'12-'13 Opening Day Roster Wish List

[bwyant32]

Using CapGeek, lets have a little fun....


I would love for both Michalek and Martin to be gone next year.... heres what I wouldn't mind seeing in SEPT:

FORWARDS
James Neal ($5.000m) / Evgeni Malkin ($8.700m) / Chris Kunitz ($3.725m)
Steve Sullivan ($1.750m) / Sidney Crosby ($8.700m) / Jordan Staal ($4.000m)
Matt Cooke ($1.800m) / Joe Vitale ($0.550m) / Tyler Kennedy ($2.000m)
Pascal Dupuis ($1.500m) / Jesse Winchester ($0.850m) / Craig Adams ($0.675m)
Dustin Jeffrey ($0.575m) /
DEFENSEMEN
Brooks Orpik ($3.750m) / Kris Letang ($3.500m)
Matt Niskanen ($2.250m) / Barret Jackman ($4.250m)
Deryk Engelland ($0.567m) / Simon Despres ($0.840m)
Brian Strait ($0.900m) / Ben Lovejoy ($0.525m)
GOALTENDERS
Marc-Andre Fleury ($5.000m)
Johan Hedberg ($1.750m)
------
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $64,300,000; CAP PAYROLL: $63,156,667; BONUSES: $0
CAP SPACE (23-man roster): $1,143,333

[shafnutz05]

Dupuis on the fourth line?

[sil]

so Jackman and Orpik would be two guys who would rather hit than play positional defense...and Vitale is our 3rd center, so suddenly we're a two line scoring team with two bottom lines. yeah, I personally see this as a big step in the wrong direction.

[ffemtreed]

Vitale is a perfect 4th line center, not 3rd.

[DontToewsMeBro]

please no Adams. please.

[sil]

alright...here's two polar options...players only (so no coaching change suggestions)

the conservative route...

re-sign Sullivan @1.5M, trade Niskanen at the draft for a higher pick/prospect, re-sign Strait and Tangradi (RFA's), sign Harding to back up MAF, replace Asham, and send Lovejoy into a volcano...

Kunitz (3.725M) | Malkin (8.7M) | Neal (5M)
Sullivan (1.5M) | Crosby (8.7M) | Dupuis (1.5M)
Cooke (1.8M) | Staal (4M) | Kennedy (2M)
Tangradi (.7M) | Vitale (.55M) | UFA (.75M)
x Adams (.675M)

Martin (5M) | Letang (3.5M)
Michalek (4M) | Orpik (3.75M)
Despres (.84M) | Engellend (.567M)
x Strait (.6M)

Fleury (5M)
Harding (1M)

= $63,856,667 (cap = $64,500,000) = $643,333 in cap space


or the let's blow it all up route!...and PLEASE bear with me...this is just for the hell of it...

Trade #1
STL gets Malkin, Strait and some pick
PIT gets Oshie, Peitrangelo, and Schwartz

Trade #2
WPG gets Orpik and Kennedy
PIT gets Wheeler and some pick

Trade #3
COL gets Paul Martin (if COL isn't on his "list")
PIT gets a high draft pick in 2013 or 2014

UFA's | sign Suter (6 years, $35,000,000), Kelly (2 years, $7,000,000), Benier (1 year, $1,100,000), and Harding (2 years, $2,000,000).

RFA's | sign Oshie (4 years, $13,000,000), Niskanen (2 years, $3,600,000), and Tangradi (2 years, $1,500,000).

Neal (5M) | Crosby (8.7M) | Oshie ($3.25M)
Kunitz (3.725M) | Staal (4M) | Wheeler (2.55M)
Cooke (1.8M) | Kelly (3.5M) | Dupuis (1.5M)
Tangradi (.75M) | Vitale (.55M) | Bernier (1.1M)
x Jeffrey (.575M)
x Park (.6M)

Suter (5.834M) | Letang (3.5M)
Michalek (4M) | Pietrangelo (3.167M)
Despres (.84M) | Niskanen (1.8M)
x Engellend (.567M)

Fleury (5M)
Harding (1M)

= $63,306,667 (cap = $64,500,000) = $1,193,333 in cap space (even with 23 on the roster).

[MRandall25]

Harding isn't going to sign here for $1 mil... He could be a starter on at least 10 teams.

[SolidSnake]

New coach

[DelPen]

Sullivan won't be resigned unfortunately as he's not a 3rd line player. neither is kennedy really but he's on the hook for another $2 million.

Lovejoy may end up in WBS or traded. Despres lock to be in top 6, most likely 3rd pairing with Engelled, Strait or Burtuzzo. We are going to lose one of them on wiavers.

Niskanen gone unlsess Martin or Michalek is moved.

Staal needs to move to top 6 wing. Dupuis proved he can be top 6 this year.

All we really need then is a backup goalie and a 3rd line center if Jeffrey or Vitale is not the answer.
And a new coach.

[Mr. Colby]

Sil's conservative approach is the likeliest of scenarios, minus the line combos.

Pens need to make phone calls to UFA's Jarret Stoll, Sami Pahlsson, Chris Kelly, Paul Gaustad, Jim Slater, Travis Moen, Ryan Smyth, Ray Whitney, Teemu Selanne, David Jones

Let Asham and Sullivan (only 2 UFA's) go. Oh and Park.

[lemieuxReturns]

Orpik / Letang
Niski / Jurcina
Engel / Despres
Strait / Campoli

Fleury / Raycroft / or Conklin


Neal / Malkin / Kunitz
Duper / Crosby / Boyes
Vitale / Staal / TK
Moen / Moore / TooToo

[Pavel Bure]

I'd like somehow to get one of Barret Jackman, Brad Stuart, or Cory Sarich here.

