Salary Cap: Season starts soon!

[Empoleon8771]

I'd be fine with Sprong staying up with the team for the 9 game tryout until Fehr is healthy. I don't think playing on a 3rd line with either Bonino and Dupuis or Plotnikov and Cullen (I'm assuming we'll have 2 3rd lines) for 9 games will hurt his development. Until Fehr gets back, go with:

Kunitz-Crosby-Kessel
Perron-Malkin-Hornqvist
Dupuis-Bonino-Bennett
Plotnikov-Cullen-Sprong

I would be completely fine with that, a 9 game sample for Sprong will only be good for him imo.

 

[steveg]

If Alan Muir thinks David Perron of the Oilers is fast, he got his number mixed up with Yakupov. It's possible Bonino's as slow as Perron, but that's it. Plotnikov, so far, covers way, way more ground.

It's not "hating" him to make note of that. I'm floored that anyone would argue that he's got great footspeed, frankly. He acknowledged it as a problem in his camp interview just last week.

I agree, I wouldn't argue that he's FAST, but saying he's "slow" seems a bit harsh, to me. I think average is fair, but YMMV.

And no, it's not "hating" him to say he's not fast, but I thought you (maybe it was someone else) who's been advocating for him as the L3 RW, which I think is senseless (unless he "earns" that "demotion" through poor play).

 

[KrisLetAngry]

This forward group can take us far this season.

If defensemen develop we can be a team to be reckoned with.

However, a lot of eastern teams have stocked up

 

[Pancakes]

You don't have to be fast if you're capable of making quick plays or have the strength/skill to hold onto the puck and create space, or both.

Perron has both of those attributes. He can protect it well, and he has the skill and hands to make quick plays when he needs to. He's slow, but it's not a crippling weakness given his other talents more than make up for it.

 

[billybudd]

I agree, I wouldn't argue that he's FAST, but saying he's "slow" seems a bit harsh, to me. I think average is fair, but YMMV.

And no, it's not "hating" him to say he's not fast, but I thought you (maybe it was someone else) who's been advocating for him as the L3 RW, which I think is senseless (unless he "earns" that "demotion" through poor play).

I don't know what to do with David Perron other than left circle on the second powerplay, so I haven't been advocating where he should be at all (I'm not certain who should be left wing on any line, though 14 and 9 seem to me like the only two realistic options on line 1, unless someone who wasn't on the team last year does something miraculous in the next week). My best guess would be Malkin's left, but I'm not confident he's a good match with Hornqvist.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Perron is good enough to be on any line at LW in the top nine. He was just fine for the stint when he first came over playing with Crosby and Hornqvist. The issues all came about when Hornqvist went down.

I have really no issue with Perron other then them trying to put him at RW. The Pens are overloaded at LW and with Kessel and Hornqvist as your top two RW's there is not many spots available. A wrench gets thrown into things when Fehr comes back and that he won't be a center forcing another spot closed at RW.

This is a great problem to have for once. Depth.

 

[systemsgo]

Perron is good enough to be on any line at LW in the top nine. He was just fine for the stint when he first came over playing with Crosby and Hornqvist. The issues all came about when Hornqvist went down.

I have really no issue with Perron other then them trying to put him at RW. The Pens are overloaded at LW and with Kessel and Hornqvist as your top two RW's there is not many spots available. A wrench gets thrown into things when Fehr comes back and that he won't be a center forcing another spot closed at RW.

This is a great problem to have for once. Depth.

Depth is a great problem to have, but if Perron is played on the third line, barring winning the cup, there's no way he'll re-sign here, and we're back to needing top 6 wingers again.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

I never realized just how massive Sundqvist is. Man, his size would be quite useful on this team. I wanna see him up sooner rather than later.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I never realized just how massive Sundqvist is. Man, his size would be quite useful on this team. I wanna see him up sooner rather than later.

yep, the kid is huge.

 

[SEALBound]

I never realized just how massive Sundqvist is. Man, his size would be quite useful on this team. I wanna see him up sooner rather than later.

Indeed. The fact that he's more defensive minded/oriented is a bonus. A line of Sundy-Fehr-Dupuis could be quite the match up line later in the season.

I get that we are running four lines of offense and we need them to balance (per say) but come playoff time I believe we will need a shutdown/match up line. Great thing is, along with the obvious goal scoring abilities, we have plenty of options for a great shutdown line to be built as well.

Kun-Sid-Phil
Perron-Geno-Horny
Plot-Bono-Beau
Sundqvist-Fehr-Dupuis

That's three scoring lines and a great shutdown line. Assuming everyone is healthy.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Indeed. The fact that he's more defensive minded/oriented is a bonus. A line of Sundy-Fehr-Dupuis could be quite the match up line later in the season.

