I say keep him up for 9 games, just too see. What’s it hurt?
- Grinder47

Hahaha

Was hoping they would trade the pick for a top 6 F but if a deal wasn't to be had then so be it. While the core played well, they are another year older. Malkin had a great year and was healthy but if he gets hurt or drops a step they will need top 6 support. Rust aint that guy.

Either way swapping Z for Smith is still a lot of hte same roster that didn't make hte playoffs.

More moves need to come.

I agree with you. The strategy of the club to "win the Cup now, but restock the prospects for 3 years out" is not achievable. Unless they can bring in more high-end (read: expensive) talent, it will be muddle in the middle for the Penquins. And to do that, they will have to mortgage some of whatever good futures they still have left, or get extremely lucky. Go for the Cup now or Retool. They cant do both.
- parmen

It feels like every GM should be in in win now mode. If your club loses multiple seasons in a row, your butt is on the line and someone else can pay the price of the picks you sent packing. I guess is the franchise is a perpetual loser, you may be given more rope. Or if you come in like Stevie Y for an honest rebuild, you were the star player for the franchise at one point, and helped build a team that was recently winning Cups... that buys you time but everyone else should be sell sell selling prospects if they think they can get someone who wins now.

I like the Steelers approach of slow and steady at all time, but it's a completely different sport. Apples and Martian Oranges.

It feels like every GM should be in in win now mode. If your club loses multiple seasons in a row, your butt is on the line and someone else can pay the price of the picks you sent packing. I guess is the franchise is a perpetual loser, you may be given more rope. Or if you come in like Stevie Y for an honest rebuild, you were the star player for the franchise at one point, and helped build a team that was recently winning Cups... that buys you time but everyone else should be sell sell selling prospects if they think they can get someone who wins now.

I like the Steelers approach of slow and steady at all time, but it's a completely different sport. Apples and Martian Oranges.
- coohill

Talent pool is way too different to compare. The talent getting drafted in the NFL is so much larger and more developed that you can reasonably count on getting immediate impact guys in later rounds. If you’re drafting a defenseman in round 6 of the nhl draft because you need a 6D for that season, you’re a moron.

Dubas' history is he generally prefers trading picks over prospects so it would take something pretty big to move Yager I would think. He did a fine job in keeping prospects in Toronto while also competing.
- Aaron_85

Got to say, I appreciate you giving us some insight on Dubas.

Got to say, I appreciate you giving us some insight on Dubas.
- Tojo.

Is this Aaron fella our new Bingo?

Was hoping they would trade the pick for a top 6 F but if a deal wasn't to be had then so be it. While the core played well, they are another year older. Malkin had a great year and was healthy but if he gets hurt or drops a step they will need top 6 support. Rust aint that guy.

Either way swapping Z for Smith is still a lot of hte same roster that didn't make hte playoffs.

More moves need to come.
- sammy87

Goaltending

Got to say, I appreciate you giving us some insight on Dubas.
- Tojo.

Maybe our second gets moved today.

Maybe our second gets moved today.
- 668710

It already was.

Maybe our second gets moved today.
- 668710

We already moved it for Granlund....

Probably another reason not to move the first

Gotta give the Flyers credit. Briere has come in and made some gutsy moves that needed to be made. Also really impressive they kept their 1st round pick under wraps. Had Washington felt like Philly was going to take the Russian kid, they surely would've tried to trade up to #5 or #6.

So the thing here is that unlike in other years where we’ve been at the cap and our only avenue to improve was to essentially “buy” guys via trade, we have solid cap flexibility this year and dubas has a plan in place to take advantage of that indicativa by the smith trade.

My point being that in previous years if we wanted to materially improve we would have HAD to trade our pick. This year we have the luxury not having to.
- Victoro311

We traded our first and top prospect for Zucker
Traded a first and B prospect for Kapanen

We traded a third for Smith who is easily better than Kapanen and arguably better than Zucker or at least similar.

So yeah, not trading the first doesn't mean they're doomed to not compete. It's ok to just fill your holes with smart moves

Regarding RW's lottery analysis, you still have to play to win. Can't really build a team without some prospects.

Bruins goalie situation is interesting. Feels like they aimed high yesterday and nobody bought, so now they have to do something soon to alleviate their cap crunch.

