Salary Cap: Salary Cap & Roster Building | I like to do just like the rest, I like my sugar sweet

[Riptide]

We need another center. Plain and simple. They don’t have to be clearly better than Sheahan. If we had two Sheahans(him playing like he is right now) I’d be completely fine.

Agreed.

I think at the very least they need to have the potential to be a little more offensive then RS - even if they're not clearly better. This is where I like Lindberg. Potentially a little more offense to his game (on pace for 25 pts in his first full season last year as a depth player), and cost controlled for next year. And even if they keep RS as the 3C, and put him at 4C, OL can move up if needed. Some players (Richardson for example) would be a poor 3C if he had to move up.

 

[Riptide]

Again, he's got the worst rap sheet in the league. Prove me wrong.

Who cares? Again, these are a few minor instances that happened 2-3 years ago, not him being accused of raping a young lady or beating up a cabbie or getting a DUI. And lastly, once again, we're talking about him as a rental for a few months, not as a long term role model for the Penguins.

 

[Riptide]

Or Kane, whose disputation of that claim (he said he was completely healthy) is yet another example of him clashing with a team.

If we're listening to Kane, then maybe that's what Chevy gets for taking 3 years to trade him. Because according to Kane, he asked for a trade every summer since 2012. He was moved in the spring of 2015. Even Sakic with all his BS didn't take anywhere near that long, and he was vilified for it. But nope, everything is all Kane's fault.

 

[mpp9]

Hopefully JRs in touch with Francis. That teams likely to make a trade soon. One of the worst blown leads I’ve seen.

I’m not one to add more cap to the defense, but if Faulk could be pried from there, I’d be interested. He’s been trash this season so I doubt he’s gonna demand a ton.

 

[Lustaf]

Hopefully JRs in touch with Francis. That teams likely to make a trade soon. One of the worst blown leads I’ve seen.

I’m not one to add more cap to the defense, but if Faulk could be pried from there, I’d be interested. He’s been trash this season so I doubt he’s gonna demand a ton.

They are in the middle of being sold. As a prospective owner would you want to see assets shipped out before you bought the team?

 

[BlackAndGold87]

If GMJR trades with Carolina it's for Staal.

 

[Ryder71]

If GMJR trades with Carolina it's for Staal.

Considering his cap hit and the assets required it just doesn't seem like a good match. I think the Canes just got sold, that also would likely throw a wrench into it.

 

[Ryder71]

I was critical after tonight's win, but damn, can Kessel shoot the puck or what? So fortunate to have a guy with that talent and release!

 

[WayneSid9987]

Kingerski had another scouts in attendance report.
Imagine it'll be a regular thing for him which will be good:

Penguins Rumors: Two Teams Send Multiple Scouts

 

[Empoleon8771]

Vegas sending 2 scouts makes me think something is going on, even though I know they play each other next week. Combine that with Vegas' overflow of centers and Mackey's continuous speculation that Vegas is very interested in Cole and it's not crazy to think that something is brewing there.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Salary cap news for next year.

 

[cheesedanish87]

Their are going to be some crazy UFA contracts come next July.

Most teams will have money to spend and its a decent lists of free agents available.

 

[Riptide]

Their are going to be some crazy UFA contracts come next July.

Most teams will have money to spend and its a decent lists of free agents available.

Maybe, maybe not. While most teams have money to spend, most also have players they need to sign. And the teams that have real money to spend, are not high end teams or teams known to have high end budgets.

 

[PensandCaps]

Hopefully JRs in touch with Francis. That teams likely to make a trade soon. One of the worst blown leads I’ve seen.

I’m not one to add more cap to the defense, but if Faulk could be pried from there, I’d be interested. He’s been trash this season so I doubt he’s gonna demand a ton.

Many many other teams would outbid us for Faulk. A top pairing Dman.

 

[ZeroPucksGiven]

Maybe, maybe not. While most teams have money to spend, most also have players they need to sign. And the teams that have real money to spend, are not high end teams or teams known to have high end budgets.

I don't know...most owners can't help themselves. Plus they think they'll be better/more cost certainty with these contracts the next CBA. It's the proverbial kicking the can down the road. Remember the Wild owner after he signed Suter and Parise to big contracts? "Oh btw I'm very poor and can't afford these guys now"

 

[Empoleon8771]

So I think $80 is a safe guess to make for the salary cap for next year. Good to see, a $5 million jump would be really good in allowing the Penguins to re-sign Hornqvist.

 

[molon labe]

After being on the fence - perhaps I still am... But I'm starting to think Kane would be a pretty nice option on the Pens. It's tough to gauge a person who you've mostly heard about via rumors and parrots on the internet - but a power forward with his scoring and tenacity just seems like he'd fit in on any line in Pitt. I'm not sure I'd want him full-tilt salary, but retained I can see him as this years' reclamation project, and being worth a shot. He's genuinely been on some bad teams and I think any player who comes to the Pens has no confusion about what the mission is. Leadership is defined and established, coaching is verified, organization is established... just hard to imagine someone willing to ignore championship aspirations in such an environment - let alone in a contract year.

This doesn't solve our necessity for another Center (of which I really hope we go after a #2 to make 3C), nor another PMD - so more than one deal likely needs to be made.. but I'm really starting to lean towards E.Kane. Sometimes players get stuck in ruts and take time or change of scenery to get going, and as Pens fans we should know all about that.

 

[66-30-33]

Hopefully it's 82M for a 7M increase.

