Pittsburgh PenguinsPenguins Free Agency Buzz
Penguins GM Ron Hextall admitted on Wednesday he was “surprised” with some of the prices from day one of the Free Agency Frenzy.
Any small chance of the Penguins making a bold move on Wednesday was going to be for winger Brandon Saad, but the Penguins bowed out of the mix very early into the day and never made a official offer To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
Team sources say Hextall who seeks to leave the Penguins around $2 million in cap space to start the season, went into free agency with a set number To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
What has played out this off-season is the Penguins new regime really slow playing their attempts to improve this roster. With the subtractions of Jared McCann, Brandon Tanev and now Cody Ceci, this is not a better roster than the one this past spring that lost in the first round for the third straight year.
And some of this has been calculated in how the Penguins made a decision internally in being against moving draft picks just to move a salary. It’s hamstrung their ability to improve the roster.
The loss of Ceci, though, could be bigger than some realize, who agreed to a four year, $13 million contract with the Edmonton Oilers. The coaching staff regarded Ceci as the team’s thTo read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
“We wanted to resign Ceci, but you probably saw the numbers,” said Hextall. “There was no real way for us to make that fit.”
The contracts for Brock McGinn (4 years, $11 million) and Cody Ceci are a difference of $500,000 against the cap. If Pittsburgh would have offered Cody Ceci a 4 year, $12 million contract last week, he’d likely still be a Penguin right now.
It’s going to be a valid question if the money that went to McGinn should have went to Ceci, especially when there’s more younger internal candidates to fill out the bottom-6 than there is to replace Cody Ceci, even if the General Manager has high expectations for Mark Friedman to fill that void.
McGinn is certainly a useful player, but for the present, the team essentially losing two players in the expansion draft with their decision making, saw them go out and have to sign another Brandon Tanev type in playing style and build. It isn’t like the cap difference is between the two is $2-$3 million where the Penguins gained a ton of value in that standpoint.
“He plays a real inside game,” said Ron Hextall of McGinn. He’s got really good energy, a physical player. Plays the same way every night. We just really valued the player. But we also valued the intangibles hat he brings on a nightly basis and some of the stuff that he’s going to bring into our locker room.”
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Carramrod…your boy signed with the New Jersey Devils…. I think you wondered where he would sign and maybe the Penguins go after him… I don’t know the details but New Jersey keeps adding….
What boy? Tatar? When did he become my boy? 2yrs $9 million.
The only position in Pitt I care about is in net but since they hired a new goalie coach it looks like they are riding Jarry and DeSmith into the ground.
Really appreciate the former Flyer coming in and slamming the door shut on the Crosby era.
Hextall and Burke are not in charge, Mario and Morehouse (Milhouse) are pulling all the strings.
Well Mario and Moorehouse need to get there heads out of their asses.
It may have been shut before, but it is for sure now. We got 3 cups out of them. I just hope they don’t do a quasi rebuild. Mediocrity is a killer.
Agreed… Moorehouse / Mario need to look across the river and see what Ben Roethlisberger did by sacrificing millions on his contract to help the Steelers. He took off millions to help the Cap situation and Letang and Malkin needs to the same…. If Malkin took $ 6 million instead of $9.5 and Letang took $5 million instead of $ 7.25 that would sure help. If they both don’t accept a team friendly discount to finish with the Penguins let them walk. That is $ 16.75 to rebuild around Sid who is still great. We can bring in younger better… Read more »
$6 and $5 is over paying
I know right…didn’t like the Hextall hiring and burke give him his meds..LOL
Hey Fatso how is your Kane doing
Remember you use to drool over him every year
This team is tltty. Hextall sucks.
Dont worry you still have your tampax to watch
Honestly, I would take a shot at Tarasenko ! His doctor who performed his third shoulder surgery (yes a risk) says he is 100% sound physically. The reason I say this is he will be motivated, he wants out of St. Louis, he will have a chip on his shoulder, but I also believe maybe he can motivate and help turn Malkin around…. He makes $ 9.5 million this year and $ 5.5 next year and only a two year commitment. Zucker and Petersson to the Blues is a total of $9.6 two year commitment on Zucker. next year Zucker… Read more »
Of course the Islanders, Devils, and Rangers are interested…LOL
Just a thought.. Tarasenko is available can we swing a package for him..
