Rumor: Geno where art thou?

[Zirakzigil]

With all the Geno rumors and news, time for its own thread. Keep the Geno talk here please.

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[Zbynek]

F*** Ron Hextall if he cant get this done

 

[Trade]

The penguins can afford Geno with or without Carter’s deal. If they are holding firm at a number, it’s for other reasons

I was talking about Geno’s boat anchor contract.

I don’t think any of today’s news confirms Geno is 100% gone, this could easily be a move to squeeze some more AAV. Just feels kind of wrong we let it get to this point.

 

[wheelz87]

Imagine Letang, taking an awesome deal to keep G around. And hexstall saying thanks bud, I’m gonna go get a subpar replacement instead.

What’s the point in Sid and Letang if no Geno? Blow it the **** up or retain Geno.

 

[Pens x]

Sid, go plant some drugs in Hextall’s office and get this idiot out of here, my god.

You’ll have to wait until he leaves to take a piss because of his closed door policy. Although, he probably went home hours ago.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Imagine Letang, taking an awesome deal to keep G around. And hexstall saying thanks bud, I’m gonna go get a subpar replacement instead.

What’s the point in Sid and Letang if no Geno? Blow it the **** up or retain Geno.

Imagine Letang, taking an awesome deal to keep G around. And Geno turns down the offer that people have reported has been his asking price for the past week.

What's the point in Sid and Letang if Geno wants to walk? Blow it the f*** up.

 

[SEALBound]

Going into Wednesday with an unsigned Geno is catastrophic to Hextall's plans unless the plan is to 100% revoke the contract offer on Wednesday at the opening of FA. If Malkin walks, we need to replace him. You can't do that with an uncertain amount of cap space. It's the difference between getting the impact players we need and not.

If he loses Malkin and then waits to sign someone and loses them too because he was waiting on Malkin, those are the kind of botch jobs that get GMs fired. And over what? One f***ing year? JFC.

 

[chethejet]

Malkin was a prime asset for years. He was paid like one and now he is 35 missed a number of games and while I appreciate his belief he is still a top player, if the offer was 4 years in term and 6 million AAV, that is what he had to expect with the 35 contract. Pens have little wiggle room with the contract and probably went one year more to have a deal done. I hope Malkin tests FA and see what the offers are. Teams aren't stupid here and the cup contenders don't have cap space and Malkin may get a little better offer but no one is going to blow the doors off here. Maybe the Caps place the over rated center on LTIR and sign Malkin. What a ending.

 

[Pittsburgh1776]

Bunch of smoke and mirrors but it's not very comfortable. I don't like any of the FA options.

 

[IcedCapp]

It is odd how Dreger and others get all the info first and the Malkin whisperer doesn't. He should have been first to report it.

I hope you're right and this is just a GM and agent playing hardball. Pretty uncomfortable sitting here less than 48 hours from free agency though. Nothing we get in FA will be as good or as cheap as Malkin.

I will be as forthcoming as possible:

I can’t speak to Geno’s headspace. I was told, again, by multiple people that:

1) The team wanted Geno and Letang back
2) there was a target number for their combined cap hits
3) Letang was the first priority. Once that was done, they’d turn their focus to Geno (they believe Letang is the better, more valuable player right now)
4) Both Geno and Letang wanted to return.
5) was Told repeatedly over the weekend that nothing changed (for the worst).



edit:

and as I’ll continue to scream: despite what that douche canoe madden says, Sid and Geno ARE “brothers” and Sid wants Geno back. Sid will get this done

 

[DesertedPenguin]

I want to reiterate the biggest issue I have with this is not necessarily the terms of Malkin's contract. Something around 7x3 or 6x4 is very fair for Malkin given his age and injury history.

What has bothered me for months and has come to a head now is that it's taken until less than 48 hours before free agency for the Penguins to even consider a 6x4 deal.

What have Hextall and Burke been doing the last few months? The Penguins were eliminated May 15. I understand there are draft preparations and free agent scouting, but they can't multitask with two franchise icons?

This slow pace is ridiculous and it may bite the Penguins in the ass while rupturing the relationship with a franchise icon.

