They should be looking to move Zucker if they get Lafreniere...You get very few opportunities as a franchise to draft players of his caliber.
- abasin

That thought crossed my mind, too. Would save a lot against the cap. Depends if Laf is ready to go pretty much right away.

Edit: On second thought, I think it's a dumb idea.

If I were you and I got the #1, id be reluctant to deal it, but I’m certainly picking up the phone just in case someone has a wild hair and is willing to give you a serious haul like the Nordiques got from the Flyers for Lindros.

Ofc Lafreniere isn’t as highly regarded as Lindros was then, but hey, you never know if there are some foolish GMs out there willing to make a splash

I'm not going to spend too much time thinking about #1 overall since it is just a 1 in 8 chance, but it is too bad for the Pens that he is a LW. And if, by chance, we do get Laf, I don't think putting Guentzel at 3C is a viable option. I don't think he's a center at the NHL level.

As someone else mentioned, Sully is dead to me, too. If he is not fired, we need to start thinking about the post-window era. He simply cannot be the coach anymore.

As for JR, it's a little more difficult and convoluted, but I think he needs to go, too. At bare minimum, the ownership / upper management needs to be more involved with the decision-making process which sounds like a clusterfvck, so just put him out to pasture and bring in a whole new GM / coach team.

I'm not going to spend too much time thinking about #1 overall since it is just a 1 in 8 chance, but it is too bad for the Pens that he is a LW. And if, by chance, we do get Laf, I don't think putting Guentzel at 3C is a viable option. I don't think he's a center at the NHL level.

As someone else mentioned, Sully is dead to me, too. If he is not fired, we need to start thinking about the post-window era. He simply cannot be the coach anymore.

As for JR, it's a little more difficult and convoluted, but I think he needs to go, too. At bare minimum, the ownership / upper management needs to be more involved with the decision-making process which sounds like a clusterfvck, so just put him out to pasture and bring in a whole new GM / coach team.
- Hockey66

Guentzel-Sid-Rust
Laf-Geno-Simon
Zucker-McCann-Hornqvist
ZAR-Blueg-Tanev

Guentzel-Sid-Rust
Laf-Geno-Simon
Zucker-McCann-Hornqvist
ZAR-Blueg-Tanev
- j.boyd919

Please no Simon in the top 6. We need a legit top 6 RW and should have the cap space to pursue one. If you thought Geno might have been sulking in the past due to inferior wingers, he would probably go into shutdown mode over Simon. It's gotta be Horny until further notice. Also, I would have Zucker as 2LW and let Laf earn his way into the top 6. But all of this is likely moot.

We should have ~$5M in cap space and more if we can buy out JJ and get rid of Bjug. Who are your 1/2RW and 3C targets?

We should have ~$5M in cap space and more if we can buy out JJ and get rid of Bjug. Who are your 1/2RW and 3C targets?
- Hockey66

Toffoli is the best UFA RW available.

Toffoli is the best UFA RW available.
- Rinosaur

Better than Hoffman and Dadonov? I would say Hoffman, yes, Dadonov, no.

Better than Hoffman and Dadonov? I would say Hoffman, yes, Dadonov, no.
- Hockey66

Both left-handed.

No. You don’t even explore it. It’s a terrible idea. If you get the first overall you draft Lafrieniere. There is no thinking about it.
- j.boyd919

Exactly. Nothing to think about. There were some rumors that Rutherford might allow the 15th go to Minny. If Rutherford even thinks of doing that, ownership needs to step in and remove him. In theory, you would think next years pick will be lower.

Just saw on CF, the buyout hit for next year on Bjug would be 600k. 1.75 the following year. That's kind of no brainer....isn't it?

Just saw on CF, the buyout hit for next year on Bjug would be 600k. 1.75 the following year. That's kind of no brainer....isn't it?
- madmike71

I mean he's always injured, we should try and trade him if healthy, if not LTIR his ass.

Guentzel-Sid-Rust
Laf-Geno-Simon
Zucker-McCann-Hornqvist
ZAR-Blueg-Tanev
- j.boyd919

Can this Laf kid play RW at all?

Would anyone trade down to get byfield? Might get a mid pick or prospect?

6’4 centre. It’s been awhile since I looked at juniors but I think there was a pretty big gap in quality between laf and byfield.

I'm just saying it should be explored. What if you can get a younger RFA dman? That would allow you to make other moves to fix other parts of the team.
- Rinosaur

Whatever player you are getting for the first overall pick that is an RFA would require a hefty contract. How do you fit that in a flat cap? Makes no sense. Keep the pick and draft the stud on his ELC for 3 years.

Please no Simon in the top 6. We need a legit top 6 RW and should have the cap space to pursue one. If you thought Geno might have been sulking in the past due to inferior wingers, he would probably go into shutdown mode over Simon. It's gotta be Horny until further notice. Also, I would have Zucker as 2LW and let Laf earn his way into the top 6. But all of this is likely moot.

We should have ~$5M in cap space and more if we can buy out JJ and get rid of Bjug. Who are your 1/2RW and 3C targets?
- Hockey66

I don't think Geno sulks at all. I think that's a media misconception, except when they are in the Uber talking about JJ.

