Salary Cap: Pittsburgh Penguins Salary Cap: The Trades We'd Make Before The Play Offs

[dogthateats]

I think Jake and Risto are pretty good buddies

 

[Gurglesons]

We have to avoid low hockey IQ defensemen. We have a No. 1 whose biggest kryptonite is just that.

Letang is not going to age well, so we should hurry up and deal him. He will not be able to think through his diminishing skill set.

Then again, Hornqvist should have been traded two years ago, so I am not holding my breath.

Letang was our best D this series. Why is this changing? He's also been our healthiest star over the last three years.

 

[K Fleur]

I think Jake and Risto are pretty good buddies

So are Crosby and JJ

 

[Peat]

When is the last time we saw a player realize untapped potential after seven years in the league?

Marchand didn't get his first ppg season until his eighth season

True.

That’s the thing though does Risto have untapped potential or is he just what he is at this point?

Don’t think I’d want to get rid of Letang to find out.

I'd lean he is what he is but what he is would do better in a kinder role. But no, I don't feel hugely like paying a lot to find out.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I think a lot of the direction of the Penguins off-season will be established in a little over an hour. If you win the Lafreniere pick, you don't even consider trading Letang or Malkin. Adding Lafreniere is your "shake-up move". At that point, you just dump Hornqvist for nothing if you want to shake up the team, because you've acquired that shot in the arm you need.

 

[Gurglesons]

Marchand didn't get his first ppg season until his eighth season

So, we are going to change Risto's minutes and pairing like Boston did with Marchand?

Also, is that not a reflection of the way the league evolved in those years in terms of scoring rates?

 

[Jag68Sid87]

Letang was our best D this series. Why is this changing? He's also been our healthiest star over the last three years.

He plays too much, is a terrible PP QB and is as boneheaded as a near-HOF caliber player can be.

Quite frankly, I don't even know how he does it.

 

[K Fleur]

I thought Letang was having a great season until the whole team went to shit around February 1st.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

I think a lot of the direction of the Penguins off-season will be established in a little over an hour. If you win the Lafreniere pick, you don't even consider trading Letang or Malkin. Adding Lafreniere is your "shake-up move". At that point, you just dump Hornqvist for nothing if you want to shake up the team, because you've acquired that shot in the arm you need.

I disagree with this. Lafreniere does not play defense. Lafreniere has no bearing on what Seattle wants to do with its goaltending next year. Lafreniere is not a No. 3 center. Etc. Etc. Etc.

This team IS the team that lost 8 of 11 before COVID-19, and Montreal just reminded us of that. It is also the team that has been punked in the playoffs two years running, and was not competitive against the champs the year before that.

We need more than a wake-up call.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I disagree with this. Lafreniere does not play defense. Lafreniere has no bearing on what Seattle wants to do with its goaltending next year. Lafreniere is not a No. 3 center. Etc. Etc. Etc.

This team IS the team that lost 8 of 11 before COVID-19, and Montreal just reminded us of that. It is also the team that has been punked in the playoffs two years running, and was not competitive against the champs the year before that.

We need more than a wake-up call.

1. I never said they'd do nothing else, I said they wouldn't need to trade a core player on par with Letang.
2. Defense was not a problem in the playoffs, scoring was. If you fix the bottom pair, your defensive problems are about 95% solved.
3. Murray is being traded regardless, so that's a nothing concern
4. Lafreniere starting on the 3rd line, which is what I'd expect to start, dramatically lessens the importance of who the Penguins 3C is.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

1. I never said they'd do nothing else, I said they wouldn't need to trade a core player on par with Letang.
2. Defense was not a problem in the playoffs, scoring was.
3. Murray is being traded regardless, so that's a nothing concern
4. Lafreniere starting on the 3rd line, which is what I'd expect to start, dramatically lessens the importance of who the Penguins 3C is.

Agree to disagree, on every single point.

 

[Gurglesons]

1. I never said they'd do nothing else, I said they wouldn't need to trade a core player on par with Letang.
2. Defense was not a problem in the playoffs, scoring was. If you fix the bottom pair, your defensive problems are about 95% solved.
3. Murray is being traded regardless, so that's a nothing concern
4. Lafreniere starting on the 3rd line, which is what I'd expect to start, dramatically lessens the importance of who the Penguins 3C is.

There was a defensive problem in this playoffs.

 

[Peat]

So, we are going to change Risto's minutes and pairing like Boston did with Marchand?

Also, is that not a reflection of the way the league evolved in those years in terms of scoring rates?

That would be the plan, yes. Risto slides onto the 2nd pairing and stops pretending to be a 1D and gets some easier minutes and probably less of them, while Marino volunteers to take the hard ones.

I think this is a workable plan in general. I'm not sure it's worth Letang but if we're going to shake, there will be worse ideas.

And yeah, league scoring going up probably helped the Rat, and so did Pastrnak, but even so it was a dramatic jump.

 

[Empoleon8771]

There was a defensive problem in this playoffs.

Yeah, their names were Jack Johnson and Justin Schultz. They both suck and should be moved.

I do have complaints with forwards screwing up defensively, but they gave up 10 non-EN goals in 4 games. That's not a problem.

