Ryan Wilson: Penguins shouldn't draft a player with pick #21 Penguins shouldn't draft a player with pick #21

Foist

Trading down is easier said than done. Unless you have a prospect you really like and they fall to a certain spot, just moving up to move up hardly seems worth it. Prospects between 12 and 21 are not clear cut. Keeping the pick, or trading it to get better are the best options. Using it to clear Jack is a big mistake at this point in time.

They shouldn't draft a player, they should draft a GM with #21

You want the Pens to trade their 1st pick JUST to get rid of JJ?

My God EK where do you get these guys?

You want the Pens to trade their 1st pick JUST to get rid of JJ?

My God EK where do you get these guys?
- stevens87

I completely agree with RW. That first isn’t going to amount to poop. Use it to get rid of JJ. That’s actually the smart thing to do.

I’d buyout JJ as it’s only about $1.2M per year against the cap. This way it only costs money and you can still add a player with the 21st pick

I’d buyout JJ as it’s only about $1.2M per year against the cap. This way it only costs money and you can still add a player with the 21st pick
- Crushers68

Less than 300K for next year. The window is short. I'm not worrying about years 4 through 8 of the buyout. I look at it this way.... Can I get a 2mil player that is easily better than JJ for the next 3 years....absolutely yes! Do I let JJ basically destroy my defense for a second strait year......EFF NO!

If I'm going the trade route, I'd rather package him with another player and a lesser pick. Maybe retain money.....who knows.

I'm getting extremely concerned Rutherford is keeping his lame ass.

Despite being below replacement value, I bet someone values him higher than that
Someone might be willing to take JJ with a Million retained.

If there is no market at all, getting someone to take that contract with the $3.25M cap hit for 4 years amounts to $13M against the cap for the cost of a #21. That seems like a lot, but may be reasonable if someone perceives residual value or is willing to just buy out. I'd like to see if anyone has a current rate table for draft choice value.

I don’t think JJ is going anywhere this season, especially if the cap is under $82M. I think the best scenario we can hope for is him getting benched in favor of Riikola.

That doesn’t help the cap situation, but it helps the on-ice issue.

There’s likely still going to be some moves ahead of the draft this Saturday. RWs blog order has felt off all offseason. Should’ve done this blog on Friday IMO

I don’t think JJ is going anywhere this season, especially if the cap is under $82M. I think the best scenario we can hope for is him getting benched in favor of Riikola.

That doesn’t help the cap situation, but it helps the on-ice issue.
- Rinosaur

Be careful Rino, RW feels that Rikkola IS NOT an upgrade over JJ.

I agree with the 1st not having value for the current window but I dont think I would ship it out with JJ just to rid the team of JJ.

It was disheartening to learn that JJ was not part of the Kessel/Wild deal.

I completely agree with RW. That first isn’t going to amount to poop. Use it to get rid of JJ. That’s actually the smart thing to do.
- j.boyd919

His cap hit is $3.25 million, not $10.25. Buy him out first. Sorry, to me it's not the smart thing to do, just to get rid of 1st round draft picks to have someone take a guy off your hands.

Kahun-Bjugstad-Kessel

Kahun is faster than Simon and he is always getting in and around the net / slot. Seems like the ideal type of player to slot on that line imo. The problem is that it still leaves us searching for a LW for Geno unless Rust or McCann or someone seizes that role

His cap hit is $3.25 million, not $10.25. Buy him out first. Sorry, to me it's not the smart thing to do, just to get rid of 1st round draft picks to have someone take a guy off your hands.
- stevens87

3.25mil for the next three years are more valuable than a 1st round pick that is unlikely to make an impact for 3-5 years which would be the twilight of Sid and Genos career.

I’m not opposed to a buyout but the Pens don’t buy out.

Be careful Rino, RW feels that Rikkola IS NOT an upgrade over JJ.
- Doogs

I honestly don’t think he is either. He was definitely just as bad if not worse last season.

I honestly don’t think he is either. He was definitely just as bad if not worse last season.
- Victoro311

Yep. Rikkolla sucked.

I honestly don’t think he is either. He was definitely just as bad if not worse last season.
- Victoro311

I just think his positives are better than JJ’s.

Riikola can at least skate the puck out and help on the transition.

Rolling over from last blog: Dorion said his phone has been lighting up for trades because of their cap space position. Just seems obvious that he’ll ask for some decent assets to come along for the ride

I honestly don’t think he is either. He was definitely just as bad if not worse last season.
- Victoro311

He definitely was just as bad last season. His gap control was horrendous. The good thing is he has great skating ability and is aggressive enough that he can be taught to keep tighter in the D-zone and not allow so many damn shots.

I just think his positives are better than JJ’s.

Riikola can at least skate the puck out and help on the transition.
- Rinosaur

He can skate it out so Malkin must like him more than Ruhwedel 😂

Seriously, you and I are somewhat on the same page with Kola. I think there’s room to grow and that he’ll eventually become a nice #5 defender. I think Ruhwedel has a bit more potential to for sure be a #5 who will be able to jump up into the top 4 if injuries strike

He definitely was just as bad last season. His gap control was horrendous. The good thing is he has great skating ability and is aggressive enough that he can be taught to keep tighter in the O-zone and not allow so many damn shots.
- burgh4life87

This was a huge knock against Maatta is that he almost always gives up the blueline

It would be the stupidest thing in the world to trade the first to get rid of JJ... dumb as it gets.

Trading down would also not be advisable. The Pens could have a great player fall to them at 21. The talk about the 21st OA not having an impact in the window is just wrong.

Point, Aho, Pastranak, Slavin, Benn, Gaudreau were all later picks who were contributing within a couple years of getting drafted. Take the best player available and fix your problems by other means.

Could Pittsburgh pay half his salary and trade him and a 6th round pick to some team with cap space. Then they could keep him or buy him out.

A lot of teams have a self imposed cap limit because they are a small market team so they would not be using the cap space anyway. Columbus, AZ, FLA, CO, Vanc, etc...