Salary Cap: Farewell Bobby, you will be missed.

[AjaxTelamon]

Pens need to trade a forward for a D-man and our issues are largely solved. Plotnikov gets in full time. And we have a defense that can move the puck.

Then we'll sit Cole, Maata, or Dumo, because LJ and Scuds aren't sitting. Trading isn't getting us anywhere as long as we have Scuds taking up a spot. And if we don't have him taking up a spot, we may be fine with the resulting upgrade.

 

[Riptide]

Pens need to trade a forward for a D-man and our issues are largely solved. Plotnikov gets in full time. And we have a defense that can move the puck.

That only works if MJ will scratch Scuderi. Lovejoy, Cole, Dumoulin and Maatta have all played too well to sit over Scuds.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Then we'll sit Cole, Maata, or Dumo, because LJ and Scuds aren't sitting. Trading isn't getting us anywhere as long as we have Scuds taking up a spot. And if we don't have him taking up a spot, we may be fine with the resulting upgrade.

Exactly.

 

[Riptide]

If it were only that simple.

Kunitz? Who would give up something of significance for the dude? Dupuis? Same situation. Perron? Hasn't been playing poorly at all for a long while.

The solution isn't going to easy. We're going to have to move assets we don't want to move, but it's gotta be done. I think, for better or worse, Perron's the roster player that gets dealt. Kunitz isn't worth anything, and with Dupuis' health concerns and age, he's not bringing back anything of significance.

I think you'd be surprised. Might not be worth a ton, but I think we could easily move him, and get something decent back.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

I'd much rather deal Kunitz for nothing than Perron for something, but you're right, the most likely scenario is that Perron gets dealt.

Dammit.

Then we'll sit Cole, Maata, or Dumo, because LJ and Scuds aren't sitting. Trading isn't getting us anywhere as long as we have Scuds taking up a spot. And if we don't have him taking up a spot, we may be fine with the resulting upgrade.

Yep.

If we move anyone, it'll be someone with value. I.E. not Scuderi, Kunitz, Lovejoy, or Dupuis. This does not make us a better team, imo. We need to cut the fat as well as make a trade to solidify the blueline.

 

[AjaxTelamon]

I think you'd be surprised. Might not be worth a ton, but I think we could easily move him, and get something decent back.

Yeah we could get something for him, a 3rd would be fine. Thirds can turn into Sundqvist, Bortuzzo, Rust, Matt Murray or Letang. We could use some more of those.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Kunitz is worthless, to this team and as a trade asset. I'd be absolutely floored if we landed a 3rd rounder for him. I'd be happy with a 7th.

On top of that, I have zero faith this team recognizes him as a serious detriment, let alone would look to trade him.

 

[GreatjonUmber]

There is a good chance Bobby Farhnam ends up back on the Pens before the year is over, right? If the Devils put him on waivers and no one picks him up he would go to WBS, right?

 

[TK All Day]

just re-sign TK and trade Hornqvist

 

[Shady Machine]

just re-sign TK and trade Hornqvist

Well this should be fun

 

[radapex]

Would have played a HUGE part. I mean how many rookies has CHI given real chances to over the last 5 years? A young player looking to break into the NHL is absolutely going to look at that and see them giving young guys a chance in the top 6 as a very positive thing.

A big reason they're able to do it is because they've always got a strong, well-rounded group of defensemen. They can afford to have their forwards made a mistake here and there because they don't worry about that mistake turning into the defense being exposed. With the Pens, if a forward makes a mistake we're left hoping Fleury can bail them out.

 

[radapex]

That's the way to build a good team though. It's simple. Everyone is always quick to say "well they'll be in cap hell in a couple years anyway". Happened pretty much every summer after they won the cup. Wrong, they'll trade their guys who are due for big contracts, use draft picks to acquire good, young talent, and then plug them in when they're ready to play. That's the recipe, elite core surrounded by cheap (i.e young) talent and veteran pluggers.

What NOT to do is pretty much EXACTLY what the Penguins did. hang on to everyone, draft poorly, have no cheap talent to open up cap space for deadline acquisitions/fill out the rest of the roster...

Night and day, indeed.

The worst part is, the Pens have some much better deals right now. I'll take Crosby & Malkin at a combined $18.2-mil over Toews & Kane at a combined $21-mil. We've also got a better starter at a lower, even if only slightly, cap hit.

And then you look at the defense... Right now, the Hawks are rolling

Keith - Hjalmarsson
van Riemsdyk - Seabrook
Daley - Rozsival

The total cap hit of that group is $20,264,461. The Pens are rolling

Cole - Letang
Dumoulin - Lovejoy
Maatta - Scuderi

for a total cap hit of $15,519,166. Now, try to tell me that the Hawks aren't getting way way way more value out the $20.3-mil they're spending on defense compared to the $15.5-mil the Pens are spending.

 

[Empoleon8771]

just re-sign TK and trade Hornqvist

Please delete your account now.