Malki Tarasenko Kapanen
You add Zucker ,to Ryan Orielly, Brandon Sadd, David Perron, Brayden Schenn, Tyler Bozak, Pavel Buchnevich that is a solid group of forwards..
Not gonna happen. No one wants the Pens garbage.
Jason Zucker isn’t that bad I dont get it…. He is a 6 time 20 goal scorer and he has been decent with the Penguins 32 points in like 52 games. He just doesn’t click with Malkin he can play.
Yes slightly overpaid but so are alot of others..
Maybe there is hope moving Petersson as per reports from Elliot Friedman. He reports there are several suitors for Marcus they are not keen on the salary. They want a pick or prospect to take the whole salary but Hextall is unwilling to do that.
Maybe we retain $ 1 million that will still give us $3.025 million is cap space…. we will see !!! Elliot also says that there is interest in Jason Zucker… things should move soon..
Believe it when I see it. Give them Jarry.
No I hear you but Friedman is one of the more reliable insiders out there. He isn’t a quick like that ekland guy from Hockeybuzz…
Outside of maybe a guy or two from the athletic Elliot is more right than wrong…he doesn’t just throw stuff out there…
I’m afraid we are stuck with Jarry….. The goalie the Penguins signed from UMAS Lindberg is really talented winning the college hockey championship. His stats are strong like 29-8-4 939 save % I think he will be Nhl bound sooner than later….
Sorry quack like Ekland.
Black Kane.
Citizen Kane!
What a surprise black Kane having problem with his wife.
First with his teammates when he played for the Jets now this.
This guy is nothing but bad headlines for the NHL
And npl was drooling all over this clown
Sounds like his wife is looking for revenge.
This guy has issues in his head
He is not a pleasant person to be around with. There is a reason he has been changing soo many teams
And yet npl and some here drool to have him in Pittsburgh.
No thank you.
Never said I wanted him but why would your wife rat you out if you are still married. Something is fishy here.
Npl wanted him and I think drool master hockey11 since all 1000 NHL players must come and play for the penguins
You mean he couldn’t dump the Petterson contract on some one ? even for a 5-7 round draft pick to clear cap space…. would have had more flexibility !!!
Why would someone want that terrible contract? People think you can just magically trade someone away with a terrible cap hit like it’s magic. The only one’s who have mastered that skill is Tampa. They would have to eat at least half of Pettersson’s contract.
I don’t think the Pens can sign Letang and Malkin to extensions at their current rate or higher. I don’t think they will take a discount OVI didn’t. So they both could be getting moved at the trade deadline this coming season.
Letang has a limited NTC so he’d be eligible. Malkin would have to sign off though, as his is full. I honestly have no idea what will happen with those two.
After this year Malkin has no power. The Penguins need to make him a team friendly discount offer to remain or otherwise thanks for the memories… 2 years @SID9701 $ 5 million.. Malkin isn’t worth more than that 4 5 million a season and neither is Letang…
Why would they? They are both in decline? Ovie is chasing history. Washington would be fools to let him break Wayne’s record with another team. Both Ovie and Washington might be sacrificing another cup bc of that contract but is he scores 30 goals a yr for the next five yrs and stays healthy, (all things point to yes for both) the contract is good deal. If the cap goes up in two yrs that will be even better. If they both want Ovie money show them both the door. If they walk or get traded, the Pens free up… Read more »
100 % agree read above…
Agreed, if Letang and Malkin want to retire as Penguins they must take team friendly discounts. Ben Roethlisberger took millions off his latest deal to help the Steelers and their cap flexibility. Number # 71 and # 58 will hang in the rafters at PPG someday no matter what happens next year. Ownership needs to stop being stubborn and do what is best for the team.. It is team suicide if they extend Geno or Tanger at their current rate or god forbid more. Maybe extend them both at $ 10 million for 2 years. $5 million per. If they… Read more »
He shouldve been gone long time ago that con man
I feel like ownership can’t be happy with this off-season and something relatively big might happen. The Pens essentially traded Tanev and McCann for McCabe and Heinen, which isa definite downgrade. They still haven’t addressed the goaltending situation, which was stated to be the top priority of the off-season. I don’t know how anyone within the organization can be happy with the current team. They have zero chance at anything and if they want to go that route, just start selling players.