[iceolater]

Neil/Malkin/Staal
Sullivan/Crosby/#1 pick from Draft via Trade with for a solid winger for Orpik and our #1 pick
Dupuis/Kennedy/Cook
Tangradi/Vitale/Asham

Letang/Weber
Suter/Nisky
Depres/England

Fleury
FA

[Pitts]

New coach

[Pitts]

Pens need to make phone calls to UFA's Jarret Stoll, Paul Gaustad, David Jones

All three are very welcome IMO. They could get rid of anyone outside the top 6 (do not expect Sully back), minus Staal (move into top 6) to make it happen.

[Pavel Bure]

Pens need to make phone calls to UFA's Jarret Stoll, Paul Gaustad, David Jones

All three are very welcome IMO. They could get rid of anyone outside the top 6 (do not expect Sully back), minus Staal (move into top 6) to make it happen.

I would absolutely be open to bringing back Sully at the right price. He was huge in making that PP roll. Those guys mentioned above though I would welcome with open arms for sure, this team needs to get back to Shero's mantra of being hard to play against because they would grind you down.

[Pitts]

Pens need to make phone calls to UFA's Jarret Stoll, Paul Gaustad, David Jones

All three are very welcome IMO. They could get rid of anyone outside the top 6 (do not expect Sully back), minus Staal (move into top 6) to make it happen.

I would absolutely be open to bringing back Sully at the right price. He was huge in making that PP roll. Those guys mentioned above though I would welcome with open arms for sure, this team needs to get back to Shero's mantra of being hard to play against because they would grind you down.

Stoll and Gaustad would add grit and defensive awareness, not to mention faceoffs! Jones should provide more goal scoring from the lower lines, or fit into the top 6 if need be.

[joker10277]

Ok, here's the total fantasy version that took about 3 minutes, no idea if the salary numbers work


Neal/crosby/duper
kunitz/staal/Brown
Moen/Gaustad/Kennedy
Tootoo/Vitale/Adams

Dougherty/Michalik
Orpik/Letang
Strait/Engeland
Despres

Fluery, Bernier

Sign Gaustad (2.75),Moen (1.5) and Tootoo (1.4) as UFA's
Trade cooke for a draft Pick
Trade Lovejoy for a pick(I'm looking at you Chuck Fletcher)
Trade Malkin, Martin, prospect to LA for Doughtery, D.Brown and J. Bernier (yes, the trade that never goes away!)

[Great58]

Pens need to make phone calls to UFA's Jarret Stoll, Paul Gaustad, David Jones

All three are very welcome IMO. They could get rid of anyone outside the top 6 (do not expect Sully back), minus Staal (move into top 6) to make it happen.

I would absolutely be open to bringing back Sully at the right price. He was huge in making that PP roll. Those guys mentioned above though I would welcome with open arms for sure, this team needs to get back to Shero's mantra of being hard to play against because they would grind you down.

I see this as the reason that Sullivan is gone. They need bigger, grittier wings. While Sullivan played well in his role, he doesnt have the size to make them a tougher team to play against, and frankly the PP had too many people on it by seasons end. They can afford to lose Sullivan.

[Pavel Bure]

I see this as the reason that Sullivan is gone. They need bigger, grittier wings. While Sullivan played well in his role, he doesnt have the size to make them a tougher team to play against, and frankly the PP had too many people on it by seasons end. They can afford to lose Sullivan.

Gaustad wouldn't be playing on the top lines. Unless they're moving Staal to the top 6 Gaustad wouldn't really have a place on the team as currently constructed. The top 2 lines don't have the problem of grit, the bottom 6 does.

[Rylan]

Ok, here's the total fantasy version that took about 3 minutes, no idea if the salary numbers work


Neal/crosby/duper
kunitz/staal/Brown
Moen/Gaustad/Kennedy
Tootoo/Vitale/Adams

Dougherty/Michalik
Orpik/Letang
Strait/Engeland
Despres

Fluery, Bernier

Sign Gaustad (2.75),Moen (1.5) and Tootoo (1.4) as UFA's
Trade cooke for a draft Pick
Trade Lovejoy for a pick(I'm looking at you Chuck Fletcher)
Trade Malkin, Martin, prospect to LA for Doughtery, D.Brown and J. Bernier (yes, the trade that never goes away!)

Holy Pittsburgh Overpayment Batman.

[PhantomJB93]

Not sure I see Sullivan back if Staal (assuming rumors are true) dissatisfied as a 3rd line center. Dupuis earned his right to be a top 6. I would think we see:

Kunitz-Malkin-Neal
Staal-Crosby-Dupuis
Cooke-Vitale-Kennedy
Adams-FA-Tangradi

As for defense, I think you have to dump Martin. I'd keep Michalek around because I actually thought he played very well in 2010-11 and I'm willing to give him one more chance because of that. Niskanen MUST be signed somehow to a longer deal. I like Orpik as much as anyone but if Shero could move him in someway to benefit the team and bring a better defensive Dman in, I wouldn't be opposed. Point is I'd like to see one more RELIABLE top-4 Dman brought in I guess if possible, but I don't know how we'd go about doing that.

[Staggy]

I'd like to see us trade Martin and sign Suter.

[Pavel Bure]

I'd like to see us trade Martin and sign Suter.

This also doesn't seem like a good plan. You sign Suter or Weber (however unlikely) and Letang almost surely walks when his next contract is due because the Pens won't be able to afford him. I may be OK with that if the guy is Weber but not if it's Suter.

[Staggy]

I'd like to see us trade Martin and sign Suter.

This also doesn't seem like a good plan. You sign Suter or Weber (however unlikely) and Letang almost surely walks when his next contract is due because the Pens won't be able to afford him. I may be OK with that if the guy is Weber but not if it's Suter.

I think the more likely casualty would be Staal if we were to get either Suter or Weber.