If you're going into the season with Grossmann slotted on the top pair you might as well just start selling McDavid jerseys at the games all season.
- hereticpride

ha, i see what you did there!

also...not really disagreeing.


may have to get into offer sheet mode in the offseason tho? who is avail as an UFA D?

just stopped in for a minute ... any word on what the conditions are for the 3rd rounder we got?

http://www.capgeek.com/penguins

Not as bad as I thought.

Whats the deal with Beau Bennett?
- PhillySportsGuy

have hopes for him, but ill believe it when i see he can stay on the ice. it would be helpful to get him in there. nice skill and an ELC.

they have crosby, malkin, neal, kunitz, dupuis.... and adams. who needed to retire last year. thats it.

i really want them to resign jokinen. badly.

If you're going into the season with Grossmann slotted on the top pair you might as well just start selling McDavid jerseys at the games all season.
- hereticpride

People seem to forget how hard it is to put together a bonafide top pair. It would be a hefty price to pay. One that many fans pprobably wouldn't be happy with. So you have to make due and go with a D corps that might not be the flashiest but at least has the proper mix.

You also can't think of any of those pairings as a top pair. More so as a utility box type defense with 2a 2b and 2c quality pairings.

It's got to be someone. Can't go into the 2014-2015 season with Coburn as the # defenseman. That's a scary proposition.

Let's start a pissing match, that goes for about 6-7 pages.

How many teams in the NHL would Coburn be a # 1 on?
- PLindbergh31

Well Luke Schenn is a 3rd pair defenseman, correct? The Flyers already have 2 top pair defenseman.

Who is that gonna be, though?

Homer has shown us he's not going to deal away the core of this team even for a "legit top pair defensman"
- Giroux_Is_God

I wouldn't close the book on Kimmo returning for another year... he's still pretty fantastic.

Anyone have time? I'm at work so I can't but if someone could come up with cap space that will have and how many roster spots we need to fill by FA, would be very appreciated.
- Deasr1

forwards (baring any trades and RFA rafl and Brayden re upped)
G, Hartnell, Jake, VL, Simmonds, BSchenn, Read, Couts, Raffl, Rinaldo, Rosehill, Laughton?

12 forwards
will need a 13th could resign Hall/Downie or another

D - 4 signed
Streit, Coburn, Luke Schenn, Grossmann
with Amac thats five
if they reup Gusty that's 6
they will need one more at least

goalies
Mason
Backup

D is the big question
without Amac they need 2-3 more
Is Gusty still in the plans?

with the guys signed for next year they have a cap payroll of 58.4M, 59.3 with Laughton

take out the Pronger LTIR ~ 54.4

Cap goes to say 70M
leaves them 15.6
to sign B Schenn, Raffl, Amac, Gus

B schenn ~2.5M
Raffl ~ 1.5M
Amac ~ 4.25
Gus ~ 1.25

that is about 9.5M for the unsigned RFA/UFAs

that leaves about 6M and change for another D and the 13th forward and back up goalie

People seem to forget how hard it is to put together a bonafide top pair. It would be a hefty price to pay. One that many fans pprobably wouldn't be happy with. So you have to make due and go with a D corps that might not be the flashiest but at least has the proper mix.

You also can't think of any of those pairings as a top pair. More so as a utility box type defense with 2a 2b and 2c quality pairings.
- Roytastic

I dont care about making the fans happy. I care about putting the team in a position to win, and that ain't happening with Grossmann on the top line.

They'll make a trade of some kind at the draft. It may not be a bonafide all star d man, but it will be someone better equipped than Grossmann.

I wouldn't close the book on Kimmo returning for another year... he's still pretty fantastic.
- Tomahawk

I agree

forwards (baring any trades and RFA rafl and Brayden re upped)
G, Hartnell, Jake, VL, Simmonds, BSchenn, Read, Couts, Raffl, Rinaldo, Rosehill, Laughton?

12 forwards
will need a 13th could resign Hall/Downie or another

D - 4 signed
Streit, Coburn, Luke Schenn, Grossmann
with Amac thats five
if they reup Gusty that's 6
they will need one more at least

goalies
Mason
Backup

D is the big question
without Amac they need 2-3 more
Is Gusty still in the plans?

with the guys signed for next year they have a cap payroll of 58.4M, 59.3 with Laughton

take out the Pronger LTIR ~ 54.4

Cap goes to say 70M
leaves them 15.6
to sign B Schenn, Raffl, Amac, Gus

B schenn ~2.5M
Raffl ~ 1.5M
Amac ~ 4.25
Gus ~ 1.25

that is about 9.5M for the unsigned RFA/UFAs

that leaves about 6M and change for another D and the 13th forward and back up goalie
- Marc D

Sounds about right

Sounds about right
- Giroux_Is_God

I think they really need another top end defenseman

Kimmo for one more year I guess, not thrilled but it could be a lot worse

I think they really need another top end defenseman

Kimmo for one more year I guess, not thrilled but it could be a lot worse
- Marc D

I think we all agree with this. Problem is, it doesn't seem to be very realistic.

more Van funnies

Kesler: Eddie Lack came up to me and told me I got traded to Pitts.. I'm probably going to shoot at his head for the rest of the year

more Van funnies

Kesler: Eddie Lack came up to me and told me I got traded to Pitts.. I'm probably going to shoot at his head for the rest of the year
- Marc D

hopefully thats because he was so disappointed that it wasnt true.

