I'm starting to sense a double standard here. Yeah, value has played a big part in our post season moves this year, but our primary objective was to get a deep and competent bottom 6. Our real knock against our bottom 6 wasn't really that they were too expensive. Guys like Jeffrey, Vitale, Adams, Pyatt, and to a much lesser extent Glass weren't exactly cap guzzlers. They were just bad.

That's why I'm not getting the argument that we should take a fly ball on the incompetent Mueller, Booth, and Winnik over a guy like Spaling who can actually help the team out just because we can sign all three of them to Spaling's one. Quantity of skaters on our team doesn't equal depth if they are all terrible and wastes of space. Its like having 4 Craig Adamses. Who in the (frank)ing hell wants that?

I get the argument for Stemp and Gibby because they were two guys that can help a team that were had very cheap, but these scrubs are not people that we should be beating ourselves up over. Maybe, maybe Mueller, but he's a stretch.
- Victoro311

Exactly which is why I want to see Spal in a Pens uni.

He also has a bigger body that a lot of the mentioned replacements Pens could have signed.

Including him in the Neal deal is part of the Pens plan to get bigger.

Don't understand the love for Stempniak. He was just OK. Why not shoot for a younger, bigger version with some upside?

Hell I hope Spaling proves me wrong but I'd rather have Stempniak @ $0.9M right now than thinking about paying an unkown commodity like Spaling $2.2M. I really hope he can be very good for us!

Nobody is talking much about Downie but I'm pretty sure he'll have a nice impact for us!
- Barnaby36

Yeah like I said when it comes to Stempniak and Gibbons, its hard to justify Spaling at 2 mil, but I'd rather have Spaling at 2 mil and have the realistic shot that he'll help us out, than Winnik, Booth, and Mueller all at 1 mil and lower with the big chance that they'll all be little more than waists of space. Mueller is a little different because he signed a 2 way contract, but still.

Hell I hope Spaling proves me wrong but I'd rather have Stempniak @ $0.9M right now than thinking about paying an unkown commodity like Spaling $2.2M. I really hope he can be very good for us!

Nobody is talking much about Downie but I'm pretty sure he'll have a nice impact for us!
- Barnaby36

Huh, to tell you the truth I completely forgot the Pens signed him. I agree, he should have a positive impact for the pens this year.

I also think the Pens see an upward trend with Spal and they hope he can perhaps be a 40-50 pt producer while being younger and bigger than the altertatives.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/players/4539/

One year test drive with Spal @ $2mill > than 1 yr $900K of the tapped out, reached his peak Lee Stemp IMO.

Yeah like I said when it comes to Stempniak and Gibbons, its hard to justify Spaling at 2 mil, but I'd rather have Spaling at 2 mil and have the realistic shot that he'll help us out, than Winnik, Booth, and Mueller all at 1 mil and lower with the big chance that they'll all be little more than waists of space. Mueller is a little different because he signed a 2 way contract, but still.
- Victoro311

Maybe you have seen Spaling play and are comfortable with the $2 mil, but most really don't know what to expect from him and when the comments seem to be all over the board with him ranging from he blows to he plays the same way as Hornqvist, but not as talented, then it is hard to see how him at $2 mil isn't as big of a risk as some of those other guys at half the cost. Taylor Pyatt was big too, so was Ponikarovski, size doesn't = good.

And nobody is saying they want 4 Craig Adams' on their team. Comparing Mueller, Booth, and Winnik to Craig Adams is not a fair comparison.

And Flats is gonna want more than 3.7...

I don't think Spaling's figure is what we really need to worry about. The real looming question is who Old Man Ruth decides to move. We don't have enough cap to deal with the vacancies, so a trade has to and will happen.
- Victoro311

I still think Martin and Sutter package to Detroit for Nyqvist might be the best move.

I still think Martin and Sutter package to Detroit for Nyqvist might be the best move.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

Who are we taking for ransom in Detroit to make that happen?

None of these salary issues matter if they can move Scuderi. They might need to bite the bullet, and give up Scuderi and a 4th for a 7th, and call it a day.

I still think Martin and Sutter package to Detroit for Nyqvist might be the best move.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

Absolutely no way Detroit makes that trade. Nyqvist's value is extremely high. Two guys with a year left on their contracts isn't close to enough value for him.

I still think Martin and Sutter package to Detroit for Nyqvist might be the best move.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

Trade one of their top 3 players for an overrated RFA and a UFA to be?

I still think Martin and Sutter package to Detroit for Nyqvist might be the best move.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

hahahahaha!! Like that is going happen. Might as well throw Scuderi in there too! Only way we're getting Nyqvist is for Maata and we know that aint happening.

Next.

Maybe you have seen Spaling play and are comfortable with the $2 mil, but most really don't know what to expect from him and when the comments seem to be all over the board with him ranging from he blows to he plays the same way as Hornqvist, but not as talented, then it is hard to see how him at $2 mil isn't as big of a risk as some of those other guys at half the cost. Taylor Pyatt was big too, so was Ponikarovski, size doesn't = good.

And nobody is saying they want 4 Craig Adams' on their team. Comparing Mueller, Booth, and Winnik to Craig Adams is not a fair comparison.
- PensFan1103

I think the Pyatt example is a good one to throw out to illustrate exactly why Spaling is a better option than someone like Pyatt. Pyatt was a guy that we took a fly ball on because he was the definition of value. Signed him and his excellent size for under a mil on the off chance he could turn out to be a power forward hound dog on the bottom 6. However, Pyatt is for all intents and purposes an ox. Huge, but castrated. No bite or sand paper to his game and plays like he's four inches shorter and 50 pounds lighter than he is, which made him a waste of space.

