It's depressing to look at. They absolutely have to reverse this if they are going to compete.
http://www.mangameslost.c...nce-the-2009-2010-season/
- jfkst1

Wost part for me may be that you could cut that in half and they'd probably still be very, very close to the top if not AT the top. Just do away with the first few years. Still bad.

There are so many factors involved. Hard to pinpoint some things. Bad luck in there too. Ahhhh the joys of a contact sport.

It's depressing to look at. They absolutely have to reverse this if they are going to compete.
http://www.mangameslost.c...nce-the-2009-2010-season/
- jfkst1

Just imagine what could have been if we were on the opposite end of the chart

Pens biggest edge is the quality of contracts on their high end players. Its really just a story of getting healthy. Stamkos is likely $11 a year likes Toews and Kane. I'd take Malkin and crosby over any of them. Letang is potentially a $10/year guy if hes healthy on the UFA market. Kessel would be close to $10 maybe $11. If the cap goes up as expected we will have the space to add spare parts.

Even more cap space if Murray performs and we end up moving Fleury.
- sditulli

I don't think MAF gets moved. Just my opinion. If Murray can be the #1 guy I would love him to be. I just don't see MAF being dealt before his deal is up. Only way is if we implodes a few more times... But then who would take him at 5mil?

Anyway I see Murray as MAF's backup until MAF's deal is up. Then the keys are handed to Murray full time.

Just imagine what could have been if we were on the opposite end of the chart
- Pens_Burgh

No guarantees, obviously. Look at SJ. Not an excuse to be found there. Same for Dallas if they were icing the same team they are right now.

No guarantees, obviously. Look at SJ. Not an excuse to be found there. Same for Dallas if they were icing the same team they are right now.
- HopintheCordoba

I think Crosby's broken jaw had a profound effect on our post-season when we got swept by the B's. Still, I honestly believe Bylsma (not injury) derailed that "cup quality" team.

Wost part for me may be that you could cut that in half and they'd probably still be very, very close to the top if not AT the top. Just do away with the first few years. Still bad.

There are so many factors involved. Hard to pinpoint some things. Bad luck in there too. Ahhhh the joys of a contact sport.
- HopintheCordoba

Combination of Crosby, Malkin, and Letang have all been injury prone since winning the cup. Older team also doesn't help with injury prevention/recovery. A lot of bizarre injuries too that can't really be accounted for.

No guarantees, obviously. Look at SJ. Not an excuse to be found there. Same for Dallas if they were icing the same team they are right now.
- HopintheCordoba

Pens have been a major disappointment this decade. No other way to look at it IMO. But, SJS, WSH, and STL have been very disappointing teams too in recent years and they don't have any SCs either.

Pens have been a major disappointment this decade. No other way to look at it IMO. But, SJS, WSH, and STL have been very disappointing teams too in recent years and they don't have any SCs either.
- jfkst1

At least we have our excuses of injuries, Bylsma and Craig Adams to blame it all on

Pens biggest edge is the quality of contracts on their high end players. Its really just a story of getting healthy. Stamkos is likely $11 a year likes Toews and Kane. I'd take Malkin and crosby over any of them. Letang is potentially a $10/year guy if hes healthy on the UFA market. Kessel would be close to $10 maybe $11. If the cap goes up as expected we will have the space to add spare parts.

Even more cap space if Murray performs and we end up moving Fleury.
- sditulli

With the new MLB-NHL partnering for the web streaming, I heard that is going to be an extra 2-3 MIL for the cap increase next season. That is sounding great for us being able to keep another player

At least we have our excuses of injuries, Bylsma and Craig Adams to blame it all on
- Pens_Burgh

Those three teams have been pretty healthy. Fleury's poor postseason play was a major issue too (2010 & 2012 especially).

Those three teams have been pretty healthy. Fleury's poor postseason play was a major issue too (2010 & 2012 especially).
- jfkst1

Fleury shouldn't be a cause for concerning this year... Last year, even the Rangers were complimenting Fleury... the year before, we summed up the BJ's goals mostly on bad defense (game 3, think it was 3, the exception where he had a bad goal and the worse OT goal). Fleury should not be an issue... he is middle of the road starting goalie pay, and a bit above the average goalie in performance the last two years.

Plus us having nothing in the backup cost, helps a bit more with some teams paying 1-2 mil a backup.


Edit: I should add a chart or graph or two... to help keeping up the joke that i'm RW


Way too lazy to graph... gonna do a lower - higher count for teams.

Penguins 5.75 mil + .6 mil = 6.35 million

Teams with lower goalie costs: Anaheim, Buffalo, Detroit, Edmonton, Florida, NYI, Ottawa, Philly, San Jose, St Louis, Winnipeg. Total: 11

Teams with Higher goalie cost: Boston, Calgary, Carolina, Chicago, Colorado, Columbus, Dallas, LA, Minnesota, Montreal, Nashville, NJ, NYR, Arizona, Tampa Bay, Toronot, Vancouver, Washington. Total: 18

Fleury shouldn't be a cause for concerning this year... Last year, even the Rangers were complimenting Fleury... the year before, we summed up the BJ's goals mostly on bad defense (game 3, think it was 3, the exception where he had a bad goal and the worse OT goal). Fleury should not be an issue... he is middle of the road starting goalie pay, and a bit above the average goalie in performance the last two years.

Plus us having nothing in the backup cost, helps a bit more with some teams paying 1-2 mil a backup.


