you throw away rust for nothing just to bring back hags who couldn't score a goal to save his life.

Brilliant.

Why on earth would you pay Hagelin $3.25M?

Shorter term, less cap, and brings more of what the pens need (PK ability and speed)

Shorter term, less cap, and brings more of what the pens need (PK ability and speed)

I don't disagree with you but his next contract will probably be at a $2M/yr rate at the most. I think he could be one of those guys the Pens bring back for around $1M next season.

man anyone who watched the pens the last two years wouldn't bring hags back for anything near that and they sure as hell wouldn't give up a guy who scored 18 goals last year for him at the same cap price.

Hagelin is beloved in the locker room and as mentioned before, brings two things to the team that they lack and really need.

Rust is a very streaky scorer, and the Pens don't really need more scorers with the likes of Guentzel, Crosby, Kessel, Malkin, McCann and (in this scenario) Eberle.

It's crazy how many people want to move Rust when he's one of the most consistent goal scorers on the team. It really seems like people get too caught up in what he's getting paid instead of what he's doing on the ice because speedy guys who can score clutch goals and kill penalties don't come as cheap as they once did.

Lol how is he consistent? He started this season with 1 goal in 30 games, caught fire in the middle and then ended the year with 1 goal in 17 games (including playoffs)

Good teams can never have enough scorers especially in this scenario where you have $5M in cap space being put to no use. Having Rust on the team is a much better solution then just throwing consistent playing time at Adam Johnson.

Having cap space is an asset in itself, always good to have a decent amount for additions.

Johnson is on the 4th line in this scenario, at best, that's 9 minutes a game.

Guys can go through streaks but when he isn't producing he makes up for it by being able to play on all 4 lines, penalty killing, and shot blocking. Plus keeping Rust would allow Hagelin to play with Malkin with McCann and Bjugstad playing together on the third line with Rust. Keeping Rust would set up a 4th line of Simon-Blueger-ZAR which makes your lineup look incredibly deep on paper.

pens don't need more scorers....sure, where were the goals coming from during the playoffs if they don't need scorers.

You can say the exact same thing about Hagelin, and he's more beneficial to the Pens PK than Rust.

And the lineup I've proposed here is deeper and better than what you're proposing

The **** am I supposed to say about that?

The Pens were outplayed in every aspect of the game by the Isles, Rust wouldn't have made a difference in that series.

Umm but so does Rust. You are literally throwing a young, speedy player that can penalty kill and actually score from time to time for an older speedy player that can penalty kill and not score. And they have like the same cap hit. Doesn’t make sense.
If you want cap space and fill out the team, move Kessel, keep Rust, sign Hags to a 1-2 million deal. Use the assets in a Kessel deal to fill out the roster.

Im gona stop being a Pens fan if this happens.
Hags maybe gets $1.2-1.5M per
Eberle - No
That Defense is yikes, Rutta is a #7-8 Dman
Johnson isnt a NHL Center and should be in WBS still

MTL laughs and hangs up...
Eberle goes back to NYI and continues to be a Penguin killer. No way you get him at $5.5M

Trade Phat Phil to The 'Yotes already.

You must not watch or follow the Penguins closely. Rust had a good month and a half. He was a ghost prior and in the playoffs. I don't agree with the return but I do in fact disagree with your valuation of the player.

Maybe you can make another AGM, keep the 5 core players you mentioned above and just sign a bunch of fringe AHLers and bottom 6 forwards so you can have the most beloved locker room in the history of the NHL. Win or lose the guys could all be smiling and chasing each other around the showers snapping one another in the rear ends with their towels.

Signs Hagelin for 3.25M then leaves 5M in cap space when you could've just signed a better less winger for less then like 7M and had ~1M in cap space.

Buffalo would't trade for Johnson and Maattas value isn't that high.