Salary Cap: Pittsburgh Salary Cap Thread: Can you spare me three-fiddy?

[Scandale du Jour]

Last few posts:

Translated: I want Letang dealt at the deadline because he is 100% not accepting a $250k raise.

The bad news: We're gonna suck for a while
The good news: TDL, entry draft and the summer in general are gonna be a lot more interesting over the next three-four years.

That's ok, if you can't win be as bad as possible. Lose now, win later.

Ya know being gone for 26-28 weeks for Combat Medic training and missing most the season, doesn't seem so bad now

Good luck and have fun. I used to think about the military life but I am 37 now, that woulda been when I was younger.

Maybe losing is a blessing in disguise. Instead of losing Letang and maybe Malkin for nothing over the summer.

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[Empoleon8771]

The Penguins will be too good to really bottom out at the point of trading Letang/Malkin, but will be too bad to do anything of note this season. They're basically stuck in purgatory with that.

I feel way less emotionally invested in this team this year just because I have no expectations for them to be anything special. If this was 2013, I'd be mad as hell with how this team is doing. But with it being 6 weeks from 2022? Kinda hard to get mad about something I expected to happen.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I should clarify. Letang's not gonna stick around for his last few seasons in the league on a team closer to a rebuild than anything approaching a contender for a measly $250k raise. If he wants money, he'll jet to somebody like Detroit or Buffalo who will hand him $9+ million AAV. If he wants to win, he'll take less, but he still won't stick around because this team can't give him that opportunity anymore. There's a third option, which is probably most likely, and that's Letang sticking around to do a victory lap because we gave him enough to do so, and he doesn't care enough about winning another Cup to leave.

 

[theicebox]

I think re-signing Jagr is the solution for this season.

 

[Pens x]

JR made Pittsburgh far less enticing to sign a retirement contract. Hextall hasn’t done anything to change that though.

 

[SirBrad]

I feel way less emotionally invested in this team this year just because I have no expectations for them to be anything special.

This is where I'm at. I'm finding myself multitasking during games, paying half attention. I'm afraid I'm really going to start disconnecting with them next year as I'm moving to the West Coast in the summer. Will be getting home from work during the 3rd periods and with a young child it's not like I can come home and flip on the game right away to watch the ending . I'm not really one for watching pre-recorded games. Gonna be a challenge to stay interested.

It's been a hell of a run/era, but the come down is going to be painfully slow. They have barely begun their descent.

 

[Andy99]

Yesterday was a dark day in Pittsburgh sports..
I hope it’s not a turning point for the franchises…I don’t want to see the Sid-Geno Pens suck, even if it gets us a better shot at Wright…sorry, I won’t take delight in it….

 

[Nightwing]

even if it gets us a better shot at Wright…sorry, I won’t take delight in it….

I dont think we can outsuck the yotes/hawks/habs/sabres/canucks
I see us finishing 10-14th in the draft

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Lottery does stupid things. You never know.

Any guy we pick, assuming we miss the playoffs, probably instantly propels to the top of our miserable prospect pool. If we happen to have Wright fall into our laps, I ain't gonna complain. This team's shit and even if they make the playoffs, nothing's gonna happen. I'll take missing by a wide margin and having a shot at landing a stud prospect over a repeat of the last three years 11 times out of 10.

 

[Ryder71]

OH we're gonna get really bad. I wouldn't be surprised if we're one of the bottom six or seven teams in the league. You ABSOLUTELY need to trade off Letang and Malkin IF you can. With Jake coming around and Rust a UFA you move them also. This year can set the stage for a huge influx of picks and prospects. Especially with some salary retained.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

This is where I'm at. I'm finding myself multitasking during games, paying half attention. I'm afraid I'm really going to start disconnecting with them next year as I'm moving to the West Coast in the summer. Will be getting home from work during the 3rd periods and with a young child it's not like I can come home and flip on the game right away to watch the ending . I'm not really one for watching pre-recorded games. Gonna be a challenge to stay interested.

It's been a hell of a run/era, but the come down is going to be painfully slow. They have barely begun their descent.

Wouldn't say they've barely begun their descent. They've been out in the 1st round three years running and the core--Letang aside--has been in a steady decline as far as play and/or health goes.

We're a couple years into the descent, imo.

 

[Ryder71]

Yesterday was a dark day in Pittsburgh sports..
I hope it’s not a turning point for the franchises…I don’t want to see the Sid-Geno Pens suck, even if it gets us a better shot at Wright…sorry, I won’t take delight in it….

I will. If you can't win lose horribly. Fall as far as you can. And accrue picks for the next couple of years.

 

[Ryder71]

I dont think we can outsuck the yotes/hawks/habs/sabres/canucks
I see us finishing 10-14th in the draft

Even IF that's the case we're likely gonna be down below that for '23 and '24. That said, we can be as bad as we want to be. Selling off Letang will have a chilling effect. For as awful as we're about to be we have some nice pieces other teams will pay a pretty penny for.

