Salary Cap: Pens Salary Cap Thread: Dr Strangedubas "Tankination" is the most monstrously conceived and dangerous communist plot we have ever had to face."

[Gurglesons]

You’re not paying a guy $4.5 M to be a third pairing guy… that’s second pair material

I mean. When you've already paid the guy 4.5 million. You're kinda stuck.

 

[Pancakes]

Just remembered that Jeff Carter has likely played his final game here after tonight. So that's something.

I say likely because I know there's still a chance this moronic franchise brings him back

 

[Gurglesons]

Here is what I would try to run into next year with. This is wildly unrealistic given the amount of trades involved. But you get the idea..

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Just remembered that Jeff Carter has likely played his final game here after tonight. So that's something.

I say likely because I know there's still a chance this moronic franchise brings him back

I'll take that bet.

Unless it's specifically Carter's decision to move on/retire, he'll be back.

 

[Empoleon8771]

The kind of lineup I'd be shooting for to start next year is:

O'Connor-Crosby-Rust
Bunting-Malkin-Rakell
DeBrusk-Wennberg-Puustinen
Lafferty-Eller-Acciari
Poulin-Nieto

Pettersson-Karlsson
McNabb-Letang
Graves-St. Ivany
Ludvig

Nedjelkovic-Blackwood

I think DeBrusk and Wennberg would be great additions for L3, and L4 would benefit as well from Eller being pushed down and Lafferty being brought back. I also think DeBrusk can slide up to Crosby's wing if he bounces back into his top-6 sniper form.

I wouldn't think this team would be wildly better than what they have this year, but a big change in coaching staff could really make this team good if they'd actually do it IMO.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Here is what I would try to run into next year with. This is wildly unrealistic given the amount of trades involved. But you get the idea..

View attachment 854000


View attachment 854001

Way too much money spent on the 4th line, IMO.

 

[Gurglesons]

Way too much money spent on the 4th line, IMO.

I think I'd rather pay money to get players that can actually eat minutes versus what we've done the past few years. We could utilize Trenin and Lizotte in 3rd line roles and we are kinda stuck with Eller and Acciari.

The principle idea would be to have 4 lines that can run 12+ minutes each and players that are built to forecheck and add size. More DOC / Bunting types versus the skilled 30-40 pt players we continue to target.

 

[Pancakes]

Here is what I would try to run into next year with. This is wildly unrealistic given the amount of trades involved. But you get the idea..

View attachment 854000


View attachment 854001

I'm not sure LA would do that trade, but the other ones seem plausible. Trenin would be great.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Smith with $2 million retained to Vegas for McNabb is actually a deal that I could see making a good bit of sense, especially with Vegas likely losing Marchessault, Mantha and Stephenson to free agency this year.

I'm not sure LA would do that trade, but the other ones seem plausible. Trenin would be great.

Trenin has 16 points this year and has a maximum of 24 points in a season. Don't really see why he'd be an attractive target at $3 million at all.

 

[Gurglesons]

I'm not sure LA would do that trade, but the other ones seem plausible. Trenin would be great.

I don't think Kings fans want Lizotte back.

The kind of lineup I'd be shooting for to start next year is:

O'Connor-Crosby-Rust
Bunting-Malkin-Rakell
DeBrusk-Wennberg-Puustinen
Lafferty-Eller-Acciari
Poulin-Nieto

Pettersson-Karlsson
McNabb-Letang
Graves-St. Ivany
Ludvig

Nedjelkovic-Blackwood

I think DeBrusk and Wennberg would be great additions for L3, and L4 would benefit as well from Eller being pushed down and Lafferty being brought back. I also think DeBrusk can slide up to Crosby's wing if he bounces back into his top-6 sniper form.

I wouldn't think this team would be wildly better than what they have this year, but a big change in coaching staff could really make this team good if they'd actually do it IMO.

DeBrusk and Wennberg are exactly the type of low compete, mid forwards I do not want to add.

