Ryan Wilson: Bringing back Bryan Rust is a must Bringing back Bryan Rust is a must

Would love to keep Rust, but I am just not sure there will be adequate cap room, especially if GMRH attempts to bring back Malkin and Letang as well.

So, if they can get him to sign for 6m for 6yrs where does the money come from? Are you giving up on Kapinen and just giving Rusty his money? Are you hoping someone takes Zucker’s contract? Doubt that happens. Also doubt that the Letang+Malkin contracts will be much less than they currently are. I’m all for keeping the band together but have serious concerns it can be done.

Can they legitimately resign rust, letang and geno? Can they do so if only if they lose the salaries of guys like zucker and matheson? next year they have $49M tied up in:
7 forwards: 28.5M
4 Defensemen: 17M
1 goalie: 3.5M

If they have just over $32M but have to fill out the roster, how much can you pay each? can Rust's contract escalate? 6.5M, 6.5M, 7M, 7M, 7.5M, 8M?

Can they lose Zucker's 5.5M? Matheson's 4.9M for forever contract? Maybe Rutherford wants them both again?

Can they legitimately resign rust, letang and geno? Can they do so if only if they lose the salaries of guys like zucker and matheson? next year they have $49M tied up in:
7 forwards: 28.5M
4 Defensemen: 17M
1 goalie: 3.5M

If they have just over $32M but have to fill out the roster, how much can you pay each? can Rust's contract escalate? 6.5M, 6.5M, 7M, 7M, 7.5M, 8M?

Can they lose Zucker's 5.5M? Matheson's 4.9M for forever contract? Maybe Rutherford wants them both again?
- i'mjustafan

Contract can escalate but the cap hit with be the same each year, whatever the average is (AAV)

Hey! How come he can say sh*t and ours is turned to poop?

Hey! How come he can say sh*t and ours is turned to poop?
- Rinosaur

He called the sh!t poop!

Rust has been awesome and certainly deserves to get paid. Part of me thinks he would get bid way out of the Pens price range but there is a hell of a free agent class coming up...

Forsberg, Gaudreau, Giroux, Pavelski, Hertl, Kadri, Rackell, Palat, Domi, Neiderreiter, Burakovsky, Strome, Nichushkin. Rust is better than a lot of these guys, but teams will have options.

The 7 years $5.5M AAV that Hyman signed this year is likely what Rust would be looking at. I think the Pens will likely move on from Kapanen, possibly Zucker for a change of scenery. There is a way to get it done, just not sure if they will view it as the right long term move.

Take Malkin out if the equation and signing Rust and Letang becomes a lot easier.

Hey! How come he can say sh*t and ours is turned to poop?
- Rinosaur

I always found not being allowed to use curse words more childish than using curse words.

He called the sh!t poop!
- j.boyd919

LOL Great movie

Take Malkin out if the equation and signing Rust and Letang becomes a lot easier.
- Grinder47

So this is your new thing now?

Pfft give him an 8 year and see if he’ll drop the aav by a mil or 2. Get rid of Kap, there’s the extra 3ish right there. Now we only need a 2nd-3rd line winger instead of a 1st.

Rust has been awesome and certainly deserves to get paid. Part of me thinks he would get bid way out of the Pens price range but there is a hell of a free agent class coming up...

Forsberg, Gaudreau, Giroux, Pavelski, Hertl, Kadri, Rackell, Palat, Domi, Neiderreiter, Burakovsky, Strome, Nichushkin. Rust is better than a lot of these guys, but teams will have options.

The 7 years $5.5M AAV that Hyman signed this year is likely what Rust would be looking at. I think the Pens will likely move on from Kapanen, possibly Zucker for a change of scenery. There is a way to get it done, just not sure if they will view it as the right long term move.
- MacPatty

I imagine almost none hit free agency unless they want a ridiculous contract their current team won’t pay for. Possibly Giroux but I think he will resign where ever he gets traded to at the TDL since he has full say as to where it is.

So this is your new thing now?
- Rinosaur

More and more convinced every day that it's Sammy's "tough guy" alter ego account.

So this is your new thing now?
- Rinosaur

Not really. They are just going to sign Malkin for way more money than he’s worth.

They should actually send fast players to the all star game.

Love this blog BB

I did think similar thoughts to Grinder. I feel Malkin may take a pay cut to stay. I think Letang gets a pay bump to 8 million. I think Rust is in the 5.5-7million range. I would rather have Letang and Rust at this point and try to sign Trocheck or another Center. As a worse case scenario. I do believe we can move Zucker, Matheson, and Kapanen out. I think E-Rod would squash the Kapanen savings though. Hextall has a history of trading off salary and resigning his own players. So hopefully he can keep Malkin, Letang, and Rust.

