Well, we can be hopeful in this regard... JR is IMMENSELY better at the UFA time for deals then he is at the trade deadline.
- Guile

See Jordan Staal and Alexander Semin.

But that barely frees 2.5M.. and they have Galchenyuk and Tinordi to re-sign (with raises)... still really close to the cap IMO.
- lpstjg

Like i said, be cutthroat if they sign Frolik and offer sheet Galchenyuk.

See Jordan Staal and Alexander Semin.
- Victoro311

Ok... hes been immensely better for us so far... I am blocking out his past.

Ok... hes been immensely better for us so far... I am blocking out his past.
- Guile

The only questionable contract GMJR has done with the Pens has been Spaling. The Fleury contact was great, the UFAs last year were great, and now the Cole contract was a great signing. Remember that Shero offered the 10 year, 60M contract to Staal as well.

Imagine a scenario where...
The Pens get Frolik at 4.5M
Bennett stays healthy and shows he is a top 6(9) forward
Kapenen stays with the team for 2015-16
Dupuis and Kunitz stay healthy and form a great 3rd line seeing top line duty occasionally

Is this team good enough at forward to compete for a cup?:

Perron / Crosby / Hornqvist
Bennett or Kapenen / Malkin / Frolik
Kunitz / Sutter / Dupuis
Kapenen or Bennett / Spaling / --fill in the blank--

Like i said, be cutthroat if they sign Frolik and offer sheet Galchenyuk.
- cap1681

But do we really need another Center? He hasn't been that great on the wings and he doesn't strike me as a prototype 3C. Also, all that stuff about Lemieux and Bergevin being friends.

It's entirely dependent on both those conditions being met. If Dubas can get a few other teams interested on the list (or convince Phil of waiving), Pittsburgh loses all leverage. Toronto could also be willing to wait to move him in-season or next year. Also remember, Rutherford had COMPLETE leverage over Shero with Jordan Staal and still gave up a lot for him. Dubas has been ruthlessly efficient for TOR so far. I don't trust dealing with him.
- jfkst1

What's with your love affair with Dubas?

The only questionable contract GMJR has done with the Pens has been Spaling. The Fleury contact was great, the UFAs last year were great, and now the Cole contract was a great signing. Remember that Shero offered the 10 year, 60M contract to Staal as well.
- cap1681

Yeah... if he would have ever tested him at center, which is what I thought Spaling was, we could have justified that contract more... but Spaling got what, 2 games as a center here?

What's with your love affair with Dubas?
- willi

Unlike pretty much every other NHL GM, he didn't get his job through connections. He actually did this crazy thing that doesn't exist in NHL front offices. He worked his way up from the bottom and showed an aptitude for the position with a proven track record. Basically how most competent organizations are run. I despise the rampant nepotism of the NHL community.

Any rumblings about possible signings? Anything on the Tikhonov/Plotnikov front?

Any rumblings about possible signings? Anything on the Tikhonov/Plotnikov front?
- Barnaby36

I think the Russians won't resurface until the 1st when Plotnikov officially signs and people can actually start throwing concrete figures at Tikhinov.

Any rumblings about possible signings? Anything on the Tikhonov/Plotnikov front?
- Barnaby36

http://penslabyrinth.com/...guins-will-target-frolik/

Stalberg on waivers for a buyout. Would be a great addition to the bottom 6.

I'm really irritated that Chris Pronger was traded the other day and is helping now two teams manipulate the salary cap. Time for the cap to go, especially if the NHL is seriously considering making itself upwards of $1B in expansion fees over the next few seasons.

The cap floor is supposed to be a mechanism to force teams to be competitive; what we've seen instead is that teams who aren't able to generate a profit become the landfill for bad contracts. That's exactly how it used to work pre-2005 but without all of the pretense of competitive balance.

Pittsburgh may sign a few Euros this week. I'm not holding out too much hope; it's known what I think needs to happen to win again. Now with the sale of the team out of the bag I see why the Penguins are more content simply to possess their 2 stars and sell the CEC's potential.

Get the business done quickly and hope that the on-ice focus is on hockey once more.

Alright I took a whack at it:
https://www.hockeyscap.com/armchair-gm/team/8959

I made the kessel deal for what was "reportedly" offered, plus the 2mil retained. The 4th line does look a little soft, but there is 2+ mil in cap space I created.