If we are targeting that type of player either focus on size or forechecking.

This was part of the issue we ran into this year.

 

[Empoleon8771]

DeBrusk and Wennberg are exactly the type of low compete, mid forwards I do not want to add.

If we are targeting that type of player either focus on size or forechecking.

This was part of the issue we ran into this year.

I can see that argument with DeBrusk, but I don't see center as a position where the Penguins need to focus on size or forechecking. Wennberg would bring the same things Eller brings to the table, it just adds another legitimate 3C caliber player.

I can see saying no to DeBrusk for that, but I don't think centers have the same requirements as wingers.

 

[Gurglesons]

I can see that argument with DeBrusk, but I don't see center as a position where the Penguins need to focus on size or forechecking. Wennberg would bring the same things Eller brings to the table, it just adds another legitimate 3C caliber player.

I can see saying no to DeBrusk for that, but I don't think centers have the same requirements as wingers.

Yeah, I don't want another Eller.

Ideally we'd get out of Eller and run Trenin as our 3C and a Lizotte type as our 4C.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I think I'd rather pay money to get players that can actually eat minutes versus what we've done the past few years. We could utilize Trenin and Lizotte in 3rd line roles and we are kinda stuck with Eller and Acciari.

The principle idea would be to have 4 lines that can run 12+ minutes each and players that are built to forecheck and add size. More DOC / Bunting types versus the skilled 30-40 pt players we continue to target.

I'd rather spend the money to beef up the top 9, and just demote Eller/Acciari to be two-thirds of the 4th line with someone cheap like Puljujarvi on their wing.

Ideally, I'd also love to move on from Graves. Whether or not he'll ever be a "fit" on this team, that's too much money to allocate to a 3rd pairing defender. You can get similar performance out of someone making half that amount, for much less term.

 

[Gurglesons]

I'd rather spend the money to beef up the top 9, and just demote Eller/Acciari to be two-thirds of the 4th line with someone cheap like Puljujarvi on their wing.

Ideally, I'd also love to move on from Graves. Whether or not he'll ever be a "fit" on this team, that's too much money to allocate to a 3rd pairing defender. You can get similar performance out of someone making half that amount, for much less term.

The issue with this is that it needs to be done through trade as I'm not sure there is much to add in UFA.

Tuevo and Arvidsson are probably players you can get cheap, but Tuevo is just Reilly Smith 2.0.

That was kinda the intention with adding Mikheyev and Arvidsson for nothing. Gives you two legitimate top nine pieces that add skill sets we don't really have at this point.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Yeah, I don't want another Eller.

Ideally we'd get out of Eller and run Trenin as our 3C and a Lizotte type as our 4C.

The Penguins won 2 cups with 2 Eller types of centers in their bottom-6 with Bonino and Cullen.

 

[Gurglesons]

The Penguins won 2 cups with 2 Eller types of centers in their bottom-6 with Bonino and Cullen.

Wennberg and Bonino / Cullen are incredibly far off in terms of comps.

 

[Pancakes]

How about something like: Smith cap dumped as much as possible. If cap dump can't be fully achieved, at least moved out in a deal where the Pens free up 3 million or so of his salary. Jarry moved for another goalie who has term (Georgiev a la @Gurglesons example would be a fine type of move). Ned re-signed. If Ned is priced out, go with Blomqvist as a backup or sign a vet and allow Blomqvist the option to be a potential mid season call up (because the backup is cheap at 1m or so).

Guentzel/Debrusk (whichever the Pens can get) - Crosby - Rust
Bunting - Malkin - Rakell
DOC - Henrique (3-4 m or so for 1-2 yrs)- Bemstrom (re-signed 1m or so)
Nieto - Eller - Poolparty

MP - Ek
Gostisbehere or OEL seem like decent options if they make it to FA. Would also be ok with a more defensive option here like Mcnabb- Letang
x - St Ivany. the x here I'm not sure about. I'll think on it.