 

[Pancakes]

Going into Wednesday with an unsigned Geno is catastrophic to Hextall's plans unless the plan is to 100% revoke the contract offer on Wednesday at the opening of FA. If Malkin walks, we need to replace him. You can't do that with an uncertain amount of cap space. It's the difference between getting the impact players we need and not.

If he loses Malkin and then waits to sign someone and loses them too because he was waiting on Malkin, those are the kind of botch jobs that get GMs fired.

I think it's simple. If Malkin doesn't sign by Wednesday, you proceed with other plans in free agency. Leave open the option that he comes back, but if you find someone else willing to sign, you have to do it. You can't wait around on Wednesday for Geno to make a decision because if he decides to go elsewhere and you don't have a replacement lined up you're f***ed.

 

[Empoleon8771]

The Penguins need to give Malkin their final best offer right now and basically tell him "you have until day 1 of free agency to take this, or we're moving on to other options". The Penguins can't wait around for Malkin to make his decision. They can't miss out on Trocheck or Kadri and end up with Ryan Strome as their 2C because they waited on Malkin.

If they're willing to give Malkin 4 years, give him a final offer of what the most you'd be willing to do is. My guess is that it's like $6.5 million over 4 years. If he says no to that or won't have an answer for you before free agency (or at least early into free agency), thank him for what he has done for the Penguins and let him go.

 

[Pittsburgh1776]

Going into Wednesday with an unsigned Geno is catastrophic to Hextall's plans unless the plan is to 100% revoke the contract offer on Wednesday at the opening of FA. If Malkin walks, we need to replace him. You can't do that with an uncertain amount of cap space. It's the difference between getting the impact players we need and not.

If he loses Malkin and then waits to sign someone and loses them too because he was waiting on Malkin, those are the kind of botch jobs that get GMs fired.

Yes. He will not wait for Malkin if Malkin hits FA. This is probably Barry's last play to get four years at preferred AAV on the table. The deal is still possible but is fading fast.

The Penguins need to give Malkin their final best offer right now and basically tell him "you have until day 1 of free agency to take this, or we're moving on to other options". The Penguins can't wait around for Malkin to make his decision. They can't miss out on Trocheck or Kadri and end up with Ryan Strome as their 2C because they waited on Malkin.

If they're willing to give Malkin 4 years, give him a final offer of what the most you'd be willing to do is. My guess is that it's like $6.5 million over 4 years. If he says no to that or won't have an answer for you before free agency (or at least early into free agency), thank him for what he has done for the Penguins and let him go.

Basically.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Going into Wednesday with an unsigned Geno is catastrophic to Hextall's plans unless the plan is to 100% revoke the contract offer on Wednesday at the opening of FA. If Malkin walks, we need to replace him. You can't do that with an uncertain amount of cap space. It's the difference between getting the impact players we need and not.

If he loses Malkin and then waits to sign someone and loses them too because he was waiting on Malkin, those are the kind of botch jobs that get GMs fired. And over what? One f***ing year? JFC.

This is exactly what they should do. They can't wait on Malkin to make his decision. Make him the best offer you can right now, and if it's not good enough for Malkin to not test UFA, move on.

 

[Pancakes]

Bunch of smoke and mirrors but it's not very comfortable. I don't like any of the FA options.

Kadri/Trocheck are fine, but my issue is they will probably command huge contracts and I'm not sure we'll like what we have to pay them.

There's other wild card options too like Giroux or Gaudreau or even Patrick Kane but those all sound like pipedreams to me.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Geno's camp demands 4 years. The team wants 3 years. Back and forth for a handful of days, neither side budges. Team finally concedes the 4th year, Geno turns it down.

Meanwhile, Geno weeping in the dark bedroom of his trillion dollar penthouse on the beach in Miami, blasting AFI.

 

[Pancakes]

Geno's camp demands 4 years. The team wants 3 years. Back and forth for a handful of days, neither side budges. Team finally concedes the 4th year, Geno turns it down.

Meanwhile, Geno weeping in the dark bedroom of his trillion dollar penthouse on the beach in Miami, blasting AFI.

