Ryan Wilson: What is Bryan Rust's value to the Penguins? What is Bryan Rust's value to the Penguins?

I think 3 million is about right at 3 years.

4 years at 3.2 mil AAV is the sweet spot I think. We get him for his entire prime at a very reasonable figure. Let him walk at the age 30.

The Pens can easily handle that with the cap going up, but it would still be nice to see Hunwick's hit dropped to make up for it a little.

4 years at 3.2 mil AAV is the sweet spot I think. We get him for his entire prime at a very reasonable figure. Let him walk at the age 30.
- Victoro311

JR seems to like two and three year contracts on players like him, but I wouldn't be surprised to see four.

For the third year in a row it seems like whoever wins the Pens Caps series will will the cup. Tampa may push this series to 6 but I don't see them winning it. The Trapitals seem to have figured out how to play team D. Their counter is deadly and right now their PP is over 30%.

6 x 4.5m would be a good deal

If that Matt Cane guys chart is right, I'd much rather do a 1 year $2.2M contract than pay +$3M for him on term.

I like Rust but at the end of the day he is replaceable. Solid player but he has trouble staying healthy and I think the 38 points he had this year is about his peak. You only pay a premium for UFA years when the player has significant upside to them.

2-3 years at $2.5M would be fine. Anything more in term or dollars would be a mistake IMO.

Conner Sheary - bye bye, and give that contract to Rust. I literally do not any utility that Connor provides at this point, and I am sure a team will look at his stats and take him.

what do you folks think your options are for improving the D? Assuming you think it's required. Also, getting a serviceable backup goalie seems pretty necessary.

For the third year in a row it seems like whoever wins the Pens Caps series will will the cup. Tampa may push this series to 6 but I don't see them winning it. The Trapitals seem to have figured out how to play team D. Their counter is deadly and right now their PP is over 30%.
- Thorny87

Everyone said same thing about Caps when Blue Jackets took first two game in their barn. So much hockey left to be played..

You said will twice so I'm guessing the second will was meant to be win cup....I wouldn't overlook either WC finalist that easily...

Everyone said same thing about Caps when Blue Jackets took first two game in their barn. So much hockey left to be played..

You said will twice so I'm guessing the second will was meant to be win cup....I wouldn't overlook either WC finalist that easily...
- MattStrat

Nowhere near everyone said that. The difference is that both of those games went to OT and the Caps played well enough to win, but these first two in the ECF are a completely different story. Obviously it's not over, but it's a poor comparison.

From the last blob... I trade Rust's rights. Trade Brass. Sign Kane and give Sheahan the 3c job. Also need to upgrade the 4c.

Keep Rust if you can somehow trade Hags, Sheary or Hunwick. I'd actually eat some contract to get rid of any of those 3. I don't want to get rid of Hags, but his contract is an impediment.

Maybe Brass at 3 mil gets us back into the 1st round +. Would Rust's rights get us a 5d?

Nowhere near everyone said that. The difference is that both of those games went to OT and the Caps played well enough to win, but these first two in the ECF are a completely different story. Obviously it's not over, but it's a poor comparison.
- Zupes

Sorry Zupes.

Yeah "everyone" is an exaggeration but many more people thought they were done vs CBJ's than vice versa....

...at least give me that Zupes.

From the last blob... I trade Rust's rights. Trade Brass. Sign Kane and give Sheahan the 3c job. Also need to upgrade the 4c.

Keep Rust if you can somehow trade Hags, Sheary or Hunwick. I'd actually eat some contract to get rid of any of those 3. I don't want to get rid of Hags, but his contract is an impediment.

Maybe Brass at 3 mil gets us back into the 1st round +. Would Rust's rights get us a 5d?
- madmike71

Getting back into the first round is no where near the value of Brass for 3C at 3 million during the cup window. No way. Maybe a top 5 pick but that isn't happening. Usually there's better odds at a coin toss than the players picked from around 10th to 31st making the NHL.

Brass is going to have a huge season coming up.

Getting back into the first round is no where near the value of Brass for 3C at 3 million during the cup window. No way. Maybe a top 5 pick but that isn't happening. Usually there's better odds at a coin toss than the players picked from around 10th to 31st making the NHL.

Brass is going to have a huge season coming up.
- MattStrat

You know who would have a better season than Brass? Evander Kane playing with Crosby or Malkin. Imagine Kane, Guentzal, Kessel and Hornie at wing.

Brassard doesn't PK very much and he'll only get 3rd line minutes and 2nd PP time. Reading that Gaitka interview, he doesn't sound thrilled with a 3rd line role.

