Salary Cap: Pittsburgh Penguins Salary Cap - Bargain Bin Edition

[Honour Over Glory]

How do we pull that off?

Pretty simple, the Pens can't afford to trade for both or even one of them at this point.

Teams are giving up multiple picks for defensemen that are RENTALS that are having salary retained. Let's keep that in mind, Vatanen is a UFA and if retained, the pens are likely going to have to pony up a 2nd and a 3rd, or 4th if we're lucky.

That means this year the Pens draft at 3rd round, next year, they'd have their 1st, and then their 4th as their next pick. Then you have to somehow make Kase happen.

I honestly look at Wood & Vatanen from the Devils, call it a day if that was the case. Vats plays LD and RD. He's Sullitard proof. Same for Wood, plays LW/RW.

I'd probably go a 2nd 2021, A.Johnson, D'Orio, and a 3rd in 2022 - If the team doesn't make any move to get more assets.

Ideally, I would be looking at moving Bjugstad for a 2nd and a 4th, then using those picks to get Vatanen and Wood. Maybe the Pens dangle Riikola if it gets them Vatanen. We pray the team dumps Johnson to the Devils, but yeah, Pens would need to sweeten that and apparently JR AND Crosby want Johnson around.

 

[Ryder71]

Pretty simple, the Pens can't afford to trade for both or even one of them at this point.

Teams are giving up multiple picks for defensemen that are RENTALS that are having salary retained. Let's keep that in mind, Vatanen is a UFA and if retained, the pens are likely going to have to pony up a 2nd and a 3rd, or 4th if we're lucky.

That means this year the Pens draft at 3rd round, next year, they'd have their 1st, and then their 4th as their next pick. Then you have to somehow make Kase happen.

I honestly look at Wood & Vatanen from the Devils, call it a day if that was the case. Vats plays LD and RD. He's Sullitard proof. Same for Wood, plays LW/RW.

I'd probably go a 2nd 2021, A.Johnson, D'Orio, and a 3rd in 2022 - If the team doesn't make any move to get more assets.

Ideally, I would be looking at moving Bjugstad for a 2nd and a 4th, then using those picks to get Vatanen and Wood. Maybe the Pens dangle Riikola if it gets them Vatanen. We pray the team dumps Johnson to the Devils, but yeah, Pens would need to sweeten that and apparently JR AND Crosby want Johnson around.

To be clear it was a rhetorical question, we couldn't pull that off. And I agree with your premise in an above post where by you stated that we should aim lower. We just need to add a bit of quality depth. And maybe someone who has a bit of a physical edge but can skate and fit the system.

 

[Tom Hanks]

I know y'all are gonna hate this but what about Wayne Simmonds in the 4th line LW spot? You know JR has been linked to him before and what that means...

 

[Honour Over Glory]

To be clear it was a rhetorical question, we couldn't pull that off. And I agree with your premise in an above post where by you stated that we should aim lower. We just need to add a bit of quality depth. And maybe someone who has a bit of a physical edge but can skate and fit the system.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Kase and Vatanen (50% retained).

Only way that makes sense is if Schultz is going the other way.

 

[Ryder71]

I hate to be ''that guy'' but if we would get him we're likely losing McCann, Kahun or Simon in the off season for cap reasons. It might be better to go after someone who's on an expiring contract. And in turn we wouldn't have to give up a significant asset either.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I hate to be ''that guy'' but if we would get him we're likely losing McCann, Kahun or Simon in the off season for cap reasons. It might be better to go after someone who's on an expiring contract. And in turn we wouldn't have to give up a significant asset in the process.

Did you say lose Simon?

 

[Ryder71]

Did you say lose Simon?

Up until a couple of weeks ago I'd be with you. But he really fits Sids line extremely well and Sid is killing it of late. And they've had success in the past albeit spotty at times.

Beyond that they'd probably want Poulin or a 1st.

 

[Zirakzigil]

I still like Namestnikov as a depth move. He could likely be had for a third or fourth rounder. Had a shorty tonight. Very good skater. Likes Pudding.

He wouldn’t be a bad depth move. My concern is Dumo and Marino on defense. If they are going to be out longish, we need another defenseman. I think you need 8-9 guys you trust, if you want to go on a long run.

 

[Ryder71]

He wouldn’t be a bad depth move. My concern is Dumo and Marino on defense. If they are going to be out longish, we need another defenseman. I think you need 8-9 guys you trust, if you want to go on a long run.

IF JR can get a little more clarity on Dumo by the weekend we can look for that depth forward if it appears as though Dumo is on track. If not then yeah I agree. When healthy I like our blue line depth quite a bit.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Jesper Fast

 

[HandshakeLine]

To be fair, would anyone trade for Jesper Slow?

 

[HandshakeLine]

Speaking of future cap troubles, I’d pencil in Kahun as the player we should make all efforts to keep. Losing McCann would sting, as would Simon, but Kahun is the must-keep of those three, IMO.

 

[StutzlesTapeJob]

My gut says JR isn’t done. I see ye olde hockey trade potential. Pens have lots of role players who have proven versatile depth, creating some sense of duplicative quality parts. Doubt we land or target anyone big name or high price. But I could see Rutherford trading need for need, or more role for role on the bottom 6 side.

personally I’m not real worried about our d. It’s not ideal. But the price to marginally upgrade is steep vs the benefit. Since we’re not adding an all star, our success will hinge on team defense whether we make a move or not.

