I blame Crosby and Malkin for only producing at a slightly elite level instead of the absolute elite. Who do they think they are?

Sutter is a terrible offensive player in addition to being a liability defensively. Comparing him in the production department this season in ES pts./60 currently he is awful as well:
Sutter 1.5, Downie 2.6, Grabovski 1.9, Spaling 2.1, Arcobello 3.1, Bennett 3.0, Kulemin 1.6, Adams 1.1, Lapierre 1.6 (on STL), Bergenheim 2.0, Winnik 2.3, Hanzal 2.4.

And this is the 2nd highest pts./60 year of Sutter's career. A bad possession player and a bad point producer is a bad player. He has zero redeeming qualities. Complete waste to spend that much on a player of that caliber and production.

So we all want the 3rd and 4th lines improved.

We don't have many draft picks to move in the next 2 seasons.

Even if we had them, we don't have any cap space.

Most folks on these boards don't want to move 58 or 71 to return multiple assets.

We have really few tradable assets on the big club (most are one of untradeable, suck, pending UFA's).

We have nothing in WBS coming any time soon.

So, what to do?

Unless GMJR is willing to move a core piece and get multiple assets back or if he can somehow convince some other GM to accept one of our current 3/4 line players and give us a better one coming back, I guess we kinda f'd. You're not trading Despres, DP for 3/4 line depth.

Is it sinking in now gang? Not much that can be done this year unless a core piece is moved.

What is Sutter worth then...monetarily...2M?

Sutter is a scapegoat
- icedog97

Sutter is a 4th line center so he is worth an average 4th line center's salary as he isn't even an exceptional 4C. I wouldn't pay more than $1.5m/yr for him. It's not Sutter's fault he is Sutter. There isn't a shred of data to support that he is more than what has been observed. It is management's fault for viewing him as anything more than a 4th line center.

Yeah, Crosby and Malkin are terrible. They only rank 1st and 5th in points per game. When are they going to start being two of the best players in the world? Guess this team will have to keep leaning on the bottom 6 until they improve.
- PensFan1103

Wow. That's what you got out of that?!?

Daniel Winnik + 2nd for Sutter. Dont look back, just pull the trigger.

Call Florida on Bergenheim as well. Multiple healthy scratches recently, despite production, show they want their youth movement to take full effect. Getting him off the books for future assets would help them greatly in their efforts to strengthen their farm system.

The cap hit is relative and your team just became a lot better.

What is Sutter worth then...monetarily...2M?

Sutter is a scapegoat
- icedog97

For some that maybe the case, but I have stood my ground on how awful Sutter is since the first game he ever played for us.

Its stupid to say our stars contracts are the problem.

Malkin, Crosby, Letang are all reasonably paid for their level of play. Letang may be a steal at 7.25, and Crosby/Malkin at close to $9 is far less than what Chicago is paying for Kane/Toews and will be a good bit less than what any star gets in the next wave of contracts. Semin is getting $7/year.

The problem is a complete lack of entry level talent on the roster.

The teams hope is that Pouliot, Kap, Maata, Harrington provide some entry level performance the next few years and the value of the Malkin, Crosby, Letang contracts shine as the cap continues higher.

FWIW Letang on the open market after the season he had this year is over $10/year. And I'm guessing Crosby/Malkin would be at a minimum the price of Kane/Toews. If anything those 3 are probably under-market price for their services by a total of $10 million.

There really is no one vastly overpaid on the Penguins roster outside of Spaling/sutter/Scuderi. And even then they would have a chance of getting similar or more pay on the open market.

To win a cup you need reasonably paid stars. Crosby/Malkin/Letang all fit in that camp. And you need smart role playing decisions. And a couple entry-level value deals. Next year 1 and 3 should pretty much be in place. So it just comes down to smart decisions on role players. I don't think spending on Sutter/Spaling/Scuderi for our limited depth money makes sense.

yes thats a pensblog link, but its colligan and last I knew he was a pretty reputable writer in pitt.
- saintjust21

He doesn't live in Pittsburgh and has no more access to the team than you or I. Just a blogger.