I think we all agree with this. Problem is, it doesn't seem to be very realistic.
- Giroux_Is_God

Ehrhoff
Edler
Niskanen

all may be worth exploring
fill one hole and open another

I am not that psyched about:

Grossmann/Coburn
Streit/Amac
LSchenn/Gus

as the top six

Ehrhoff
Edler
Niskanen

all may be worth exploring
fill one hole and open another

I am not that psyched about:

Grossmann/Coburn
Streit/Amac
LSchenn/Gus

as the top six
- Marc D

yea well homer made his bed

If we just look a defense spending this year, not counting Pronger before the recent trades. It adds up in full AAV's to 27,550,000.

Now we take away Timonen, Meszaros, and Gill. That leaves you with 16,850,000. Which gives you 10,700,000 to work with, compared to most of this year.

As of right now, Coburn, Schenn, Streit, MacDonald, and Grossmann are the main 5. Usually go with 7 defenseman.

So they need to re-sign MacDonald, and Gustafsson. That's a ball park look compared to current spending of defenseman on the active roster.

Ehrhoff
Edler
Niskanen

all may be worth exploring
fill one hole and open another

I am not that psyched about:

Grossmann/Coburn
Streit/Amac
LSchenn/Gus

as the top six
- Marc D

That doesn't look good, but it depends if LS and Gus can progress in their development

Ehrhoff
Edler
Niskanen

all may be worth exploring
fill one hole and open another

I am not that psyched about:

Grossmann/Coburn
Streit/Amac
LSchenn/Gus

as the top six
- Marc D

They'll do something to address it -- at worst, MacDonald gets slightly north of what Meszaros' true cap hit was, so he's his roster replacement. But you'll have Timonen's money to fool around with, plus a draft pick, plus 14 teams that didn't make the playoffs that are going to be looking to change some things, plus 15 other teams that didn't win the Stanley Cup, all at the draft in Philadelphia.

They'll do something. Don't know what, but they'll do something

Davies must be upset today. She loves Mez

FORWARDS
Scott Hartnell ($4.750m) / Claude Giroux ($8.275m) / Jakub Voracek ($4.250m)
Wayne Simmonds ($3.975m) / Brayden Schenn ($2.500m) / Vincent Lecavalier ($4.500m)
Michael Raffl ($1.200m) / Sean Couturier ($1.750m) / Matt Read ($3.625m)
Adam Hall ($0.600m) / Scott Laughton ($0.894m) / Zac Rinaldo ($0.750m)
Jay Rosehill ($0.675m) /

DEFENSEMEN
Braydon Coburn ($4.500m) / Matt Niskanen ($5.500m)
Mark Streit ($5.250m) / Andrew MacDonald ($4.250m)
Erik Gustafsson ($1.200m) / Luke Schenn ($3.600m)
Nicklas Grossmann ($3.500m) /

GOALTENDERS
Steve Mason ($4.100m)
Cal Heeter ($0.874m)

LTIR
Chris Pronger ($4.941m)
------
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(estimations for 2014-15)
SALARY CAP: $71,100,000; CAP PAYROLL: $70,518,292; BONUSES: $212,500
CAP SPACE (22-man roster): $581,708

Ehrhoff
Edler
Niskanen

all may be worth exploring
fill one hole and open another

I am not that psyched about:

Grossmann/Coburn
Streit/Amac
LSchenn/Gus

as the top six
- Marc D

They could definitely use another defenseman. I still think Ehrhoff is the best of the three and the best fit. His cap hit is below $4M

FORWARDS
Scott Hartnell ($4.750m) / Claude Giroux ($8.275m) / Jakub Voracek ($4.250m)
Jay Rosehill ($0.675m) / Vincent Lecavalier ($4.500m) / Wayne Simmonds ($3.975m)
Michael Raffl ($1.200m) / Sean Couturier ($1.750m) / Matt Read ($3.625m)
Adam Hall ($0.600m) / Zac Rinaldo ($0.750m) /
Scott Laughton ($0.894m) /
Brayden Schenn ($2.500m) /


DEFENSEMEN
Mark Streit ($5.250m) / Andrew MacDonald ($4.250m)
Braydon Coburn ($4.500m) / Luke Schenn ($3.600m)
Nicklas Grossmann ($3.500m) / Erik Gustafsson ($1.200m)
Matt Niskanen ($5.500m) /


GOALTENDERS
Steve Mason ($4.100m)
Cal Heeter ($0.874m)

LTIR
Chris Pronger ($4.941m)
------
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(estimations for 2014-15)
SALARY CAP: $71,100,000; CAP PAYROLL: $70,518,292; BONUSES: $212,500
CAP SPACE (22-man roster): $581,708
- Marc D

Second line for Rosehill. We see much improvement this summer

Davies must be upset today. She loves Mez
- PhillySportsGuy

i knew it was coming...


and after the richards incident nothing seems that bad in comparison

something broke inside me that day

They could definitely use another defenseman. I still think Ehrhoff is the best of the three and the best fit. His cap hit is below $4M
- PhillySportsGuy

I admit that I don't know much about Ehrhoff. What are his strengths and weaknesses?