I get that we are running four lines of offense and we need them to balance (per say) but come playoff time I believe we will need a shutdown/match up line. Great thing is, along with the obvious goal scoring abilities, we have plenty of options for a great shutdown line to be built as well.

Kun-Sid-Phil
Perron-Geno-Horny
Plot-Bono-Beau
Sundqvist-Fehr-Dupuis

That's three scoring lines and a great shutdown line. Assuming everyone is healthy.

Fehr and Dupuis can both score 15-20 in a 3rd line role imo. It would depend how the ice time works out, but even as a shutdown line I think those guys would do some decent scoring.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

yep, the kid is huge.

He's even bigger in Japan.

 

[Coastal Kev]

The Pens have the potential to be a championship team, but a few moves need to be made.

It's time JR to boldly act. Trade player with value in combination with Scuds as a salary dump. Anything you get back would be bonus.

Trade Kunitz ASAP if there is a trade available. Or Package Kunitz with DP and get a fwd and physical D in return. As much as I love the potential of DP down the road, this team must try to win now. I am also not suggesting we get at 35 year old in return. No one should come back beyond the age of 28.

Trade Hornqvist for an ideal winger for Geno. My hope would be a wing with elite speed.

These moves would could free up valuable cap space and position the Pens with the best roster in the east.

 

[Sam Spade]

Fehr and Dupuis can both score 15-20 in a 3rd line role imo. It would depend how the ice time works out, but even as a shutdown line I think those guys would do some decent scoring.

Fehr has scored more than 15 goals twice in his career, never scored more than 40 points, don't expect much from him. Just pray for more than 40 games per season, because defensively he is very good (he has only been a minus player once in his career).

 

[Ogrezilla]

if you want to trade Hornqvist you probably don't understand enough about hockey to be suggesting the moves we should make to improve the team.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Fehr has scored more than 15 goals twice in his career, never scored more than 40 points, don't expect much from him. Just pray for more than 40 games per season, because defensively he is very good (he has only been a minus player once in his career).

ok, so 10-15. That's still a line that can score 30-40 goals probably. That's a lot of potential goals for the 4th best scoring line on the team.

 

[Sam Spade]

ok, so 10-15. That's still a line that can score 30-40 goals probably. That's a hell of a lot of potential goals for the 4th best scoring line on the team.

They will never see the ice enough to score 30-40 goals.

 

[Ogrezilla]

They will never see the ice enough to score 30-40 goals.

why? That could be our defensive matchup line. I'd play them more than Bonino and co in games we are leading.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

They will never see the ice enough to score 30-40 goals.

They will once the entire top 6 is injured.

 

[DegenX]

 

[Asuna]

Damnit, why is Scuderi with Team B.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Hmmm. Sundqvist, Sprong and Clendening on the side you don't want to be on while Scuderi and Gonchar are on the side that we don't want them to be on.

 

[Coastal Kev]

if you want to trade Hornqvist you probably don't understand enough about hockey to be suggesting the moves we should make to improve the team.

He isn't playing with Sid and he doesn't fit Geno's game. So unless you want to pair him with Bonino, who he would fit perfectly with, trade him for an ideal winger for Geno.

You have to cater to your 2 top centers. Not sure why this is so hard for both the Pens front office and fans base to understand. Why pay both center top dollar if you are not putting them in the best spot to succeed. Will Geno be ok with Hornqvist, sure. But we should want him to excel. And doing that would be a winger that can skate at an elite level.

 

[Ogrezilla]

He isn't playing with Sid and he doesn't fit Geno's game. So unless you want to pair him with Bonino, who he would fit perfectly with, trade him for an ideal winger for Geno.

You have to cater to your 2 top centers. Not sure why this is so hard for both the Pens front office and fans base to understand. Why pay both center top dollar if you are not putting them in the best spot to succeed. Will Geno be ok with Hornqvist, sure. But we should want him to excel. And doing that would be a winger that can skate at an elite level.

I disagree with the bold. Perron-Geno-Hornqvist could be an incredibly good line imo. Its everything Malone-Geno-Sykora was, but both wings are better.

Though I am still a believer that Kessel should be played with Geno some too, to see if the lines shake out better overall that way.

 

[drpepper]

If the 8 defensemen the Pens keep include Lovejoy, Scuderi & Gonchar, it's going to be a long season.

I think Sundqvist has looked better than Wilson or Sestito.

Also I really hope the Pens don't waste a roster spot, contract, & cap space on Sestito.

Just when you think an off-season has gone relatively well, there are danger signs all over the place.