Yeah, Hex is planning his big return!!!
As of right now, they are mailing it in. For them to not do that, they would need to make a splash. I’m not saying eichel or someone, but just a player that moves the needle a bit. McCabe and Heinen sure AF don’t.
I think Malkin and Letang go at the trade deadline.
That Eichel fiasco is kind of entertaining.
He did this to himself. I hope he gets stuck there forever. He is not worth what Buffalo is demanding and he wanted all this money bc he was drafted #2 but never played like one and he has no leadership skills whatsoever. There is a reason no one wants him, not ever Buffalo.
But but …
Npl thinks jackasss Eichel is better than mcdavid
No one in their right mind would ever say that!
I swear npl have said in numerous occasions
But then again I don’t blame that fat fuckk he is from Florida
They only know what hot dog contest is come July 4
Agree, not sure what direction we’re heading towards.
This team is about as good as Sam(e)’s english.
The Crosby cup era is over
Like it or not I can’t see the Pens making the playoffs with this team. I think they will finish last in the Metro or might finish ahead of Columbus. Thats my story sad but true.
I hear you but we are talking about a team that won the division for the first time since 2014. This team just needs a tweak or two and they are right there…
What bothers me is that there are affordable options out there to plug holes and get better. Matthieu Perreault who played for a talented Winnipeg team is 33, can fly, plays both center and wing, and has snarl to his game just signed with Montreal 1 year $950,000. If we added him we are set at forward. Perreault can play center until Malkin comes back. Once Geno is back Perreault can go to Carter or Malkins wing.. We have $4.4 in cap space and Perreault signed for $950,000. (seriously Hextall) He is as fast as any Penguin. These are the… Read more »
This smells like Sullivan. Yo Burkie you dont seem to have much say.
I dont care if you have a team stacked with McDavid’s, Crosby’s and Ovie’s… they all get shut down more or less come playoff time. If Jarry is the goalie, you are not winning shit!!!!
Well said that is why i think Danton Heinen and Brock McGinn give us grit in the bottom 6. Tristan Jarry is the key you are spot on there..
Heinen has NO GRIT
I miss JR. I dont give a shlt about draft picks. We dont know how many great years are left in Crosby but its highly unlikely they draft anyone who can help this team win during that window. I would have traded a first rounder to get Zucker off the books. A 2nd rounder to get Petterson off the books (if necessary). That money could have been used to actually improve this team, instead, Hextall is thinking about 2026, when Crosby is 39.
Thas numba one bullshlt
You do realize JR is the reason the Pens are stuck with Zucker and Petterson. He built a winner and then betrayed his own design. He did the same thing in Carolina. JR has a 3 GM shelf life, max. After that his brain shuts off.
The day the Pens traded Ian Cole was the beginning of the end of the Crosby/Malkin era. It all started there.
But he at least admits the mistake and tries to rectify it. Not hoard draft picks that will help the 2026 Penguins and old man Crosby.
JR is the only GM that can sign a player(s) to a terrible contract(s) some how manage to get rid of them, open up cap space and then use it to bring in more garbage. The team had no stability under him. He made trades just to make them and never gave players time to gel. Players were always nervous under him. Notice how they played better after he left. Again, he did his job and he did it well until he just didn’t anymore. He gave a lost team an identity and then he traded that identify away. That… Read more »
Sam you big fat turd it is your fav Hockey 11 saying I agree with you. The Nhl is not the Nfl draft picks are a crap shoot after pick 15 in the first round….
