Salary Cap: Pens Salary Thread: Pens Ownership "Dubas... that Coca-Cola machine. I want you to shoot the lock off it. There may be some waiver players in there."

[Jacob]

Jarry's numbers tanked when Nedeljkovic's did, and when Crosby started playing like ass. It was a team issue.

 

[Gurglesons]

Jarry's numbers tanked when Nedeljkovic's did, and when Crosby started playing like ass. It was a team issue.

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

It's always sounded like they don't practice 3-on-3 or shootouts much because it's not a playoff thing. Kinda like when mustache boy was dumped. Not being singularly focused how you will play in the playoffs is seen as a distraction or something.

I think that's part of the reason why they've accepted the shitty PP too. You don't get as many in the POs anyway, so why care?

Getting into the playoffs by ignoring the things that get you into the playoffs does sound like something they’d try.

 

[canadianguy77]

What's even worse is I think he scored like 5 or 6 of those goals within the first half of the season before Sullivan fully "fixed" him. The longer Sullivan's had a hold of him, the less he's been producing.

Our defencemen are coached to look for deflections. That’s the grand plan for the offense. Deflections.

And we wonder why they’re so poor at converting. I’m surprised they even convert at the numbers they do considering how low percentage this tactic is fundamentally.

Watching EK pass up open looks in the slot so he can try and get the puck to the side of the net, 3 feet off the ice, in hope it touches one of our players sticks just perfectly, is one of the saddest things I’ve ever watched as a hockey fan.

 

[DearDiary]

I like how you call out lack of offensive talent. Rakkel, Smith, EK, all had mid to upper 20s in goals last year. None of them will score 20. If you want to have an underperforming season head on over to Sully.

Watching guys like Nylander and McCann become more successful with other orgs.

It seems pretty obvious to me there is something wrong systematically.

Also Heinen who's on pace for 18 goals and 39 points

 

[BusinessGoose]

I want to know what jarry did to piss off his biggest fanboy HCMS right BEFORE jarry got sick... Cause he was in rotation to be the starter and got yanked, then got sick

 

[66-30-33]

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That tells me we need a goalie that's good on the final half of the season so we can have a good goalie all season long. Maybe sign a 3rd string that's good in the playoffs so we have all our months covered.

 

[Tasty Biscuits]

A goalie who plays consistently well throughout the season is now a myth of the past, unless they are A) legit Vezina quality, or B) on a very good team. Pens have neither of those right now.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

A goalie who plays consistently well throughout the season is now a myth of the past, unless they are A) legit Vezina quality, or B) on a very good team. Pens have neither of those right now.

I don't even know if THOSE guys are all that consistent these days.

But frankly it's yet another reason to not hand money and term to guys like Jarry. Goaltending seems like largely one giant pile of "pick one and hope for the best." Look at Ned... team picked him up for basically nothing and he's as good or better than the 5M dollar starter with term on his contract. Just do that every year if you have to.

 

[Pancakes]

A goalie who plays consistently well throughout the season is now a myth of the past, unless they are A) legit Vezina quality, or B) on a very good team. Pens have neither of those right now.

Yeah but it is funny that late in the season when the games start taking on more of a playoff type feel Jarry wilts.

 

[Sidgeni Malkby]

I don't even know if THOSE guys are all that consistent these days.

But frankly it's yet another reason to not hand money and term to guys like Jarry. Goaltending seems like largely one giant pile of "pick one and hope for the best." Look at Ned... team picked him up for basically nothing and he's as good or better than the 5M dollar starter with term on his contract. Just do that every year if you have to.

I think you can do that, but you need someone to at least provide a base level of competency.

Also I don't know why, but goalies seem to be pushed by who's running with/against them. Would Ned do as well without Jarry being around?

Will Ned do as well next year with Blomqvist as backup?

I think for teams like Carolina that have to make decisions on keeping talent due to salary cap this a bigger issue. For team at our stage, I don't know if we would be any better with the extra $3M cap to spend.

 

[BusinessGoose]

I still say sign like five top goalies in europe

Rotate the hot streaks

Every rando we play with like 4 games to their name looks vezina

Just do that to every other team that faces us

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I think you can do that, but you need someone to at least provide a base level of competency.

Also I don't know why, but goalies seem to be pushed by who's running with/against them. Would Ned do as well without Jarry being around?

Will Ned do as well next year with Blomqvist as backup?

I think for teams like Carolina that have to make decisions on keeping talent due to salary cap this a bigger issue. For team at our stage, I don't know if we would be any better with the extra $3M cap to spend.

That last point especially is a fair one. It doesn't much matter anymore because it's the kind of move you make to save on cap and improve your team elsewhere. Which is something serious teams interested in competing do. Not the Penguins.

I just don't see the point in putting much if hardly any money into goaltenders. Keep drafting them and keep them in the pipeline. Pick up a vet every year if you have to (they are always available). I don't at all understand these fans that were like "well they can't NOT sign Jarry! Who would start?!?"

I dunno... pick one out of the bag? They're all kind of the same these days.