 

[The Old Master]

I think re-signing Jagr is the solution for this season.

no way. just keep doing what we are doing, it will all get better. it's the sully way.

 

[Andy99]

OH we're gonna get really bad. I wouldn't be surprised if we're one of the bottom six or seven teams in the league. You ABSOLUTELY need to trade off Letang and Malkin IF you can. With Jake coming around and Rust a UFA you move them also. This year can set the stage for a huge influx of picks and prospects. Especially with some salary retained.

Geno has a NMC that people conveniently forget about, and he’s not going anywhere unless Sid wants him to go to help the team…trust me, if Sid is staying here to go down with the ship, so is Geno…

 

[wgknestrick]

I dont think we can outsuck the yotes/hawks/habs/sabres/canucks
I see us finishing 10-14th in the draft

Crosby is doing his best to lead the team there.

 

[Andy99]

The writer is Adam Gretz….and the answer seems to be “get better shooting talent” lol

Is there any hope for the Penguins’ power play?

 

[Ryder71]

Geno has a NMC that people conveniently forget about, and he’s not going anywhere unless Sid wants him to go to help the team…trust me, if Sid is staying here to go down with the ship, so is Geno…

Geno really won't be going down with the ship though, he's a UFA. Letang will be the big prize. Because he can be traded to 18 teams, maybe 19 if you throw in the Kraken. Again we have a lot of nice pieces to move. And with Jake coming around we should accrue plenty of good assets for the rebuild. Moving G would be difficult but not impossible. I could see FLA, or Carolina as potential destinations. Maybe one or two others. Besides, is his heart here anymore?

 

[Ryder71]

I want Letang, Geno, Jake, Dumo and Rusty gone! If that's who we trade we're gonna get a pant load of picks and prospects coming back. Retain on KL and G-man and get even MOARRRRRRRRR!

 

[SomeDude]

I want Letang, Geno, Jake, Dumo and Rusty gone! If that's who we trade we're gonna get a pant load of picks and prospects coming back. Retain on KL and G-man and get even MOARRRRRRRRR!

Carter has also done nothing but increase his value since we got him. We could be swimming in picks if the team doesn’t get it together.

 

[Andy99]

Geno really won't be going down with the ship though, he's a UFA. Letang will be the big prize. Because he can be traded to 18 teams, maybe 19 if you throw in the Kraken. Again we have a lot of nice pieces to move. And with Jake coming around we should accrue plenty of good assets for the rebuild. Moving G would be difficult but not impossible. I could see FLA, or Carolina as potential destinations. Maybe one or two others. Besides, is his heart here anymore?

lol…Florida and Carolina don’t need him unless they suffer a significant injury to a center…he’s not being traded…again, that doesn’t mean he won’t walk this summer…plus, coming off injury, unless he plays really well, he won’t be worth much…and if he plays well enough, the Pens won’t want to trade him…not happening with him

 

[Ryder71]

lol…Florida and Carolina don’t need him unless they suffer a significant injury to a center…he’s not being traded…again, that doesn’t mean he won’t walk this summer…plus, coming off injury, unless he plays really well, he won’t be worth much…and if he plays well enough, the Pens won’t want to trade him…not happening with him

You couldn't be more wrong here. We're done! Geno aint not gonna be riding in on a white horse ok. He can be moved. To act like it can't or won't happen seems crazy to me. And for the team to just let him walk is just absurd. That would be piss poor asset management.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

It all comes down to Letang, imo. If he wants a shitton of money, like $9+ million, just trade him at the deadline and get a big buncha futures. But, once you do that, things are done-done. Not just done in all practicality after three straight 1st round exits and time/injury doing a number on the core/supporting cast. This blueline without Letang is one of the worst in the league. Maybe not the worst, but right up there. That single move starts the big sell in earnest, whether Sid or Geno want it or not.

And honestly, if they're influencing the FO because of their emotional attachment or whatever, f*** 'em. Keep the "earned it" and "deserve it" stuff. That's big "standing ovation during the credits of a Marvel movie" energy. Big eye roll.

 

[Ryder71]

Carter has also done nothing but increase his value since we got him. We could be swimming in picks if the team doesn’t get it together.

You keep Carter and everyone else. You need to keep some pieces just to ice a team. I don't see Carter garnering a lot TBTH. Besides if Hextall tries to move him again that wouldn't look good as far as bringing in others. They might view that as the team doing Carter wrong.

 

[SomeDude]

You keep Carter and everyone else. You need to keep some pieces just to ice a team. I don't see Carter garnering a lot TBTH. Besides if Hextall tries to move him again that wouldn't look good as far as bringing in others. They might view that as the team doing Carter wrong.

Carter would be on the top of my list to move. He came here from LA because he wanted to win. I’m sure he’d rather go to a contender then finish out the year here if the ship keeps sinking.