Salary Cap: Salary Cap + Roster Building | Cap Details + Links in First Post

[ChaosAgent]

That's not a legitimate excuse, he's been like this in a majority of seasons. You can't just blame all of the problems this team has on Jack Johnson

Hey listen, I want to be fair to the guy who helped us win 2 Stanley Cups...even though I'd trade him today if it made us a younger and better 2-way team.

 

[Gurglesons]

But it really is 1 good season out of the last 3, and that 1 season ain't the most recent one.

Over his last 3 seasons, he's averaging a 38 point pace. Kessel's averaging an 82 point pace. And that's not even considering that Kessel has proven to be a much more durable player.



That makes me want to barf. Goodbye contention.

I mean, we’ve barely contended the past two years with Kessel putting up career numbers so shouldn’t that say something about him and how he fits here?

If Kessel doesn’t play in the top six, building a 3rd line to cater to him is in my opinion another way to say “goodbye contention.” Certain situations are once in a life time situations. HBK has proven that it was.

 

[CommissionerGordon]

TRADE OF THE DAY:

Would you do Nick Bjugstad + Tristan Jarry for Michael Dal Colle + CGY 2nd??

NY Islanders have cap space for a dump. Need a center as well. Dal Colle former top 5 pick. His power game pairs well with Malkin. Could be a dominant line at such little cost. Tossing in goalie and a pick to balance it out

 

[Pens x]

It isn’t really one season and it’s not like they can’t trade Bjugstad if it doesn’t work out.

I’m pretty sure countless posters said these words about Jack Johnson after we signed him.

I’m tired of hearing this justification for every player jr signs or trades for. But but but we can just trade them! All we continue to do is get players with giant warts.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

This team has to get younger. I don’t see how you hoot and holler about Letang needing to be moved for his inconsistency and then act like moving Kessel destroys our window.

Because Kessel has been a constant in our last 2 Cup runs, and in stark contrast to Letang, he's an iron man. And obviously Letang's performance this year makes him worth hanging onto unless we were to get blown away with an offer.

We can get younger in any number of ways, starting with moving shitty older players like Johnson. We don't need to get younger by trading elite 31 year olds in order to retain mediocre 26 year olds.

Kessel was brought in with the assumption we’d need to move him. We now have solid RW depth that allows it without hurting us severely.

I think you’re also downplaying the fact Jugs can swap pivot spots with Malkin on occasion and is also a RH to go with Malkin’s LH in that regard.

I don't think we need to move him at all, and I do think it would hurt us severely. He's an elite winger that we shouldn't part with unless we can land another elite winger.

Also, if Jugs doesn’t work out. No big deal he’s a 26-27 top nine forward that can play wing and center on a solid deal. Move him for a pick and keep Kessel.

This is what I'm praying for. The other options are ruinous.

 

[Gurglesons]

I’m pretty sure countless posters said these words about Jack Johnson after we signed him.

I’m tired of hearing this justification for every player jr signs or trades for. But but but we can just trade them! All we continue to do is get players with giant warts.

I don’t see in what world Bjugstad has giant warts.

The main issue is he doesn’t play physical enough. Same could be said about Geno.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I don't think fit or becoming a better 2-way team are the big reasons why a Kessel trade may make some sense. The biggest thing is that you don't want to be the team holding the ball when the music stops, you don't want to have Kessel after he falls off offensively because you're stuck with him at that point. You're going to have the next Alex Semin if you wait too long to move him. Kessel is a downright awful player outside of his offense, but he's has so much offensive talent that he's one of the best wingers in hockey. Do you want to risk having a Kessel that has either taken a step back offensively or is a step slower? Because that is actually kissing contention goodbye, because you're not winning anything with a $7 million offense only player who has gotten worse offensively.

You don't trade Kessel to keep Bjugstad or anything like that, you trade Kessel for real value before you can't trade him at all. That's the justification to move him. You got 2 cups and 4+ good years out of him, when it only cost you (basically) a 1st and a prospect. You don't poke that bear of keeping him beyond his expiration date when you've already gotten so much out of him. You will definitely lose some of that good if you're stuck with a declining Kessel for multiple years.

 

[ChaosAgent]

I’m pretty sure countless posters said these words about Jack Johnson after we signed him.

I’m tired of hearing this justification for every player jr signs or trades for. But but but we can just trade them! All we continue to do is get players with giant warts.

What are Bjugstad's warts? What have you seen indicates he will be difficult to move, ala Johnson?

 

[Ryder71]

IMO Bjugstad should center the 3rd line for at least a few more games. I certainly wouldn't play him on LW though. Although I can see him get going playing with a guy like Geno in the short term. In any case Sully seems to be overthinking such movess. And if Blueger isn't playing that's just one more bonehead decision. I'd play Teddy and sit Cullen tonight.

 

[Gurglesons]

Because Kessel has been a constant in our last 2 Cup runs, and in stark contrast to Letang, he's an iron man. And obviously Letang's performance this year makes him worth hanging onto unless we were to get blown away with an offer.