I say return the 3c to it's traditional role....Chip in offense and PK. Sheahan is very similar to Bones. Then upgrade the 4c to somebody that actually belongs in the NHL.....hopefully find a younger Cullen. There's a couple UFA's that might fit the bill.

Edit... I said a 1st plus for Brassard. He is an UFA. Maybe we get a good prospect too. Regardless, it's a nice use of assets. Getting Kane for 5 years (he's only 26) without giving up assets. Then also getting a 1st rounder and a good prospect or current player.

From the last blob... I trade Rust's rights. Trade Brass. Sign Kane and give Sheahan the 3c job. Also need to upgrade the 4c.

Keep Rust if you can somehow trade Hags, Sheary or Hunwick. I'd actually eat some contract to get rid of any of those 3. I don't want to get rid of Hags, but his contract is an impediment.

Maybe Brass at 3 mil gets us back into the 1st round +. Would Rust's rights get us a 5d?
- madmike71

I wouldn't trade Rust for a 5D. He's way more valuable to us than a bottom pairing defenseman and its not very close. I want Kane, but this seems like an overcorrection by a mile. The only guys I'd trade are Sheary and Hagelin, who I think are very moveable and of course Hunwick who I'm assuming we're stuck with.

Hagelin had a good ending of the season, plays a game that is highly valued, and even though he has a high cap hit, he's an expiring contract which makes it manageable, especially with the cap going up. Sheary's tangible production at 3 mil is solid value so I don't think we'd have any issue dumping him for a mid to low round pick whatsoever. That's not really good value for us, but if the goal is to clear cap in order to sign Kane, you do it.

If we assume the cap goes up to 80 mil, which is about the middle of the projection, even if we made no roster moves whatsoever, we should still be able to resign all of our RFAs. Clearing Sheary and Hagelin alone will get you 8 mil in cap space. Assuming we take back at least some salary back in a Hagelin trade, let's say we have about 6.5 extra cap to play with. Burying Hunwick in the AHL can provide the extra cap wiggle room for extra skaters if Kane takes us close to the ceiling.

So unless the cap goes up by lessen than the average projection, we should be able to make at least a competitive offer for Evander Kane. If the cap goes up to the high side of the projects, our offer combined with our A list contender status could be difficult to match by any team besides Vegas.

I wouldn't trade Rust for a 5D. He's way more valuable to us than a bottom pairing defenseman and its not very close. I want Kane, but this seems like an overcorrection by a mile. The only guys I'd trade are Sheary and Hagelin, who I think are very moveable and of course Hunwick who I'm assuming we're stuck with.

Hagelin had a good ending of the season, plays a game that is highly valued, and even though he has a high cap hit, he's an expiring contract which makes it manageable, especially with the cap going up. Sheary's tangible production at 3 mil is solid value so I don't think we'd have any issue dumping him for a mid to low round pick whatsoever. That's not really good value for us, but if the goal is to clear cap in order to sign Kane, you do it.

If we assume the cap goes up to 80 mil, which is about the middle of the projection, even if we made no roster moves whatsoever, we should still be able to resign all of our RFAs. Clearing Sheary and Hagelin alone will get you 8 mil in cap space. Assuming we take back at least some salary back in a Hagelin trade, let's say we have about 6.5 extra cap to play with. Burying Hunwick in the AHL can provide the extra cap wiggle room for extra skaters if Kane takes us close to the ceiling.

So unless the cap goes up by lessen than the average projection, we should be able to make at least a competitive offer for Evander Kane. If the cap goes up to the high side of the projects, our offer combined with our A list contender status could be difficult to match by any team besides Vegas.
- Victoro311

I would love to keep Rust. If we can keep him and get Kane, I'm all for it. I don't see it as an over reaction at all. We turn a good UFA into multiple assets. Brass is 31 who doesn't seem to love the idea of limited TOI.

Anyway, I've heard multiple credible reporters say we tried to trade Sheary at the deadline and found no takers. Who knows.

I would love to keep Rust. If we can keep him and get Kane, I'm all for it. I don't see it as an over reaction at all. We turn a good UFA into multiple assets. Brass is 31 who doesn't seem to love the idea of limited TOI.

Anyway, I've heard multiple credible reporters say we tried to trade Sheary at the deadline and found no takers. Who knows.
- madmike71

Offseason trades for guys with term are way easier. In the middle of the season, teams are pretty set in their salary cap and need to work around them to accommodate guys and contenders are less willing to give up roster players in order to accommodate them because there is not a pool of free agents they can use to plug the new gap. That's why there's usually some form of salary retention for deals made in season unless its a pure hockey trade.