 

[Gurglesons]

That would be the plan, yes. Risto slides onto the 2nd pairing and stops pretending to be a 1D and gets some easier minutes and probably less of them, while Marino volunteers to take the hard ones.

I think this is a workable plan in general. I'm not sure it's worth Letang but if we're going to shake, there will be worse ideas.

And yeah, league scoring going up probably helped the Rat, and so did Pastrnak, but even so it was a dramatic jump.

Buffalo did that with Risto this year and he still sucked.

I don't see how this team improves with Risto for Letang aside from the Pittsburgh fans waiting for baited breath to blame Letang for everything that goes wrong with this squad.

I would hope we'd fire the coach before moving Letang tbh considering he's been our most consistent star over the last two years.

 

[Peat]

Buffalo did that with Risto this year and he still sucked.

The player usage chart I'm looking at says Ristolainen took roughly as difficult minutes as Letang.

 

[Gurglesons]

The player usage chart I'm looking at says Ristolainen took roughly as difficult minutes as Letang.

Who is taking these minutes then? I just briefly glanced at his 5v5 and zone start usage which was diminished and elevated.

You're throwing Marino in that fire in his sophomore year?

 

[Jag68Sid87]

Yeah, their names were Jack Johnson and Justin Schultz. They both suck and should be moved.

I do have complaints with forwards screwing up defensively, but they gave up 10 non-EN goals in 4 games. That's not a problem.

Someone other than 58 needs to quarterback the PP, so yeah there is a problem with the defense. Our best defenders should play more and we need an entire new third pairing.

We are becoming Nashville, whose third pairing could easily be found on milk cartons instead of on the ice.

Redistribution of ice time for the defensemen is a critical change that is needed, whether 58 stays or goes.

I believe it is easier to do with him gone.

 

[Gurglesons]

Someone other than 58 needs to quarterback the PP, so yeah there is a problem with the defense. Our best defenders should play more and we need an entire new third pairing.

We are becoming Nashville, whose third pairing could easily be found on milk cartons instead of on the ice.

Redistribution of ice time for the defensemen is a critical change that is needed, whether 58 stays or goes.

I believe it is easier to do with him gone.

Who is our best defender? Because it was Letang this regular season and playoffs.

I agree his usage should be dropped, but I don't really get how restructuring our D around Marino or Risto gives us any different result than what we saw this year.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Guentzel-Crosby-Sheary
Zucker-Malkin-Rust
Lafreniere-Rodrigues-Poulin
ZAR-Blueger-Tanev

Dumoulin-Marino
Pettersson-Letang
POJ-Montour

Jarry-Allen

This team is a juggernaut next year. Ease Poulin and Lafreniere into the NHL on the 3rd line and let either one take Sheary's spot on the top line in time.

 

[Gurglesons]

Guentzel-Crosby-Sheary
Zucker-Malkin-Rust
Lafreniere-Rodrigues-Poulin
ZAR-Blueger-Tanev

Dumoulin-Marino
Pettersson-Letang
POJ-Montour

Jarry-Allen

This team is a juggernaut next year. Ease Poulin and Lafreniere into the NHL on the 3rd line and let either one take Sheary's spot on the top line in time.

I've been thinking about Jake Allen as well. What is the trade structure for him? Hornqvist for Allen?

 

[Jag68Sid87]

Who is our best defender? Because it was Letang this regular season and playoffs.

I agree his usage should be dropped, but I don't really get how restructuring our D around Marino or Risto gives us any different result than what we saw this year.

We need a new PP QB, agreed? Say we sign a guy to quarterback the power play and play third unit minutes. Or maybe second unit with Dumoulin. Then we promote Marino and Pettersson to the top pairing and give them the shutdown role.

Then we need to figure out a third pairing. This is not going to be easy but I can comfortably state we will not be able to win anymore Cups with Letang.

I believe Dumoulin is our best defender, but he just did not show it this season. I don't know what is wrong with him. Maybe HE needs a new partner.

 

[Peat]

Who is taking these minutes then? I just briefly glanced at his 5v5 and zone start usage which was diminished and elevated.

You're throwing Marino in that fire in his sophomore year?

That's the plan. He was pretty close to those responsibilities already and did well when paired with Letang or Dumo as the first pairing. Asking a lot of him but seems to be one of those rare kids where the more you pile on them, the better they do.

Any plan where Letang goes is going to see Marino getting the hardest minutes, I think, and tbh I think Marino should be taking some off of them of Letang next season too.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I've been thinking about Jake Allen as well. What is the trade structure for him? Hornqvist for Allen?

You could do that, I'm not sure of St. Louis's situation so I'm not positive they'd do that. You may have to move Hornqvist in another deal and then trade some small futures for Allen.

I think what would probably happen is that JR would trade Hornqvist for a pending UFA LD and ease POJ into the NHL.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

Guentzel-Crosby-Sheary
Zucker-Malkin-Rust
Lafreniere-Rodrigues-Poulin
ZAR-Blueger-Tanev

Dumoulin-Marino
Pettersson-Letang
POJ-Montour

Jarry-Allen

This team is a juggernaut next year. Ease Poulin and Lafreniere into the NHL on the 3rd line and let either one take Sheary's spot on the top line in time.

Just shoot me if Conor Sheary is still riding shotgun with Sid. Pull the trigger, dude.