Regarding Kessel, GMJR has the leverage if he cares to use it. I had read somewhere Kessel doesn't mind staying through a rebuild now that Babcock is on board (sorry, can't remember who, was from Toronto though). Rutherford can go in another direction and that closes the Pens door. If Pens are not only the only team on his list willing to trade for him but are also offering their top prospect, do you really want to risk them being out?

The Gonchar return talk scares me.......

Imagine a scenario where...
The Pens get Frolik at 4.5M
Bennett stays healthy and shows he is a top 6(9) forward
Kapenen stays with the team for 2015-16
Dupuis and Kunitz stay healthy and form a great 3rd line seeing top line duty occasionally

Is this team good enough at forward to compete for a cup?:

Perron / Crosby / Hornqvist
Bennett or Kapenen / Malkin / Frolik
Kunitz / Sutter / Dupuis
Kapenen or Bennett / Spaling / --fill in the blank--
- icedog97

Only problem with this is Kap is a right wing, right wing only. I hope to God Pens do not do what they did with BB, move him to other wing where never played and loses all confidence. Bc then im afraid we destroy him too. If Kap is on the team, needs to be top 6 right wing. Or keep him on Baby Pens.

Only problem with this is Kap is a right wing, right wing only. I hope to God Pens do not do what they did with BB, move him to other wing where never played and loses all confidence. Bc then im afraid we destroy him too. If Kap is on the team, needs to be top 6 right wing. Or keep him on Baby Pens.
- mmonana120

Then we dump Kunitz... move Dupe to the LW where he can play, and give Kap the 3rd line RW.

I'm really irritated that Chris Pronger was traded the other day and is helping now two teams manipulate the salary cap. Time for the cap to go, especially if the NHL is seriously considering making itself upwards of $1B in expansion fees over the next few seasons.

The cap floor is supposed to be a mechanism to force teams to be competitive; what we've seen instead is that teams who aren't able to generate a profit become the landfill for bad contracts. That's exactly how it used to work pre-2005 but without all of the pretense of competitive balance.

Pittsburgh may sign a few Euros this week. I'm not holding out too much hope; it's known what I think needs to happen to win again. Now with the sale of the team out of the bag I see why the Penguins are more content simply to possess their 2 stars and sell the CEC's potential.

Get the business done quickly and hope that the on-ice focus is on hockey once more.
- Johnny Wrath

If the cap goes, only be a matter od time before Pens and majority of league suck again. Teams like Toronto will be free to sign players to whatever they want and buy teams. It will be just like baseball and I hate MLB bc same teams are all was winning bc they can just go out and buy teams. The cap is fine, just fix the circumventing the cap issues.

The Gonchar return talk scares me.......
- cap1681

I wonder if the consensus thought here is that "Malkin needs Russians", which is condescending. It's stated in the NHL constantly that Russians need other Russians in order to succeed somehow.

Malkin's problems cannot be solved by a racist "just get Russians" program; his problems can be solved by removing the automatic "Sid gets the best forwards until they trickle down to 71" and forbidding the "second line waiver pick up" programs.

Then we dump Kunitz... move Dupe to the LW where he can play, and give Kap the 3rd line RW.
- Guile

That is what I have been doing on my made up teams on the Cap website.

That is what I have been doing on my made up teams on the Cap website.
- mmonana120

I'm quite shocked in a team with Frolik and Kessel, he kept Kunitz as well...

If the cap goes, only be a matter od time before Pens and majority of league suck again. Teams like Toronto will be free to sign players to whatever they want and buy teams. It will be just like baseball and I hate MLB bc same teams are all was winning bc they can just go out and buy teams. The cap is fine, just fix the circumventing the cap issues.
- mmonana120

Have you been paying attention to the Stanley Cup Finals for the last seven seasons?

I wonder if the consensus thought here is that "Malkin needs Russians", which is condescending. It's stated in the NHL constantly that Russians need other Russians in order to succeed somehow.

Malkin's problems cannot be solved by a racist "just get Russians" program; his problems can be solved by removing the automatic "Sid gets the best forwards until they trickle down to 71" and forbidding the "second line waiver pick up" programs.
- Johnny Wrath

Completely agree. I think either Oshie or Frolik would be great additions in the fact that both their games compliment Malkin extremely well and would give him a creditable top 6 winger.