Ongoing NHL thread - Part deux

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Getting rid of Malkin will do a lot more than "slightly weaken" the forwards.

I don't understand this argument. Most teams would kill to have a franchise player. You have two, and you want to get rid of one of them? You can improve the supporting cast without moving Malkin to do it. You need strength and depth down the middle to win in this league.

The other side to the coin here is if the salary cap were still jumping big time every season, Malkin's deal is a steal for a player of his calibre. With it stagnating, it's a much tougher balancing act.

 

[Cobiemonster]

The other side to the coin here is if the salary cap were still jumping big time every season, Malkin's deal is a steal for a player of his calibre. With it stagnating, it's a much tougher balancing act.

IF the cap is at 71 million or so for next season at it was reported yesterday, then that should help the Penguins a bit, but it's one of those things where it could always fluctuate year after year

The problem is that they're paying guys like Kunitz $$$ when he's not producing up to his capabilities - the Crosby's and Malkin's of the world are definitely deserving of their $$$ but the rest of the players you better be paying the right amount of $$$ or those are the players that will hurt your cap, not 87 and 71

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

IF the cap is at 71 million or so for next season at it was reported yesterday, then that should help the Penguins a bit, but it's one of those things where it could always fluctuate year after year

The problem is that they're paying guys like Kunitz $$$ when he's not producing up to his capabilities - the Crosby's and Malkin's of the world are definitely deserving of their $$$ but the rest of the players you better be paying the right amount of $$$ or those are the players that will hurt your cap, not 87 and 71

Exactly. Chicago's going to be in dire straits for a few years because of guys like Hossa and Crawford taking up space they'll need desperately with the big two contracts.

 

[Cobiemonster]

Exactly. Chicago's going to be in dire straits for a few years because of guys like Hossa and Crawford taking up space they'll need desperately with the big two contracts.

That's also why they're going to end up moving Patrick Sharp and unfortunately there's even a chance that they eventually move on from Brent Seabrook too, although that's probably a last resort

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

That's also why they're going to end up moving Patrick Sharp and unfortunately there's even a chance that they eventually move on from Brent Seabrook too, although that's probably a last resort

That would be unfortunate for them, but may be necessary. He'll be 31 next summer - if they pen him to a 7 year extension there's as good a chance as any they'll (or whoever signs him) be paying a high price for a declining d-man a la Boston. Could be for the best.

 

[DragonfromTO]

The other side to the coin here is if the salary cap were still jumping big time every season, Malkin's deal is a steal for a player of his calibre. With it stagnating, it's a much tougher balancing act.

You mentioned Chicago above. Kane and Toews recently signed for significantly more money than Malkin and I'd choose Malkin over either. It's still a perfectly good and fair contract even with the cap where it is.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

You mentioned Chicago above. Kane and Toews recently signed for significantly more money than Malkin and I'd choose Malkin over either. It's still a perfectly good and fair contract even with the cap where it is.

Nobody's arguing the fairness of the contracts, simply pointing out how it is difficult to add pieces when a good chunk is taken up by two players.

And I would take both those players over Geno. Kane likely would've won the Art Ross this season were it not for the injury, and Geno hasn't been good enough nor healthy enough to get in on that in years (and he gets the benefit of not facing the best opposition defenders). Also, his playoff score line this year isn't something he'll be clipping for the scrap book.

 

[evolver115]

This is Chicago's last hurrah enjoying the benefits of paying a 12.6 cap hit for Toews and Kane. They are going to find out what it is like to have two franchise talents playing under contracts that are in the top 1% of the league, like the Pens have been dealing with for a few seasons now. It changes everything. Saad is a RFA in July. Like cobie mentioned, there is a strong likelihood that Sharp and/or Seabrook are playing their last games as Hawks this post-season. Welcome to reality Chicago.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

This seems like a good opportunity to KILL THE CAP!

 

[dash]

This seems like a good opportunity to KILL THE CAP!

But we have to save those poor owners from themselves, BBB...

 

[Hank Kingsley]

This seems like a good opportunity to KILL THE CAP!

Hey now!!!

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

But we have to save those poor owners from themselves, BBB...

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Hey now!!!

You're too slow to the jump.

 

[pixburgher66]

The Malkin/Crosby experiment is a failure. Penguins need to convert Malkin into 2-3 stud players with a trade, instead of putting all their cap room on two players that play the same position. Upgrade the Goalie and Defense and slightly weaken the forwards.

Let me know when your "experiment" results in a Cup. Yes, I know it was 6 years ago. But those two were instrumental in it. Crikey.

Getting rid of Malkin will do a lot more than "slightly weaken" the forwards.

I don't understand this argument. Most teams would kill to have a franchise player. You have two, and you want to get rid of one of them? You can improve the supporting cast without moving Malkin to do it. You need strength and depth down the middle to win in this league.

Pittsburghers are fickle and spoiled fans. We've had four all world talents. Since 1984 they've had at least one top 3 player in the league on their roster. Therefore we undervalue them because we think they grow on effing trees.

 

[DragonfromTO]

This is Chicago's last hurrah enjoying the benefits of paying a 12.6 cap hit for Toews and Kane. They are going to find out what it is like to have two franchise talents playing under contracts that are in the top 1% of the league, like the Pens have been dealing with for a few seasons now. It changes everything. Saad is a RFA in July. Like cobie mentioned, there is a strong likelihood that Sharp and/or Seabrook are playing their last games as Hawks this post-season. Welcome to reality Chicago.

Of course they'd have an extra $3 million if they were paying those guys at Crosby/Malkin levels

 

[pixburgher66]

Nobody's arguing the fairness of the contracts, simply pointing out how it is difficult to add pieces when a good chunk is taken up by two players.

And I would take both those players over Geno. Kane likely would've won the Art Ross this season were it not for the injury, and Geno hasn't been good enough nor healthy enough to get in on that in years (and he gets the benefit of not facing the best opposition defenders). Also, his playoff score line this year isn't something he'll be clipping for the scrap book.

If we ignore cost, I'd take Kane-Geno-Toews (his hugging abilities don't quite put him over those guys), but with Geno costing less...I'd take him.

Crazy thing is the Pens could've had Toews too. At the cost of Staal, but makes you wonder what that would've looked like. Also wouldn't have kept them all.

 

[evolver115]

Of course they'd have an extra $3 million if they were paying those guys at Crosby/Malkin levels

The Pens lucked out by getting Sid's deal done before the league closed that loophole for front loading contracts. Thank goodness they did. He's making I think 12 million in salary right now, but only counts as a 8.7 million dollar hit.

 

[DragonfromTO]

Nobody's arguing the fairness of the contracts, simply pointing out how it is difficult to add pieces when a good chunk is taken up by two players.

And I would take both those players over Geno. Kane likely would've won the Art Ross this season were it not for the injury, and Geno hasn't been good enough nor healthy enough to get in on that in years (and he gets the benefit of not facing the best opposition defenders). Also, his playoff score line this year isn't something he'll be clipping for the scrap book.

So it sounds to me like Kane "wasn't healthy enough to get in on that" either then?

I find it a little odd that you do the "right" thing by not writing Kessel off because of a single subpar season but then want to bring up a single playoff series (where he was almost certainly playing hurt) against Malkin. The guy who is 2nd among active players in playoff points per game.

 

[forty_three]

Pittsburghers are fickle and spoiled fans. We've had four all world talents. Since 1984 they've had at least one top 3 player in the league on their roster. Therefore we undervalue them because we think they grow on effing trees.

They don't grow on trees, you just need a draft or two fixed.

 

[Nasty_Magician]

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