I'm stumped with what to do with this team, because I think the issues with this team run deeper than the coach. Our RWs and goaltending is the only thing I'm comfortable with on this roster. The center depth should be good, but Crosby has struggled mightily this year and Geno hasn't fared much better. The LW depth is crap, we have 1 2nd liner (Perron), a 3rd liner (Dupuis), a turd (Kunitz) and a 4th liner (Plotnikov). Our D still sucks and that's widely documented.

I'm kinda upset with JR in he didn't at all address our need at LW, he only kept adding RWs or RHS. There needs to be some sort of balance here, your 6 best wingers can't all be RHS where 5 of them are natural RWers. I wouldn't be opposed for JR moving basically any of Hornqvist, Bennett or Sprong for a similarly aged LHS LW, they need to balance out the F group.

 

[DesertedPenguin]

There is a good chance Bobby Farhnam ends up back on the Pens before the year is over, right? If the Devils put him on waivers and no one picks him up he would go to WBS, right?

No. If he's placed on waivers, he'd go to the Devils' AHL team if no one picks him up. Or he'd be released and become a free agent.

 

[Riptide]

There is a good chance Bobby Farhnam ends up back on the Pens before the year is over, right? If the Devils put him on waivers and no one picks him up he would go to WBS, right?

We would have to put in a claim for him. If we do, then we'll get him. Otherwise another team can claim him, or NJ can send him to Albany.

 

[Riptide]

Please delete your account now.

I'm stumped with what to do with this team, because I think the issues with this team run deeper than the coach. Our RWs and goaltending is the only thing I'm comfortable with on this roster. The center depth should be good, but Crosby has struggled mightily this year and Geno hasn't fared much better. The LW depth is crap, we have 1 2nd liner (Perron), a 3rd liner (Dupuis), a turd (Kunitz) and a 4th liner (Plotnikov). Our D still sucks and that's widely documented.

I'm kinda upset with JR in he didn't at all address our need at LW, he only kept adding RWs or RHS. There needs to be some sort of balance here, your 6 best wingers can't all be RHS where 5 of them are natural RWers. I wouldn't be opposed for JR moving basically any of Hornqvist, Bennett or Sprong for a similarly aged LHS LW, they need to balance out the F group.

Bennett maybe, although he's shown he can play the left side. Zero need to move Sprong. Just send him back to the minors and see how things play out next year. Or ask his CHL team to play him on the left.

 

[Jules Winnfield]

just re-sign TK and trade Hornqvist

LOL. Bored since you got cut from PTO contract?

TK, it's time to move on. I'm sure the country club will have a job for you doing something in the organization.

 

[Malkin112*]

back to back against Devils??

 

[SherogoesHAM]

How about Letang,Bennett,Lovejoy for Duchene then move Perron and Kunitz for D help. Call up Clendening/Pouliot.

duch-cros-sprong
bonino-malkin-kessel
duper-fehr-horn
plot-cullen-wbs fill in

 

[Riptide]

How about Letang,Bennett,Lovejoy for Duchene then move Perron and Kunitz for D help. Call up Clendening/Pouliot.

duch-cros-sprong
bonino-malkin-kessel
duper-fehr-horn
plot-cullen-wbs fill in

Unless we already had deals in place for Perron and Kunitz, then no. And even then I don't think I'd do Letang for Duchane 1-1.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Bennett maybe, although he's shown he can play the left side. Zero need to move Sprong. Just send him back to the minors and see how things play out next year. Or ask his CHL team to play him on the left.

But the point is they're all natural RWers and we need natural LWers. I wouldn't hesitate at all to move Bennett for a left handed, LW Bennett at all. Same with Sprong, despite how much I like him. We have a stupid amount of depth at RW and one of Sprong or Bennett isn't going to have a spot there long term with Fehr, Kessel and Hornqvist here long term. My completely ideal situation is Crosby-Hornqvist, Malkin-Kessel, Bonino-Bennett/Sprong and Sundqvist-Fehr as the C-RW combos long term.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Then we'll sit Cole, Maata, or Dumo, because LJ and Scuds aren't sitting. Trading isn't getting us anywhere as long as we have Scuds taking up a spot. And if we don't have him taking up a spot, we may be fine with the resulting upgrade.

This is exactly the point a lot of folks are missing. As long as the coaching staff continues to insist on playing guys like Scuderi, then no move is going to improve this club because it just means one of Maatta, Dumo, or maybe Cole will sit.

The only way a trade improves this defense is if Scuderi is part of whatever package is going the other way.

 

[Riptide]

Have to say... talk about some uninspiring hockey.

Perhaps it's time to have less skill in the bottom 6 (4th line), and some more grit?

 

[madinsomniac]

Have to say... talk about some uninspiring hockey.

Perhaps it's time to have less skill in the bottom 6 (4th line), and some more grit?

Won't matter when the team isn't on the same page and hasn't been for two years now

 

[Jules Winnfield]

Have to say... talk about some uninspiring hockey.

Perhaps it's time to have less skill in the bottom 6 (4th line), and some more grit?

I don't think it matters what kind of players we have on the team. This team just looks dead and uninspired.

We could add Chara and Lidstrom in their primes and we'd still look like a bunch of limp dicks out there.