What do you need space for this year? Schultz? No, you need in next year.
- FLflames34

Pens are getting a ton of cap space after next season. Kunitz, Dupuis(i know, he LTIR), Daley, and the Scuderi salary retention will be off the books, and Murray and Dumoulin the big names that will need raises.

All the talk about the 6th overall pick being of otherworldly value...I just think its too risky for a contender. The last time we were in the top 10 we picked Pouliot. It's a crapshoot and I'm not terribly interested in paying a huge premium for it. Would be just fine paying a lesser price to get a pick in the 20s.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

So your telling me if they offer the 6 th pick for flower and tkachuk or Dubois is avail you wouldn't do it?

So your telling me if they offer the 6 th pick for flower and tkachuk or Dubois is avail you wouldn't do it?
- nh4442

Flower isn't getting the 6th pick.

Here is my thought process.

Under a RFA tender Bennett would get $840. Should the Penguins wish to be rid of him at any point the could simply put him through waivers where he would either be (i) claimed by another team, removing the entirety of his Cap hit or (ii) pass through to WBS, where his contract would be buried with Cap relief available for the NHL min. salary plus $375k. Next season that would come to $950k (ie, $575k+ $375k= $950k).

The reason to keep Bennett is simply, all considering, is he one of the best 50 players in the Penguins organization? I think he is better than Kael Mouillierat or Kevin Porter so I'd keep him.
- s0rcerer1984

I hear you. But he's so unreliable. And we have a number of guys that can supplant his spot on the depth chart as early as next season.... Sundqvist, Simon, Wilson, Sprong, Dea, Guentzel, Blueger, Archibald

So your telling me if they offer the 6 th pick for flower and tkachuk or Dubois is avail you wouldn't do it?
- nh4442

No, not at all what I am saying. People are saying deals like Flower + Sprong/Pouliot + 2nd for the 6th overall. Or Murray for the 6th overall. In that case, I'm not interested in paying such a large price for the 6th overall.

Of course I would take the 6th overall for Fleury alone but that's unrealistic.

I hear you. But he's so unreliable. And we have a number of guys that can supplant his spot on the depth chart as early as next season.... Sundqvist, Simon, Wilson, Sprong, Dea, Guentzel, Blueger, Archibald
- YouMeAndDupuis9

People need to forget about Sprong. With the depth this team still has, there is no reason to have him in the NHL next year. He will play another year in Juniors, start the 17-18 season in WBS, and be up with the team by the end of the season.

Pens are getting a ton of cap space after next season. Kunitz, Dupuis(i know, he LTIR), Daley, and the Scuderi salary retention will be off the books, and Murray and Dumoulin the big names that will need raises.
- cap1681

Speaking of Duper -- is it assumed he will be on LTIR next season and giving us that cap relief as opposed to retiring or something? Just curious cause Duper was quoted saying something like 'this was my last chance to celebrate with the team'.

Flower isn't getting the 6th pick.
- cap1681

No he is not...
Nor Frolik. If a trade happens it realistically later round pick(s) or a pick and a roster player/mid-level prospect.
Honestly I'd love to have MAF on my team. Just over a week to the draft, lets make something happen...

I hear you. But he's so unreliable. And we have a number of guys that can supplant his spot on the depth chart as early as next season.... Sundqvist, Simon, Wilson, Sprong, Dea, Guentzel, Blueger, Archibald
- YouMeAndDupuis9

I agree. But if he gets beaten out, send him through waivers to WBS.

Worst case scenario, he gets claimed & you lose him for nothing, same as not qualifying him. Best case scenario, he goes down to WBS & adds depth to the organization.

My point remains, if Bennett is better than #50 of the organizational depth chart, keep him around. He'd make a better call-up than Kevin Porter, so why not?

People need to forget about Sprong. With the depth this team still has, there is no reason to have him in the NHL next year. He will play another year in Juniors, start the 17-18 season in WBS, and be up with the team by the end of the season.
- cap1681

Dunno man....if he's ready, he's the highest ceiling prospect and the only true top 6 asset we have. I think our one big weakness is a lack of finishers and that's exactly his skill set.

Speaking of Duper -- is it assumed he will be on LTIR next season and giving us that cap relief as opposed to retiring or something? Just curious cause Duper was quoted saying something like 'this was my last chance to celebrate with the team'.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

He'll stay on LTIR next season. The Pens already came out and said that, and there is no reason Dupuis would forgo several millon dollars to officially retire.

Pens are getting a ton of cap space after next season. Kunitz, Dupuis(i know, he LTIR), Daley, and the Scuderi salary retention will be off the books, and Murray and Dumoulin the big names that will need raises.
- cap1681

As currently constructed, 56mm cap hit for 13 players is not a lot, and leaves a lot of holes that will likely cost more. Freeing up MAFs contract to give Murray, say, the similar still means 56mm for only 13 players.

Dunno man....if he's ready, he's the highest ceiling prospect and the only true top 6 asset we have. I think our one big weakness is a lack of finishers and that's exactly his skill set.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

Pens were 3rd in the NHL is goal scoring last season, even with the putrid start under Johnson. I'm not worried about goal scoring.

He'll stay on LTIR next season. The Pens already came out and said that, and there is no reason Dupuis would forgo several millon dollars to officially retire.
- cap1681

Unless they offer him a front office job. Not sure how much they make but it could help sign free agents now. He doesn't go onto LTIR until beginning of season

As currently constructed, 56mm cap hit for 13 players is not a lot, and leaves a lot of holes that will likely cost more. Freeing up MAFs contract to give Murray, say, the similar still means 56mm for only 13 players.
- FLflames34

This is where I beg for Hornqvist to be included in the deal for MAF, trade Widemans expiring, the 6 + one of the 2nds.

