Good. He doesn’t deserve term yet. Two years is the most he should be given right now.
- Rinosaur

At least it won't be six years.

$1M was the most I expected. I still hope he gets shipped out.
- Rinosaur

LOL yeah I know you do.

I mean this respectfully. You and I both have very well defined ideas about what type of players we want, and in some cases we're just going to disagree on players because of the differences. ZAR is one of them. I still like his upside better than the next wave: Johnson, Lafferty, Miletic, etc. But I know what you value in a player and why you disagree.

I don't think he has much trade value though or would be enough for a team to take JJ. Cap savings are minimal. For someone who finds him at all useful or still sees upside, I don't see any point in moving him.

He makes almost league minimum. even if he is "replaceable", you'd rather bring an unknown up from Wilkes to save $250k?

He was on pace for 35 points last season. perfectly respectable for the bottom 6. That's the same production Kahun had playing with Debrincat and we are all happy to have Kahun. Basically the same AAV too.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

Like someone wrote above, he's very inconsistent. You don't get the same effort from shift to shift or game to game. His skating is meh...same with his hands. I think he's a marginal NHL player. Wouldn't mind seeing someone with better wheels get a shot.

This is false. Kingersky makes up all of his material.

Three outlets reported 2 hours ago that both sides failed to come to an agreement and the arbitration hearing was happening.
- burgh4life87

This will be a good test of Kingerski's sources, since he seems to be first reporting and gave very specific details. I'm not sure if his sources are made up, dude just works a little too hard at being a contrarian, although oddly I like reading a different perspective even if I usually really disagree.

LOL yeah I know you do.

I mean this respectfully. You and I both have very well defined ideas about what type of players we want, and in some cases we're just going to disagree on players because of the differences. ZAR is one of them. I still like his upside better than the next wave: Johnson, Lafferty, Miletic, etc. But I know what you value in a player and why you disagree.

I don't think he has much trade value though or would be enough for a team to take JJ. Cap savings are minimal. For someone who finds him at all useful or still sees upside, I don't see any point in moving him.
- Tojo.

McCann-Sid-Jake
Kahun-Geno-Galch
Simon-Bjug-Horn
Rust-Blue-Tanev

We can agree to disagree on ZAR, but where does he fit. It may be a foregone conclusion to us fans that Rust is getting moved, but until/if that happens, where does ZAR fit?

I personally would rather spend $700K on one of the younger guys to be the 13th forward than potentially more than $1M on player who has no real spot. Yeah, I know we’re only talking around a $300K/$400K difference, but it makes a difference when you barely have any space at all.

Like someone wrote above, he's very inconsistent. You don't get the same effort from shift to shift or game to game. His skating is meh...same with his hands. I think he's a marginal NHL player. Wouldn't mind seeing someone with better wheels get a shot.
- madmike71

That person was me lol

Pens PR on twitter now reporting ZAR 2 years. No $ amount though.

As reported

https://twitter.com/pengu.../1153333980965613568?s=20

Pens PR on twitter now reporting ZAR 2 years. No $ amount though.

As reported

https://twitter.com/pengu.../1153333980965613568?s=20
- Thorny87

I think that contract has value on the market. I’m fine with it but I’m not sold in keeping ZAR.

2 years and $1mill AAV for Aston Reese... just like Kingerski said. Something feels wrong with him getting correct reporting.

I think that contract has value on the market. I’m fine with it but I’m not sold in keeping ZAR.
- Victoro311

Same here.

I think that contract has value on the market. I’m fine with it but I’m not sold in keeping ZAR.
- Victoro311

Pens have a 3 day buyout window now....

2 years and $1mill AAV for Aston Reese... just like Kingerski said. Something feels wrong with him getting correct reporting.
- burgh4life87

its because he is a tool bag that constantly tries to convince us that PHN is relevant. or like the Maatta trade where two minutes after Dreger tweeted it was a done deal, he tweets "hearing movement on a Maatta trade".

now he tries to get people to subscribe his content which is 80% the same stuff we can read elsewhere and 20% him talking in third person about PHN

/rant

Why all the ZAR hate? The kid put up a 15 goal ~35 point pace last year with far more 4th line time than anything else. No power play time either.

Yeah, you likely get someone a bit faster for 200k less, but who gives a poop. I'll take 200k more for experience and someone who has some odd ass bolster to his game when bumped up with Geno.

Save your rage for when JJ isnt traded to make space for Pettersson.

its because he is a tool bag that constantly tries to convince us that PHN is relevant. or like the Maatta trade where two minutes after Dreger tweeted it was a done deal, he tweets "hearing movement on a Maatta trade".

now he tries to get people to subscribe his content which is 80% the same stuff we can read elsewhere and 20% him talking in third person about PHN

/rant
- YouMeAndDupuis9

Bulls eye!

McCann-Sid-Jake
Kahun-Geno-Galch
Simon-Bjug-Horn
Rust-Blue-Tanev

We can agree to disagree on ZAR, but where does he fit. It may be a foregone conclusion to us fans that Rust is getting moved, but until/if that happens, where does ZAR fit?

