While I like Gibbons, you also can't just skate a 4th line of Gibbons type players (small and speedy). That ignores the reality of the fact that the NHL is an 80+ game grind and that you also need grit, toughness, and character guys who will bang the body and yes, drop the gloves when necessary to protect teammates. The problem is, as Ryan notes, they guys on the roster with that role (Pyatt, Glass) have very limited actual hockey skills....they are a huge downgrade over the kind of guys we used to roster like Asham and Rupp who could do those things, AND play. Adams is a separate case IMHO. He obviously has been an effective player throughout his career, but he's just at a point where he can't keep up.

If you bang on the forecheck and get the puck and tax the opposing team it's worth it
- dbell646

yeah but in todays game you need to have some sort of speed to be able to even make it to the puck and engage bodies. im sure glass could bang with the best of him, should he have been able to actually get to where he needed to be. his chip in and go get it and bang is essentially just acquiescing the puck to the other team

Too bad Callahan wants too much $$, he would be an awesome fit on this team!

I do see these guys as potentially good fits (noting Goc is a resign)
F: Setoguchi, Downie, Kulemin, Goc, Carcillo, Michalek,
D: Matt Greene, Chris Butler,

Personally, I'd try:
1. Letang + Niskanen rights <-> EDM: Yakupov + 1st
2. Neal + Despres <-> PHO: Yandle + 2nd round pick

13.45: Kunitz (3.85) - Crosby (8.7) - Bennett (0.9)
14.425: Yakupov (0.925) - Malkin (9.5) - Michalek (4)
8.75: Dupuis (3.75) - Sutter (2.5) - Kulemin (2.5)
4.5: Megna (1) - Goc (1.5) - Carcillo/Downie (2)
0.7: Adams (0.7)

10.25: Martin (5) - Yandle (5.25)
3.4: Butler (2.5) - Maatta (0.9)
4.425: Scuderi (3.375)- Demoulin/Harrington (0.85)
0.6: Bortuzzo (0.6)

5.6: Fleury (5), Ztakoff (0.6)

Total: ~66mil cap hit.
- mventres

Oh God, I hope the infatuation on Yakupvov doesn't get stronger here. Simply not the player Edmonton envisioned. I wouldn't consider that move.

I don't think we are in a good place to be trading alot of defensemen considering injuries to Maatta and Pouliot, a kid that could have made the jump. Yandle? If Letang frustrates people on the board for his defense, wait until you see Yandle. He doesn't play any.

Carcillo is worthless and will be suspended at least twice next year.

Bennett on the top line? How about we hope he plays 30 games and scores 10 goals in a year before putting him with Sid. We need a winger for him. Putting Bennett doesn't solve that since he is on the IR for most of the year.

While I like Gibbons, you also can't just skate a 4th line of Gibbons type players (small and speedy). That ignores the reality of the fact that the NHL is an 80+ game grind and that you also need grit, toughness, and character guys who will bang the body and yes, drop the gloves when necessary to protect teammates. The problem is, as Ryan notes, they guys on the roster with that role (Pyatt, Glass) have very limited actual hockey skills....they are a huge downgrade over the kind of guys we used to roster like Asham and Rupp who could do those things, AND play. Adams is a separate case IMHO. He obviously has been an effective player throughout his career, but he's just at a point where he can't keep up.
- Emperor Filonius

yeah. adams used to be damn fine at his role. hes just older than dirt anymore. no shame in that, it would just be nice if people in power accepted it.

Your roster would miss the playoff. Butler sucks!
- SPIDEROCKSTAR

Butler is quite underrated, but I'd be cool with Greene or a similar stay at home guy. The cap has about 3mil to play with, so there is room to tweak...

Oh God, I hope the infatuation on Yakupvov doesn't get stronger here. Simply not the player Edmonton envisioned. I wouldn't consider that move.

I don't think we are in a good place to be trading alot of defensemen considering injuries to Maatta and Pouliot, a kid that could have made the jump. Yandle? If Letang frustrates people on the board for his defense, wait until you see Yandle. He doesn't play any.

Carcillo is worthless and will be suspended at least twice next year.

Bennett on the top line? How about we hope he plays 30 games and scores 10 goals in a year before putting him with Sid. We need a winger for him. Putting Bennett doesn't solve that since he is on the IR for most of the year.
- Oneonta Penguin

Yaks has the talent, need proper guidance, imo. Would flourish with Malkin. Can move Kulemin up to that line to add some d-skill, with off-upside.

Bennett can go to third line with Michalek with Sid.

I'd prefer Downie, or somebody like Ott, the point is to get somebody who other teams don't want to play against...i.e., somebody with grit.

Yandle: yes, not the best on defense, but is an improvement (imo) over Letang and comes at $2mil less per year. Teamed with a smart guy like Martin I think the lapses will not be any worse than with Letang.

