Buddy of mine from Pens Nation mentioned some stuff to me via Facebook. He was at camp every day but today so far, I believe. Here's what he said
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I was not at camp today, but from what I have seen the past couple of days, Bennett looks great. His wrist is not 100% yet, but his shot has looked rock solid. Despres looks great as well. Could get a chance to start this year for good. Pouliot is still getting used to the system and everything still. Not as polished as Morrow was last year, but it's still too early
I still think he's our most NHL ready top-sixer (maybe next year). I hope I'm wrong, but I'm just not sold on Bennett's ability to step right in and contribute. His game is more of a skill game, and that is good for down the road, but I don't know if it will translate immediately.
I really, really hope I'm wrong.
I also like Kuhn's upside, but he is pretty far from being NHL ready. He made good strides this year in his skating & overall strength, but he still has a long way to go before he's NHL ready in that regard. His shot is already NHL calibre, but he needs to prove he can play at a quicker pace and against bigger & stronger competition. Also, his development was slowed to some degree this year due to injury, the amount of games he missed with the suspension, and not getting the big minutes and playing in defensive situations (PK & protecting leads) nearly as much as he was in Windsor last year.
It's hard to speculate about the nature of his illness and if/how long it's been interfering with his training & conditioning this summer -- nor do we know who he is working out with & what kind of training he is doing -- but this is the area he needs to work hardest on, as well as showing the mental toughness to battle through adversity and want to work his hardest to excell at the next level (such as what we've seen with Bennett, how he handled the injury, and working out with T.R., etc). If Kuhn can reach his full potential, I can see him being somewhere in between an Eric Tangradi & James Neal kind of player. But he has a lot of work to do to get there. And I hope he puts in the work, because his inherent skill level & the size of his frame are very good.
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Originally Posted by MrBurgundy
Yeah, and unfortunately we probably won't be able to lure him here with all of the defensive prospects we have. It would be really nice if we could get him though.
Well, if we REALLY like Sustr, we need to be pro-active about how we approach this. If the Pens think he can supplant one of our top 5 or 6 D prospects, if he likes the Pens' organization, and if they think he can make the jump to the AHL, then I would sign him to a deal right now, with a moderate signing bonus, a high AHL salary, and the max NHL salary (approx 900K). That way, he gets to play one or two years in WBS to develop his game while earning more than enough money to pay for school (should he wish to go back there if hockey doesn't work out), and then we would be forced to qualify him at 105% of his salary, or he would become a free agent. He may even be able to turn down a two-way contract if that's all that was offered at that time, or simply as for a trade if he wasn't in the mix to make this roster.
This would be a win-win situation for Sustr (provided he likes the Pens): he gets enough cash right away (and the promise of more in the future); gets to develop in a winning atmosphere in WBS with one of the best developmental coaches (Hynes); has the upside of playing in the NHL one day with Crosby/Malkin/Letang/etc and current teammate Archibald & fellow Czech prospect Uher. Knowing those last two guys should provide a lot of comfort for him, and Uher will be in WBS right away, and having that fellow countryman would really make Sustr feel comfortable in a new environment.
I love our depth on defense. At the same time, I would trade guys like Samuelsson, Sneep, McNeill, Grant, Velischek, D'Agostino or anyone else of those 2nd/3rd tier prospects to make room for this guy if the Pens feel he could be an elite player someday. Being able to acquire a high-end asset for nothing, which opens up the possibility to one day move another high-end player in your system in a trade (immediately or in the future) is just great asset management.
He obviously has a unique package of size, skills & upside, and if the Pens think he's the real deal, I would do everything possible to woo this guy and get him into the fold & secure his rights. Waiting till UFA period to compete with 30 other teams is definitely not a reliable way to do things, as we saw with Parise & Suter. Be pro-active and get it done now if we have the opportunity. That's how the best teams remain the best teams.
I have one request that I think all of us would love: when you have a chance, if you could please upload/paste a copy of the updated roster with the new weights & heights, that would be awesome!
Well, if we REALLY like Sustr, we need to be pro-active about how we approach this. If the Pens think he can supplant one of our top 5 or 6 D prospects, if he likes the Pens' organization, and if they think he can make the jump to the AHL, then I would sign him to a deal right now, with a moderate signing bonus, a high AHL salary, and the max NHL salary (approx 900K). That way, he gets to play one or two years in WBS to develop his game while earning more than enough money to pay for school (should he wish to go back there if hockey doesn't work out), and then we would be forced to qualify him at 105% of his salary, or he would become a free agent. He may even be able to turn down a two-way contract if that's all that was offered at that time, or simply as for a trade if he wasn't in the mix to make this roster.
This would be a win-win situation for Sustr (provided he likes the Pens): he gets enough cash right away (and the promise of more in the future); gets to develop in a winning atmosphere in WBS with one of the best developmental coaches (Hynes); has the upside of playing in the NHL one day with Crosby/Malkin/Letang/etc and current teammate Archibald & fellow Czech prospect Uher. Knowing those last two guys should provide a lot of comfort for him, and Uher will be in WBS right away, and having that fellow countryman would really make Sustr feel comfortable in a new environment.
