Salary Cap: Salary Cap & Roster Building: The Calm Before the Storm?

[MayorofWBS]

Yohe seems to think that Subbans meager return indicated that Letang isnt worth much either.

and....

Also JR said the next two weeks will be the best time to change up the Penguins.

...Click bait

 

[T1K]

Yohe seems to think that Subbans meager return indicated that Letang isnt worth much either. Also JR said the next two weeks will be the best time to change up the Penguins.

Letang’s contract is a bargain compared to Subban’s. I’m not sure I see the same connection Josh is here.

 

[Turin]

Letang’s contract is a bargain compared to Subban’s. I’m not sure I see the same connection Josh is here.

Not to mention Letang is coming off a way better season.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Wasn't also a part of Nashville moving on from Subban that they wanted to clear cap space, and thus, didn't want to agree to any deals that would have seen decent but costly players coming back?

 

[The Greatest 101]

Man I want Gusev on this team so badly. Kid is gonna be ****ing good. Real good, next season.

Him with Geno would be phenomenal af.

I highly doubt the Pens are even interested in him. They seem allergic to Russian players that play in Russian hockey system.

 

[Son Goku]

Letang>>>Subban

 

[Riptide]

Im so glad Ive been in Alaska for a week and have to put up with reading everyones bull****. nice break.

Where abouts?

 

[Riptide]

I’d separate Kessel & Malkin. We don’t have a LW that can make up for how dog **** they are together defensively. Putting Rust there and telling him he needs to be the first guy into the corner AND the first guy back is a tall order.

Guentzel - Crosby - Rust
McCann - Malkin - Hornqvist
Kahun - Bjugstad - Kessel
Aston-Reese - Blueger - Simon
Johnson

Dumoulin - Letang
Pettersson - Schultz
Johnson - Gudbranson
Ruhwedel

There’s a few ways we can save money if the cap is tight.. alternate between carrying 7 D OR 13 forwards but not both and trading DeSmith and keeping Jarry.

Same. If he's not willing to waive to go to Minny, anchor him to L3.

As for saving some cap, depending on how much we need (vs want), I'd look into moving Rust for someone like Comeau or Calvert. Save's some, but at this point every penny will be needed.

 

[Riptide]

From what I've heard about Zucker's wife...its her shtick. She known for goofing on her husband on social media. It's a joke...lighten up Francis.

I saw it and laughed.

 

[Tacitus Kilgore]

I highly doubt the Pens are even interested in him. They seem allergic to Russian players that play in Russian hockey system.

Meh they tried Plotnikov, though that didn't much work out

 

[DearDiary]

Man I want Gusev on this team so badly. Kid is gonna be ****ing good. Real good, next season.

Him with Geno would be phenomenal af.

"Kid"... the guy is going to be 27 years old in 2 weeks

 

[Honour Over Glory]

"Kid"... the guy is going to be 27 years old in 2 weeks

It's like...some of us are much older..

Get back to your diary.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I highly doubt the Pens are even interested in him. They seem allergic to Russian players that play in Russian hockey system.

This team likes boring f***s that Sully likes.

 

[deakka]

I have no idea how JR gonna solve this. I dont even know if we can manage to get under the cap when all RFA are signed.

Best case right now seems to be we somehow manage to stay under the cap and start next season with the same stale misfit team as last season minus Maatta...

Worst case we have do give away someone like rust for scraps or pay simeojw to take on a salary from us, like Marleau to get under the cap. Everyone knows we are in big trouble cap wise so I wont expect any help.

So much for big changes JR.

 

[Peat]

No matter how much I dislike it or what JR says publicly, Kessel's probably still going to be the guy moved before next fall which will open things up. Talk about moving Rust is moot IMO.

Considering how that's in Kessel's court, I'm in believe it when I see it mode.

Even if he doesn't move Rust this summer, he's still in a two horse race with Bjugstad not to be considered most expendable trade bait forward over the season. Rust's gonna have to really go some to hang around another season.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Time to smarten up, accept that your signing was a colossal failure, and dump JJ. Even if it costs us Rust or something like that. Retain if you have to.

Dude cannot be on this team in three and a half months.

 

[Lust for Life]

Noticed a report that Tyler Myers is meeting with Vancouver. I wonder, if he signs with Vancouver, if Winnipeg could be interested in Schultz (assuming his M-NTC doesn't block Winnipeg) seeing as they've then lost both Trouba and Myers. Since we've already missed the playoffs next year ( ) it doesn't make any difference if we trade him or not.

(On a more serious note, it would help with cap space and getting something in return for a guy that may leave anyway)

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Noticed a report that Tyler Myers is meeting with Vancouver. I wonder, if he signs with Vancouver, if Winnipeg could be interested in Schultz (assuming his M-NTC doesn't block Winnipeg) seeing as they've then lost both Trouba and Myers. Since we've already missed the playoffs next year ( ) it doesn't make any difference if we trade him or not.

(On a more serious note, it would help with cap space and getting something in return for a guy that may leave anyway)

Unless we add an RH PMD better than Schultz, we need him.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Schultz is an UFA next season, so I'd fully expect him to be dealt at some point next year, unless he's having an especially monster year/signs an extension.

