Official 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs Discussion Thread

[Brutus1]

Malkin is going to break the bank with his next contract. There's no way Pittsburgh is keeping him....

Nah, you're wrong. He's going no where.

 

[Mike80]

Nah, you're wrong. He's going no where.

Sure thing....

Actually I see Pittsburgh doing something similar to what the Wings have done...namely....they have their superstar and the franchise is buoyant again. Now they'll build up the minors and acquire not quite as pricey but solid free agents.

Pittsburgh's real issue is that the only true solid top 4 defenseman they have is Gonchar. They'll need to either develop another one or sign one and that will cost too.

Top 4 defensemen are at a premium right now in the NHL.

 

[Mike80]

yup and staal is 52%, sid 49 and malkin 41.4 during the playoffss...

All 3 will have to go much better against the Wings or they'll be chasing all series long.

When other teams chase Detroit it plays right into Detroit's system.

 

[Brutus1]

Sure thing....

Actually I see Pittsburgh doing something similar to what the Wings have done...namely....they have their superstar and the franchise is buoyant again. Now they'll build up the minors and acquire not quite as pricey but solid free agents.

Pittsburgh's real issue is that the only true solid top 4 defenseman they have is Gonchar. They'll need to either develop another one or sign one and that will cost too.

Top 4 defensemen are at a premium right now in the NHL.

True, but the strength of their minor league system is on the blueline. Whitney, Letang on the big club, with Goligoski, Sneep and Strait nearly ready to play. IMO, Letang will pass Whitney. I love his solid 2 way play.

 

[daveeb]

Malkin is going to break the bank with his next contract. There's no way Pittsburgh is keeping him....

Wrong. He is going no where. If he gets offered 8.7mil a year, he will stay.

Malone could get a hometown discount. He hasn't been that consistent over the last few years. And, he loves playing in Pittsburgh.

Frankly, the Pens, in their limited financial situation of the 90s (Which was even harder than having a cap), had Lemieux, Jagr, Francis, and Barasso the whole way.

I could see the Pens keeping Crosby, Malkin, Staal, Fleury, Whitney, and Letang. As long as they keep the 3 centers, the goalie, and two defenseman, they will always be able to build around that, period.

Khabibulin, after finally getting something resembling, but not truly, a defense to help him out, posted a 2.63 GAA this year. Tampa still had a terrible goaltending unit. Khabibulin on Tampa Bay's squad woulda posted a 2.4-2.5 GAA. They should have held onto him somehow.

 

[jimotis4heisman]

Yea, with regard to Malone, maybe Phoenix makes him an offer.

I'm expecting the Pens to try to get extensions done with Malkin and Staal before they are actually rfa's. I'm not sure when they can approach them about extending, but I'm sure they'll try to do it like they did with Crosby.

They certainly would be worth much more on the open market, but I think a realistic number, for an extension would be around 8.5M for Malkin and 4.5 for Staal. Do you think I'm way off on those numbers, JO? The contract length for both is a question. Maybe 4yr 18M for Staal, making him an ufa when he's 25. I'm thinking Geno will be in Sid's neighborhood in money and length, say 5yr/43.5M. I could be way off on the numbers, but I think I'm fairly close. Sid took less for a reason and I think that reason was that so Shero could keep the core players.

I don't anticipate re-signing MAF to be a problem.

i do not know what kind of hometown discount theyd get.

other thoughts-do you lock sid up past 12/13 with a ricky d type deal?

i guess that brings up the oilers comments not the 2000s oilers but the 80s oilers. this team could put it together for some runs trade a key piece or two and still have a couple of good years like oilers and their cup after gretz left.

or maybe like the nordiques if offer sheets are out their. the price tag is steep, though not scott stevens steep. still offer sheets could build crazy long term depth for the franchise.

Malkin is going to break the bank with his next contract. There's no way Pittsburgh is keeping him....

hes a 10m type player. many outside of pitt covet him more than sid as a player

I can't give them too much credit. Sid, Geno and MAF were no brainers. Malkin was the consolation prize in the AO sweepstakes. He's turned out to be ok.

I'll give them credit on Staal, because after Johnson, there was no clear #2 and Staal was possibly considered the most raw of the next few prospects. Had Eric not scored 100 points the year before, I'm no so sure the Pens would have drafted Jordan. He's been amazing and has played well above expectations since he arrived at his first camp.


My bottom line thinking is that they spend the money building around the three centers. Every one of them are developing into great players on both ends of the ice.

they still hit on everyone of those guys. look at the other guys and look at how many top 10 picks dont work out.

i just wonder if you can have three centers who make 9, 9 and 5m each. thats 23 of maybe 60m iin future payroll. toss in a young now experience goalie, likely the most sought after in maf (the other big rfa is pazzy who has been injury prone and you have carey price as another young rookie) and their is always a nice market for netminders, they dont grow on trees.