We can get younger in any number of ways, starting with moving ****ty older players like Johnson. We don't need to get younger by trading elite 31 year olds in order to retain mediocre 26 year olds.

I think Kessel had one or two goals I can remember in 16-17. What else did he do?

This narrative of Kessel being integral to that cup run is interesting considering the Pens were rumored to trade him if we lost in that ECF.

I don't think we need to move him at all, and I do think it would hurt us severely. He's an elite winger that we shouldn't part with unless we can land another elite winger.



This is what I'm praying for. The other options are ruinous.

Guess we just disagree. I don’t see anything about Kessel’s game that can not be filled be commitee with the emergence of Jake.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I mean, we’ve barely contended the past two years with Kessel putting up career numbers so shouldn’t that say something about him and how he fits here?

If Kessel doesn’t play in the top six, building a 3rd line to cater to him is in my opinion another way to say “goodbye contention.” Certain situations are once in a life time situations. HBK has proven that it was.

There have been a number of problems with this roster and how its been managed over the past couple years.

Kessel isn't one of them.

Let's trade the players who clearly stink and make much more than they're worth before moving elite players on bargain deals. C'mon pixies. I can't believe I have to say some of these things.

 

[CommissionerGordon]

Would you trade Letang..... if it meant signing a 29 year old Karlsson to a seven year, $70m deal???

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I think Kessel had one or two goals I can remember in 16-17. What else did he do?

This narrative of Kessel being integral to that cup run is interesting considering the Pens were rumored to trade him if we lost in that ECF.

The fact that the worst thing you can say about a player is critique a playoff run where he had 9 points in 12 games about says it all, IMO.

 

[Jacob]

We should trade Kessel while he still has value. We could easily get a roster player + a 1st for him, and maybe even get the other team to take Johnson too. Not at the deadline but maybe before the draft.

Then use that cap space to target Skinner or Stone.

 

[ChaosAgent]

I don’t see anything about Kessel’s game that can not be filled be commitee with the emergence of Jake.

His right-handedness on the powerplay is one. Then again, since he is unable to one-time a puck...

Honestly, his being unable to shoot a one-timer should be enough to disqualify him as a great powerplay player. Also, if you look at the mediocrity of Toronto's PP over the years he was there; if he was as much of a savant as some posters here claim, that powerplay should have been much better.

 

[CommissionerGordon]

Jimmy could be done. Depth defenseman says he's satisfied.

He'll make a move if one comes along

 

[ChaosAgent]

The fact that the worst thing you can say about a player is critique a playoff run where he had 9 points in 12 games about says it all, IMO.

How about his terrible showing in the playoffs last year?

 

[CommissionerGordon]

We should trade Kessel while he still has value. We could easily get a roster player + a 1st for him, and maybe even get the other team to take Johnson too. Not at the deadline but maybe before the draft.

Then use that cap space to target Skinner or Stone.

Trade Kessel, yes. Retain value to increase value, yes. Now you have Phil Kessel $5m a year for the next four years at just 31 years old.

Not a bad deal at all.

Cost: TWO FIRST ROUND PICKS

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

We should trade Kessel while he still has value. We could easily get a roster player + a 1st for him, and maybe even get the other team to take Johnson too. Not at the deadline but maybe before the draft.

Then use that cap space to target Skinner or Stone.

That's a situation where I would sign off on moving Kessel.

I don't think he's about to hit a cliff, but Skinner and Stone are elite wingers in their own right who could fit the team better. That's not like moving Kessel just to add some top 4 defenseman.

 

[Gurglesons]

The fact that the worst thing you can say about a player is critique a playoff run where he had 9 points in 12 games about says it all, IMO.

I was referring to the cup win when he had 20+ points. I don’t remember him doing anything in the Caps or Ottawa series outside of the GW in a tight game.

 

[Pens x]

What are Bjugstad's warts? What have you seen indicates he will be difficult to move, ala Johnson?

He’s a very very poor man’s version of Jordan Staal that is somehow slower and less physical.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I was referring to the cup win when he had 20+ points. I don’t remember him doing anything in the Caps or Ottawa series outside of the GW in a tight game.

Kessel did the same thing Malkin did in that playoff run, beat up on the Jackets in round 1 and had a relatively quiet remainder of the playoffs. He also scored points in bunches, he wasn't nearly as consistent in 2017 as he was in 2016.

 

[Turin]

Kessel did the same thing Malkin did in that playoff run, beat up on the Jackets in round 1 and had a quiet remainder of the playoffs. He also scored points in bunches, he wasn't nearly as consistent in 2017 as he was in 2016.

Malkin wasn’t “quiet”..

 

[Gurglesons]

Kessel did the same thing Malkin did in that playoff run, beat up on the Jackets in round 1 and had a quiet remainder of the playoffs. He also scored points in bunches, he wasn't nearly as consistent in 2017 as he was in 2016.

Malkin was way more involved from what I can remember in the Nash and Ottawa serieses, but Kessel was riding his coattails for sure.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I was referring to the cup win when he had 20+ points. I don’t remember him doing anything in the Caps or Ottawa series outside of the GW in a tight game.

Really?