In the offseason, teams lose contracts which opens up a lot of cap space that they can play around with and have a big pool of UFAs to work with if they end up creating a new ole acquiring a guy.

Brassard got a first plus partly because he had some term left on his deal. I'd be shocked if anyone other than a playoff team wanted him and would be willing to deal a 1st for him let alone a 1st+.

As has been stated, a 3rd line center of Brassard's caliibre at 3 million is a huge value to this team.... no one was healthy this playoff run so lets not over react to the sample size.

JR said changes were coming through trades. He wants a different dynamic to the team if I understood his comments correctly. Have to think a big name (Not core player), will be involved & that there will be changes to the supporting cast - bottom 6.

So which names can bring in changes?

Maatta
Brassard
Dumoulin
Kessel
Shags

Then Shears, Rust (sign & trade), Knuckles?

Top 6 May be
Guentzy, Sid Horndog
? Shags, Geno, Sprong

Then
ZAR, She-man, Philbo
?, Derek Ryan, ?

Brassard got a first plus partly because he had some term left on his deal. I'd be shocked if anyone other than a playoff team wanted him and would be willing to deal a 1st for him let alone a 1st+.

As has been stated, a 3rd line center of Brassard's caliibre at 3 million is a huge value to this team.... no one was healthy this playoff run so lets not over react to the sample size.
- Yonk1216

Brassard at 3mil is worth a 1st and a prospect/player. Not saying the pick will be in the top half of the 1st round, but he's worth a 1st rounder. If he's a huge value to us, he'll be a huge value to another team. He's a legit 2nd line center playing a reduced roll.

I don't get the "over reaction" comments. It's not an over reaction. It's asset management. If somebody said, I'll trade you Evander Kane (26 year old just entering his prime), a lower 1st rounder and B prospect for 1 year of Derrik Brassard, I think you jump on it.

I say this in light of the fact, he doesn't PK (much) and he'll never get on the top PP. AND, he doesn't seemed to be thrilled with the 3c role. I actually don't blame him about not wanting reduced TOI and little PP time. Dude is an UFA who needs numbers for his next contract.

Look, there are so many variables involved. I personally think Sheary and Hags will be tough to deal. Others think differently. If somehow we are capable of trading Sheary and Hags whiile keeping Brassard, Rust, and dung heap (Hunwick) AND sign Kane AND extend Sheahan, Oleksiak AND add a competent bottom pairing D, I'll be thrilled.

Bottom line... We won 2 cups with the model I'm espousing.

Brassard sure has value and I still think he can give us valuable play but listening to him in the cleanout day he didn't sound too happy about playing 3rd line C even saying he'd welcome a change to play wing on the top 2 lines.
Good thing he said he liked playing with Sheary. Thank god.

Brassard at 3mil is worth a 1st and a prospect/player. Not saying the pick will be in the top half of the 1st round, but he's worth a 1st rounder. If he's a huge value to us, he'll be a huge value to another team. He's a legit 2nd line center playing a reduced roll.

I don't get the "over reaction" comments. It's not an over reaction. It's asset management. If somebody said, I'll trade you Evander Kane (26 year old just entering his prime), a lower 1st rounder and B prospect for 1 year of Derrik Brassard, I think you jump on it.

I say this in light of the fact, he doesn't PK (much) and he'll never get on the top PP. AND, he doesn't seemed to be thrilled with the 3c role. I actually don't blame him about not wanting reduced TOI and little PP time. Dude is an UFA who needs numbers for his next contract.

Look, there are so many variables involved. I personally think Sheary and Hags will be tough to deal. Others think differently. If somehow we are capable of trading Sheary and Hags whiile keeping Brassard, Rust, and dung heap (Hunwick) AND sign Kane AND extend Sheahan, Oleksiak AND add a competent bottom pairing D, I'll be thrilled.

Bottom line... We won 2 cups with the model I'm espousing.
- madmike71

Madmike I don't think Brassard's quote's went unnoticed by management, trust me. I'd much rather have E.Kane if this is the case. Offer Kane $6.5M on a 4-5 year contract and hope he accepts it.
Kovalchuk would be a nice fall back plan than sign R.Nash very cheap to play with Brassard (if stays) on the 3rd line. They know each other well.

Madmike I don't think Brassard's quote's went unnoticed by management, trust me. I'd much rather have E.Kane if this is the case. Offer Kane $6.5M on a 4-5 year contract and hope he accepts it.
Kovalchuk would be a nice fall back plan than sign R.Nash very cheap to play with Brassard (if stays) on the 3rd line. They know each other well.
- Barnaby36

I don't blame him for not being happy. Taking a reduced role in a contract year.