--------------------------------------------------------
RFA (previous salary cap hit)
UFA (previous salary cap hit)
AHL/PROSPECT
2012-13
--------------------------------------------------------
Kunitz (3.725) Malkin (8.7) Neal (5.0)
Sullivan (1.5) Crosby (8.7) Dupuis (1.5)
Cooke (1.8) Staal (4.0) Tangradi (.850)
Jeffrey (.575) Vitale (.550) Player (##)
McDonald (##)
Street (##)
Forward Salary Cap Totals: 36.9
-Kennedy (2.0) Trade
-Adams (.675) Trade / Waive
-Asham (.775) Contract Expires
-MacIntyre (.6) Contract Expires
-Park (.550) Contract Expires
--------------------------------------------------------
Orpik (3.75) Letang (3.5)
Niskanen (2.5) Michalek (4.0)
Engelland (.567) Despres (.840)
Bortuzzo (##)
Strait (##)
Morrow (##)
Defense Salary Cap Totals: 14.317
-Martin (5.0) Trade
-Lovejoy (5.0) Trade / Waive
--------------------------------------------------------
Fleury (5.0)
Player (##)
Goaltender Salary Cap Totals: 5.0
-Johnson (.6) Contract Expires
--------------------------------------------------------
Current Total: 56.217
Salary Cap: 64.3
Cap Space = 8.083Still need to sign 7th and possibly 8th defenseman, another forward for a depth someone for 3rd-4th line duties or a 2nd line winger cheap, a backup goalie. This is with the cap staying the same. This also shows we should have enough space to sign Letang at 6M, and Staal at 6M-6.5M and still be okay. I think if we use anymore cap space it should be for a mid-priced defenseman at the deadline next year.
--------------------------------------------------------
Forwards
My logic for the Forwards is that we still where scoring 4 goals or more during the stretch of the end of the season and playoffs. I really think the offense is the last of our problems at the moment. Putting blame on Crosby/Malkin for getting "out scored" doesn't sit right with me. How are you going to blame your offense for only scoring 5 goals when the defense/goalie is letting up 8? This is the same offensive core that one a cup + with a 40 goal scorer added. The main concerns however our that at some areas we are under sized, and that we don't have enough scoring talent on the 4th line. You look at a team like Philly and they have Talbot and Read on their 4th line, two 20 goal scorers. I think if you remove Adams, Asham, and Park (what did they have a combined 10 goals all year?) and play Vitale, Jeffery, maybe try out this McDonald RW whose been playing well in the minors as the captain, age 27 I believe. Bylsma doesn't believe in his young players enough in my opinion, I hope this changes. I'm pretty sure that they would put in more goals, and some of them would do just as well on the P.K. Adams has clearly lost a bit and it showed.
I want the team to be bigger. During game 6, 3rd period, there was a shift with Sullivan-Crosby-Kennedy. So 5'11 Sidney gets to play with two 5'8-5'9 guys? Give this guy someone bigger to play with. I say only keep one of Kennedy or Sullivan. Kennedy proved my point again after coming back from injury. He comes back, and in his first 1-2 games always has a 2 goal game. Then he goes completely invisible for 7-8 games at a time. I have to go back and look at the boxscore sometimes because I honestly wonder if he even played some nights he was so invisible. He did this when he first scored 2 goals vs Ottawa in Europe for the opener, then goes invisible again. This is the type of player he is. He needs to go. It's been like this for over 4 years now. He isn't worth 2.0M when hes invisible and undersized.
Its time Tangradi gets a real shot. Not 6 minutes a night on the 4th line with Craig Adams. Tangradi is BETTER playing with BETTER players. He was great, using his size for adding some space when he played with Staal. Maybe keep him with Staal. I saw the line of Kunitz-Crosby-Tangradi 2 preseasons ago in a game vs Toronto. Tangradi was amazing. Sure it was just a preseason game but he was hitting, cycling, being a problem infront of the net. Maybe try him with Crosby, but I hope he doesn't have the Malone effect where he can't keep up. It makes me so upset when people say tangradi doens't produce. Bylsma sticks him with Adams and expects what? For him to put in goals when all Adams can do is dump? Tangradi needs a real chance, and I'd like to see a different coach use him properly. I can't stand Bylsma not giving these younger players a chance. Anyone remember when he just went and checked Kovalchuk at the blue line with a big hit, still had the composure to grab the puck, take it into the zone, and set up a nice goal? He can't do that with Adams all the time. Bylsma is seriously ruining this kid. Not everyone on the team can play this dump-n-chase style. You need some bigger guys around the net. You can't have 4 lines of the same exact stuff Disco.
I think it will be a good idea to sign a 3rd/4th line combo type player for under 1M. However go into the season and see how some of these younger guys do. McDonald seems like he has a lot of character as the WBS captain running 2 years. What else is Tangradi going to do in the minors? He's shown he's a PPG player with top 6 minutes there. Kid needs to play with one of our ***** *****'ed top 3 centers to produce. If he doesn't get top 9 just please trade the kid and watch him put in 30 with some other team. Moulson 2.0 if you let him go. Moulson, PF, put with a playmaking center... These PF's need time at the pro level to adjust and get some consistent minutes on the top line around the net to get their footing right and things like that. Give Tangradi a good 20 games without moving him, then if still no goals? See yah, but I think he will perform. Go into the season with more of these younger guys, see how they do, then at the deadline address what you can if anything is needed. I don't think anyone like Kuhnlhackl, Bennett, Hanowski, Uher, etc are even close to being nhl ready. Probably 2-3 years away for all of them.
