Post-Game Talk: Shero - Bylsma (Non-)Apocalyptic End of Season Press Conference | +/- Thread

[IcedCapp]

I'd have to cap-geek out for a little bit, but I'm sure it's possible. Especially with what we'd be getting in return for Letang.

I'm just saying the loss of Letang would hurt, for sure, and there would be a definite adjustment period. But, it wouldn't be the end of the world. I just think, and it's only an opinion, that we'd be able to adjust to life without Letang far easier than life with an overpriced Letang and a thin team around a handful of mega contracts.

capgeek it out and have fun and get back to me!!

The way I see it, we only need 1 top-6 winger, Sid's RW, right? Bennett, Neal, Kunitz are a great start to a top-6, and then Malkin/Crosby... I mean, those 5 of 6 make for an elite top-6, IMO. It just seems like we're going with a quantity over quality approach if we trade Letang, and it's not going to work out like the Staal deal, because you're never going to find a "better fit at the position" in Letang's replacement than Letang...

(that was a bit clunky, what i mean is, when they traded Staal, they got a better "pure 3rd-line Center) in Sutter, while also picking up two players who may become fixtures in the top-4 on the back end. If you trade Letang, you're not getting a "better pure #1 Dman" and a RW for Sid)

 

[Jacob]

Hopefully Despres can be Letang's Seabrook. I mean, I think we can all agree that he looked better than Eaton ever looked with Letang this season.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Hopefully Despres can be Letang's Seabrook. I mean, I think we can all agree that he looked better than Eaton ever looked with Letang this season.

I think Harrington is going to end up being that guy some day. This year, I hope its Despres.

 

[IcedCapp]

Hopefully Despres can be Letang's Seabrook. I mean, I think we can all agree that he looked better than Eaton ever looked with Letang this season.

I hope so, but in a way I'd actually be happier if Despres developed into the greatest #3, like, a TWD who can carry the 2nd pairing.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

capgeek it out and have fun and get back to me!!

The way I see it, we only need 1 top-6 winger, Sid's RW, right? Bennett, Neal, Kunitz are a great start to a top-6, and then Malkin/Crosby... I mean, those 5 of 6 make for an elite top-6, IMO. It just seems like we're going with a quantity over quality approach if we trade Letang, and it's not going to work out like the Staal deal, because you're never going to find a "better fit at the position" in Letang's replacement than Letang...

(that was a bit clunky, what i mean is, when they traded Staal, they got a better "pure 3rd-line Center) in Sutter, while also picking up two players who may become fixtures in the top-4 on the back end. If you trade Letang, you're not getting a "better pure #1 Dman" and a RW for Sid)

I'm not sure you have to get a better #1 d-man, if you're getting a top flight RW for Sid for the long haul (just as an example).

You can trade Letang for a King's ransom in roster players/prospects/picks and maybe land a guy like Yandle, who might not be as sexy as Letang, but they're not THAT far apart in terms of skillset.

Just spit-balling here.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Our team sucks when Letang isn't in the lineup. We play better without Malkin/Crosby than we do without Letang. Steve Mears even mentioned earlier how thin the Pens D is and if we deal Letang, then what? Who is going to eat up 25-30 minutes a game?

The problem is the Pens need to support Letang with another solid D talent, like Keith has Seabrook, Lidstrom had Rafalski, etc. He turns the puck over because he plays with the likes of Eaton. When Letang is eating up that many minutes, do you want Eaton eating that many up also?

Right, but in Letang being permanently gone, they can adapt the team to work function without him.

Getting a solid partner for Letang would also cost money, so there would be Letang's huge contract and more money spent on getting him a partner, and getting Bylsma to put them together. Although, I do remember liking him with Despres, but Bylsma, again; still long term.

My issue is with giving Letang a massive contract, not Letang himself.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Right, but in Letang being permanently gone, they can adapt the team to work function without him.

Getting a solid partner for Letang would also cost money, so there would be Letang's huge contract and more money spent on getting him a partner, and getting Bylsma to put them together. Although, I do remember liking him with Despres, but Bylsma, again; still long term.

My issue is with giving Letang a massive contract, not Letang himself.

its likely going to be a 3.5M raise. Replace Glass and Niskanen with cheaper upgrades like Jeffrey and Bortuzzo and you just paid for a good chunk of Letang's raise. It doesn't take effect until the cap will start rising again. We can afford to pay Letang 7M dollars more than we can afford to lose Letang imo.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

its likely going to be a 3.5M raise. Replace Glass and Niskanen with cheaper upgrades like Jeffrey and Bortuzzo and you just paid for most of Letang's raise.

