Salary Cap: To make the playoffs, or not make the playoffs...that is the question

[Asuna]

All figures are cap numbers, not salaries.

Official 2015-16 salary ceiling: ........71,400,000
Projected 2015-16 cap spending: ....72,622,784
Deadline cap space: ..........................2,527,216

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

Forward.................​

|

Pos.​

|

Age​

|

2015-16​

|

2016-17​

|

2017-18​

Evgeni Malkin|

C​

|

28​

|

9,500,000​

|

9,500,000​

|

9,500,000​

Sidney Crosby|

C​

|

27​

|

8,700,000​

|

8,700,000​

|

8,700,000​

Phil Kessel|

RW​

|

27​

|

6,800,000​

|

6,800,000​

|

6,800,000​

Patric Hornqvist|

RW​

|

28​

|

4,250,000​

|

4,250,000​

|

4,250,000​

Carl Hagelin|

LW​

|

27​

|

4,000,000​

|

4,000,000​

|

4,000,000​

Chris Kunitz|

LW​

|

35​

|

3,850,000​

|

3,850,000​

|

UFA​

Eric Fehr|

C​

|

29​

|

2,000,000​

|

2,000,000​

|

2,000,000​

Sergei Plotnikov|

LW​

|

25​

|

925,000​

|

RFA​

Matt Cullen|

C​

|

38​

|

800,000​

|

UFA​

Conor Sheary|

LW​

|

23​

|

667,500​

|

667,500​

|

RFA​

Bryan Rust|

RW​

|

23​

|

652,500​

|

RFA​

Kevin Porter|

C​

|

29​

|

575,000​

|

UFA​

Tom Kuhnhackl|

LW​

|

23​

|

575,000​

|

RFA​

Defense.................​

|

Pos.​

|

Age​

|

2015-16​

|

2016-17​

|

.2017-18​

Kris Letang|

D​

|

28​

|

7,250,000​

|

7,250,000​

|

7,250,000​

Trevor Daley|

D​

|

32​

|

3,300,000​

|

3,300,000​

|

UFA​

Ian Cole|

D​

|

26​

|

2,100,000​

|

2,100,000​

|

2,100,000​

Ben Lovejoy|

D​

|

31​

|

1,100,000​

|

UFA​

Olli Maatta|

D​

|

20​

|

894,167​

|

RFA​

Derrick Pouliot|

D​

|

21​

|

863,333​

|

863,333​

|

RFA​

Brian Dumoulin|

D​

|

23​

|

800,000​

|

800,000​

|

RFA​

David Warsofsky|

D​

|

25​

|

600,000​

|

UFA​

Goalie............,.......​

|

Pos.​

|

Age​

|

2015-16​

|

2016-17​

|

.2017-18​

Marc-Andre Fleury|

G​

|

30​

|

5,750,000​

|

5,750,000​

|

5,750,000​

Jeff Zatkoff|

G​

|

28​

|

600,000​

|

UFA​

Injured reserve.....​

|

Pos.​

|

Age​

|

2015-16​

|

2016-17​

|

.2017-18​

Pascal Dupuis|

RW​

|

36​

|

3,750,000​

|

3,750,000​

|

UFA​

Nick Bonino|

C​

|

27​

|

1,900,000​

|

1,900,000​

|

UFA​

Beau Bennett|

RW​

|

23​

|

800,000​

|

RFA​

Retained salary.....​

|

Pos.​

|

Age​

|

2015-16​

|

2016-17​

|

.2017-18​

Rob Scuderi|

D​

|

37​

|

1,125,000​

|

1,125,000​

WILKES-BARRE/SCRANTON PENGUINS

Forward...............​

|

Pos.​

|

Age​

|

2015-16​

|

2016-17​

|

2017-18​

Tyler Biggs|

RW​

|

22​

|

894,167​

|

RFA​

Oskar Sundqvist|

C​

|

21​

|

700,833​

|

708,333​

|

RFA​

Dominik Simon|

C​

|

20​

|

692,500​

|

692,500​

|

692,500​

|

RFA​

Josh Archibald|

RW​

|

22​

|

659,167​

|

659,167​

|