 

[Slaaapshuter]

Schultz is an UFA next season, so I'd fully expect him to be dealt at some point next year, unless he's having an especially monster year/signs an extension.

Asset management, sure. But depending on how next year is looking and developing our best bet might be to just ride out the contract and let him go for free.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Asset management, sure. But depending on how next year is looking and developing our best bet might be to just ride out the contract and let him go for free.

Yeah, again, we'll see how he looks. I'm just pointing out that he's probably on his last season here.

That said, he's a pretty attractive player to move NOW especially with a lower cap and the rising costs of other PMD UFAs. I wouldn't be shocked if JR got someone to bite, but I'd also be completely fine if he started the season here.

 

[Slaaapshuter]

Yeah, again, we'll see how he looks. I'm just pointing out that he's probably on his last season here.

That said, he's a pretty attractive player to move NOW especially with a lower cap and the rising costs of other PMD UFAs. I wouldn't be shocked if JR got someone to bite, but I'd also be completely fine if he started the season here.

I want Schultz on the 3rd pair, and if he is by the deadline (legit, not demoted because he sucks more than the others) it ought to mean we have a defense to contend. And in that situation I'm not sure I care to recoup assets for Schultz.

Contending - Keep and release as UFA
Not contending - Sell and recoup assets

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I'm not sure Schultz is capable of having a tremendous season, worthy of either holding on to him beyond the deadline or re-signing him, without a significant upgrade at LD for his partner. I like Petts, but I think he's still pretty raw and could use more time to develop. Ideally, he'd be playing on the bottom pair with Riikola and we'd have jettisoned JJ and Gudbranson to free up space to acquire a guy to play with Schultz.

In my opinion, Schultz is 100% gone next summer. He either plays well enough to price himself out of our plans (thanks JJ, Gudbranson, JR, etc.), or he has a season to forget and it doesn't make sense for us to re-sign him. Either way, I think he's gone.

I wouldn't mind exploring options on him throughout the season, but we'd better hope like Hell JR finds a way to dump JJ, realizes $4 million for a #6 is something this team can't afford (cap crunch, etc.), and Phil has a change of heart and decides to go to a team that actually wants him. If JJ and Phil are on this team come October, I'm not exactly enthused about our chances of making the playoffs, or righting the ship enough to legitimately contend again before Geno and Letang are done in three years.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

JJ's cap hit is far from crippling. Every team has shitty contracts. Even Tampa did, with Callahan's 5.8 mil AAV.

If Sullivan plays the right people, our D isn't tragic:

Dumoulin - Letang
Pettersson - Schultz
Riikola - Gudbranson

We saw what Schultz is capable of in 2016-17. It's fair to assume he'll be better next seson, considering it's a contract year. Riikola will probably take a step or 2 forward and solidify his spot too.
Sully must know he's on the hot seat. He can't afford to dress JJ. Ruhwedel and Prow should be the #7 and #8. The sacrifice for trading JJ would very likely be too high. We need to keep our picks. Best to just let him eat nachos.

Our goaltending situation is actually really nice. 5 mil combined for the tandem. Our board is extremely negative most of the time, but you can't hate on that. Murray salvaged his season and finished with a .919. He's an RFA in 2020-21. He probably won't command a huge raise. Would be hard to justify it, judging by how injury prone he is. Too big of a risk.
Then obviously we got a very capable backup in CDS at a palatable 1.25 x 3.

Looking at the forwards, we're actually in great shape. Horny makes too much but it's only by like 1.3 mil. If Rutherford doesn't bring back Cullen and Wilson, that's addition by subtraction right there. Kahun's a really convenient signing. He can play both sides, according to Hawks fans. Proved he can play with stars as well. Him and McCann combined 2.175 mil. Lovely.

We got 4.7mil of room to sign Pettersson, Blueger and ZAR. It's possible it's enough, but would be a close run thing. Still feel like one more player needs to go, especially considering Riiko's on a 1-way and isn't being counted against our cap right now.

Assuming that gets done, I'd like to see these lines:

Guentzel - Crosby - Kessel
McCann - Malkin - Kahun
Rust - Bjugstad - Hornqvist
Simon - Blueger - ZAR

You get 2 finishers flanking Sid. You got 2 young bloods forcing Geno to skate. 3rd line's gritty AF and would have solid possession. 4th line's got a decent amount of skill, considering it's the 4th.

In summary I don't think our roster's that bad at all. Recchi needs to go and Sullivan should be relieved at around the 20-game mark if the team's slow outta the gates. A few fresh voices can do wonders for a team with such low motivation levels, like ours.

Sullivan's a fine coach but he tends to repeat himself ad nauseam. "Play the right way." "Don't be a high risk team." There's only so many times you can hear the same shit. Players tune him out over time. He's not the type of coach with a long shelf life IMO. You have to know how to keep it fresh and when to show restraint. The season is a grind.

 

[StaalForOne]

I expect a much better year from Schultz this season. Playing for a paycheck, and he missed most of the regular season last year.