Yaks has the talent, need proper guidance, imo. Would flourish with Malkin. Can move Kulemin up to that line to add some d-skill, with off-upside.

Bennett can go to third line with Michalek with Sid.

I'd prefer Downie, or somebody like Ott, the point is to get somebody who other teams don't want to play against...i.e., somebody with grit.

Yandle: yes, not the best on defense, but is an improvement (imo) over Letang and comes at $2mil less per year. Teamed with a smart guy like Martin I think the lapses will not be any worse than with Letang.
- mventres

im not against potentially moving the players youre advocating, but the returns worry me a good deal. your free agency targets i like though. i would love kulemin on a cheap deal.

Butler is quite underrated, but I'd be cool with Greene or a similar stay at home guy. The cap has about 3mil to play with, so there is room to tweak...
- mventres

No he isn't. He is always 2-3 steps behind the play. When he was paired with Bouwmeester, he was 10 step behind. He made Bouwmeester look trying to do too much by himself because that guy couldn't keep up.

No he isn't. He is always 2-3 steps behind the play. When he was paired with Bouwmeester, he was 10 step behind. He made Bouwmeester look trying to do too much by himself because that guy couldn't keep up.
- SPIDEROCKSTAR

Go for a guy like Matt Greene or even Derek Morris would be decent. Not much on the UFA front for D, so options are limited in the 2.5-3.5 price range.

Go for a guy like Matt Greene or even Derek Morris would be decent. Not much on the UFA front for D, so options are limited in the 2.5-3.5 price range.
- mventres

part of me would rather give a guy like dumoulin a shot over spending 3.5 mil on a guy like that. id rather give that money to jussi.

Payerl - Goc - Gibbons for my fourth line as of now. I think Goc for 2 mill, with his versatility is fine. Modest enough raise to stay. Plus you save on ELC's for Payerl and Gibby.

Glass-Talbot/Goc-Gibbons

Oh God, I hope the infatuation on Yakupvov doesn't get stronger here. Simply not the player Edmonton envisioned. I wouldn't consider that move.

I don't think we are in a good place to be trading alot of defensemen considering injuries to Maatta and Pouliot, a kid that could have made the jump. Yandle? If Letang frustrates people on the board for his defense, wait until you see Yandle. He doesn't play any.

Carcillo is worthless and will be suspended at least twice next year.

Bennett on the top line? How about we hope he plays 30 games and scores 10 goals in a year before putting him with Sid. We need a winger for him. Putting Bennett doesn't solve that since he is on the IR for most of the year.
- Oneonta Penguin

Jury is still out. You may be right, but neither you or I or anyone else will know for sure for a year or 2. He's still 4-5 away from his prime after all.

Butler is quite underrated, but I'd be cool with Greene or a similar stay at home guy. The cap has about 3mil to play with, so there is room to tweak...
- mventres

God, I didn't see that one. Chris Butler, as in the former DU defenseman? He is ok, I guess - certainly not quite underrated. Trust me.

Adams is the only person signed that we've mentioned at all.

As a pens fan, I hope their fourth line next yr is gibbons-goc-megna
- Kunit

UFA-UFA-RFA

Ugh.

I'd love to see Goc and Gibbons as part of our 4th line. They're also players who can fill in on higher line when injuries happen.

Ryan Do you have Megna's numbers?

Oh God, I hope the infatuation on Yakupvov doesn't get stronger here. Simply not the player Edmonton envisioned. I wouldn't consider that move.

I don't think we are in a good place to be trading alot of defensemen considering injuries to Maatta and Pouliot, a kid that could have made the jump. Yandle? If Letang frustrates people on the board for his defense, wait until you see Yandle. He doesn't play any.

Carcillo is worthless and will be suspended at least twice next year.

Bennett on the top line? How about we hope he plays 30 games and scores 10 goals in a year before putting him with Sid. We need a winger for him. Putting Bennett doesn't solve that since he is on the IR for most of the year.
- Oneonta Penguin

Yeah, no yakupov , no yandle , no way no how. And you wouldn't need both Letang AND despres for Yandel.

Yeah, no yakupov , no yandle , no way no how. And you wouldn't need both Letang AND despres for Yandel.
- Bradlee3

Right...and given the nature of this blog and other things discussed it weakens your core and you can address the 3rd/4th line issues without doing that.

I think Neal can still be an asset but might have enough of a potential trade value to make a return for him worth a trade.

I also think Letang is better than Yandle when he is on his game and no worse than him when he is off his game.

Terrible. He is an AHL player with no NHL upside IMO.