RFA​

Scott Wilson|

LW​

|

23​

|

655,000​

|

RFA​

Matia Marcantuoni|

C​

|

21​

|

608,333​

|

608,333​

|

RFA​

Jean-Sebastien Dea|

C​

|

21​

|

585,000​

|

585,000​

|

RFA​

Dominik Uher|

C​

|

22​

|

575,000​

|

RFA​

Kael Mouillierat|

LW​

|

27​

|

575,000​

|

UFA​

Defense...............​

|

Pos.​

|

Age​

|

2015-16​

|

2016-17​

|

2017-18​

Harrison Ruopp|

D​

|

22​

|

650,833​

|

RFA​

Niclas Andersen|

D​

|

27​

|

625,000​

|

UFA​

Tim Erixon|

D​

|

24​

|

600,000​

|

RFA​

Reid McNeill|

D​

|

23​

|

575,000​

|

575,000​

|

RFA​

Will O'Neill|

D​

|

27​

|

575,000​

|

UFA​

Steve Oleksy|

D​

|

29​

|

575,000​

|

UFA​

Goalie..................​

|

Pos.​

|

Age​

|

2015-16​

|

2016-17​

|

2017-18​

Matt Murray|

G​

|

21​

|

620,000​

|

620,000​

|

RFA​

Tristan Jarry|

G​

|

20​

|

589,167​

|

589,167​

|

589,167​

WHEELING NAILERS

Forward...............​

|

Pos.​

|

Age​

|

2015-16​

|

2016-17​

|

2017-18​

Anton Zlobin|

LW​

|

22​

|

608,333​

|

RFA​

SIGNED PROSPECTS

Player​

|

Pos.​

|

Age​

|

Current Team​

|

Contract​

Daniel Sprong|

F​

|

18​

|

Charlottetown (QMJHL)​

|

3 years, $692,500 per​

UNSIGNED PROSPECTS

Player​

​

​

|

Pos.​

|

Age​

|

Current Team (League)​

Anthony Angello|

F​

|

19​

|Cornell (ECAC)

Dane Birks|

D​

|

19​

|Michigan Tech (WCHA)

Teddy Blueger|

F​

|

20​

|Minnesota State (WCHA)

Blaine Byron|

F​

|

20​

|Maine (HEA)

Jake Guentzel|

F​

|

20​

|Nebraska-Omaha (NCHC)

Troy Josephs|

F​

|

21​

|Clarkson (ECAC)

Sam Lafferty|

F​

|

20​

|Brown (ECAC)

Jaden Lindo|

F​

|

19​

|Owen Sound (OHL)

Sean Maguire|

G​

|

22​

|Boston University (HEA)

Nikita Pavlychev|

F​

|

18​

|Des Moines (USHL)

Alexander Pechurskiy|

G​

|

25​

|Khabarovsk (KHL)

Ryan Segalla|

D​

|

20​

|Connecticut (HEA)

Jeff Taylor|

D​

|

21​

|Union (ECAC)

Frederik Tiffels|

F​

|

20​

|Western Michigan (NCHC)

Click to read more...

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

I hope not. Sell of your valuable, expiring contracts. Move the deadweight. Call around and gauge interest in guys like Pouliot, Letang and (potentially) Kessel.

I think, for the Pittsburgh Penguins, the present is dead. It's time to look forward to the near, as well as distant future and start planning for the days when Sid and Geno start to noticeably slow down.

 

[PensandCaps]

I hope not. Sell of your valuable, expiring contracts. Move the deadweight. Call around and gauge interest in guys like Pouliot, Letang and (potentially) Kessel.

I think, for the Pittsburgh Penguins, the present is dead. It's time to look forward to the near, as well as distant future and start planning for the days when Sid and Geno start to noticeably slow down.

