Nash, Parise, Suter, or Weber

[lemieuxReturns]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nhl--zach-parise--ryan-suter-and-the-pittsburgh-penguins--imagine-the-possibilities.html

good article on suter and parise and the pens.

[Bioshock]

You have to take care of your captain.

-He has taken less to get weapons for the team
-You got Malkin his winger
-You Spent on the blue line

When is it gonna be Crosby's turn? When will Shero take care of the man who is essentially his meal ticket? If not now, when will you ever get the winger for Crosby? I would rather get Parise at 8 or 9 million and let the young guys who are coming up, take care of the defense. These guys are studs and can handle it.

Having a disgruntled Crosby will be far worse than having a hole on the blue line, i can tell ya that much.

[KG]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nhl--zach-parise--ryan-suter-and-the-pittsburgh-penguins--imagine-the-possibilities.html

good article on suter and parise and the pens.

Good article....Don't have to sell me..I'm in!

[Pens15]

You have to take care of your captain.

-He has taken less to get weapons for the team
-You got Malkin his winger
-You Spent on the blue line

When is it gonna be Crosby's turn? When will Shero take care of the man who is essentially his meal ticket? If not now, when will you ever get the winger for Crosby? I would rather get Parise at 8 or 9 million and let the young guys who are coming up, take care of the defense. These guys are studs and can handle it.

Having a disgruntled Crosby will be far worse than having a hole on the blue line, i can tell ya that much.

I basically agree, although it should be pointed out that Neal wasn't acquired for Malkin. In fact, he was acquired for Crosby. Just so happened that he and Malkin kicked so much ass in Crosby's absence that they are now terribly reluctant to break them up.

[brwi]

You have to take care of your captain.

-He has taken less to get weapons for the team
-You got Malkin his winger
-You Spent on the blue line

When is it gonna be Crosby's turn? When will Shero take care of the man who is essentially his meal ticket? If not now, when will you ever get the winger for Crosby? I would rather get Parise at 8 or 9 million and let the young guys who are coming up, take care of the defense. These guys are studs and can handle it.

Having a disgruntled Crosby will be far worse than having a hole on the blue line, i can tell ya that much.

I basically agree, although it should be pointed out that Neal wasn't acquired for Malkin. In fact, he was acquired for Crosby. Just so happened that he and Malkin kicked so much ass in Crosby's absence that they are now terribly reluctant to break them up.

I think it had more to do with the fact that when Sid is healthy, it's going to be Kunitz-Sid-Dupuis usually as the #1 line, and I don't think Neal was acquired to go on Crosby's wing in the first place. When Neal was traded for, the big drop-off was on Malkin's line as they were trying insert-your-Kennedy-or-Cooke here as a winger and that was holding Malkin back. Sykora was gone, Satan had busted out big time on either Sid or Malkin's line....Neal also plays a game that is more suited to having Malkin at center than Sid.

It's pretty simple: if you're going to play with 87, you had better be able to REALLY skate all night long. Dupuis can handle that no problem because he's a helluva skater. Hossa is another guy who is a great skater and did well with Sid. The fact that Hossa is also a guy who creates his own offense without relying 100% on an excellent playmaking center didn't hurt either. Kunitz can manage it OK, better than someone like Ryan Malone who whined about the tempo. Neal? He's right where he should be.

[lemieuxReturns]

I really think parise is exactly the winger Sid needs. Hossa was awesome but parise is even better. The guy is tenacious all game.

[SolidSnake]

As ever, Glen Sather and NYR will be in the mix

Larry Brooks ‏@NYP_Brooksie
Sather today: "I think we're going to be fairly aggressive in free agent market."

At least we know that NYR is one team Parise won't go too.

[pens2005]

How is Nash considered a UFA if he still has 6 years remaining on his contract? Totally confused on this one.

[Pens15]

As ever, Glen Sather and NYR will be in the mix

Larry Brooks ‏@NYP_Brooksie
Sather today: "I think we're going to be fairly aggressive in free agent market."

At least we know that NYR is one team Parise won't go too.

I wouldn't necessarily rule them out just based on Parise's comment. If they want to make a bid on July 1, I'm sure Parise isn't going to tell them to get lost.

[Kovy27]

I think Suter and Parise are possible, if you move Martin...

CAPGEEK.COM USER GENERATED ROSTER
My Custom Lineup
FORWARDS
James Neal ($5.000m) / Evgeni Malkin ($8.700m) / Chris Kunitz ($3.725m)
Zach Parise ($7.500m) / Sidney Crosby ($8.700m) / Pascal Dupuis ($1.500m)
Matt Cooke ($1.800m) / Brandon Sutter ($2.067m) / Tyler Kennedy ($2.000m)
Dustin Jeffrey ($0.575m) / Craig Adams ($0.675m) / Jordin Tootoo ($1.250m)
Eric Tangradi ($0.726m) / Joe Vitale ($0.550m) /
DEFENSEMEN
Kris Letang ($3.500m) / Ryan Suter ($5.500m)
Matt Niskanen ($2.500m) / Brooks Orpik ($3.750m)
Deryk Engelland ($0.567m) / Simon Despres ($0.840m)
Ben Lovejoy ($0.525m) /
GOALTENDERS
Marc-Andre Fleury ($5.000m)
Tomas Vokoun ($2.000m)
------
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $70,300,000; CAP PAYROLL: $68,949,333; BONUSES: $0
CAP SPACE (23-man roster): $1,350,667

[mikey287]

Ryan Suter hometown discount? Are we the Madison Penguins? I'm all for it, but I think that's a bargain basement price for him...

