If we could unload Sydor and re-sign Taffe for league minimum in place of Veilleux, we could have a bit over $4 million in cap room. If you put Caputi's $833,333 back into the pot, we'd have damn near $5 million. I can't imagine Shero getting within $1 million of the cap, so the absolute maximum the Pens could squeeze towards a contract at this point would be $4 mil.
I don't think anyone that we could get for that would really be worth the trouble. We would be up against the cap like Peter North on a cervix.
I still can't believe we're paying 2 million + for Gill, Eaton, and Sydor. What a way to eat up cap space.
Would you rather pay 3 million for Jeff Finger?
Salarys have escalated this year. It's not Shero's fault really. And the big ticket RFAs/UFAs he has signed have all been for decent prices. Some even below market value.
Am I the only one who WANTS Cooke? The guys had over 400 hits combined the past 2 years and can pot the odd goal. Shouldn't break the bank, either.
Definitely, I've always liked Cooke. However, I don't think the rumored 1.6m figure is realistic. I think he'll make more than that, and I'm not sure he'd be worth it if we're talking 2 million or more.
He's a younger Ruutu with quicker feet and better hands. I think he'll be able to get more than just 300k more than what Ruutu got.
Definitely, I've always liked Cooke. However, I don't think the rumored 1.6m figure is realistic. I think he'll make more than that, and I'm not sure he'd be worth it if we're talking 2 million or more.
He's a younger Ruutu with quicker feet and better hands. I think he'll be able to get more than just 300k more than what Ruutu got.
I've thought of that, but if the Pens could find a taker for Sydor, they could sign Cooke with Sydor's money (not even sure it would take the whole $2.5 million to sign him) and they'd lose a guy who would likely be scratched most of the time in favour of a guy who will be a reguilar contributer to the team and add some of the grit we lost this offseason. Then, they're still about $4 million under the cap which is enough breathing room IMO to add some flexibilty.
Besides, even if it's a 2 year deal, They lose Satan's, Fedotenko's and Gill's contracts next year (Sykora's too, but I'm hoping he'll be brought back). That's almost a combined $10.5 million dollars, the cap should increase as well. Malkin's present cap hit is 3.9 (I think) so it will only go up $5 million more, while Staal's hit is 2.2 now (again, I think) and could likely go up only 2 more. That's an added 7 for those 2 guys, leaving 3.5 million, plus another 3-4 due to the cap rise. Lets say 7, add in the 4 we have under the cap right now, and Pittsburgh would still be in decent shape being $11 million under the cap after Staal and Malkin's contracts kick in. But, guys like Talbot and Kennedy might be up too, I'm not sure. Either way, I can't possibly see a guy like Gaborik being signed next season. It will likely be guys like Satan and Fedotenko again. The year after though, all the main guys will be signed (Malkin, Fleury, Crosby, Whitney, Orpik and hopefully Staal long term) and people like Gonchar and his $5 million and Eaton and his $2 million (and in my theory, Cooke and his $2 million+) plus other guys unforseen as of now will be gone, with likely another cap increase. THAT's when we can start bringing in even more guys. It's going to be tough this year and likely next too, but for the next 5 years, it should get easier and easier to build a deep team.
Looking at it now, I'm VERY happy that Hossa WASN'T brought back. His $7.5 million per year would have cost us Satan, Fedotenko and likely Orpik too. I don't know about you, but those three are greater than 1 Hossa, no matter how good Hossa is. We have two superstars already, what we need is good solid depth. Signing a Hossa right now is NOT the answer, and neither is signing a Jagr unless he signs an absolutely cheap contract ($4 million or less) that just can't be passed up, which I doubt he will. Shero has done an amazing job so far with what he's had to work with. He tried to make signing Hossa work, but it would have made Pittsburgh a lesser team in the short term, as weird as that sounds. You never finish the season with the exact same roster you started it with, so being a few million dollars beneath the cap is very important. Signing Hossa would have made us weaker in terms of depth and in many other roles as well. Signing Jagr will do the same as of now.
since debate has already begun about the future, the chart is now updated to add the next two seasons after the upcoming one.
what would be very nice is if the cap were to jump up the same amount next offseason -- that right there would basically take care of malkin's new deal.
So our current cap commitments are an aggregate $53 million/ a $56 million cap. And we may not be done yet. Where are the trolls who kept telling us the Pens would never spend to the cap when we kept telling them that the Pens have promised us just that from preseason on last year? That we would never keep our drafted core long term and that it would start to break apart as everyone signed for the cap max hit, starting this offseason? I would love to hear from some of them.
How about Shanny for under 2 a year. I dont know if that TIOPS site is legit or not, they have however nailed quiet a few things so far this Free agency, they are reporting Shanny has called Shero and wants to play for t he pens, also that he would play in the 1.8 range. If we signed him we can give him a salary like 1.8 and even if we had to add in bonuses we would be able to pay them out towards next years cap.
Cooke wouldnt be a bad grab either, he hits and agitates. We definitely need someone like that. I was hoping that Stone could be that guy for us this year, I gotta think the kid is about ready to come play in the big league.
How about Shanny for under 2 a year. I dont know if that TIOPS site is legit or not, they have however nailed quiet a few things so far this Free agency, they are reporting Shanny has called Shero and wants to play for t he pens, also that he would play in the 1.8 range. If we signed him we can give him a salary like 1.8 and even if we had to add in bonuses we would be able to pay them out towards next years cap.
Cooke wouldnt be a bad grab either, he hits and agitates. We definitely need someone like that. I was hoping that Stone could be that guy for us this year, I gotta think the kid is about ready to come play in the big league.
Shanny at $1.8 mil would be a great addition as long as he would accept the lesser role he would have on this team. And would leave us a similar just a bit under $2 million breathing room for trade deadline, etc.
unless we move someone i think we are done adding for now ...3 mil. isn't much room in this day and age
Actually, if all the reports that we signed Janne Pesonen are true it is even less. I doubt he gets a contract anywhere near that $3 mil in space, but still likely lop likely something maybe even as much as half of that space off with that signing.
As a note, Shero deserves some real props on how this team is set up. No one overpaid, most a bit of a bargain, so we got real value for our max cap hit, maybe more than any team in the league. And the next three years our core is nailed down with diminishing cap hits of around $40 and then $30 million to allow max flexibility to surround that core with more players who would come here on Sykora type deals. That is good GM'ing.
Definitely, I've always liked Cooke. However, I don't think the rumored 1.6m figure is realistic. I think he'll make more than that, and I'm not sure he'd be worth it if we're talking 2 million or more.
He's a younger Ruutu with quicker feet and better hands. I think he'll be able to get more than just 300k more than what Ruutu got.
He definitely worth anything under 2 million. A mini Sean Avery.