And get a coach who plays the best players available

 

[gdsmack267]

2 outcomes

1. Pens make playoffs, get to at least conference finals and everything stays the same

2. Miss playoffs/out in early rounds and the dumpster fire begins. GMJR gone, sullivan maybe, lot of roster changing including a couple big names

 

[Shady Machine]

I hope not. Sell of your valuable, expiring contracts. Move the deadweight. Call around and gauge interest in guys like Pouliot, Letang and (potentially) Kessel.

I think, for the Pittsburgh Penguins, the present is dead. It's time to look forward to the near, as well as distant future and start planning for the days when Sid and Geno start to noticeably slow down.

[mod]
You go ahead and do all of that. Let me know when Sid and/or Geno request a trade.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

[mod]

You go ahead and do all of that. Let me know when Sid and/or Geno request a trade.

I wouldn't move them all, but I'd be kicking the tires around the league. If we find a great return for any of those three, they're as good as gone imo.

Like it or not, agree or not, I think this team absolutely has to do something drastic. It's barely treading water as is, and it's only gonna get worse as time moves on. /shrug

 

[Empoleon8771]

The Pens are in a weird spot on D. They have too many D that need to play, but they still need another top-4 D. They need to move 2 of Cole, Lovejoy and Daley from the starting lineup (by trade or scratch) and bring in a top-4 defenseman while playing Pouliot on the 3rd pair.

Tbh, I'd look into moving Daley. He has been very solid for us, but he's redundant here with Pouliot and our plethora of bottom pair D. He also probably has decent value in a trade and is the most expensive expendable D. Moving him in a package for a top-4 D would give us:

Maatta-Letang
Dumoulin-Trade
Pouliot-Lovejoy
Cole

 

[UnderratedBrooks44]

Why even waste time daydreaming about a drastic rebuild? With the pieces we have now that's not something anyone trying to ya know, run a business, is going to even entertain for a second.

The sellouts are hanging by a thread and are probably lies at this point and they're trying to attract a buyer to the team. They're not going to dump everyone it's just not happening. Completely pointless to discuss.

 

[Shady Machine]

I wouldn't move them all, but I'd be kicking the tires around the league. If we find a great return for any of those three, they're as good as gone imo.

Like it or not, agree or not, I think this team absolutely has to do something drastic. It's barely treading water as is, and it's only gonna get worse as time moves on. /shrug

I know you do. There is absolutely no way you can move Letang and have a competent defense anytime soon. We don't have the right assets for Shattenkirk and landing Gogo in free agency doesn't come close to replacing Letang IMO.

If Pouliot got you Shattenkirk and Letang got you a top 5 pick + and you somehow landed Gogo in free agency, then maybe you are better. But that seems like a really long shot.

I'm sure there are other options out there, but you get my drift.

 

[PensandCaps]

When sid and geno are gone, its gonna suck.

 

[Shady Machine]

The Pens are in a weird spot on D. They have too many D that need to play, but they still need another top-4 D. They need to move 2 of Cole, Lovejoy and Daley from the starting lineup (by trade or scratch) and bring in a top-4 defenseman while playing Pouliot on the 3rd pair.

Tbh, I'd look into moving Daley. He has been very solid for us, but he's redundant here with Pouliot and our plethora of bottom pair D. He also probably has decent value in a trade and is the most expensive expendable D. Moving him in a package for a top-4 D would give us:

Maatta-Letang
Dumoulin-Trade
Pouliot-Lovejoy
Cole

If Daley had decent value in a trade, Chicago wouldn't have traded him for Scuderi. It's not that players can't be traded, but trading them in a cap world without taking back cap is a really hard thing to do. I suppose you could package Daley to get a left winger, but the plus on the Pens side has to have a cheap caphit.

 

[PensandCaps]

I know you do. There is absolutely no way you can move Letang and have a competent defense anytime soon. We don't have the right assets for Shattenkirk and landing Gogo in free agency doesn't come close to replacing Letang IMO.