I still say sign like five top goalies in europe

Rotate the hot streaks

Every rando we play with like 4 games to their name looks vezina

Just do that to every other team that faces us

I mean... I know you are foolin' but this isn't THAT far off the mark haha

 

[SEALBound]

The only reason I might want Karlsson moved is if it's part of a trade that gives us another reliable asset and cap space or two assets that help fill holes. If you could do Karlsson for something like Chychrun+Norris (injury withstanding), then I could get on board moving him because we are filling different holes. For just cap relief, I don't think I do it unless it's a slam dunk where the assets we get back make sense. I'm certainly not paying to dump him.

Moving on to Neds and Jarry, I do think Jarry would draw interest in a trade this summer if Dubas made him available. While the goalie market is 100% better than it was last year, there is still a lack of quality starters available. If you go the FA route, you're hoping Talbot can still do well or you hope that a current backup is ready to take over the reigns. So I mean, there's risk in everything.

But on that note, do you think Nedeljkovich is a guy we could resign for a year or two and platoon with another similar goalie as a 1A/B situation? A guy like Kähkönen, Dreiger, or Lankinen? The idea being that you pay each about $2mil which frees up a couple mil to go elsewhere. The short-term deals reduce risk of anchor contracts if play goes to hell. More often than not, goalies are just musical chairs not unlike coaches. They rotate around and the signing team hopes they do well. Not unlike we did with Nedeljkovich. If we can get a good young asset back for Jarry, it's something I seriously explore.

It also makes me wish they had brought up Blomqvist at various points this year instead of Hellberg. Knowing how Blomqvist might do would also influence that decision. I wouldn't be 100% against Neds-Blom as a starter-backup situation but I'd feel better about making the call if I knew how he'd do.

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That's Jarry though. That's how he's been with us for a couple years now. Run that same table for 2023, 2022, and 2021...

 

[Gurglesons]

That's Jarry though. That's how he's been with us for a couple years now. Run that same table for 2023, 2022, and 2021...

Despite what it feels like Jarry has not played 35 games for us this February.

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

Sad that there are no Hasek, Roy, or Brodeur level goalies anymore. There's no goaltender who is intimidating based on reputation alone.

 

[Tasty Biscuits]

Yeah but it is funny that late in the season when the games start taking on more of a playoff type feel Jarry wilts.

Ya it's clear he needs a legit backup because he's doesn't have that physical longevity. Past two seasons (last in particular) he was way overworked as DeSmith finally showed he's not NHL caliber. (this season was tracking quite fine for what he's paid, but then he received the majority of the starts when the team quit in March, which torpedoed his 2nd half stats more than normal). This is all why he doesn't make dumb starter money.

If you can find a guy capable of giving you those 50 starts, then sure, have at it. Acting like the contract is an albatross is not a take I'm ready to get onboard with quite yet.

 

[Tasty Biscuits]

Sad that there are no Hasek, Roy, or Brodeur level goalies anymore. There's no goaltender who is intimidating based on reputation alone.

Look at when those guys had their peak/best years. Pretty much later 90's early 2000s for all of them.
In the current state of the game, it's all more team reliant than ever. Very, very few can deliver consistent excellence regardless of what's happening in front of them.

 

[Andy99]

I think Jarry’s second half descent is directly proportional to how much he plays…he’d be better as a platoon goalie and not labeled the starter…his contract doesn’t jive with that, but that’s how he should be played

 

[Pancakes]

It's funny all the media questioning Geno and he's the 40th highest scoring center in the NHL and has a 53% 5v5 xgoals and with high quality offensive metrics otherwise as well on the Jfresh charts.

If we assume there are (or should be) 32 first line centers in the NHL then being 40th would make Geno one of the better 2cs in the league.

He's not washed at all. He just needs more help than he used to. He's not a PPG+ star any more. But he's still pretty good and far from retirement fodder.

 

[Tasty Biscuits]

It's funny all the media questioning Geno and he's the 40th highest scoring center in the NHL and has a 53% 5v5 xgoals and with high quality offensive metrics otherwise as well on the Jfresh charts.

If we assume there are (or should be) 32 first line centers in the NHL then being 40th would make Geno one of the better 2cs in the league.

He's not washed at all. He just needs more help than he used to. He's not a PPG+ star any more. But he's still pretty good and far from retirement fodder.

Par for the course with Pittsburgh media.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Par for the course with Pittsburgh media.

And like half the fans, anymore.

Oh... and the coach.

 

[ChaosAgent]

It's funny all the media questioning Geno and he's the 40th highest scoring center in the NHL and has a 53% 5v5 xgoals and with high quality offensive metrics otherwise as well on the Jfresh charts.

If we assume there are (or should be) 32 first line centers in the NHL then being 40th would make Geno one of the better 2cs in the league.

He's not washed at all. He just needs more help than he used to. He's not a PPG+ star any more. But he's still pretty good and far from retirement fodder.

The question is how much we can actually help 87 and 71 when we have spent like 8 first round picks on Ryan Reaves, Jason Zucker, Kasperi Kapanen and Derick Brassard. And next year's first on a defenseman.

No question 87 and 71 could be winning players, somewhere. But the team has already blown its best assets on the years 2018-2023.

 

[DrDangles]

Sad that there are no Hasek, Roy, or Brodeur level goalies anymore. There's no goaltender who is intimidating based on reputation alone.

The only guy close to that in today's league is Vasi, who would still scare the hell out of me in a playoff series.

 

[Ginormousthumbs]

The last 7 games are going to be brutal.