With letang and malkin on the books this year is shot anyway. No reason to go all in this year, next year will be the time when malkin is back in Russia and letang is somewhere else too.
If Geno says he is defiantly going home next season I am all for that. He did what he was brought in to do. If Letang wants to stay offer him a cheap one year deal with bonus’s, if not, see ya.
The Rangers get tougher acquiring Ryan Reeves for a 3rd round pick. He is Tom Wilson deterrent !!
Rangers addressed needs in Goodrow, Blais and now Reaves…
Reaves doesn’t deter anything.
Well he does and you didn’t see Tom Wilson fucking up Penguins when Reaves was with the Penguins.
What about when Wilson destroyed Jonathan Marchessault with a late blindside hit when Reaves was sitting on the bench? Wilson just laughed at him. Deterrents don’t exist.
Npl10 suckss
So does his kind
Not only his contract got bought suter thinks he can play until age of 45 this guys is delusional
You are the only one who brings Suter up. Is he your latest crush?
Hearing sweet Satin Lou Lamarello is in on Tarasenko now that Saad signed in St. Louis,….,more great news
we are probably in on Dominick Kahun !!! LOL
The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed forward Danton Heinen to a one-year contract worth $1.1 million
That should lead us to the Stanley Cup ..LOL
That will take us to at least the eastern conference finals…LOL
You can not hope to compete for a SC when your super stars are on their last legs while you are trying to restock the cupboards. Either go all in and sacrifice your draft picks for the next three yrs or start trading what little assets you have left. This can not go both ways. Finishing in the middle of the pack gets you nothing. Your first round picks will be to low in the draft and your super stars just get older. Without a goalie, the window is closed. Put Letang and Malkin out there, see if anyone bites.… Read more »
Can’t say I disagree but Hextall isn’t getting the job done. There are teams out there that can use MP and Zucker. He is dropping the ball big time to fill holes and restock the cupboard as you say. Penguins went 4 years $ 4million look at what he signed for ? You can’t get that deal done and push forward a bit.
Maybe if you are not resigning Dominik Freaking Simon, Danton Heinen, Michael Chaput, Taylor Fedun WTF…
Use that money on Brandon Saad..???
He signed with the Blues. Let it go. Lol
I know but the difference of $500,000 hard to watch and stomach. Carramrod148 please don’t tell me you are happy with hextall so far ? You are the one person on here that has a solid understanding of things..
I like Brock McGiinn and Danton Heinen for our bottom six group. We need help on defense and another goal scorer..
This in not on Hextall or Burke, this is all on ownership. You can’t fix what is broken when your only tradable assets are not allowed to be traded. No one wants their garbage like Zucker and Pettersson. Again, this is why JR left, he was not allowed to do anything. He wanted to trade Letang, they would not let him. This is the beginning of the end. After this yr, the rebuild begins with either Letang and Geno taking cheap contracts, retiring, or they are stupid and overpay them for nostalgic purposes.
It’s not the GM… it’s Morehouse and Mario. They have them hogtied. They are hell bent on keeping players until they retire.
Certainly not Zucker, MP, or Jusso Rikola…
i get # 71 and # 58 but the above listed are $10.65 million in salary…
He doesn’t want to attach draft picks with those players for trade. Thats why they havent moved.
Moving Zucker, Petersson and Rikola you can get picks or players…..( you don’t have to attach draft picks)
No one wants them!
I’M not so sure Jason Zucker while a bit overpaid is a 6 time 20 goal scorer than can play.
This team is on the downswing. The day they get a younger number 1 center and slot sid at number 2. Things will then start to move in the other direction. Gonna be awhile.
YA THINK……..SNOOZEVILLE.
Hextall better get on the stick Brandon Saad signed with St.Louis 5 years $22.5.. He is making $4.5 years one and 2, $5.5 year three, $4.37 year 4, $3.625 year 5, no trade clause in the first 4 tears with a modified no trade year 5.
Hextall where are you…???