Friedman never did anything more than connect some dates with Ehrhoff's UFA status, fooling lots of folks in the process.

Sutter is a 4th line center so he is worth an average 4th line center's salary as he isn't even an exceptional 4C. I wouldn't pay more than $1.5m/yr for him. It's not Sutter's fault he is Sutter. There isn't a shred of data to support that he is more than what has been observed. It is management's fault for viewing him as anything more than a 4th line center.
- jfkst1

There it is, spot on.


He cant live up to the name but he sure plays with an entitled attitude.

I loved the Synergy sticks until I broke two in one game. At almost $200 a pop that became way too expensive to replace.

What happened to the old school ones that I used to heat up and replace the blade? They were also good for clubbing seals.
- thickman1178

They still have the blades I don't think you can buy the shafts anymore. I saw some company advertisement somewhere that will fix your composite stick if you break it for like $50-$75. Sucks but cheaper then purchasing a new one.

I blame Crosby and Malkin for only producing at a slightly elite level instead of the absolute elite. Who do they think they are?
- usethe1-2-2

Spot on. When nearly a third of your team's salary cap allotment in Malkin and Crosby is significantly under-producing compared to their career output and disappear for weeks at a time, that has to be addressed, or the team is going nowhere..

So we all want the 3rd and 4th lines improved.

We don't have many draft picks to move in the next 2 seasons.

Even if we had them, we don't have any cap space.

Most folks on these boards don't want to move 58 or 71 to return multiple assets.

We have really few tradable assets on the big club (most are one of untradeable, suck, pending UFA's).

We have nothing in WBS coming any time soon.

So, what to do?
- 87_71_11_29

Moves have already been outlined. Sutter and Spaling are the two I would move as they likely have some value (not sure in Sutter's case), carry some cap hit, and are on contract for another year. Sutter is a negative asset so moving him for anything at this point would benefit the team. There are a number of available players (Winnik, Bergenheim, Santorelli, Hanzal, etc.). They won't take a ton of value but they will all be rentals most likely. At least acquiring one legit depth center would get them in the right direction. Adding Comeau and Bennett to the roster will push depth players like Arcobello further down the lineup.

Spot on. When nearly a third of your team's salary cap allotment in Malkin and Crosby is significantly under-producing compared to their career output and disappear for weeks at a time, that has to be addressed, or the team is going nowhere..
- hardnosed

Malkin for Giroux, Crosby for Toews. Problem solved.

Daniel Winnik + 2nd for Sutter. Dont look back, just pull the trigger.

Call Florida on Bergenheim as well. Multiple healthy scratches recently, despite production, show they want their youth movement to take full effect. Getting him off the books for future assets would help them greatly in their efforts to strengthen their farm system.

The cap hit is relative and your team just became a lot better.
- usethe1-2-2

Disappointed in your third line center because he only has 11 goals in 53 games? Trade him for a guy who's never scored more than 11 goals in a season in his career.

Brilliant.

So we all want the 3rd and 4th lines improved.

We don't have many draft picks to move in the next 2 seasons.

Even if we had them, we don't have any cap space.

Most folks on these boards don't want to move 58 or 71 to return multiple assets.

We have really few tradable assets on the big club (most are one of untradeable, suck, pending UFA's).

We have nothing in WBS coming any time soon.

So, what to do?

Unless GMJR is willing to move a core piece and get multiple assets back or if he can somehow convince some other GM to accept one of our current 3/4 line players and give us a better one coming back, I guess we kinda f'd. You're not trading Despres, DP for 3/4 line depth.

Is it sinking in now gang? Not much that can be done this year unless a core piece is moved.
- 87_71_11_29

I have been saying this for a while.

This team can play more consistently and win when healthy and it is only a couple of guys away from that really.