Bruins goalie situation is interesting. Feels like they aimed high yesterday and nobody bought, so now they have to do something soon to alleviate their cap crunch.
- Tojo.

I feel like if you’re other teams, you keep waiting and hope they lose out on guys like Bertuzzi in free agency

So when I look at the state of our team with Smith added:

Jake-Crosby-Rakell
Smith-Malkin-Rust
X-Carter-Granlund
O'Connor-Poehling-Nylander

X-Letang
Pettersson-Petry
POJ-Rutta

X
DeSmith

The X's need to be filled with about $15M in cap space. You have some levers to pull by trading guys like Granlund and Ruuta. But maybe you can sign Zucker for $4M. I still dont love that forward group. Maybe you bump Carter down to 4C and try to find a real 3C for $3.5-4M/year.

For defense, you could bump up Pettersson and POJ and put Smith in that rotation, but that left side would be very weak. I wish we could trade for Hanifin. He's signed for a very reasonable $5M next season. Other teams can offer more than us unfortunately.

Not sure what you do about goaltending, but all remaining cap space should go to improving that area of the team, both for a 1a and 1b. No way you can roll with DeSmith and Jarry again.

Yamamoto and Kostin to Detroit for “future considerations”. Those are solid bottom 6 guys for essentially nothing

Bruins goalie situation is interesting. Feels like they aimed high yesterday and nobody bought, so now they have to do something soon to alleviate their cap crunch.
- Tojo.

Despite their recent trade, they are in big trouble. Does Jake DeBrusk interest anyone? $4M for next season and then a UFA. He really dug himself out of a hole last year after a pretty lackluster start to his career.

It'll be interesting to see what they do with Swayman and Ullmark. I could see them try to sell high on Ullmark and sign Swayman to a bridge deal, but do you trade for DeBrusk and Swayman for a deal including DeSmith and some mid round draft picks, maybe a 2nd or something given Swayman has some value.

We already moved it for Granlund....

Probably another reason not to move the first
- Tojo.

Ahh yes such a pointless move, oh well haha

It already was.
- Brownsoldier

I'm a dumbass haha, maybe I just wanna believe that trade didn't happen 😂

Yamamoto and Kostin to Detroit for “future considerations”. Those are solid bottom 6 guys for essentially nothing
- drummer829

I said going into last season that cap space would be king. The escrow payments really messed a lot of teams up who thought the cap would keep going way up. With escrow being settled next season, the salary cap will likely jump by $10M+. So this is the last summer to try to secure some talent for essentially nothing. If Hextall hadnt given those contracts to Rutta and Carter and never traded for Granlund, the Penguins would have some of the best financial capabilities in the whole league. We could've filled out our team for very little.

Bruins goalie situation is interesting. Feels like they aimed high yesterday and nobody bought, so now they have to do something soon to alleviate their cap crunch.
- Tojo.

It would be awesome to get Ullmark

Yamamoto and Kostin to Detroit for “future considerations”. Those are solid bottom 6 guys for essentially nothing
- drummer829

I’m very interested to see how the next couple weeks play out. Wings have a surplus of middle 6/bottom 6 forwards now.

I’m very interested to see how the next couple weeks play out. Wings have a surplus of middle 6/bottom 6 forwards now.
- Feds91Stammer

Granlund would look great in a Red Wings uniform.

Geno would look great in a Red Wings uniform.
- SuperHenderson13

Wonder how that would work with Larkin wearing 71

I said going into last season that cap space would be king. The escrow payments really messed a lot of teams up who thought the cap would keep going way up. With escrow being settled next season, the salary cap will likely jump by $10M+. So this is the last summer to try to secure some talent for essentially nothing. If Hextall hadnt given those contracts to Rutta and Carter and never traded for Granlund, the Penguins would have some of the best financial capabilities in the whole league. We could've filled out our team for very little.
- SuperHenderson13

I think what makes it awful was Hextall just making moves with no rhyme or reason at the deadline. Granlund, Bonino, Kulikov? The cherry on top was seeing guys like Bertuzzi and Niederiter going for 2nd rd picks.

I understand the thought process of going for Petry and trying to get a good 1-2 punch on D. But then you watch your team flounder for 3 months and give them Granlund?