Not saying JR would do this, just would make Calgary immediately better and a contender. One can dream at least.

No he is not...
Nor Frolik. If a trade happens it realistically later round pick(s) or a pick and a roster player/mid-level prospect.
Honestly I'd love to have MAF on my team. Just over a week to the draft, lets make something happen...
- geta02it

What would the Flames realistically give up for him? I agree with the blog that Calgary is the most likely destination as they seem like they are just a solid goalie away from being a playoff team.

Pens would probably prefer, in this order, (i) young, cost controlled players, (ii) draft picks, (iii) veteran players w/ contract term.

I agree. But if he gets beaten out, send him through waivers to WBS.

Worst case scenario, he gets claimed & you lose him for nothing, same as not qualifying him. Best case scenario, he goes down to WBS & adds depth to the organization.

My point remains, if Bennett is better than #50 of the organizational depth chart, keep him around. He'd make a better call-up than Kevin Porter, so why not?
- s0rcerer1984

You're making a compelling, rational argument. I just want him gone. So tired of him, honestly. I think his skating has really been hindered since the knee issues. And even when he's "healthy" I'm just watching the game waiting for him to get hurt lol.

People need to forget about Sprong. With the depth this team still has, there is no reason to have him in the NHL next year. He will play another year in Juniors, start the 17-18 season in WBS, and be up with the team by the end of the season.
- cap1681

If we are going to keep him in the juniors another year, I want him converted to LW.

As currently constructed, 56mm cap hit for 13 players is not a lot, and leaves a lot of holes that will likely cost more. Freeing up MAFs contract to give Murray, say, the similar still means 56mm for only 13 players.
- FLflames34

few points

a) that's if the cap stays stagnet. You have to think that the cap will increase with the expansion.

B)The Pens don't need big time UFAs to fill their roster. They'll just need to fill in a roster with complimentary pieces.

Unless they offer him a front office job. Not sure how much they make but it could help sign free agents now. He doesn't go onto LTIR until beginning of season
- nh4442

yeah, but teams can go up to 10% over the cap in the offseason. It's not a problem.

If Fleury is only going to be getting back a 2nd or Fwd depth then I'd think it's better to keep him for another strong season next year and possible cup run. Even if you lose him in an expansion draft for nothing, a cup run would be worth it. Also, in the event that he's faced with waiving his NMC or risk being selected to go to expansion Las Vegas, I think he could be persuaded to waive to a team off his list.

If we are going to keep him in the juniors another year, I want him converted to LW.
- Guile

I'm more worried about him working on his 2 way game. He can play with speed that the Pens system needs, but he needs to be responsible in his own zone. That's crucial in HCMS's system.

Lots of overreactions in this comment section. This is how its gonna slide:

Official expansion parameters are going to be announced at next week's award show in Vegas. If expansion comes in 2017 and all NMC (partial and full) are autoprotected then one of two things will happen. MAF will be moved for peanuts, or Murray will be moved for a nice haul. This has nothing to do with MAF sucking or having no faith in Murray.

Keeping Murray for the long haul is priority #1. Moving MAF is favor of Murr is low risk high reward. At the point Murray is at worst league average, and you can win with a league average net minder (Niemi, Anttti; Eliot, Brian; Jones, Martin; Quick, Jonathan
- Victoro311[trolllllllll]). Fleury is a good starting 'tender, but he's also a lot older and a lot more expensive. He's gonna likely tap out before the Sid/Geno window does, and he's gonna strain our cap harder than Murray will over the next several years. If Murray doesn't reach his perceived ceiling, even him at his floor gives us a better chance to win the Flower because of longevity and cap.

However, if Flower can't be moved, then trading Murray becomes a must. We have a lot more assets than once believed, but we still don't have many high end assets. The list begins and ends with Murray and Sprong. Pouliot and next year's first are a tier bellow. We can't just lose one of those assets for nothing. If it looks like we're gonna lose Murr to expansion, we need to try to replace him through a trade. Again, nothing to do with not having faith in him, its just a question of asset management.

Is there any good reason to think MAF will tap out early. His athleticism is perhaps #1 of all-time for a goalie (maybe Hasek is better). Its been his mental game where he's had problems. He seems like a guy who could fall to an average athlete but replace it with experience and improvements in his mental game.

Pens were 3rd in the NHL is goal scoring last season, even with the putrid start under Johnson. I'm not worried about goal scoring.
- cap1681

If Cullen is gone, there's an 18 goal scorer gone. Depth guys that scored in the playoffs like Rust, Sheary, Dumoulin, Lovejoy, Fehr....I don't think it's fair to expect any sustained production out of them.

Kunitz, Hagelin, Hornqvist are all complimentary types. I just think for a team who's offensively oriented, we need more finishers. We have 30-40 shots on goal per game and miss a ton of quality chances by guys that can't finish. How many times are Sid and Geno setting someone up with a perfect pass that no one can finish. I think Tampa demonstrated that perfectly. They buried their chances at a much higher rate.

You're making a compelling, rational argument. I just want him gone. So tired of him, honestly. I think his skating has really been hindered since the knee issues. And even when he's "healthy" I'm just watching the game waiting for him to get hurt lol.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

Yeah, I get it. It's been frustrating to watch as the Pens needed young, skilled wings for so many years & all the hopes were on him.

Still, I keep him because the cold logic of it all says the benefits of qualifying him at $840k makes the Pens organization better than if they did not.