Just saw on CF, the buyout hit for next year on Bjug would be 600k. 1.75 the following year. That's kind of no brainer....isn't it?
- madmike71

Absolutely. A factor might be is if Bjug is considering retirement or, if not, what is more advantageous - a buyout or LTIR. We know LTIR is happening at some point even if he does come back healthy.

Here's the buyout for Bjug with cap savings or hit:

2020 / 2021: $600K + $3.5M
2021 / 2022: $1.75M - $1.75M

Here's the buyout for JJ with cap savings or hit:

2020 / 2021: $1.17M + $2.08
2021 / 2022: $1.17M + $2.08
2022 / 2023: $1.92M + $1.33
2023 / 2024: $917K - $917K
2024 / 2025: $917K - $917K
2025 / 2026: $917K - $917K

Combined:

2020 / 2021: + $5.58
2021 / 2022: + $33K
2022 / 2023: + $1.33
2023 / 2024: - $917K
2024 / 2025: - $917K
2025 / 2026: - $917K

Looks like a no-brainer to me. Is there a limit on buyouts? I seem to remember 2 per year?

I don't think Geno sulks at all. I think that's a media misconception, except when they are in the Uber talking about JJ.
- j.boyd919

Yeah, I don't, either. I meant "you" in the general sense, but honestly, I wouldn't blame him if they saddled him with Simon. Players like Simon and Sheary simply cannot be considered for top 6 roles unless it is as an emergency injury fill-in. No Cup contender has players like this in their top 6.

Sooo...We should have ~$5M in cap space and more if we can buy out JJ and get rid of Bjug. Who are your 1/2RW and 3C targets?

Please no Simon in the top 6. We need a legit top 6 RW and should have the cap space to pursue one. If you thought Geno might have been sulking in the past due to inferior wingers, he would probably go into shutdown mode over Simon. It's gotta be Horny until further notice. Also, I would have Zucker as 2LW and let Laf earn his way into the top 6. But all of this is likely moot.

We should have ~$5M in cap space and more if we can buy out JJ and get rid of Bjug. Who are your 1/2RW and 3C targets?
- Hockey66

Josh Anderson is rfa and cbus fans say they have a better version of him in the pipeline. Hos value is probably pretty low after last year, see if we could trade for him and hope he could become a 2/3 rw.

Josh Anderson is rfa and cbus fans say they have a better version of him in the pipeline. Hos value is probably pretty low after last year, see if we could trade for him and hope he could become a 2/3 rw.
- 10inchTerror

Hmmm...I like his game and his size - he would be a good fit next to Crosby, IMO. Two problems, though - he is a RFA (as you mention) and dealing with CBJ (if they, indeed, want to deal him in the first place). Then we have to give up assets to get him. I would rather look at free-to-acquire FAs first.

Absolutely. A factor might be is if Bjug is considering retirement or, if not, what is more advantageous - a buyout or LTIR. We know LTIR is happening at some point even if he does come back healthy.

Here's the buyout for Bjug with cap savings or hit:

2020 / 2021: $600K + $3.5M
2021 / 2022: $1.75M - $1.75M

Here's the buyout for JJ with cap savings or hit:

2020 / 2021: $1.17M + $2.08
2021 / 2022: $1.17M + $2.08
2022 / 2023: $1.92M + $1.33
2023 / 2024: $917K - $917K
2024 / 2025: $917K - $917K
2025 / 2026: $917K - $917K

Combined:

2020 / 2021: + $5.58
2021 / 2022: + $33K
2022 / 2023: + $1.33
2023 / 2024: - $917K
2024 / 2025: - $917K
2025 / 2026: - $917K

Looks like a no-brainer to me. Is there a limit on buyouts? I seem to remember 2 per year?
- Hockey66

I think I'd rather bury JJ in the minors. I believe that scrapes 1 mil off his hit. I like Bjug if he's healthy, but I'm not taking the chance. Buy him out.

I'm convinced JJ will finish that contract with the Penguins if JR remains the GM.

Exactly. Nothing to think about. There were some rumors that Rutherford might allow the 15th go to Minny. If Rutherford even thinks of doing that, ownership needs to step in and remove him. In theory, you would think next years pick will be lower.
- madmike71

He needs to go anyways. He's expired. So is Sully. It happens. Hopefully Mario and Burkle feel the same.

No. You don’t even explore it. It’s a terrible idea. If you get the first overall you draft Lafrieniere. There is no thinking about it.
- j.boyd919

F'n right.

F'n right.
- MattStrat

Woowooo

Pens suck.

Just saw on CF, the buyout hit for next year on Bjug would be 600k. 1.75 the following year. That's kind of no brainer....isn't it?
- madmike71

If you want to go all out next year and deal with the consequences later, sure. But I wouldn't want that dead space the following year.

You'd need to move Hornqvist and a 3M player you didn't move this coming off-season and replace them with league minimum players just to fit Marino. And moving Hornqvist isn't something you can guarantee with his NMC.

I'd buyout JJ, but I'd try another way to move Bjugstad.