Salary Cap: Salary Cap & Roster Building Thread: Get your trade rumors here!

[ColePens]

Folks... I've seen this trend lately. We are waiting around for mods to create threads only. This is a members forum. Even us mods, @DegenX @BHD and myself are members. We can all create new threads.

When a thread reaches 1k, we need a new thread. Please do not wait for a mod to create it. If we are 60+ posts past 1k, just start a new one and a mod will close the prior one.

Click to read more...

 

[ChrisKuuuunitz]

I like the new guy already, I seen like 5 highlights in the last thread, I'm sold

 

[DegenX]

From CapFriendly
AHL thread is here. Links to 2018 draft pick threads and QO information are in the first post.
Hagelin - Pearson trade thread is here.
Hagelin appreciation thread is here.
Sprong trade thread is here.
Guentzel signing thread is here.
DeSmith signing thread is here.
Grant for Blandisi trade thread is here

 

[66-30-33]

I like the new guy already, I seen like 5 highlights in the last thread, I'm sold

All we need now is Schenn from the Blues and we are amazing in the diving department.

 

[PensandCaps]

Yah. I mean...Blandisi can play. Brings speed and all that.

Probably kinda like Dea.


No way Garrett Wilson should be getting games over Dea or Blandisi. They're 10x better.

 

[Nakawick]

Blandisi has a set of hands as well and is nearly a ppg in the AHL. I wonder what is keeping him in the AHL? Especially where he has had more than a cup of coffee in the NHL and playing for a team that needs goals.

 

[Trade]

I wish It was realistic for us to get Nyquist for a playoff run but I'd be way too hesitant giving up a 1st for him to bolt after the season.


But damn he would look good here

 

[USMC607]

Folks... I've seen this trend lately. We are waiting around for mods to create threads only. This is a members forum. Even us mods, @DegenX @BHD and myself are members. We can all create new threads.

When a thread reaches 1k, we need a new thread. Please do not wait for a mod to create it. If we are 60+ posts past 1k, just start a new one and a mod will close the prior one.

Say no more Fam

 

[Turin]

Brassard, Jarry and a 2nd (do we have this years second?) for Staal retained. Trade Oleksiak for a pick.

Guentzel-Crosby-Hornqvist
Pearson-Malkin-Rust
Simon-Staal-Kessel
AstonReese-Cullen-Sheahan
The lines are whatever. No matter what the other team doesn’t have the puck.

 

[Pens1566]

Brassard, Jarry and a 2nd (do we have this years second?) for Staal retained. Trade Oleksiak for a pick.

Guentzel-Crosby-Hornqvist
Pearson-Malkin-Rust
Simon-Staal-Kessel
AstonReese-Cullen-Sheahan
The lines are whatever. No matter what the other team doesn’t have the puck.

Which Staal?

 

[Turin]

Which Staal?

The one who scored the shorthanded goal in game 4.

 

[Pens1566]

The one who scored the shorthanded goal in game 4.

Had to ask. They're both in rumors.

 

[Turin]

Had to ask. They're both in rumors.

Yea I don’t see any use for Eric given that we need the 3rd C to free up offensive minutes for Sid and Geno and ideally PK.

 

[WayneSid9987]

I just dunno how available/gettable guys like Faksa or Lowry as prime examples are with JR's expendable pieces vs say the really available D/LW around the league(Muzzin, CAR D, Ferland etc).
Wouldn't surprise me at all if JR delays the 3C search vs bolstering his D/LW.

 

[Empoleon8771]

The problem with Staal is affording him long term more than anything else. If you're bringing in Staal, you basically have to trade Kessel. But if you have Staal as your 3C, do you even want Kessel on the 3rd line? I don't think that pair would work together at all. I think if your 3rd line is Pearson-Staal-Hornqvist, it would be a dominant shutdown line. That leaves you with Guentzel-Crosby-Rust as your top line and you need to add another top-6 winger to play with Malkin.