 

[EightyOne]

To be fair, would anyone trade for Jesper Slow?

Pens really just need Jesper Durable.

 

[Peat]

Pens really just need Jesper Durable.

I'd rather have Jesper Yetmore-Cups

 

[EightyOne]

I'd rather have Jesper Yetmore-Cups

Would you trade Draft Pickson straight up for Yetmore-Cups?

 

[Empoleon8771]

Speaking of future cap troubles, I’d pencil in Kahun as the player we should make all efforts to keep. Losing McCann would sting, as would Simon, but Kahun is the must-keep of those three, IMO.

What's concerning is that I don't know that the Penguins agree with this. Just from seeing how Sullivan has used him, I don't think they like him more than they like McCann or Simon. Or at least Sullivan doesn't like him as much as he likes the other 2.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Penguins pick Murray over Jarry, trade Jarry for futures and use Kahun as a trade chip with JJ and get a cheaper version of JJ for the bottom pair. The more I see Murray playing well, the less I see the Penguins trading him.

 

[Shady Machine]

Speaking of future cap troubles, I’d pencil in Kahun as the player we should make all efforts to keep. Losing McCann would sting, as would Simon, but Kahun is the must-keep of those three, IMO.

Gun to my head, I keep McCann out of the 3 but no reason why we shouldn't keep McCann and Kahun. I have always liked Simon and he is likely to be the cheapest, but one of them probably has to go.

 

[EightyOne]

I agree with @HandshakeLin mostly

I'd keep, in order:

Kahun
Simon (f*** it, need somebody on L1)
McCann...

Any loss of forwards kinda sucks.

 

[ChaosAgent]

Speaking of future cap troubles, I’d pencil in Kahun as the player we should make all efforts to keep. Losing McCann would sting, as would Simon, but Kahun is the must-keep of those three, IMO.

I love McCann but he's gonna get paid the most and maybe fits the least.

He's great to keep around as the resident backup 2C given 87/71s constant injury issues during the Regular Season...but you know what? Jake Guentzel showed me that he can be a good 2C in this league during those couple games when both Sid & Geno were out.

So if we rolled (in case of Sid/Geno injury):

Zucker-Sid/Geno-Rust/Simon (obviously put Rust with Geno and Simon with Sid)
Kahun-Jake-Rust/Simon

I'd still feel pretty good about that. That's not even counting Poulin.

 

[HandshakeLine]

What's concerning is that I don't know that the Penguins agree with this. Just from seeing how Sullivan has used him, I don't think they like him more than they like McCann or Simon. Or at least Sullivan doesn't like him as much as he likes the other 2.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Penguins pick Murray over Jarry, trade Jarry for futures and use Kahun as a trade chip with JJ and get a cheaper version of JJ for the bottom pair. The more I see Murray playing well, the less I see the Penguins trading him.

I hope they don't trade either, but trading Jarry would be absolutely criminal, IMO. His elite stickhandling is that extra edge that really sets him apart and we saw how useful it is in last night's game. Plus, I've heard rumors of him getting a Vezina nod (which would make him less cheap, sure), but I think it's indicative of how his potential is slightly higher than Murray's, which is already pretty damn high.

Either way, I think this team would survive trading one or the other, but again, I'd really like to not have it come down to that, if possible.

 

[EightyOne]

They NEED to just keep both for under or around $9mil.

Trading Murray just can't be sure that is a good idea or that he's actually bad. He may never be that 65 solid game kinda guy, but he's actually not trash. Despite what I might have said at various times lol.

Trading Jarry--barring an epic implosion of performance this year/playoffs--would be worthy of boycotting the team for half a season. They would need such a clear cut home run of a player coming in to even get close to justifying that. No one saw THIS year coming, but if he's put it together and this is what he can bring, you don't toss that.

Keep in mind, goalies tend to bring jack all in trades. Trading a tendy is not the way the org should be looking to get picks back.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I hope they don't trade either, but trading Jarry would be absolutely criminal, IMO. His elite stickhandling is that extra edge that really sets him apart and we saw how useful it is in last night's game. Plus, I've heard rumors of him getting a Vezina nod (which would make him less cheap, sure), but I think it's indicative of how his potential is slightly higher than Murray's, which is already pretty damn high.

Either way, I think this team would survive trading one or the other, but again, I'd really like to not have it come down to that, if possible.

The problem is they have to trade one of them with the acquisition of Zucker, unless I'm way too high on my RFAs, and I just really struggle to see them trading Murray if he's playing well. Teams just don't do that. Look at what happened with the Capitals a few years back, they didn't trade Holtby because of the emergence of Grubauer, they moved Grubauer. If Murray wasn't playing well, that's one thing, but I just can't see it if he's playing well. Teams just usually don't trade their starting goalies and run with backups playing great unless their starter is playing badly or their starter is a pending UFA.

This isn't even saying what I want them to do, it's just me saying what I think they're going to do. Trading Murray is the objectively better decision IMO, I just can't see them doing it if he's playing well. The one situation that would change my mind is if the Penguins end up in a Dougie Hamilton in Boston situation with him, where he's going to get offer-sheeted so they'll just trade him at the draft for what his compensation would be.

 

[HandshakeLine]

But their backups are usually not playing at an elite level, no? That has to change some of the questions, as well.

Like if Jarry really is getting serious mentions for the Vezina in his rookie season, wouldn't that raise his star in the organization as well?