People really think we are getting Dustin Brown? It's the biggest pipedream ever. The Kings aren't trading their captain, the guy who was so clutch in taking out the Canucks, for anything less than Staal or Neal. Brown will be re-upped for sure with LAK. People really think we are getting Parise? We don't have the money. Yeah we can have Parise for 6M maybe, but we lose one of Staal or Letang. We have Parise its called Neal, and at probably less money than Parise would cost. Our offense is fine guys. Seriously.
--------------------------------------------------------
Defense
Our defense looked a lot better to me once Martin was gone. I felt he had a waterfall effect on the defensive core. Like, giving an honest judgement of the guy you look at this games in the series and: Couldn't win puck battles, wasn't grabbing open players around the net, wasn't hitting/checking at all, when he would take the puck out he wouldn't get it deep enough, just hit it to their blue line and Flyers would come right down and score while we set up our line change. You look at all that and think well is he the number 6th man? No, he's paid to be a number 1, to give you a calm style of play/good positioning for 20+ minutes a game for 5 Million. He simply doesn't fit this system. Needs to go, even if we don't get anything back. Just get rid of him.
Despres is too good not to be in the NHL next year. Not sure where he should be in the lineup though. Niskanen should be brought back as he has a decent all around game. Some physical-ness, some-offensive talent, at times him and Engelland where our best pairing when you factored in consistentcy. I think he deserves a 2 year deal with a slight raise. As far as Orpik goes, I know he wasn't the same this year. However he still deserves an offseason to try and get into better shape or do whatever he needs to do, and then another whole season with the team. If he is still the same for next playoffs/just terribad during the regular season then try to move him if you can, however right now I say give him another year. For Michalek I thought he looked so much better once Martin was gone. Michalek might not be worth the 4 Million but he's way closer to value than Martin is to his 5 Million. Michalek was at least checking/getting back to his shot blocking. It's still all there, just need to find this guy a consistent line mate and keep them together.
Now it great really interesting when you talk about after the top 6. I think Lovejoy showed why he's not able to play in the majors. He was just so dreadful vs the 40 year old in Jagr. Jagr scored that goal on Lovejoy, and Lovejoy's stick was above Jagr's head, and Lovejoy tried to block Jagr's turn around shot with his skate. It was so embarassingly bad. He will never be more than a number 7 with this current team and Strait/Bortuzzo both have higher upside. Lovejoy gets traded for a late rounder/waived and picked up by some team like Minnesota or the Islanders or something. I'm not sure whats going to happen with Strait/Bortuzzo. They have to make the team or clear waivers to go back to the minors. I think Bortuzzo is younger/bigger. However Strait could be a model of Scuderi on the bottom pairing. It's a really tough call, I guess whoever looks better going into the season is the number 7.
I'd say you roll with this defense going into the season see how it goes and make a trade if needed. We aren't getting Weber, we aren't getting Suter. Sarich was an interesting idea. Remember we need money for Staal and Letang raises soon. We can't afford another 6M dollar defenseman. I feel like Defense was our biggest problem but team defense/system needs to change. We looked the best in games 4 & 5 when our offense stayed back longer. We didn't cheat up. Then in game 6 when we were down we started doing it again. Fix the defense/defensive system and you'll see better all around team results.
--------------------------------------------------------
Goaltending
Fleury was bad in these playoffs. I think he showed a lot of mental fatigue. His best games were 4 & 5 after he had 3 days to rest. I think that stretch when BJ was hurt and Theissen was just awful really hurt MAF in how much we had to use him up. It's like he's been playing playoff hockey for a lot longer. Lets get real we aren't trading him. He was sick in 2009, guess what? Our defense hasn't been as good since then. We spent 9M for Martin/Michalek when Scuderi/Gill cost less and out performed them in multiple playoffs since then too. We have to get our defense better for MAF. He let in some really terrible goals but I think he will turn it around if we can get a backup to take 25 regular season games. I like the Ellis idea, maybe that Sanford from the BJ's. I don't know. Just not Theissen please. At 28 or whatever he is, his glove is insanely slow. He's a great nice person but just not NHL caliber. We just need a backup that can keep MAF sharp and make him realize his job might be at jeopardy if he doesn't perform. He didnt have that at all this year.
--------------------------------------------------------
Coaching
Really would be interested in hearing more about this Hartley guy, I kind of want Bylsma gone. Disco, great coach, just not great for this team anymore. I can only imagine how many times they've heard "get to our game"

. P.K. Coaching was so bad this year. How can we not get someone to find a way to use Malkin, Crosby, and Neal on the same PP? It's unreal. Someone mentioned Tocchet for a change of pace. Could be interesting.
I know Disco is coming back and I guess he deserves another chance. It's such a shame was talking to the old man and he said you know when Badger Bob was the coach and something happened like this he wouldn't just stand around like Bylsma and keep his arms crossed. He would be writing stuff down on a notepad, then all the time the Pens would come out in the 2nd period and score right away. Disco seemed so lost after some of these post games. I didn't see any changes until after game 3 when we were too deep. He didn't call timeouts at any good times, it didn't make sense in game 2. Then he used it with 30 seconds left and down 2? Joke or ? I really think Mario and or Shero stepped in after game 3 and said this is whats going to happen...
Bylsma on hot seat next year. I'm fine with him having another year but we really need to atleast go deep into the 2nd round next year and not lose to another lower ranked seed again.
--------------------------------------------------------
Thanks for making this thread again NPV, I was waiting for it since the 0-3 10 days ago lol.