If Glass is gone I'll be shocked, happy, but shocked.

I just don't like it, and who knows what other salaries there will be in the future. I don't like the idea of giving Letang that much, there's a very good chance that it would weaken other parts of the team. I'd rather downgrade those two and put the money towards a RW for Crosby or another hole in the team.

6M is around my limit for Letang. I also don't like the idea having 3 big contracts on the team, I just don't like it. If Fleury was gone I would probably feel differently about the prospect of Letang getting a big contract.

 

[JTG]

Give him a top 4 d-man for a partner and I think he'll instantly look much much better.

also, if we lose Letang we will instantly be in the group of teams who desperately need offense from their backend. Our puck movement and mobility from defense would be absolutely pathetic without him next season.

I think if you take away Crosby, top unit PP mins by default (mins he really didn't deserve), and favorable match ups (Orpik and Martin drew shutdown matchups, which freed Letang up)...Letang's offense would take a huge dip. It's all relative. I don't think offensively he is a bonafide 50-60 point player. He's that because of the situation he's in.

He is a top pairing defenseman, but is he a number 1? Not so sure about that, and giving a guy 7+ million...I think that's reserved for bonafide number 1's. If rumors are right, and Shero is only comfortable in the low to mid 6's...I completely agree. I said that months and months ago, and I still stand by my point that Letang in his tenure in Pittsburgh hasn't been a great PPQB, hasn't been the consistent shutdown defenseman, hasn't been the first on the ice for the PK, and hasn't really produced well without playing with Sid. He's not a defenseman that's going to create offense from the back end. He's a defenseman that's going to benefit from offense on the front end.

I love the guy...he's probably the best 5-on-5 defenseman in the league, but I think 7m+ is a contract he cannot live up to. Losing him would demand a change in the personnel on the back end because it'd need to be an offense by committee, but I wouldn't be opposed to working towards that anyways, and I think we have the horses coming up who could fill that niche.

Wow that post was way too long.

 

[IcedCapp]

If Glass is gone I'll be shocked, happy, but shocked.

I just don't like it, and who knows what other salaries there will be in the future. I don't like the idea of giving Letang that much, there's a very good chance that it would weaken other parts of the team. I'd rather downgrade those two and put the money towards a RW for Crosby or another hole in the team.

6M is around my limit for Letang. I also don't like the idea having 3 big contracts on the team, I just don't like it. If Fleury was gone I would probably feel differently about the prospect of Letang getting a big contract.

But Fleury CAN be gone before Letang's contract kicks in You can use compliance buyouts this year or next year. They are under no cap duress this year, so it's possible they keep MAF around in hopes that he pulls a Paul Martin, and if he doesn't buyout city.

 

[JTG]

If Glass is gone I'll be shocked, happy, but shocked.

I wouldn't be shocked. Glass sucks. Not a single redeemable quality when speaking of him.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

But Fleury CAN be gone before Letang's contract kicks in You can use compliance buyouts this year or next year. They are under no cap duress this year, so it's possible they keep MAF around in hopes that he pulls a Paul Martin, and if he doesn't buyout city.

If I was confident in them getting rid of Fleury it would be a similar effect. If Fleury is gone, then I'll change my tune, but, I can see it now, "Today, I'm announcing the MAF's new contract. He'll be a Penguin for the next 7 years with a raise. Because he **** the bed slightly less than before and that's progress."

Saying MAF will pull a Paul Martin isn't right to me, they're completely different situations. I don't think it's even fair to MAF to expect him to.

I wouldn't be shocked. Glass sucks. Not a single redeemable quality when speaking of him.

He somehow got on this team and has continued to get ice time. Glass doesn't make sense.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Can't you trade compliance buyouts? It's worth more than opting out of one more year of Tanner Glass.

 

[Jacob]

Gotta ditch Glass, especially if we're retaining Adams. Neither he nor Vitale are great with the puck, and Tanner Glass might as well not even have a stick in his hands. It wouldn't take much to upgrade over Glass.. maybe a guy like Matt Hendricks, Drew Miller or Joey Crabb, or even give Holzapfel a shot.

 

[Crafton]

Glass was benched in the playoffs - have to imagine that even DB was tired if his uselessness. Then again, the MAF/Martin precedent is a real thing.

 

[Darth Vitale]

At this point we're talking more roster than presser. Closing 'er down. Thanks for keeping things in check.

Further GM commentary can go to the "General Manager of the Year" thread or roster / trade discussion to the ongoing "Shake-up" series.