[Kovy27]

Ryan Suter hometown discount? Are we the Madison Penguins? I'm all for it, but I think that's a bargain basement price for him...

You think he's going to get 8 mill? I really don't think he's going to get that....could be wrong.

[mikey287]

Ryan Suter hometown discount? Are we the Madison Penguins? I'm all for it, but I think that's a bargain basement price for him...

You think he's going to get 8 mill? I really don't think he's going to get that....could be wrong.

Meh, maybe not 8. But given the limited amount of free agent defenseman that one could classify as top pairing...I'll list the rest of them here:

Spoiler:

There they are:

I'd find it odd if he couldn't at least push the $6.5M area. Unfair to say he won't get into Bouwmeester territory?

[Pens15]

I think Suter could get 8 from Detroit, because with the retirement of LIdstrom, they have a great need, and they have the room to overpay for him. That's why I'd still say they are the heavy favorites to land him. They'll pay whatever it takes.

[mikey287]

The "Lidstrom" cap is officially off in Detroit. Nervous sweat from Illitch...

[PensOnDVD]

Crosby got Hossa.

Crosby got Kunitz.

Crosby got Guerin.

If Crosby wasn't hurt to start last season, he would have gotten Neal too.

Malkin got Neal because Sid wasn't there. Even after they got Neal last season it was always with the hope that he would play with a returning Sid.

[pugilist13]

July 1st 12:05 PM

Zach Parise signs multi year contract with Pittsburgh Penguins.

Ryan Suter signs multi year contract with Detroit Red Wings.

[mikey287]

More like July 2nd 4:28 PM

Bryan Allen signs 2 year deal with Penguins
Guillaume Latendresse signs 1 year deal with Penguins
Brad Winchester agrees to 2-year deal with Pens

4:29 PM

The first fire Shero thread of the offseason is started.

[bhaw]

July 1st 12:05 PM

Zach Parise signs multi year contract with Pittsburgh Penguins.

Ryan Suter signs multi year contract with Detroit Red Wings.

I feel like this is the most likely scenario if either of them are coming our way. As bad as our D was vs Philly, it wasn't as much a personnel issue as a systematic issue. Well, probably equally both, but if the entire team doesn't melt down and forget where they are and what they are doing, you don't have everyone wanting to gut the entire D.

I think we go into the season with Martin on the team and see how he recovers unless Shero gets an overwhelming offer for him AND can sign another major dman. Shero values defense too much to go into the season with his pants down on the blue line.

[Pavel Bure]

More like July 2nd 4:28 PM

Bryan Allen signs 2 year deal with Penguins
Guillaume Latendresse signs 1 year deal with Penguins
Brad Winchester agrees to 2-year deal with Pens

4:29 PM

The first fire Shero thread of the offseason is started.

I guess Cory Sarich signed the day before that.

[Pavel Bure]

July 1st 12:05 PM

Zach Parise signs multi year contract with Pittsburgh Penguins.

Ryan Suter signs multi year contract with Detroit Red Wings.

I feel like this is the most likely scenario if either of them are coming our way. As bad as our D was vs Philly, it wasn't as much a personnel issue as a systematic issue. Well, probably equally both, but if the entire team doesn't melt down and forget where they are and what they are doing, you don't have everyone wanting to gut the entire D.

I think we go into the season with Martin on the team and see how he recovers unless Shero gets an overwhelming offer for him AND can sign another major dman. Shero values defense too much to go into the season with his pants down on the blue line.

Think Martin/Suter pairing would be told to go out and minimize chances while Orpik/Letang can freewheel going for offense and hits?

[mikey287]

More like July 2nd 4:28 PM

Bryan Allen signs 2 year deal with Penguins
Guillaume Latendresse signs 1 year deal with Penguins
Brad Winchester agrees to 2-year deal with Pens

4:29 PM

The first fire Shero thread of the offseason is started.

I guess Cory Sarich signed the day before that.

Nope, RS just didn't want a righty...

[bhaw]

I just think the deck is too stacked against getting Suter.

1. he wants to be out West
2. it sounds like he's going to give Nashville the opportunity to match if they want
3. the Wings have a ton of money and need to replace the best defenseman most of us will ever see
4. the Pens need a winger just to fill out the roster while they have a surplus of NHL defensemen
5. we just got burned trying to go this route with Martin and Michalek

[cerp66]

Hands down Parise....and that's who it WILL be.

[winger]

Has anyone even explored the difficult situation of Parise and Dupuis both wearing # 9? I'm sure it is a sticking point with the agent.