Man I wonder what type of deal Martin would be willing to do with the Penguins. JR number one priority should be trading Scuderi. By any means necessary. If the cap really doesn't go up next year Scuderi's cap space will be very valuable.

I really think we could solve our winger problem by taking advantage of Boston or Chicago's cap situation. Try to sign R. Smith from Boston or Saad from Chicago. Those teams will have so many issues with the cap I don't see how they would get out of it.

Our D would have LeTang, Martin/Ehroff, Matta on the last year of his entry deal, Despres on a pretty friendly contract, plus either Bortuzzo or Harrington or Puliout.

They need to make something happen and get one more top six winger for Malkin
- tbassett

So you want a team that has serious cap issues to take on Scuds contract? Or martins? Not sure that is logical for them. Also, both have limited NTC i believe which makes trading them to a team that has the cap room and presumably an awful team tough to do since they won't wave their NTC.

I'd re-sign Martin and Ehrhoff today if we could keep the same cap hits.

Martin 3 years @ $5M.
Ehrhoff 3 years @ $4M.

I wouldn't go further than 3 years though.

Pretty cool how the Pens will be able to work within the cap, while the previous powerhouses are in some serious trouble. In the East, NYI and TB are in good shape, likely a "changing of the guard" in the West next year.

And a sidenote, for those that are serving or have served, thank you. Particularly to those that have been deployed. Saying happy veterans day seems wrong considering there's nothing happy about what is seen over there. Just a big fat thank you from me.

So you want a team that has serious cap issues to take on Scuds contract? Or martins? Not sure that is logical for them. Also, both have limited NTC i believe which makes trading them to a team that has the cap room and presumably an awful team tough to do since they won't wave their NTC.
- kgrpitt

I think he was implying that you dump Scuds anywhere and for anything just to clear the cap space & then you use that cap space to hit Boston or Chicago by offer-sheeting one of those guys because they can't pay them even a slight raise without dumping salary themselves elsewhere.

Name one of those guys that could step in and replace Martin. Better yet, name one of those guys that's played more than 10 NHL games.
- cory7321

Would you like them alphabetical, by age? By height? By eye color???

If you don't realize we have about 3-4 d in the ahl that are nhl teady. Then you are not a true fan of the pens

IMO, Comeau. He can add some hands/grit to that line, while Spaling & Downie have fit in perfectly alongside Sutter. I don't want to mess with that line. He's a more talented Sill and can definitely fit in that role well. He might even help make Adams look like a serviceable player.

Goc/Adams/Comeau isn't a bad 4th line.
- ScienceJesus

Completely agree. That 4th line is leaps and bounds better than what the Pens were icing last season.

I think he was implying that you dump Scuds anywhere and for anything just to clear the cap space & then you use that cap space to hit Boston or Chicago by offer-sheeting one of those guys because they can't pay them even a slight raise without dumping salary themselves elsewhere.
- ScienceJesus

I don't know what the rush is to make a deal? The Pens are leading the league in almost every relevant category ... I agree they could add a top 6 guy by the deadline, but now??? Makes no sense to me...

Anybody know is beau playing tonight.

So you want a team that has serious cap issues to take on Scuds contract? Or martins? Not sure that is logical for them. Also, both have limited NTC i believe which makes trading them to a team that has the cap room and presumably an awful team tough to do since they won't wave their NTC.
- kgrpitt

I think he's talking about offer sheeting them, which never happens anymore.

Chicago will sign Saad, they are going to have to make room, but they will.

Boston is interesting... With Hamilton and Krug up, they will have to prioritize. Smith might be the odd man out.

I think he was implying that you dump Scuds anywhere and for anything just to clear the cap space & then you use that cap space to hit Boston or Chicago by offer-sheeting one of those guys because they can't pay them even a slight raise without dumping salary themselves elsewhere.
- ScienceJesus

Gotcha. Yeah I was reading it differently. That makes much more sense now.

I think he's talking about offer sheeting them, which never happens anymore.

Chicago will sign Saad, they are going to have to make room, but they will.

Boston is interesting... With Hamilton and Krug up, they will have to prioritize. Smith might be the odd man out.
- rival22

They would move Seidenberg or Ericksson before Smith... not happening

Is downie still hurt? If he he isn't I can see BB sitting tonight..
If he is still hurt I can see BB on 3rd or 4th line to start game to get feet under him playing against nhlers

I don't know what the rush is to make a deal? The Pens are leading the league in almost every relevant category ... I agree they could add a top 6 guy by the deadline, but now??? Makes no sense to me...
- Brianandr1

I also don't think the OP meant "now". Just "before July 1st so that clearing the cap space & therefore opening up the option to offer-sheet someone from a cap-crunched team like Boston or Chicago".

But maybe I'm trying to see reason where there is none.

I'm of the opinion that we wait it out, see if there are takers for Scuds at the deadline (or Martin, if a deal isn't done by then, but that one's a significantly lower 2nd option IMO) and again in the off-season & potentially exploit one of the cap-crunched teams for a guy like Saad then.

I think he's talking about offer sheeting them, which never happens anymore.