I personally would rather spend $700K on one of the younger guys to be the 13th forward than potentially more than $1M on player who has no real spot. Yeah, I know we’re only talking around a $300K/$400K difference, but it makes a difference when you barely have any space at all.
- Rinosaur

ZAR is the 13th forward for now, but we all know another move is coming and while we all hope it's JJ, that's not guaranteed.

I think another aspect people need to consider is what happens next year. With Murray due a raise, guys like Galchenyuk and Schultz needing new deals or replaced: how do you pay raises for McCann, Kahun, and Simon. Some of our depth is going to be priced out, so depending on how the WBS forwards develop, we might need a cheap contract like ZAR's more next year.

Why all the ZAR hate? The kid put up a 15 goal ~35 point pace last year with far more 4th line time than anything else. No power play time either.

Yeah, you likely get someone a bit faster for 200k less, but who gives a poop. I'll take 200k more for experience and someone who has some odd ass bolster to his game when bumped up with Geno.

Save your rage for when JJ isnt traded to make space for Pettersson.
- Guile

+1

plus I think its worth mentioning that the presence of someone like ZAR likely prevents GMJR for trading for more "push back". That should make everyone on this board happy...

Pens have a 3 day buyout window now....
- j.boyd919

I thought the rule was an arbitration award had to be given? The pens signed ZAR, the NHL didn't declare it an award, unless I'm missing something.

Why all the ZAR hate? The kid put up a 15 goal ~35 point pace last year with far more 4th line time than anything else. No power play time either.

Yeah, you likely get someone a bit faster for 200k less, but who gives a poop. I'll take 200k more for experience and someone who has some odd ass bolster to his game when bumped up with Geno.

Save your rage for when JJ isnt traded to make space for Pettersson.
- Guile

It’s not hate. I think he’s an NHL player, but he’s extremely limited and is a total pigeon. $1 mil is about right for him and if we had a dearth of wing talent I’d be totally cool with this. But we have too many wings and there’s eight of them that I’d rather get nightly jerseys than ZAR even when factoring contract efficiency (although Hornqvist is close for me depending on whether or not he rebounds). At $1 mil for two years teams should be pretty interested in him, and since we’re an asset strapped team that has a couple bad contracts that we desperately need to move, I think kicking the tires on a guy that I don’t see as much more than a versatile bottom 6 guy is a good idea.

It’s not hate. I think he’s an NHL player, but he’s extremely limited and is a total pigeon. $1 mil is about right for him and if we had a dearth of wing talent I’d be totally cool with this. But we have too many wings and there’s eight of them that I’d rather get nightly jerseys than ZAR even when factoring contract efficiency (although Hornqvist is close for me depending on whether or not he rebounds). At $1 mil for two years teams should be pretty interested in him, and since we’re an asset strapped team that has a couple bad contracts that we desperately need to move, I think kicking the tires on a guy that I don’t see as much more than a versatile bottom 6 guy is a good idea.
- Victoro311

... 1 mil for a bottom 6 guy. You cant get hardly any cheaper.

Also this... his points and goals over a year if healthy are a very good value, apparently an above average 3rd liner or low tier 2nd liner. Dont blame me, blame math.

https://www.google.com/am...e-nhl-production-analysis

Why all the ZAR hate? The kid put up a 15 goal ~35 point pace last year with far more 4th line time than anything else. No power play time either.

Yeah, you likely get someone a bit faster for 200k less, but who gives a poop. I'll take 200k more for experience and someone who has some odd ass bolster to his game when bumped up with Geno.

Save your rage for when JJ isnt traded to make space for Pettersson.
- Guile

I think most of the ZAR hate is really because people prefer Johnson because he's fast. Yet Johnson seems to have a far more limited upside and like you, I don't see him providing the offense ZAR can.

I thought the rule was an arbitration award had to be given? The pens signed ZAR, the NHL didn't declare it an award, unless I'm missing something.
- burgh4life87

I don't really see them buying out anyone since JJ isn't eligible anyways.

I think most of the ZAR hate is really because people prefer Johnson because he's fast. Yet Johnson seems to have a far more limited upside and like you, I don't see him providing the offense ZAR can.
- Tojo.

I have no problem with THAT Johnson. But I also dont give a poop about Brian Gibbons 2.0. For that minimal of a hit past the minimum, I'd like to know what I am getting.

Anyone whining about it being 1 mil is really just still upset over JJ and Tanev... which I understand.

I found ZAR showing a lot of promise but then got injured....then it took him a long time to get back to where he was right before injury....then he was injured again.

I thought the rule was an arbitration award had to be given? The pens signed ZAR, the NHL didn't declare it an award, unless I'm missing something.


- burgh4life87

I read an article on the hockey news that stated once a player is "on the docket", the 2nd buyout window opens once it's settled. Can be either through arbitration award or agreement

https://thehockeynews.com...the-second-window-looming

I have no problem with THAT Johnson. But I also dont give a poop about Brian Gibbons 2.0. For that minimal of a hit past the minimum, I'd like to know what I am getting.

Anyone whining about it being 1 mil is really just still upset over JJ and Tanev... which I understand.
- Guile

1 million doesn't even matter, a guy can get sent down at anytime and teams get up to 1.05 million in relief

So, if ZAR sucks, just waive him and he'll get claimed OR he'll go to the AHL and we get 100% relief.... There is NO downside reason not to sign guys to contracts at 1.05 million or less