On the other hand, Nick Spaling has a decent frame which he actually incorporates into his game. He's a strong checker and uses his body to get to the dirty areas. On top of this, he has some semblance of offensive upside and is still quite young. He's also a good to very good PKer, which could eliminate the need to have Adams in our line up at all, which is an added bonus. Even though I'd want him at 1.5, to me, the combination of his play, potential, and not having to play Adams makes the 2 mil stomachable. I think he'll excel in a 3rd line shut down roll in a way that none of the other "options" would have.

He's a gamble, but all things considered the risk really not all that big.

hahahahaha!! Like that is going happen. Might as well throw Scuderi in there too! Only way we're getting Nyqvist is for Maata and we know that aint happening.

Next.
- joescullz

I would consider that............

None of these salary issues matter if they can move Scuderi. They might need to bite the bullet, and give up Scuderi and a 4th for a 7th, and call it a day.
- cap1681

The drafts so deep that we may get enough value in the first few rounds that losing the 4th may not be so bad. Being able to shed Scuderi is too big of a plus to pass that up, me thinks. We have 2nd and 3rds this year right? Please tell me we do...

Yeah like I said when it comes to Stempniak and Gibbons, its hard to justify Spaling at 2 mil, but I'd rather have Spaling at 2 mil and have the realistic shot that he'll help us out, than Winnik, Booth, and Mueller all at 1 mil and lower with the big chance that they'll all be little more than waists of space. Mueller is a little different because he signed a 2 way contract, but still.
- Victoro311

Winnik is far from a scrub. The guy can chip in and play a hard game in front of the net. Check out his goals.

http://www.youtube.com/wa...--ifHyzNK5K9wKiTCMQATDTHq

The drafts so deep that we may get enough value in the first few rounds that losing the 4th may not be so bad. Being able to shed Scuderi is too big of a plus to pass that up, me thinks. We have 2nd and 3rds this year right? Please tell me we do...
- Victoro311

We don't have a 3rd, thanks to the Goc deal

I think the Pyatt example is a good one to throw out to illustrate exactly why Spaling is a better option than someone like Pyatt. Pyatt was a guy that we took a fly ball on because he was the definition of value. Signed him and his excellent size for under a mil on the off chance he could turn out to be a power forward hound dog on the bottom 6. However, Pyatt is for all intents and purposes an ox. Huge, but castrated. No bite or sand paper to his game and plays like he's four inches shorter and 50 pounds lighter than he is, which made him a waste of space.

On the other hand, Nick Spaling has a decent frame which he actually incorporates into his game. He's a strong checker and uses his body to get to the dirty areas. On top of this, he has some semblance of offensive upside and is still quite young. He's also a good to very good PKer, which could eliminate the need to have Adams in our line up at all, which is an added bonus. Even though I'd want him at 1.5, to me, the combination of his play, potential, and not having to play Adams makes the 2 mil stomachable. I think he'll excel in a 3rd line shut down roll in a way that none of the other "options" would have.

He's a gamble, but all things considered the risk really not all that big.
- Victoro311

Excellent example and very well said. I wish we had a favorite button because this post deserves it.

Winnik is far from a scrub. The guy can chip in and play a hard game in front of the net. Check out his goals.

http://www.youtube.com/wa...--ifHyzNK5K9wKiTCMQATDTHq
- Barnaby36

He's had some good seasons (last year was one of them) and he's also had some pretty sub par and flat out bad seasons. He's also three years older than Spaling. I'd take the younger guy with upside who plays the same game, over the older guy who may go back to being sub par after leaving the Duck's system which he flourished in for .5 to 1 mil more.

The drafts so deep that we may get enough value in the first few rounds that losing the 4th may not be so bad. Being able to shed Scuderi is too big of a plus to pass that up, me thinks. We have 2nd and 3rds this year right? Please tell me we do...
- Victoro311

3rd rounder traded for Goc.

Buffalo is really going to clean up at the draft next year.

We don't have a 3rd, thanks to the Goc deal
- cap1681

Eh. It was basically a hockey trade since he resigned, but that stings. I'd still probably do the trade though. Getting rid of Scuds gives us enough cap flexibility to justify losing yet another draft pick. Or maybe its time for Scuderi to have that "accident" behind the shed I keep dreaming about

Demands of a good player on a crappy team vs. a crappy player on a good team...eh?

Spaling wants how much?

So Subban wants 8.5M. He probably could get it or more on the open market. Penguins fans need to be happy we have Crosby and Malkin locked up long term, at what will be cap friendly deals in 2 or 3 years.

So Subban wants 8.5M. He probably could get it or more on the open market. Penguins fans need to be happy we have Crosby and Malkin locked up long term, at what will be cap friendly deals in 2 or 3 years.
- cap1681

Letang too. Haven't heard a single soul complain about the Two Headed Monster's contracts, but everyone keeps nailing Letang to a wall. I'm telling you, with every passing year its looking more and more like a bargain.

Not Phaneuf bashing here, but would you rather have Dion for 7 mil or Letang for 7.25? Would you rather have Niskanen for 5.75 or Letang for 7.25? These are just the numbers getting thrown around for top pairing D men these days, and I think 7.25 for Letang's unique skill set is more than reasonable.

The number of people bashing Spalling before he even plays is baffling to me. He knows hes not worth 2.85 but this is the process. He knows he has to start super high because hes going to lose like .5-1 million from the arbitrator. People have to realize the current cap situation. 30-40 point players are going to cost you between 2-4 million now.

If the deal ends up around 2.2-2.3 I think its a very fair contract