despres, who was the only person who could take that spot from Maatta. If they wanted a cap move, they would have sent Maatta back to the OHL and called up another $925K player. He's ready, and he will play. I asked around on Twitter, and everyone I asked was positive that Maatta is ready and will play. Pronman even went as far to say that he is not surprised that Maatta beat Despres, even if it's only for 9 games.

What the Pens are going to do with Maatta is the same thing that the Blues did with Pietrangelo and the Pens did with Letang. He will get 9 games, and regardless of how he does, he will be sent back to the OHL. When he gets sent back, Despres will take his spot, and Maatta will destroy the OHL. Seriously people, he's not just here for cap. Your Bylsma hate is clouding your judgement.

 

[Vujtek]

Some interesting cap maneuvering by Shero and Botterill yesterday. The moves also pretty much guaranteed that the Jokinen cap hit in Capgeek is 100% correct, as there were some speculation if that was the one causing the reported difference in Capgeek's and Pens' calculations. It wasn't. Obviously Pens were then calculating the roster with less than 23 players or with Despres down already back then.

 

[Your Boy Troy]

I think Shero has a move he's making and is just waiting for the team to get the space needed, only other reason I could come up with for keeping Olli and calling up Harrison.

I wouldn't be mad at all of Niskanen, Engelland and Glass were all moved tomorrow. I would actually be ecstatic if that happened. It would mean Bortuzzo is a regular and when Letang is back, Ruopp would be back in WBS and maybe Olli is ready.

Why would you move Engelland when his cap-hit is low? He is a good depth defenseman that provides much needed toughness.

 

[wgknestrick]

When you sober up think about it... Glass.... NMC... the fact there is no drug in existence that would bend Shero's mind enough to put those two things together in the same sentence....

It's gonna hit you hard when your mind clears in the AM and you will feel unbearable shame.

I don't know if you guys are joking or not, but I cannot find any instance where this is documented. I think most are crediting HCDB for "giving" him that clause, not Shero in contract.

 

[wgknestrick]

Why would you move Engelland when his cap-hit is low? He is a good depth defenseman that provides much needed toughness.

Maybe because they use the scoreboard to decide who wins, not black eyes.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

I asked around on Twitter, and everyone I asked was positive that Maatta is ready and will play. Pronman even went as far to say that he is not surprised that Maatta beat Despres, even if it's only for 9 games.

Twitter.

Why would you move Engelland when his cap-hit is low? He is a good depth defenseman that provides much needed toughness.

I officially hate the toughness argument, btw.


Hopefully Maatta or Despres is bad news for Niskanen.

 

[Shady Machine]

Why not just keep Bennett up then? They could have actual saved another 5 grand without going over. I think that is very telling that Maatta is not just a cap move.

I agree. I think Maatta is going to get a game or more. I don't expect him to stay with the team all season though.

 

[Syrinx]

When you sober up think about it... Glass.... NMC... the fact there is no drug in existence that would bend Shero's mind enough to put those two things together in the same sentence....

It's gonna hit you hard when your mind clears in the AM and you will feel unbearable shame.

In Kirk's defense, the way the NMC thing got carried on, I went out to capgeek and looked.

 

[cheesedanish87]

Seems likely Maatta will stay, Pens have 9 def on roster but Ruopp will get sent down, and Letang is hurt, opening night will probably be

Martin Orpik
Scuderi Niskanen
Bortuzzo Maatta
Engelland

Maatta will most likely get sent back to Juniors whenever Letang comes back assuming Letang comes back within 9 games.

 

[NMK11]

Seems likely Maatta will stay, Pens have 9 def on roster but Ruopp will get sent down, and Letang is hurt, opening night will probably be

Martin Orpik
Scuderi Niskanen
Bortuzzo Maatta
Engelland

Maatta will most likely get sent back to Juniors whenever Letang comes back assuming Letang comes back within 9 games.

I don't know about everyone else, but I really like our D. As long as Orpik doesn't implode, we'll have a top end first and second pairing when Letang get back(arguably two first pairings) and a solid bottom pairing between Bort/Engelland/Despres/Nisky. Cap situation and salary complaints aside, it's a good situation to be in.