If you can get Staal at $4.5 million and get a good 2nd line winger making $4 million to play with Malkin and Simon, I think you can make Staal work. But at that point, I'd rather just target someone cheaper. My guess is that you can only spend about $9 million between your 3C and 2nd line RW (assuming Hornqvist is on the 3rd line).

 

[mpp9]

The problem with Staal is affording him long term more than anything else. If you're bringing in Staal, you basically have to trade Kessel. But if you have Staal as your 3C, do you even want Kessel on the 3rd line? I don't think that pair would work together at all. I think if your 3rd line is Pearson-Staal-Hornqvist, it would be a dominant shutdown line. That leaves you with Guentzel-Crosby-Rust as your top line and you need to add another top-6 winger to play with Malkin.

If you can get Staal at $4.5 million and get a good 2nd line winger making $4 million to play with Malkin and Simon, I think you can make Staal work. But at that point, I'd rather just target someone cheaper. My guess is that you can only spend about $9 million between your 3C and 2nd line RW (assuming Hornqvist is on the 3rd line).

Or you could get in a time machine and wish away Jack Johnson. Staal at a reduced cap hit works just fine then.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Or you could get in a time machine and wish away Jack Johnson. Staal at a reduced cap hit works just fine then.

If you wouldn't have signed Johnson, you'd just have some other $2-$3 million bottom pair guy. Probably Oleksiak if I had to guess.

 

[mpp9]

If you wouldn't have signed Johnson, you'd just have some other $2-$3 million bottom pair guy. Probably Oleksiak if I had to guess.

Going from Brassard's cap hit to Staal at 4.5 isn't a big jump. Just like playing Rik and one typical 6/7 D a couple mil is the difference between having the cap space for it and not.

Paying Oleksiak and JJ over 5 mil combined is where you look at shedding cap to fit someone in. Not Phil Kessel. You move Kessel if you're trying to get younger or shake up the look of the forward group.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Going from Brassard's cap hit to Staal at 4.5 isn't a big jump. Just like playing Rik and one typical 6/7 D a couple mil is the difference between having the cap space for it and not.

Paying Oleksiak and JJ over 5 mil combined is where you look at shedding cap to fit someone in. Not Phil Kessel. You move Kessel if you're trying to get younger or shake up the look of the forward group.

No, but Guentzel's jump from an ELC to $6 million is a massive jump. Hence why the Penguins couldn't afford Staal at $4.5 million without trading an expensive forward. The Penguins just aren't going to go with Riikola as their #6 and a cheap typical #6/7 D, if they'd be getting rid of Johnson, they'd be keeping Oleksiak.

If they would get rid of Johnson, I guarantee they'd keep Oleksiak and have the bottom pair be Pettersson-Oleksiak. There is no chance they would get rid of both Johnson and Oleksiak, no team willingly leaves themselves that thin on defense.

 

[chethejet]

Crosby and Malkin will need good two way wingers from here. Rust does give Sid a winger who will forecheck and brings speed and can score. Geno needs a RW with size and not only scoring ability but can help on the tougher areas as well. Nice FA Wingers who will be nice gets for the Pens but they have to clear cap room. Olli is one option and of course a haul like Kessel brought to Toronto should be a strong consideration at the draft. Getting younger and stronger is the goal here.

 

[mpp9]

No, but Guentzel's jump from an ELC to $6 million is a massive jump. Hence why the Penguins couldn't afford Staal at $4.5 million without trading an expensive forward. The Penguins just aren't going to go with Riikola as their #6 and a cheap typical #6/7 D, if they'd be getting rid of Johnson, they'd be keeping Oleksiak.

Adding Staal means you can afford to give Blueger a shot next season as your 4C and roll the dice a bit because Staal can take on the minutes and D-zone starts Cullen and Sheahan have. Letting Sheahan walk saves you a mil. Getting rid of JJ and going cheap at your 6/7 D positions saves another couple mil relative to already having Oleksiak in the lineup.

We're already talking about sending a D out because we're scratching Rik too much in favor of Oleksiak.