At the end of the day we got three cups out of him and tons of fun regular season play. If this is the end, I'll always remember and appreciate what he did here, but it's not like I can say I didn't get my money's worth as a fan.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Worst case scenario we get a shot at Bedard (or someone else really strong in a strong draft) instead of a 1st round exit.

 

[SEALBound]

I think it's simple. If Malkin doesn't sign by Wednesday, you proceed with other plans in free agency. Leave open the option that he comes back, but if you find someone else willing to sign, you have to do it. You can't wait around on Wednesday for Geno to make a decision because if he decides to go elsewhere and you don't have a replacement lined up you're f***ed.

100%

The "leave open" scenario is like 1yr deal worth $2mil. We wouldn't be able to fit anything else in place if Hextall does his job on Wednesday.

Jake-Sid-Rust
Rakell-Trochek-R. Smith
Zucker-Carter-Kapanen
XXXXX-Bleuger-McGinn

Dumo-Letang
Math-Marino
Freidman-Rudwedel

TJ/CDS

 

[Empoleon8771]

Kadri/Trocheck are fine, but my issue is they will probably command huge contracts and I'm not sure we'll like what we have to pay them.

There's other wild card options too like Giroux or Gaudreau or even Patrick Kane but those all sound like pipedreams to me.

Tbh I think you can get Trocheck for under $6 million in free agency. I think there are teams that would pay him more than that, but I think Trocheck coming home to be the Penguins 2C can probably allow you to get him for cheaper than a lot of other UFAs.

Fair value for him is right around $6 million, you've had UFA centers of his caliber go anywhere for $5.5 million (Danault) to $7 million (Hayes, but the Flyers paid Hayes to not test UFA). I think you could get Trocheck at around $5.5 million due to his Pittsburgh connection.

Worst case scenario we get a shot at Bedard instead of a 1st round exit.

This team isn't really going to feel the impact of losing Malkin in the regular season. They'll feel the impact when they have Trocheck as their 2C in the playoffs instead of Malkin.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I can't wait for this super dramatized, bullshit soap opera to be done one way or another. All that it's made me do is resent Geno for being a greedy egomaniac with unrealistic views of himself as a player, *and* the front office/ownership for being happy trotting out the same lame ass, boring, not good enough team yet again with minimal changes.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

I think it's simple. If Malkin doesn't sign by Wednesday, you proceed with other plans in free agency. Leave open the option that he comes back, but if you find someone else willing to sign, you have to do it. You can't wait around on Wednesday for Geno to make a decision because if he decides to go elsewhere and you don't have a replacement lined up you're f***ed.

This is correct. Our other targets may get snatched up.

 

[Ryder71]

The entire point about this Malkin situation is it shouldn't have gotten to this point. It's poor time management and poor asset management.

Malkin is the best fit at center for the Penguins based off of what is realistically out there in free agency. No one is saying he should get $8 million a year, but a reasonable 7x3 or 6x4 deal has been within reach for weeks, and we're only now getting to that point. The slow play is ridiculous. This management team had the entire postseason to negotiate and it comes off like they procrastinated until the last week or two.

Also, now the Penguins have to devote time to either making up with Malkin to get him signed or shifting attention to brand new negotiations with free agents from other teams. Instead of bidding only against themselves, they'll now be bidding against the rest of the league.

There was a clear path to re-signing Malkin, trading players like Pettersson for additional cap space, and signing two top six wingers to play with Malkin, making this team far more dynamic.

That may still happen, but it's going to be a lot more frantic and difficult if they don't have their No. 2 center locked up before noon July 13.

I disagree, I said over a week ago he'll be re signed, but this is a big commitment for both sides, so each side we'll try to either maximize or limit the amount and the term. You only get the very best offer at the 11th hour when all the chips are in the middle of the table. Not to worry and imagine how excited you'll be when the Pens miraculously bring him back. BOTH SIDES will look like heroes!

 

[Pancakes]

This team isn't really going to feel the impact of losing Malkin in the regular season. They'll feel the impact when they have Trocheck as their 2C in the playoffs instead of Malkin.

Well....I guess the plus there is that while Geno does bring it in the playoffs offensively, he still does have the same defensive warts at times.

Trocheck won't bleed chances 5v5 like Malkin has lately. But he might not provide the offense either (in the playoffs).