Confirmed with Link: Penguins bring back Cullen

[EightyOne]

You would just re-sign him for that, but Hagelin and his agent would be stupid to sign that until they fully explored the market. Dude has had plenty of team success and likely will want to be paid for it. I can't see why a team won't give him 4MM per again.

Especially after the last few offseasons. Free Agents with a name for themselves are getting way overpaid. Hell, dudes without names are getting paid.

I don't get the feeling Hags is super into leaving money on the table to stay as our roster floater...

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

So happy to have him back
Salary is even better. No joke though, no matter how he plays, just one of those guys you can't hate!!!

 

[ZeroPucksGiven]

I would rather keep Hagelin, I would just re-sign him to around 3m/yr after his contract is up. He's a big part of that "speed game" that the Pens like to employ, especially on the forecheck. Unless you had a similarly speedy winger like him available, I hang on to him.

With the Cap going up and you have a resume like Hags...well you aren't gonna take a paycut

 

[Honour Over Glory]

With the Cap going up and you have a resume like Hags...well you aren't gonna take a paycut

The thing about Hags is that, yeah he can go and get more, so could Hornqvist before he signed his extension, but if he's happy where he's at and wants to stay, I think both sides can make it work, like a 4yr deal to keep him here for the rest of his career with his best bud type of thing.

 

[Ogrezilla]

The thing about Hags is that, yeah he can go and get more, so could Hornqvist before he signed his extension, but if he's happy where he's at and wants to stay, I think both sides can make it work, like a 4yr deal to keep him here for the rest of his career with his best bud type of thing.

Horny took a smaller raise, but still a raise. I pay cut is different and far less likely. Horny never got to see the market. Hags will, because he's sure as hell not taking a paycut as his first option.

 

[66-30-33]

I'm going to miss Hags. Our speed game is going to take a hit with him gone, good thing we still got Rust or we will be looking like a much slower team.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Horny took a smaller raise, but still a raise. I pay cut is different and far less likely. Horny never got to see the market. Hags will, because he's sure as hell not taking a paycut as his first option.

Hornqvist was a 4.25m cap hit, his final 2yrs he was getting paid 4.75 in his actual dollars. He took a 5.3m/yr contract for 5yrs, basically his final contract. In terms of actual $$ raise, he got 550,000 in a raise in his actual salary. Considering that Evander Kane is just getting a 7m/yr contract and JVR just got that too, some team would have paid Hornqvist 6-6.5m/yr easily. He took a raise, yes, but so below current market value that it's laughably a steal and a half.

Horny chose to stay because he liked being on the team and the team liked him around, for Horny, young family, fit, the term was far more important and that was known, Horny wanted term and took a small raise to get it. That contract is such a freaking steal.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I'm going to miss Hags. Our speed game is going to take a hit with him gone, good thing we still got Rust or we will be looking like a much slower team.

I'm ok if he re-ups for around what Rust makes for 4yrs. Maybe 3.75/yr for 4yrs. I think Hagelin would stay for that too.

 

[66-30-33]

I'm ok if he re-ups for around what Rust makes for 4yrs. Maybe 3.75/yr for 4yrs. I think Hagelin would stay for that too.

Would have been nice if we had got Duclair today to add to our speed game.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I'm ok if he re-ups for around what Rust makes for 4yrs. Maybe 3.75/yr for 4yrs. I think Hagelin would stay for that too.

I hope you're right, I just doubt it.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I hope you're right, I just doubt it.

If he puts up another 30+ pt season, I am ok with a 4.15/yr for 4yr contract, comes with a slight raise (his actual salary is around 3.66m until this next season).

With Brassard walking/moved after this season or during it, the team will need to re-sign Sheahan and then look for a solid 4C, which is usually giving some kids from within a shot to audition during injuries, hopefully Sullivan this time plays guys like Blueger and Ohlund.

But I would look at Hags as a guy to definitely keep unless his ask is just nonsensical.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Would have been nice if we had got Duclair today to add to our speed game.

Duclair would have been nice, that cap hit is pretty easy to add in the Pens grand scheme as well since some guys might get bumped down and that cap hit isn't what it looks like right now. But I guess JR is comfortable with the LW depth being - Guentzel, Hagelin, Simon, Aston-Reese, and Cullen with the option of Brass as a winger as well.

 

[Ogrezilla]

If he puts up another 30+ pt season, I am ok with a 4.15/yr for 4yr contract, comes with a slight raise (his actual salary is around 3.66m until this next season).

With Brassard walking/moved after this season or during it, the team will need to re-sign Sheahan and then look for a solid 4C, which is usually giving some kids from within a shot to audition during injuries, hopefully Sullivan this time plays guys like Blueger and Ohlund.

But I would look at Hags as a guy to definitely keep unless his ask is just nonsensical.

I really hope we find time to give some young kids a shot this year, we could really use one or two to step up next year. Though if any or all of ZAR, Sprong, and Simon pan out, that will be a great start. But a center would be awesome.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I really hope we find time to give some young kids a shot this year, we could really use one or two to step up next year. Though if any or all of ZAR, Sprong, and Simon pan out, that will be a great start. But a center would be awesome.

With JR mentioning Brassard could play wing, I think they might try to address the LW depth issue with that and with our luck of injuries, I am curious if they would just keep Brass as a LW if that was the play and move up Sheahan and Cullen and re-call one of the kids if they play well enough. If they aren't playing well, there's no reason to call them up, that shot still has to be earned and I really want those kids to earn it if they play well enough.