Chicago will sign Saad, they are going to have to make room, but they will.

Boston is interesting... With Hamilton and Krug up, they will have to prioritize. Smith might be the odd man out.
- rival22

Yup I read it differently.

Smith is interesting. Granlund and Hayes are RFA i believe too.

Martin being open to an extension is old news:

“My mindset going in is to have a good year no matter what happens,” Martin said.

“You can't worry about that stuff. I just want to play my best hockey.”

Regarding the possibility of a contract extension, Martin said he “can't see us talking about it” at the moment.

“I think we'll just play the year and see how it goes,” he said.

Martin said his agent, Ben Hankinson, and Penguins management spoke in Philadelphia during the NHL Entry Draft in June.

Inroads toward a new contract were not made.

“Summer was up in the air as far as guys here being traded,” Martin said. “You just sit and wait, see what happens, let it play out. When the (time comes), we'll have to figure it out.”

Martin, in the fifth year of a $25 million contract, said he is happy in Pittsburgh even though “the end result” hasn't been good in the postseason. He said he feels like he has played better in each of his successive seasons with the Penguins. Martin also said the Penguins are a hungry team.

Read more: http://triblive.com/sport...uins-letang#ixzz3In0CobJT
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The baseless rumors of him being unhappy and wanting to leave this summer were just that - baseless. Never saw that reported by a reputable source.

I also don't think the OP meant "now". Just "before July 1st so that clearing the cap space & therefore opening up the option to offer-sheet someone from a cap-crunched team like Boston or Chicago".

But maybe I'm trying to see reason where there is none.

I'm of the opinion that we wait it out, see if there are takers for Scuds at the deadline (or Martin, if a deal isn't done by then, but that one's a significantly lower 2nd option IMO) and again in the off-season & potentially exploit one of the cap-crunched teams for a guy like Saad then.
- ScienceJesus

I believe Scuds and/ or Martin will be gone by the deadline... I also believe that if they target a high end player they might consider throwing in one of the top d prospects...

I believe Scuds and/ or Martin will be gone by the deadline... I also believe that if they target a high end player they might consider throwing in one of the top d prospects...
- Brianandr1

Assuming they go the trade route to acquire that high end player. I think the implication was "offer sheet" would have been the slightly better option since it wouldn't require giving up a prospect in a trade & the teams mentioned (boston & Chicago) are in serious cap crunches if the cap doesn't go up significantly.

I find it weird that offer sheets don't happen as often as they did in the period between the 2 lockouts. There were a handful during that period when the compensation was higher, but now that the compensation was reduced a little bit, there's been virtually zero offer sheets to RFAs.

I find it weird that offer sheets don't happen as often as they did in the period between the 2 lockouts. There were a handful during that period when the compensation was higher, but now that the compensation was reduced a little bit, there's been virtually zero offer sheets to RFAs.
- ScienceJesus

The word is collusion... No GM wants to piss off another one, or put a target on his own guys.

Chicago will sign Saad, they are going to have to make room, but they will.
- rival22

Deleted. Quoted the wrong thing.

Would you like them alphabetical, by age? By height? By eye color???

If you don't realize we have about 3-4 d in the ahl that are nhl teady. Then you are not a true fan of the pens
- nh4442

NHL ready is one thing. Replacing Martin is another issue entirely.

The word is collusion... No GM wants to piss off another one, or put a target on his own guys.
- rival22

Fair enough. Though I don't remember much real blowback or guys that wouldn't deal with each other or had targets put on their guys when it was happening in the late 00's. At least outside of media and fans being pissed at the guy that did it to "their team".

Would you like them alphabetical, by age? By height? By eye color???

If you don't realize we have about 3-4 d in the ahl that are nhl teady. Then you are not a true fan of the pens
- nh4442

So you can't name any? I don't care if they're "NHL teady". None of those guys can step in and replace Martin right now. And I'm not a true Pens fan because I'd rather have a proven top 2 in the league play over 4 guys that have 9 combined NHL games? Ok....

Who moves to the 4th line? Spaling, Comeau, or Downie?
- cap1681

You gotta go Comeau, no? The third line is actually starting to produce. Sutter's looked good all year (don't castrate me, Bartley), but now it looks like Downie's starting to figure it out and Spaling's found himself on the scoreboard too. It'd be nice to give Goc competent line mates in order to get him firing like we all know he can, but I don't want to tamper with the third line to make that happen.

I know Johnston liked the Bennett-Sutter-Downie line, but Spaling-Sutter-Downie is producing right now so we can afford to try out Bennett on the Duper-Malkin line. Give Goc Comeau and I really like the way this team looks. In fact, I actually love the way this team looks.

Is downie still hurt? If he he isn't I can see BB sitting tonight..
If he is still hurt I can see BB on 3rd or 4th line to start game to get feet under him playing against nhlers
- nh4442

Downie was a full participant at practice yesterday. He's playing tonight.

I believe Scuds and/ or Martin will be gone by the deadline... I also believe that if they target a high end player they might consider throwing in one of the top d prospects...
- Brianandr1

If they manage to move Scuds then Martin's staying for the rest of the year.