If Pouliot got you Shattenkirk and Letang got you a top 5 pick + and you somehow landed Gogo in free agency, then maybe you are better. But that seems like a really long shot.

I'm sure there are other options out there, but you get my drift.

Letang is great no doubt, but hes always always hurt. And we have too many big contract. If letang makes it through the season and if we make the playoffs, he better play. No point in having him if hes gone by april with a concussion.

 

[Shady Machine]

Letang is great no doubt, but hes always always hurt. And we have too many big contract. If letang makes it through the season and if we make the playoffs, he better play. No point in having him if hes gone by april with a concussion.

I agree with that. Like it or not though, this defense absolutely needs him. I was all for moving him when we had a pipeline of Despres, Dumo, Harry, Maatta, Pouliot with Martin and Nisky on the NHL roster. We've lost a lot of that depth now. You can't trade away a team's number 1 dman and somehow expect them to not suck.

 

[Empoleon8771]

If Daley had decent value in a trade, Chicago wouldn't have traded him for Scuderi. It's not that players can't be traded, but trading them in a cap world without taking back cap is a really hard thing to do. I suppose you could package Daley to get a left winger, but the plus has to be cheap capwise.

Daley really struggled in Chicago, Chicago was desperate to trade him and he demanded a trade. I don't think him being traded for Scuderi means he has little value, I think it just means Chicago had like no options and needed cap space.

I'm also not advocating trading Daley for futures, I'm saying trade him for a top-4 D if that is possible. I also don't think Daley is far off from a top-4 D, at least not far enough that we'd have to add much for a 2nd pair RD.

 

[IcedCapp]

It's not really a question. Of course the Pens want to. Fans SHOULD want them to, too.

Will they?

Nope.

The past two weeks should have been perfect for them. The teams they are chasing were playing each other and they had Carolina twice and Tampa. And they fell back.

It's over and I fear for the future.

(50% of this post is for someone to save and show later when they win it all)

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

I don't think we need to replace Letang in terms of caliber of player. I think we need to have a competent blueline, with no real glaring weaknesses (Lovejoy, Cole). I also think Letang's penchant for missing 20-25 games a season, and playing far below his potential for an additional number of games, makes him nowhere near as important or irreplaceable to this team as a lot of people think. If our blueline wasn't El Stinko, Letang's usual absence or lapse in play wouldn't be so bone-shattering to this team. Daley's helped, but earlier in the year we had a grand total of two guys worth a damn on our blueline when it came to moving the puck up to our forwards; Maatta and Dumo.

 

[Shady Machine]

Daley really struggled in Chicago, Chicago was desperate to trade him and he demanded a trade. I don't think him being traded for Scuderi means he has little value, I think it just means Chicago had like no options and needed cap space.

I'm also not advocating trading Daley for futures, I'm saying trade him for a top-4 D if that is possible. I also don't think Daley is far off from a top-4 D, at least not far enough that we'd have to add much for a 2nd pair RD.

Why not try him as a top 4 right D first then?

 

[PensandCaps]

I agree with that. Like it or not though, this defense absolutely needs him. I was all for moving him when we had a pipeline of Despres, Dumo, Harry, Maatta, Pouliot with Martin and Nisky on the NHL roster. We've lost a lot of that depth now. You can't trade away a team's number 1 dman and somehow expect them to not suck.

I know we need him, but we're gonna be without him anyways....sidelined with some injury. I just dont ever see letang getting through a full season. Hes too fiesty for his own good. Other night hes fighting with brouwer, like wtf dude just walk away. Youre a hit away from being done in the NHL.