Edit: I should add a chart or graph or two... to help keeping up the joke that i'm RW
- Guile

I don't worry about Fleury either. Though I think most of his issues were due to poor coaching more than anything else as he has been solid and much more consistent in positioning since the coaching change. I still think he can be weak on rebound control and puck handling. A positive is that Fleury has been very durable in his career and goalies tend to age well until their mid-30s so hopefully Fleury doesn't show much decline until after his current contract expires.

I don't worry about Fleury either. Though I think most of his issues were due to poor coaching than anything else as he has been solid and much more consistent in positioning since the coaching change. I still think he can be weak on rebound control and puck handling. A positive is that Fleury has been very durable in his career so the Pens and goalies tend to age well until their mid-30s so hopefully Fleury doesn't show much decline until after his current contract expires.
- jfkst1

Yes... Fleury is STILL not allowed to handle pucks behind the net if anyone is within 20 feet of him. That, or we somehow hire Brodeur to teach Fleury how to play behind the net.

ESPN is where I go for my hockey news. They only give more attention to football, baseball, basketball, soccer, poker, billiards, bowling, Michael Phelps, more football, the Olympics, the LLWS, and professional badminton.
- jmatchett383

ESPN is where I go for my hockey news. They only give more attention to football, baseball, basketball, soccer, poker, billiards, bowling, Michael Phelps, more football, the Olympics, the LLWS, and professional badminton.
- jmatchett383

You forgot to mention Lebron James about 15 times

Those three teams have been pretty healthy. Fleury's poor postseason play was a major issue too (2010 & 2012 especially).
- jfkst1

Agreed. I still would like to blame Craig Adams because Craig Adams

With the new MLB-NHL partnering for the web streaming, I heard that is going to be an extra 2-3 MIL for the cap increase next season. That is sounding great for us being able to keep another player
- Guile

Huge if we want to keep Perron. Even though Perron's streakiness doesn't quite merit it, he will cost about 4.5 mil to retain, which is about a 700k raise. Let's pretend we pump 1 mil into Perron's raise and he costs around 4.8 mil AAV, that still leaves 2-3 mil (adding Lovejoy's cap hit) to sign Maatta, Plotnikov, and Bennett if we like what we see. If we're resigning Plotnikov and/or Bennett, that means they showed something and we can safely move on from Kunitz which frees up about 4 mil to distribute. Buying out Scuderi relieves about 2 mil, 3.3 if he's flat out traded or retires. That's about 8 mil to distribute amongst those three right there. Very doable, and its not even a guarantee that we'll even want to resign Bennett or Plotnikov, although I'd say there's a 90% chance we bring back Plotnikov.

Fleury shouldn't be a cause for concerning this year... Last year, even the Rangers were complimenting Fleury... the year before, we summed up the BJ's goals mostly on bad defense (game 3, think it was 3, the exception where he had a bad goal and the worse OT goal). Fleury should not be an issue... he is middle of the road starting goalie pay, and a bit above the average goalie in performance the last two years.

Plus us having nothing in the backup cost, helps a bit more with some teams paying 1-2 mil a backup.


Edit: I should add a chart or graph or two... to help keeping up the joke that i'm RW


Way too lazy to graph... gonna do a lower - higher count for teams.

Penguins 5.75 mil + .6 mil = 6.35 million

Teams with lower goalie costs: Anaheim, Buffalo, Detroit, Edmonton, Florida, NYI, Ottawa, Philly, San Jose, St Louis, Winnipeg. Total: 11

Teams with Higher goalie cost: Boston, Calgary, Carolina, Chicago, Colorado, Columbus, Dallas, LA, Minnesota, Montreal, Nashville, NJ, NYR, Arizona, Tampa Bay, Toronot, Vancouver, Washington. Total: 18
- Guile

Also, thing is, those teams with low goalie costs are mostly either rolling unproven commodities or guys that will get massive pay checks in the near future. Really only teams that have the 'tender position pretty much set as it is are NYI and STL.

It's depressing to look at. They absolutely have to reverse this if they are going to compete.
http://www.mangameslost.c...nce-the-2009-2010-season/
- jfkst1

Is this a HERO chart?

What "wut" ? Dont you see the difference between trading prospects and picks for a few months of Douglas Murray, Iginla, Morrow, Ponikarovsky, etc and trading for guys like Perron, Hornqvist, Kessel. In one scenario your mortgage your future for rental players for a couple of month of play without really having any intention on re-signing them and in the other scenario you mortgage your future for guys that are established but still young, have a few years left on their contract and are still producing decently.

Big difference.
- lpstjg

Whitney for Kunitz.

Goli for Neal, Niskanen.


Recency bias.

Whitney for Kunitz.

Goli for Neal, Niskanen.


Recency bias.
- Blackstrom2

Those aren't trades involving picks/prospects from Pittsburgh. Whitney and Goligoski were NHL dmen.

wow, EA Sports is taking Kane off the cover of NHL 16 because of everything that is happening.

Those aren't trades involving picks/prospects from Pittsburgh. Whitney and Goligoski were NHL dmen.
- jfkst1

....Which is my point that Shero didn't always trade picks/prospects.

wow, EA Sports is taking Kane off the cover of NHL 16 because of everything that is happening.
- cap1681

I don't blame them. They had to do it.

You forgot to mention Lebron James about 15 times
- Guile

ESPN and SC are pretty much unwatchable. They have been for about 8 years now. Its a joke what they fill SC with these days. Reporters speculating on injuries, jamming BS rivalries down your throat (NY vs BOS) its just lame. Its always on in the locker at my gym and the crap they try to pass off is amazing.

If not for live sports Id def dump Direct TV although I like it much more than Comcast. I will be doing a lot of research on Apple TV.