Salary Cap: Pens Salary Thread: Stretch run to the playoffs "So it begins"

[Empoleon8771]

Crosby and Malkin will be long retired and Penguins fans will still be complaining about not keeping Tanev and McCann in the expansion draft.

I do find it legitimately hilarious of the hand wringing about losing those two, while the Penguins didn't accomplish jack shit with them in their bottom-6 when they were here.

 

[BusinessGoose]

We could have kept Naslund, man!!!!

 

[StaalForOne]

Just think of what could have been if Jordan was an only child.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Just think of what could have been if Jordan was an only child.

Ray Shero would have paid him 60 million dollars over ten years and it would have sucked?

 

[SEALBound]

Miller for 23/24 1sts

Guentzel-Crosby-Rakell
Granlund-Malkin-Nylander
DOC-Miller-Rust
Poehling-Carter-Hallander
Puustinen

Petterson-Letang
POJ-Petry
Smith-Rutta
Freidman-Rudwedel

TJ/CDS

With realistic raises, $1.7mil in cap space so we can bring in someone else if needed.

 

[Turin]

Crosby and Malkin will be long retired and Penguins fans will still be complaining about not keeping Tanev and McCann in the expansion draft.

I do find it legitimately hilarious of the hand wringing about losing those two, while the Penguins didn't accomplish jack shit with them in their bottom-6 when they were here.

I feel like it’s somewhat fair until the Pens actually get as good replacement. Just like it was pretty much fair to complain about not re-signing Bonino forever because they never replaced him until Carter played well for a few months.

 

[Gurglesons]

6 points back of the Rangers, even on games. Get to face them 3 times.
Something to keep an eye on

So at minimum we will be 12 back of them in a few days?

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I feel like it’s somewhat fair until the Pens actually get as good replacement. Just like it was pretty much fair to complain about not re-signing Bonino forever because they never replaced him until Carter played well for a few months.

Yeah but I think the main thing is like... would McCann and Tanev be used like that here?

People are just looking at the raw totals and moving them in their heads to this team.

I do think it's fair to say that this team has been doing a poor job assessing players and professionally scouting players for years, now. Considering the amount that have gone on to do well elsewhere combined with some of the poor fits we've seen. But (and I know everyone is sick of hearing it) of course there is a healthy dose of coaching involved there, too.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I feel like it’s somewhat fair until the Pens actually get as good replacement. Just like it was pretty much fair to complain about not re-signing Bonino forever because they never replaced him until Carter played well for a few months.

Idk I feel like they've kinda already replaced what those guys provide in the playoffs. Because they basically didn't provide anything.

 

[Turin]

Yeah but I think the main thing is like... would McCann and Tanev be used like that here?

People are just looking at the raw totals and moving them in their heads to this team.

I do think it's fair to say that this team has been doing a poor job assessing players and professionally scouting players for years, now. Considering the amount that have gone on to do well elsewhere combined with some of the poor fits we've seen. But (and I know everyone is sick of hearing it) of course there is a healthy dose of coaching involved there, too.

Would they? Probably not. But even misused they would still be better than what the Pens had this year.

I’ve also been of the opinion that Malkin should have been moved to wing a couple years ago already.

Idk I feel like they've kinda already replaced what those guys provide in the playoffs. Because they basically didn't provide anything.

Sure but in what sample size? 2020 was a fake year where nobody provided anything in 5 games and in 2021 they should have won handedly if not for the worst goalie performance ever.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Would they? Probably not. But even misused they would still be better than what the Pens had this year.

I’ve also been of the opinion that Malkin should have been moved to wing a couple years ago already.

Ah. Yeah don't agree though I'm fine with it in next couple years as something he's eased into.

Malkin operates best through the middle of the ice. Results at wing have always been poor.

 

[Gurglesons]

Would they? Probably not. But even misused they would still be better than what the Pens had this year.

I’ve also been of the opinion that Malkin should have been moved to wing a couple years ago already.


Sure but in what sample size? 2020 was a fake year where nobody provided anything in 5 games and in 2021 they should have won handedly if not for the worst goalie performance ever.

Yeah let's move the player on an 80+ pt pace as a 36 year old to wing..

McCann was here for three playoff runs and had 0 goals.

 

[Turin]

Ah. Yeah don't agree though I'm fine with it in next couple years as something he's eased into.

Malkin operates best through the middle of the ice. Results at wing have always been poor.

Hockey is fluid enough that he can still do that in, but the defensive responsibilities can be take away as well. But regardless it wouldn’t have happened.

My main problem isn’t just McCann, it’s that out of all the depth in the last few years it’s all good ones with the highest ceilings that have been let go.

 

[Deport Ogie]

Malkin is not a wing. It's been tried and does not work and it's not like he's actively harming the team. Even at this age he still works best when he winds up and attacks through the middle.

 

[Turin]

Yeah let's move the player on an 80+ pt pace as a 36 year old to wing..

McCann was here for three playoff runs and had 0 goals.

Moving Malkin to wing wouldn’t harm his offense at all. You think Kucherov would score more points as a center?