 

[Shady Machine]

With JR mentioning Brassard could play wing, I think they might try to address the LW depth issue with that and with our luck of injuries, I am curious if they would just keep Brass as a LW if that was the play and move up Sheahan and Cullen and re-call one of the kids if they play well enough. If they aren't playing well, there's no reason to call them up, that shot still has to be earned and I really want those kids to earn it if they play well enough.

In the most recent interview, he said Cullen and Sheahan can and have played LW and that they think Brassard can, although he hasn't done it much.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

In the most recent interview, he said Cullen and Sheahan can and have played LW and that they think Brassard can, although he hasn't done it much.

I think it makes more sense to play Brassard as a LW. Sheahan is fantastic at faceoffs and Cullen is too, it allows Brassard to just focus on his offense if he is moved to LW and opens up a lot of options, potentially when you think about it, with stacking the top 9, or even the entire roster. I like the idea of Brass with Geno and Sprong flanking them as a rookie getting a good buffer of solid vets.

Guentzel, Crosby, Hornqvist
Brassard, Malkin, Sprong
Hagelin, Sheahan, Kessel
Aston-Reese/Simon, Cullen, Rust

Ideally, I want to see a Hagelin-Cullen-Rust pairing, I think that has the makings of a fantastic "holy shit, why are those guys so fast" kind of line that just disrupts like crazy, then a bunch of talented lines spread out. Or if you want to keep Geno and Phil together...

Guentzel, Crosby, Hornqvist
Hagelin, Malkin, Kessel
Brassard, Sheahan, Sprong
A-R/Simon, Cullen, Rust

 

[Peat]

I'm ok if he re-ups for around what Rust makes for 4yrs. Maybe 3.75/yr for 4yrs. I think Hagelin would stay for that too.

I love Hagelin, I really do, but...

a) For ages, the answer to "How do we pay Jake" was "Let Hags walk and give Jake his money". How are we paying Jake if that doesn't happen?

b) How many guys on solid hurt-to-move contracts going into their 30s do we want? A few unexpectedly quick declines and it becomes pretty difficult to win.

I really hope we find time to give some young kids a shot this year, we could really use one or two to step up next year. Though if any or all of ZAR, Sprong, and Simon pan out, that will be a great start. But a center would be awesome.

You mean injuries. Injuries are what will give them that chance.

I am a tad worried I suppose that with Cullen here, that they'll slide him over to 4C rather than promote Blugers once the injuries happen, but they can still promote Blugers to be 4LW in that situation and that's still one hell of an education. Ideally though in the RS, they'd give a centre the chance and let Cullen educate them from the wing.

 

[Peat]

I'm ok if he re-ups for around what Rust makes for 4yrs. Maybe 3.75/yr for 4yrs. I think Hagelin would stay for that too.

I love Hagelin, I really do, but...

a) For ages, the answer to "How do we pay Jake" was "Let Hags walk and give Jake his money". How are we paying Jake if that doesn't happen?

b) How many guys on solid hurt-to-move contracts going into their 30s do we want? A few unexpectedly quick declines and it becomes pretty difficult to win.

I really hope we find time to give some young kids a shot this year, we could really use one or two to step up next year. Though if any or all of ZAR, Sprong, and Simon pan out, that will be a great start. But a center would be awesome.

You mean injuries. Injuries are what will give them that chance.

I am a tad worried I suppose that with Cullen here, that they'll slide him over to 4C rather than promote Blugers once the injuries happen, but they can still promote Blugers to be 4LW in that situation and that's still one hell of an education. Ideally though in the RS, they'd give a centre the chance and let Cullen educate them from the wing.

 

[NMK11]

Blueger should get time up this year, with or without Cullen. Give the old man a few games off here and there to keep him fresh. No matter who they start as their bottom 6 centers, ZAR, Simon, Blueger, Sprong, and maybe one or two others should get plenty of time. Remember, we've only really added one forward to our roster and lost 3-4 bottom line guys from this time last year. Those Kuhn/Rowney/Reaves/McKegg minutes from last year need to be filled.

 

[Jacob]

I hope Cullen doesn't make a big stink about sitting. Some Wild fans indicated he didn't like getting scratched in Minnesota.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I hope Cullen doesn't make a big stink about sitting. Some Wild fans indicated he didn't like getting scratched in Minnesota.

I doubt it matters, because I doubt we plan to sit him.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I doubt it matters, because I doubt we plan to sit him.

Well that would be an unwise decision. He looked like he needed games off the last go around and that was two seasons ago.

 

[AjaxTelamon]

I doubt it matters, because I doubt we plan to sit him.

With his fitness level, we won't need to. He played some of his best hockey last year down the stretch when he wasn't asked to drag around the husk of Daniel Winnik.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Well that would be an unwise decision. He looked like he needed games off the last go around and that was two seasons ago.

I think that was when he had to play above L4. That wore him down both years he was here usually within a few games the cracks were showing. They should plan to manage his number of games but I’m sure they won’t and he doesn’t want them to. Hopefully the C depth can keep him on L4 for his own good. Between Crosby, Malkin, Brassard, Sheahan and Guentzel he shouldn’t be pushed up by injuries and if he somehow is I hope Blueger eats some of those 3C minutes.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I think that was when he had to play above L4. That wore him down both years he was here usually within a few games the cracks were showing. They should plan to manage his number of games but I’m sure they won’t and he doesn’t want them to. Hopefully the C depth can keep him on L4 for his own good. Between Crosby, Malkin, Brassard, Sheahan and Guentzel he shouldn’t be pushed up by injuries and if he somehow is I hope Blueger eats some of those 3C minutes.

Yup. I can get behind that.

I thought it was kinda of a half-pointless signing, in some ways. But league minimum + the fact that he's loved by the team = me not bitching about it.