A lot of Guentzel's raise is covered by what looks like a large cap increase. It'd be tight, but nothing new considering we're always against the cap every year.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Adding Staal means you can afford to give Blueger a shot next season as your 4C and roll the dice a bit because Staal can take on the minutes and D-zone starts Cullen and Sheahan have. Letting Sheahan walk saves you a mil. Getting rid of JJ and going cheap at your 6/7 D positions saves another couple mil relative to already having Oleksiak in the lineup.

We're already talking about sending a D out because we're scratching Rik too much in favor of Oleksiak.

A lot of Guentzel's raise is covered by what looks like a large cap increase. It'd be tight, but nothing new considering we're always against the cap every year.

I am already including guys like Blueger, Dea and Blandisi being on the 4th line when I say this: you can't afford Staal without trading Kessel. That is the only way that you can afford Staal, because you're not going to gut your already questionable defense in order to afford Staal (and I'm not even sure you can even afford him with doing that). This lineup with Staal at $4.5 million, Pettersson at $2 million, ZAR at $900k and everyone else at $750k is slightly over $82 million:

Guentzel-Crosby-Rust
Simon-Malkin-Kessel
Pearson-Staal-Hornqvist
ZAR-Blueger-Blandisi
Dea-DiPauli

Dumoulin-Letang
Maatta-Schultz
Pettersson-Riikola
Ruhwedel

Murray-DeSmith

So you have virtually no cap space and your defense is insanely shallow, and that's being optimistic that the cap increases to $82.5 million or more. After that year, you have to worry about extensions for Simon and Murray, too. It just doesn't work, if you want an expensive 3C, you have to trade Kessel or you have to get fancy with trading Maatta. Those are your only options.

 

[chethejet]

If cap is 83 million, Pens have some room but to bring in a top winger, Olli for picks has to go. Yes Oleksiak can save some bucks as well. For me Duchene will be out of the range for what the Pens need. But some really good to stud wingers as potential FA's would really change the dynamic to extend the cup opportunity.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Brassard, Jarry and a 2nd (do we have this years second?) for Staal retained. Trade Oleksiak for a pick.

Guentzel-Crosby-Hornqvist
Pearson-Malkin-Rust
Simon-Staal-Kessel
AstonReese-Cullen-Sheahan
The lines are whatever. No matter what the other team doesn’t have the puck.

 

[mpp9]

I am already including guys like Blueger, Dea and Blandisi being on the 4th line when I say this: you can't afford Staal without trading Kessel. That is the only way that you can afford Staal, because you're not going to gut your already questionable defense in order to afford Staal (and I'm not even sure you can even afford him). This lineup with Staal at $4.5 million, Pettersson at $2 million, ZAR at $900k and everyone else at $750k is slightly over $82 million:

Guentzel-Crosby-Rust
Simon-Malkin-Kessel
Pearson-Staal-Hornqvist
ZAR-Blueger-Blandisi
Dea-DiPauli

Dumoulin-Letang
Maatta-Schultz
Pettersson-Riikola
Ruhwedel

Murray-DeSmith

So you have virtually no cap space and your defense is insanely shallow, and that's being optimistic that the cap increases to $82.5 million or more. After that year, you have to worry about extensions for Simon and Murray, too. It just doesn't work, if you want an expensive 3C, you have to trade Kessel or you have to get fancy with trading Maatta. Those are your only options.

That defense is literally no worse than it is right now. Johnson is not better at anything but boxing guys out and throwing hits than Rik. And if Pettersson keeps progressing, he's likely bumping Maatta down to the bottom pair in the very near future. I'm not a huge Maatta fan, but he's worked very well with Rik and is a pretty quality #5 in this scenario. Depth D-men are always out there via trade or late in the summer that don't require 2-3 mil against the cap.

As for beyond next year and into Murray's extension, deal with it then. JR's about the now and will create the cap room as needed. Schultz likely is gone. Maybe a young forward in the system replaces one of our established guys.