This, frankly, is insane. Sustr is not a US citizen. As such, he is not eligible for student loans, and thus, is in school on an athletic scholarship. He is, most likely, getting a free ride. Also, it is WAY more attractive for a Czech citizen to get a degree from the US university system (even a mediocre state school like UN-Lincoln) than you think. Not only that, where's the appeal in paying for school when you can get it for free? If Sustr is at all thinking long-term (and the fact that he's still in school seems to suggest that), he'll finish up school and then see if there's any offers, which there very well may be. He won't be more than 24-25, and probably much closer to the NHL than people think.
Secondly, I think you'd have to seriously overpay to attract someone like Sustr to the club. The NHL cap hit is a non-issue. He's not going to play on the NHL on his first contract, most probably. So, what are you going to offer him in the AHL? The minimum there is 41K a year. How high are you willing to go to entice him to leave school and save a couple tens of thousands for his future? This guy is not going to be making six figures. And even if he's a young guy, he's got to deal with the US and Czech tax laws, immigration (not cheap, let me tell you from experience), AND the possibility that he won't have any degree to fall back on should there be a hockey-ending injury.
I'd be surprised if he's finished with College already.
Well, college never stopped guys from leaving early, especially in their junior or senior year, if offered a contract to go pro. Think he could hack it in WBS?
I thought there was a limit on how much guys could be paid at the AHL level when they're on ELCs?
Even if that's the case, he could still get first round money. That means he could get $70K in AHL salary, and also be eligable for a signing bonus of just over $90k in each of those seasons on top of that. So that's well into the 6-figure range, unlike what Handshake said. He could also get max NHL salary (approx $925k), and even though he's very unlikely to see NHL time during his two-year ELC, he would then require a very high qualifying offer for his 2nd contract, by which time he'll either be NHL ready, negotiate down for a guaranteed one-way, etc.
Now, of course, the Pens would have to think he's worth that kind of money, and Sustr would have to like the organization enough to choose this organization as the place he wants to develop with. He's not a Justin Schultz kind of guy who is clearly ready to make the step into the NHL. He's a guy that needs AHL seasoning regardless of who he signs with if he went pro now. So the opportunity (or lack thereof) of cracking the Pens' roster over the next 2 years should not really be a deterrant.
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Originally Posted by Chancellor Vitale
Well, college never stopped guys from leaving early, especially in their junior or senior year, if offered a contract to go pro. Think he could hack it in WBS?
That's the big question. The whole idea I proposed of the Pens considering signing him now would be predicated on (A) him choosing the Pens as the organization he wants to develop in now and hopefully play for later; and (B) the Pens thinking he has high enough upside, even in the context of their deep prospect pool, to offer him the kind of money I mentioned above.
With regards to the immigration/legal issues that Handshake brough up: that's a hurdle, but it's not an obstacle. Teams do it all the time. When they invest in a prospect, they'll throw their best immigration lawyers and whatever money needed to make it work, so it won't take a dime out of his pocket. It's called an eb-2 "exceptional ability" visa. Check it out.
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Originally Posted by Jacob
I wouldn't sign with the Pens if I were Sustr.
The Pens will open up space, make room for this guy if they think he's the real deal. The same way we would make room for Oleksiak or Tinordi if we acquired them. If the Pens think he would rank in the top 4 to 6 guys in terms of upside, they will do it.
Sneep is only signed for one year and could be traded in a heartbeat. Samuelsson could easily be traded, as well, or could Grant, for that matter. That's 3 potential spots if they think he's AHL ready, and 3 players that will likely never play a game in a Pens uniform.
At the same time, Orpik may be moved out within the next year or so, and ditto for Martin. I like Strait as a player now for this season & next, but I don't see him in our organization long term. He could be the guy that gets traded this summer/early in the season, because I think Bortuzzo is the most likely of the two to stay.
So it's really a crap shoot. The best players will play, and will get the most ice time. The guys who we can't fit in will get moved for picks or other assets if they have any value. If you think there's a legitimate chance Sustr can be a Chara or Myers type of guy, frankly you do everything you need to to get this guy signed, if the interest is mutual.
Valid point. But as the melmer points out the makeup of the minor league system can change pretty rapidly. Especially with a big infusion of D this draft.
I wonder if he's fully healthy yet. What was it that happened to him this past season again?
Veilleux blew out a knee (torn ACL, same injury Geno and Jeffrey had) during pre-season, got surgery and missed the entire season. There was talk he might be back for the AHL playoffs but that never happened. At least it wasn't another separated shoulder.
Also, really hope Bleuger pans out, if only for that fact that we can make infinite Young Frankenstein references whenever he scores.
intangibles like this often get overlooked. I am still worried about how we can overcome the loss of Staal Brothers drinking games. We also have a grand total of ZERO pterodactyls out there this year. There will be things we just can't do out there without one.