 

[jimotis4heisman]

Nah, you're wrong. He's going no where.

honestly i hope not. if he does go that is fine, you just have to find a way to get value in return. letting this young core walk would be the worst case scenario. loosing them in a trade or to offer sheets isnt that bad of a deal honestly...

Sure thing....

Actually I see Pittsburgh doing something similar to what the Wings have done...namely....they have their superstar and the franchise is buoyant again. Now they'll build up the minors and acquire not quite as pricey but solid free agents.

Pittsburgh's real issue is that the only true solid top 4 defenseman they have is Gonchar. They'll need to either develop another one or sign one and that will cost too.

Top 4 defensemen are at a premium right now in the NHL.

everyone wants top 4 dmen, this summer the premium dmen on the market will be the puck movers

All 3 will have to go much better against the Wings or they'll be chasing all series long.

When other teams chase Detroit it plays right into Detroit's system.

if the wings spread you out theyll tick tack toe you and bury their chances. one of the best poession teams in the league and their poession is not based on cycling the puck in deep...

Wrong. He is going no where. If he gets offered 8.7mil a year, he will stay.

Malone could get a hometown discount. He hasn't been that consistent over the last few years. And, he loves playing in Pittsburgh.

Frankly, the Pens, in their limited financial situation of the 90s (Which was even harder than having a cap), had Lemieux, Jagr, Francis, and Barasso the whole way.

I could see the Pens keeping Crosby, Malkin, Staal, Fleury, Whitney, and Letang. As long as they keep the 3 centers, the goalie, and two defenseman, they will always be able to build around that, period.

Khabibulin, after finally getting something resembling, but not truly, a defense to help him out, posted a 2.63 GAA this year. Tampa still had a terrible goaltending unit. Khabibulin on Tampa Bay's squad woulda posted a 2.4-2.5 GAA. They should have held onto him somehow.

the question is though is if you have two 9m+ centers a 5m center, a top 5-10 goalie (6m) and two top 4 dmen (say 5m each) thats 40m. thats 20m for 14 skaters and a backup goalies.

i think the pens can keep a solid solid core, i just wonder if they want to, it will likely take a gamble of the guys inking 8 year deals with large terms with guranteed money. or like i said trade off some pieces for picks/prospects and even if you can drive up the offer sheets to 4.68m thats two 1st one 2nd one 3rd and the bif offer sheet is worth four 1st. would you let malkin walk for FOUR additional 1sts? honestly id think about it.

they key will be can they keep these kids from walking at 25 or 26 as ufas.


keep in mind that selanne and nieds have june 20th deadlines. i wouldnt be suprised to see burke be ultra aggressive this offenseason. they have a lot of mo out in la right now and with penner to the oilers hed be one with the end of the line in much of the rest of the team id expect something from.

the reality is the new cba has created a wild wild west of unknowns. will the islanders ultra long term philosphy work? will it be offer sheets? will roster players be the players moved on offer sheets? will we see more trades? will we see an nba style of trading expiring contracts? lots of stuff that i dont know and many others dont know. it is exciting. is it 1994 excitiing? hopefully we dont see the same repeat were hockey got to big for its britches....

 

[Brutus1]

I think they want to move into the new barn with the core intact. It's a natural progression though that after you get very good, alot of the guys are going to be offered big money and leave.

You're right that at some point, you have to look at moving guys or letting them go, taking the draft picks in return.

The thing I like about trying to keep the 3 centers as the core is that it makes 3 strong lines rather than having one very strong line with a great center and 2 wings. It's much easier to shut down the one great line than to try shutting down 3 good lines.

I'm not naive enough to think they can keep all of those 6 (Sid,Geno,Staal,MAF,Whitney,Letang) for 10 years but I do think they
can keep them until their 3rd contracts. I really think they try to get Geno and Staal extended before they're up because it would save them alot. I know MAF really loves Pittsburgh so I think he's a lock to stay. Of the 6, I think Whitney is the first to go and that will be via trade. If Letang continues to show, he'll pass Whitney , making RW expendable, not by choice, but for financial reasons.

The time will come when they'll have to choose b/w Sid and Malkin. Like you said, alot of people covet Geno more. I'm not one of them. I'm keeping Sid. Geno is a great, great player but I just feel that Sid, with his skating, passing and puck handling, makes others around him better.

I'm not sure we'll ever see a team like the 80 Oilers. They were loaded everywhere. Gretz, Mess, Coffey, Fuhr, Kurri, Mctavish,Lowe, Anderson, Tikkanen, Huddy, Beukeboom, McSorley............on and on. 5 Hall of Famers and a Hall of Fame coach. Unbelievable.

 

[jimotis4heisman]

yup were all on a similar page i think, maybe not the same paragraph but certianly a similar page.

i hope they get value when (if maybe though) some of those guys go elsewhere.

its a great time to be a pens fan. enjoy the finals no matter the outcome.

 

[Brutus1]

Yes it is.