Georgiev
Ned/Blomqvist or cheap UFA/Blomqvist


Not opposed to trades for younger players either but will have to think on what would be possible there.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I'm absolutely not bringing back Guentzel under any realistic circumstance. He's going to cost far too much money for what he'll provide and Sullivan will just go back to using him how he was used in the past.

Crosby does not need $13 million worth of wingers to make a good top line. That's why O'Connor on L1 is really appealing to me, I think O'Connor-Crosby-Rust will still be a good top line and it saves them a bunch of money with having O'Connor in the role.

 

[Gurglesons]

How about something like: Smith cap dumped as much as possible. If cap dump can't be fully achieved, at least moved out in a deal where the Pens free up 3 million or so of his salary. Jarry moved for another goalie who has term (Georgiev a la @Gurglesons example would be a fine type of move). Ned re-signed. If Ned is priced out, go with Blomqvist as a backup or sign a vet and allow Blomqvist the option to be a potential mid season call up (because the backup is cheap at 1m or so).

Guentzel/Debrusk (whichever the Pens can get) - Crosby - Rust
Bunting - Malkin - Rakell
DOC - Henrique (3-4 m or so for 1-2 yrs)- Bemstrom (re-signed 1m or so)
Nieto - Eller - Poolparty

MP - Ek
Gostisbehere or OEL seem like decent options if they make it to FA. Would also be ok with a more defensive option here like Mcnabb- Letang
x - St Ivany. the x here I'm not sure about. I'll think on it.


Georgiev
Ned/Blomqvist or cheap UFA/Blomqvist


Not opposed to trades for younger players either but will have to think on what would be possible there.

I want nothing to do with Debrusk. Rather take a risk on a cheap contract like Arvidsson or Tuevo over Debrusk if we are going that route.

 

[molon labe]

I don't really see any issue with Graves-St. Ivany as the 3rd pair. They will need to get another top-4 LD to play with Letang, but they should have the cap space to do that. I don't mean him specifically, but I'd want to target a Cole caliber of defenseman to make the D pairs:

Pettersson-Karlsson
Cole-Letang
Graves-St. Ivany
Ludvig



The Penguins have paid all of Schultz, Maatta, Matheson and Pettersson $4 million or more while playing them on the bottom pair.

I don't think that was the intention of any of those players. I think we all know that.

....and frankly with the exception of the really bad Pettersson season, Graves doesn't seem to have the upside of moving up and out of that third pairing to any sort of effectiveness.

Not the biggest problem but should be addressed if possible.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I don't think that was the intention of any of those players. I think we all know that.

....and frankly with the exception of the really bad Pettersson season, Graves doesn't seem to have the upside of moving up and out of that third pairing to any sort of effectiveness.

Not the biggest problem but should be addressed if possible.

I don't see why Graves can't be an effective #4/5 for that bottom pair. Just have him play 17 minutes a night or so with a lot of PKing, I think that's a good contribution from your 3rd pair LD.

He's overpaid for that but he'd be worth like $3 million if he would play in that role.

 

[Gurglesons]

I don't think that was the intention of any of those players. I think we all know that.

....and frankly with the exception of the really bad Pettersson season, Graves doesn't seem to have the upside of moving up and out of that third pairing to any sort of effectiveness.

Not the biggest problem but should be addressed if possible.

Not sure how it wasn't?

We acquired Matheson when we had Pettersson and Dumoulin making 4 mil.

What exactly was the other expectation there?

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Did Puustinen die? I notice people aren't slotting him in their hypothetical lineups.

 

[Pancakes]

I want nothing to do with Debrusk. Rather take a risk on a cheap contract like Arvidsson or Tuevo over Debrusk if we are going that route.

Debrusk can be kinda maddening that's true.

I think Henrique could slot in well in the bottom six if we could afford him. I'd feel reasonably confident about him and Eller being our centers down there.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Did Puustinen die? I notice people aren't slotting him in their hypothetical lineups.

Kinda has that Tomas Surovy 2.0 feel to him TBH.