 

[Bruru71]

So I think $80 is a safe guess to make for the salary cap for next year. Good to see, a $5 million jump would be really good in allowing the Penguins to re-sign Hornqvist.

I could see it stay at 78 million due to players not wanting to pay higher escrow. Even then 3 million will help.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

So I think $80 is a safe guess to make for the salary cap for next year. Good to see, a $5 million jump would be really good in allowing the Penguins to re-sign Hornqvist.

Or, it may actually be worse because now there is an even greater possibility of a really crazy contract offer by some desperate GM/owner for a one-dimensional player with a winning pedigree.

 

[chethejet]

Pens have 14 million or so to use next year is no more trades or signings. Add in 3 to 5 million and that is good. But that is in reality drives up contractual costs including Hornqvist. Pens will not go crazy here but no question the pony ride will be higher.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Hornqvist at $5.5 million for 5 years (similar to the Ladd contract)
Sheahan at $2 million for 2 years
Rust at $2.75 million for 4 years
Corrado at $800k for 1 year
Kuhnhackl and Rowney at $700k for 2 years
Jarry at $1 million for 2 years
Let Reaves, McKegg and Rowney walk as free agents

Guentzel-Crosby-Hornqvist
LW-Malkin-Kessel
Sheary-3C-Rust
ZAR-Sheahan-Archibald
Kuhnhackl-Rowney

Maatta-Letang
Dumoulin-Schultz
Hunwick-Ruhwedel
Corrado

Murray-Jarry

This lineup costs about $71.5 million, so if the cap is going to rise to $80 million, the Penguins have some significant roster flexibility for next year. They likely have to move Hagelin for any winger they bring in, but if they can manage to do that, they can bring in both an expensive 3C and an expensive 2nd line LWer.

I'd also be curious to see whether the Penguins need a 3C at this point, so basically whether Sheahan develops any further. If he becomes a good 3C, I don't think you need a better one. Imagine throwing some serious money at JVR to play with Malkin and Kessel and instead just finding a good 4C for $1.5 million or so.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

I don't like Ladd's contract.

 

[Riptide]

I don't know...most owners can't help themselves. Plus they think they'll be better/more cost certainty with these contracts the next CBA. It's the proverbial kicking the can down the road. Remember the Wild owner after he signed Suter and Parise to big contracts? "Oh btw I'm very poor and can't afford these guys now"

A) You're right - they can't. Except for the ones who have tight budgets. And many of the ones who can afford to spend, are not in the most desirable locations. I mean even if Colorado offers someone more money then say Nashville or us or Toronto - is a little more money worth dealing with the rebuild they're doing there (or whatever they want to call it) vs going to a team that is in better shape?

B) What sort of "additional/better/more" cost certainty will the owners get in the next CBA? They have their cap and they have their guaranteed 50/50 split. Now I can see them looking to reduce that, but that's not going to change the current contracts. In fact all that would do, is lower the salary cap.

Re Minny. He signed them to the contracts he had to, to get them signed at a cap hit that didn't hinder the team. That doesn't mean he has to like those contracts. Look at some of us on this board and how much term we're willing to give Hornqvist. Do you think we want to sign him to a 6/7 yr contract? f*** no. But many recognize that that's quite possibly what it will take to sign him, and that if need be, we'll plug our noses and suck it up - but we'll do it (not that we have any control over the situation, but you know what I mean). July 1st/Free agency is when you deal with UFA's and trying to improve your team. Sept 1st (or whenever the date was that the CBA expired) is when you deal with the realities of the current CBA and work on making the next one better.

I'd also ask why is only the owner getting blame here? Are the players not being just as greedy in this situation? They took as much money as possible on their deal's, and now want to ensure that they're getting as much of that as possible. How is that any different then the owners side of things - where they're just looking to ensure that they're getting as much money as possible? There seems to be some weird dynamic where the player is justified in trying to earn as much as possible, even at the expense of other players and the owners... but the owner isn't allowed to try and earn as much as possible at the expense of the players, and that they're evil or idiots for trying... I don't get it.

 

[Riptide]

Hopefully it's 82M for a 7M increase.

Honestly, I hope it's not.

I'm generally pretty pro owner, as I feel the owners need to be in the best situation to earn money, and the sooner that happens, the better off the league as a whole will be (owners/teams being stable, no lockouts, etc). That said, the players are getting hit with the escrow as more and more teams are spending past the mid point. The way the salary cap is currently setup, is that 50% of expected revenues is the MID POINT, and between the teams that spend to the cap and those that stay closer to the floor, there will be (in theory) some sort of balancing act and escrow only needs to account for a little bit. However with a mid point somewhere around 65m (I'm not 100% certain), there's only a couple teams clearly below it, half a dozen or so hovering around it, and then half the league clearly above it. And right now the average being spent is ~69m. Which means we're talking about something like 90-120m that needs to come from the players to the owners. That's not a small chunk of change.

And really there's no reason for it - as long as the players can show a little restraint. Reduce the artificial cap inflator from 5% to 2.5% (or even less if they can control themselves). Then next year reduce it again, and keep doing that until it's at 0 - then leave it there. It won't completely solve the issue, but it will help it.

That said, math says the players are better off with the cap going up an extra 2m league wide (or whatever the number is), and then the players taking an additional % hit in escrow - because at the end of the day, the escrow hit will be smaller then what they're getting in a contract due to a team's ability to spend. But I get why they complain about it, because it's a big number and one that's really easy to see. I mean if you saw that the govt (or your employer or whomever) was taking 18% of your earnings, and only giving you back 5% of that (plus interest), you'd be pissed too and looking for ways to change it.