Malkin is not a wing. It's been tried and does not work and it's not like he's actively harming the team. Even at this age he still works best when he winds up and attacks through the middle.

It was tried with Jordan Staal having a bad season as a 19 year old, and it’s been tried with Sidney Crosby and they always dominated. That’s literally it.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Malkin is not a wing. It's been tried and does not work and it's not like he's actively harming the team. Even at this age he still works best when he winds up and attacks through the middle.

Yeah I guess I just don't get the overwhelming want for it. It's no offense but it feels like trying to be clever for the sake of being clever. Plus again we've seen it before and it's always largely a mess. Plus who is gonna do it? A player worse than him even at 36? Meh.

I get that he's not exactly what I'd call airtight defensively unless it's the playoffs. But I agree... is it really a liability? One of our favorite posters loves to grouse about narratives. I think that's one of them though of course not in the way THEY'D approve of.

Also Malkin at 50+ percent on draws this year. Odd that that's not talked about like ever.

 

[Gurglesons]

Moving Malkin to wing wouldn’t harm his offense at all. You think Kucherov would score more points as a center?

Malkin is a natural center. Who should be centering him?

 

[Deport Ogie]

It was tried with Jordan Staal having a bad season as a 19 year old, and it’s been tried with Sidney Crosby and they always dominated. That’s literally it.

It strikes me as change for the sake of change. I'll play devil's advocate. Moving him to wing does...what for the team? If you question his defense...okay but he's still comfortably over 50% GF so I'm not sure it's that big of a concern.

Yeah I guess I just don't get the overwhelming want for it. It's no offense but it feels like trying to be clever for the sake of being clever. Plus again we've seen it before and it's always largely a mess. Plus who is gonna do it? A player worse than him even at 36? Meh.

I get that he's not exactly what I'd call airtight defensively unless it's the playoffs. But I agree... is it really a liability? One of our favorite posters loves to grouse about narratives. I think that's one of them though of course not in the way THEY'D approve of.

Also Malkin at 50+ percent on draws this year. Odd that that's not talked about like ever.

Exactly my point. "These changes aren't permanent but change is" to quote the mighty Neil Peart, which I know you'll appreciate.

Also, we aren't really talking enough about his improvement in the faceoff circle. Especially on his backhand side. It's been very solid and kind of shows the difference, again, in the way the two are talked about. When Sid showed this kind of improvement in the dot 300 word articles were written.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Also, we aren't really talking enough about his improvement in the faceoff circle. Especially on his backhand side. It's been very solid and kind of shows the difference, again, in the way the two are talked about. When Sid showed this kind of improvement in the dot 300 word articles were written.

A 7 percent improvement in one season in the circle barely meriting a cricket fart tells me nobody actually cares about faceoffs as much as they pretend to and just use it as a wedge issue re: players they like/don't like.

As I always suspected.

 

[Deport Ogie]

I'd be much more interested in faceoffs as a tracking metric if we started to treat it like we treat zone starts. It's an overrated stat but carries a bit more weight if you're looking at a DZ start or a PK start. I'd like to see FO% split out to ES% (who cares) and Special Team % (eh, we care a bit more)

Like, we keep learning on Carter's FO% as a defense mechanism but how substantive does it prove to be? If he wins a PK faceoff and we get a clear that's all well and good but how often do we see 77 win a FO and then just turn it over? WTF good is the FO win then?

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I'd be much more interested in faceoffs as a tracking metric if we started to treat it like we treat zone starts. It's an overrated stat but carries a bit more weight if you're looking at a DZ start or a PK start. I'd like to see FO% split out to ES% (who cares) and Special Team % (eh, we care a bit more)

Maybe similar to high danger chances... high uh... "pressure" faceoffs?

Faceoffs aren't really that important like 90% of the game but that final 10% is a doozy it seems.

 

[SEALBound]

Malkin is a natural center. Who should be centering him?

Crosby.

I think once (and this is IF) Malkin regresses, putting him with Sid and finding a 2C would be the logical step.

Jake-Sid-Malkin
Rakell-Miller-Rust

Something like that.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

Yeah but I think the main thing is like... would McCann and Tanev be used like that here?

People are just looking at the raw totals and moving them in their heads to this team.

I do think it's fair to say that this team has been doing a poor job assessing players and professionally scouting players for years, now. Considering the amount that have gone on to do well elsewhere combined with some of the poor fits we've seen. But (and I know everyone is sick of hearing it) of course there is a healthy dose of coaching involved there, too.

That's the thing. People don't grasp that Production does not equal talent

Sam Lafferty I think has like 20 goals. SHould we bring him back too?

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

That's the thing. People don't grasp that Production does not equal talent

Sam Lafferty I think has like 20 goals. SHould we bring him back too?

I was seriously afraid they might at the TDL lol

 

[Gurglesons]

Crosby.

I think once (and this is IF) Malkin regresses, putting him with Sid and finding a 2C would be the logical step.

Jake-Sid-Malkin
Rakell-Miller-Rust

Something like that.

Sid and Malkin seems like nightmare fuel together IMO.