He sees 4th line minutes with Baby Pens. I don't consider him a potential option.
- Ryan_Wilson

Not saying Sill will be good but looked better than Pairyl, Megna, Harry Z, etc... 4th line might just be his role because he has no offensive ability.

im not against potentially moving the players youre advocating, but the returns worry me a good deal. your free agency targets i like though. i would love kulemin on a cheap deal.
- stayinthefnnet

Returns have some risk for both sides:

* Letang+Niskanen rights <-> Yaks+1st:
Letang is 1 dimensional, some injury risks poking up, big contract with NM clause.
Niskanen rights (assuming EDM has contract in place). Risk is that he underperforms after getting a big contract.
OVERALL: Likely solves EDM D problems for the foreseeable future.

Yaks: tons of potential but EDM uses him poorly and he seems to be lacking proper guidance, being around Malkin (and hopefully Kulemin) could help to straighten him out. Risk is that he flops.
1st: 3rd overall this year, will be a decent prospect, but likely 2-3 years away and no guarantee.
OVERALL: Gives PIT tons of cap relief to spend on improving their overall team going forward, while also getting a bit younger and improving their offense. Moving out Letang

Neal + Despres <-> Yandle + 2nd rnd:
Neal is hit and miss without Malkin, plus is a bit of a liability on (and off) the ice. Despres could be a good 3-4 D-man in a few years, but PIT has a lot of D, and would need to replace Letang after the above deal. PHO has strong D, but desperately needs scoring. Finances work out here as well.

Right...and given the nature of this blog and other things discussed it weakens your core and you can address the 3rd/4th line issues without doing that.

I think Neal can still be an asset but might have enough of a potential trade value to make a return for him worth a trade.

I also think Letang is better than Yandle when he is on his game and no worse than him when he is off his game.
- icedog97

Yeah, but Letang is 2mil/year more, and has a NMC for long-term. Throw in injury issues, and Yandle is much more valuable.

Right...and given the nature of this blog and other things discussed it weakens your core and you can address the 3rd/4th line issues without doing that.

I think Neal can still be an asset but might have enough of a potential trade value to make a return for him worth a trade.

I also think Letang is better than Yandle when he is on his game and no worse than him when he is off his game.
- icedog97

I don't see Neal as part of the core, and hockey is a team sport anyway...Yandle+2mil/yr > Letang, imo.

Yeah, no yakupov , no yandle , no way no how. And you wouldn't need both Letang AND despres for Yandel.
- Bradlee3

Deal was Neal+Despres for Yandle+2nd rnd.

Returns have some risk for both sides:

* Letang+Niskanen rights <-> Yaks+1st:
Letang is 1 dimensional, some injury risks poking up, big contract with NM clause.
Niskanen rights (assuming EDM has contract in place). Risk is that he underperforms after getting a big contract.
OVERALL: Likely solves EDM D problems for the foreseeable future.

Yaks: tons of potential but EDM uses him poorly and he seems to be lacking proper guidance, being around Malkin (and hopefully Kulemin) could help to straighten him out. Risk is that he flops.
1st: 3rd overall this year, will be a decent prospect, but likely 2-3 years away and no guarantee.
OVERALL: Gives PIT tons of cap relief to spend on improving their overall team going forward, while also getting a bit younger and improving their offense. Moving out Letang

Neal + Despres <-> Yandle + 2nd rnd:
Neal is hit and miss without Malkin, plus is a bit of a liability on (and off) the ice. Despres could be a good 3-4 D-man in a few years, but PIT has a lot of D, and would need to replace Letang after the above deal. PHO has strong D, but desperately needs scoring. Finances work out here as well.
- mventres

This not true. Letang is physical at times, is never physically over matched is a norris trophy candidate when healthy. He had an injury plaged season, so now he stinks and the Pens should trade him????? His downside is bad turnovers, especially at the blueline. No thank you on Yaks. Oilers would never make the deal.

Returns have some risk for both sides:

* Letang+Niskanen rights <-> Yaks+1st:
Letang is 1 dimensional, some injury risks poking up, big contract with NM clause.
Niskanen rights (assuming EDM has contract in place). Risk is that he underperforms after getting a big contract.
OVERALL: Likely solves EDM D problems for the foreseeable future.

Yaks: tons of potential but EDM uses him poorly and he seems to be lacking proper guidance, being around Malkin (and hopefully Kulemin) could help to straighten him out. Risk is that he flops.
1st: 3rd overall this year, will be a decent prospect, but likely 2-3 years away and no guarantee.
OVERALL: Gives PIT tons of cap relief to spend on improving their overall team going forward, while also getting a bit younger and improving their offense. Moving out Letang

Neal + Despres <-> Yandle + 2nd rnd:
Neal is hit and miss without Malkin, plus is a bit of a liability on (and off) the ice. Despres could be a good 3-4 D-man in a few years, but PIT has a lot of D, and would need to replace Letang after the above deal. PHO has strong D, but desperately needs scoring. Finances work out here as well.
- mventres

Awesome! trade away the best dman the Pens have for a flaky Russian!