Nice troll-for-clicks job, as usual. Fraud.

I did think similar thoughts to Grinder. I feel Malkin may take a pay cut to stay. I think Letang gets a pay bump to 8 million. I think Rust is in the 5.5-7million range. I would rather have Letang and Rust at this point and try to sign Trocheck or another Center. As a worse case scenario. I do believe we can move Zucker, Matheson, and Kapanen out. I think E-Rod would squash the Kapanen savings though. Hextall has a history of trading off salary and resigning his own players. So hopefully he can keep Malkin, Letang, and Rust.
- 123Kid

Yeah that’s the thing. Instead of trying to pick between three great players we should try first and foremost to unload the guys that are making too much money. Get rid of Kap and Zuck and I think you can fit all three. Matheson might be far along in his contract with a good set of two years as a Pen that he might not be unmovable but I’ll tell you what I think I’m to the point where I’d miss him if we traded him.

Yeah that’s the thing. Instead of trying to pick between three great players we should try first and foremost to unload the guys that are making too much money. Get rid of Kap and Zuck and I think you can fit all three. Matheson might be far along in his contract with a good set of two years as a Pen that he might not be unmovable but I’ll tell you what I think I’m to the point where I’d miss him if we traded him.
- Victoro311

I think Pettersson would be my choice to move and attempt to try Riikola or POJ with Marino. I've also grown to appreciate Matheson's game.

In regards to Letangs #s, he is 34 years old, averages over 25 min/night and has 41 points this year. There are currently 18 defensemen making more than him.
Karlsson age 31 - $11.5M- 26 points
doughty age 31 -$11M-24 points
Josi age 31- $9M-44 points
hamilton age 28 -$9M-20 points
makar age 22-$9M-44 points
pietrangelo-age 31-$8.8M-26 points
OEL-age 29-$8.25M-9 points
carlson-age 31-$8M-34 points
burns age 36-$8M-30 points

If the pens let Letang walk, who takes up those minutes? While he will want a longer term, he is a workout freak and should be playing until 40 years old. If he wants 4 years, $40M or 5/$45M why not?

Lose Kappy (3.2M)-he's an RFA, Matheson (4.9M) and Zucker (5.5M) and you can sign rust, geno and letang. The biggest waste of money will be paying Jack Johnson $1.9M next year as part of the buyout.

In regards to Letangs #s, he is 34 years old, averages over 25 min/night and has 41 points this year. There are currently 18 defensemen making more than him.
Karlsson age 31 - $11.5M- 26 points
doughty age 31 -$11M-24 points
Josi age 31- $9M-44 points
hamilton age 28 -$9M-20 points
makar age 22-$9M-44 points
pietrangelo-age 31-$8.8M-26 points
OEL-age 29-$8.25M-9 points
carlson-age 31-$8M-34 points
burns age 36-$8M-30 points

If the pens let Letang walk, who takes up those minutes? While he will want a longer term, he is a workout freak and should be playing until 40 years old. If he wants 4 years, $40M or 5/$45M why not?

Lose Kappy (3.2M)-he's an RFA, Matheson (4.9M) and Zucker (5.5M) and you can sign rust, geno and letang. The biggest waste of money will be paying Jack Johnson $1.9M next year as part of the buyout.
- i'mjustafan

I agree. There isn't anyone available to replace him this offseason in FA unless you are making a trade for someone. Plus Letang from reports isn't going for 11 million he is going for 8 million a year (from reports). That is only a 1 million dollar raise. With what he has done for us over the past years. I believe 8 million isn't really asking a lot.

I know Malkin alluded to taking less money. So maybe we save 1-3million there. You move Matheson or Pettersson allow POJ to come up to save some money. You move Zucker and Kap and let O'Connor and some of the young guys play instead. I believe you can easily sign Letang (8 million +1million raise), Rust (5.5-6.5 million range +2.5-3.0 raise), Malkin (7-8 million save 1.5-2.5million). I don't think it would be too difficult to fit them under the cap. I just know the fight is over the length of each players contract. I would sign them all then if they start to show some decline try to ship them off down the road (kick the can down the road).


Plus with the new cap savings of sending Pettersson or Matheson off via trade (4millionish) and Zucker (5.5 millionish). Assuming we don't take a lot of cap space back via trade. We could probably sign a LW to help our 2nd line next year


FA signing - Malkin (7-8million) - Rodrigues (3.2 million).