But make no mistake...improving depth by trading depth is very difficult and while it might look like a great fantasy trade for us, the GMs around the league see the same things everybody points out when it comes to the downside of players like Sutter.

We target him and his 3.3M...and act like we could easily trade him for another player making less but with a better corsi or fenwick...but don't you think those other GMs look at that too? Why would they trade?

Plus...the bigger problem is the top heavy salary structure

They still have the blades I don't think you can buy the shafts anymore. I saw some company advertisement somewhere that will fix your composite stick if you break it for like $50-$75. Sucks but cheaper then purchasing a new one.
- dbell646

I got the Total One, from the frozen 4 a few years ago, and some Dbag that couldn't skate fell on it in my first game with it and snapped it in half, I was furious!!!

Best stick I've ever owned, I scored on a one timer with the first shot I ever took with it. Then POW idiot snapped it; I threw it into the stands I was so angry.

Its stupid to say our stars contracts are the problem.

Malkin, Crosby, Letang are all reasonably paid for their level of play. Letang may be a steal at 7.25, and Crosby/Malkin at close to $9 is far less than what Chicago is paying for Kane/Toews and will be a good bit less than what any star gets in the next wave of contracts. Semin is getting $7/year.

The problem is a complete lack of entry level talent on the roster.

The teams hope is that Pouliot, Kap, Maata, Harrington provide some entry level performance the next few years and the value of the Malkin, Crosby, Letang contracts shine as the cap continues higher.

FWIW Letang on the open market after the season he had this year is over $10/year. And I'm guessing Crosby/Malkin would be at a minimum the price of Kane/Toews. If anything those 3 are probably under-market price for their services by a total of $10 million.

There really is no one vastly overpaid on the Penguins roster outside of Spaling/sutter/Scuderi. And even then they would have a chance of getting similar or more pay on the open market.

To win a cup you need reasonably paid stars. Crosby/Malkin/Letang all fit in that camp. And you need smart role playing decisions. And a couple entry-level value deals. Next year 1 and 3 should pretty much be in place. So it just comes down to smart decisions on role players. I don't think spending on Sutter/Spaling/Scuderi for our limited depth money makes sense.
- sditulli

Agreed. But, Scuderi was brought here to be a top pairing dman for Letang. At his hit, that would have been a steal. He is now a depth dman, he plays good as well. Yeah, he's over payed by about 1 million or so. Sutter same situation of being overpayed by 1-1.5. Spaling should be a 1 million hit. That's around 3-4 million we should have free. That could have went towards 2 bottom 6's or one larger top 6/bottom 6 tweener.

He cant live up to the name but he sure plays with an entitled attitude.
- nbartley9

Brandon Sutter is a 1st line name earning a 2nd line salary as a 3rd line center with 4th line results.

I don't know if Sutter is entitled. But I am not going to stop my crusade against Brandon Sutter until he is off the roster.

a liability defensively
- jfkst1

You waited all season just to sign up today and say that?!?

Brandon Sutter is a 1st line name earning a 2nd line salary as a 3rd line center with 4th line results.

I don't know if Sutter is entitled. But I am not going to stop my crusade against Brandon Sutter until he is off the roster.
- jfkst1

Hahaha I love this, very very nice.


And true



F Sutter

I got the Total One, from the frozen 4 a few years ago, and some Dbag that couldn't skate fell on it in my first game with it and snapped it in half, I was furious!!!

Best stick I've ever owned, I scored on a one timer with the first shot I ever took with it. Then POW idiot snapped it; I threw it into the stands I was so angry.
- nbartley9

#GoonStatus

Brandon Sutter is a 1st line name earning a 2nd line salary as a 3rd line center with 4th line results.
- jfkst1

Literally not one portion of that sentence makes any sense.

FYI- Killian got banned 6 months for posting that picture of RW.

Literally not one portion of that sentence makes any sense.
- hardnosed

I actually think that its right on the money, although I wouldn't put him on my 4th line; give me Lappy any day of the week.