 

[Shady Machine]

I don't think we need to replace Letang in terms of caliber of player. I think we need to have a competent blueline, with no real glaring weaknesses (Lovejoy, Cole). I also think Letang's penchant for missing 20-25 games a season, and playing far below his potential for an additional number of games, makes him nowhere near as important or irreplaceable to this team as a lot of people think. If our blueline wasn't El Stinko, Letang's usual absence or lapse in play wouldn't be so bone-shattering to this team. Daley's helped, but earlier in the year we had a grand total of two guys worth a damn on our blueline when it came to moving the puck up to our forwards; Maatta and Dumo.

You still aren't making a lot of sense. Our defense sucks, yet trading Letang makes our defense not suck? I just can't understand this line of thinking. Teams don't trade from positions of weakness to address other positions of weakness.

It's especially strange since you think Pouliot sucks too. At least in theory, one could understand moving Letang if you think Pouliot is a top 4 solution soon. Sure the D will be worse, but at least the cap savings and internal solution help soften the blow.

 

[Asuna]

It's not really a question. Of course the Pens want to. Fans SHOULD want them to, too.

Will they?

Nope.

The past two weeks should have been perfect for them. The teams they are chasing were playing each other and they had Carolina twice and Tampa. And they fell back.

It's over and I fear for the future.

(50% of this post is for someone to save and show later when they win it all)

Do we really have that many assets to give away though?

They won't trade Sprong (you'd think)
Trade Pouliot (meh, so what)
Draft picks??

 

[Empoleon8771]

Why not try him as a top 4 right D first then?

I would try that first. The issue with doing that is Daley isn't suited in a shutdown role and that's what he'd need to be if he'd paired with Dumoulin. I'd move Daley for a more physical, defensive 2nd pair RD (player like Despres) if that was possible.

 

[PensandCaps]

You still aren't making a lot of sense. Our defense sucks, yet trading Letang makes our defense not suck? I just can't understand this line of thinking. Teams don't trade from positions of weakness to address other positions of weakness.

It's especially strange since you think Pouliot sucks too. At least in theory, one could understand moving Letang if you think Pouliot is a top 4 solution soon. Sure the D will be worse, but at least the cap savings and internal solution help soften the blow.

Trade letang for 2 top 4 dman, sign a top 4 dman in FA with the cap space you save from letang. Boom. Better D depth. Sometimes quantity>quality

 

[Penske]

Always try to make the playoffs. You want a winning culture. Everyone including the coaching staff should be doing their best.

Now thats not saying the GM should be making a bunch of short term trades that will harm us in the future either.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

You still aren't making a lot of sense. Our defense sucks, yet trading Letang makes our defense not suck? I just can't understand this line of thinking. Teams don't trade from positions of weakness to address other positions of weakness.

No. The gist of my entire argument for trading Letang and being sellers this deadline is this; our defense sucks with or without Letang, and I don't think we have a snowball's chance in Hell at a Cup within the next year and a half of hockey. I'd rather get a huge return for Letang before his next concussion or drop off in play, solidify this team's future, and go for one more Cup before Sid and Geno are 33-35 and declining rapidly.

I see a team that's been circling the drain for years, and the reality of that is finally hitting as we struggle to stay afloat and hover around the 8th spot in the standings. I also see a team barreling at top speed toward a future of being a top-3 pick in the draft for years, with nothing to show for more than half a decade of an "all-in" mentality.

I love Sid, I love Geno, I love a lot of the guys on this team, but I'm a Pens fan first and foremost. I want this team to be something more than a laughing stock after Sid and Geno slow down and eventually bottom out. I think Letang is our best ticket to securing the future, and I think we're nowhere near ready to compete for a Cup any time soon. So I'd rather rip that band-aid off quickly and move Letang now to secure the future, before he's seriously injured again, negating his value to this team as a player and plummeting his value league-wide as an asset.

 

[PensandCaps]

Always try to make the playoffs. You want a winning culture. Everyone including the coaching staff should be doing their best.

Now thats not saying the GM should be making a bunch of short term trades that will harm us in the future either.

Yes, you never know what can happen. and we're the 7th-8th seed, fleury gets hot, sid gets hot, and we have a cup .