When the Pittsburgh Penguins were eliminated from the first round of the playoffs in seven games, it may have signaled the end of a significant era. Many of the team’s most recognizable players are pending unrestricted free agents, including Russian superstar Evgeni Malkin. When speaking to the media today in his end-of-year press conference, Malkin made his desire to stay in Pittsburgh very clear:
I love this city and I love these fans so much. If this team wants new blood and young guys and they say to me to move on, we will see… I believe in my agent and I trust him. I want to stay here. I want to play in the NHL… I hope I stay here. I hope I retire here.
The 35-year-old Malkin explained that he wants to play three or four more years in the NHL and was effusive in praising fellow Penguins legends Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang, the latter of which is also a free agent this summer. Malkin has spent his entire career to this point in Pittsburgh, a career that includes 981 regular season games, 1,146 points, a Calder trophy, Hart trophy, two Art Ross trophies, a Conn Smythe, and three Stanley Cup championships. Calling it his “second hometown” he is hoping that the two sides can come to an agreement on a new contract.
- One of the other extremely important pending free agents wasn’t quite as ready to call Pittsburgh his hometown, at least not in terms of a discount. Bryan Rust explained that he feels as though he has outperformed his contract the last few seasons and is looking for a “reasonable” deal if he’s to stay in Pittsburgh. There’s no doubt that Rust has produced much more than the average $3.5MM player the last few seasons, which have included three-straight years of at least 22 goals. The argument might be that he has yet to play more than 72 games in a single season, which has reduced his overall totals. The 30-year-old has never broken the 60-point mark, despite scoring at nearly a point-per-game pace in the last few years.
- Then there is Rickard Rakell, who only arrived a few weeks ago at the trade deadline. The former Anaheim Ducks winger fit in quite well in Pittsburgh and believes it is “definitely” a place he would like to come back to if possible. Rakell admitted that he understands the team has some bigger free agents to deal with first, but is obviously open to a contract extension with a club where he believes he can take his game to “the next level.” Rakell scored 13 points in 19 games down the stretch but was ultimately forced out of the first-round series and saw just 19 minutes against the New York Rangers.
Offer Letang $9 million AAV.
Offer Geno $7 million AAV.
The big 3 should retire as Pens. And you still have saved cap space off their current total.
Offer Rust Jake’s deal and if he wants more (which he should and will) say “thanks for the memories” and use that money to keep Rakell and Rodrigues.
Trade Pettersson or Dumoulin.
If you need cap space, let Kapanen walk. If not, offer him a two year deal at a lower AAV.
Doubtful, but if anyone wants McGinn, move him and give his job to O’Connor or Zohorna.
I have a feeling Letang is going to get a crazy offer in both cash and term from someone, likely Montreal, and leave. But 9MM is a fair offer.
Inch Geno up to 7.1MM to match his number like Sid’s contract.
Good call on offering Rust the Guentzel contract, but yeah he probably doesn’t take it.
Rakell becomes a must at that point and while Rodrigues is frustrating at times, can’t lose another top 6/9 winger.
Bring Boyle back on a performance bonus contract. See if anyone wants any of the bigger contracts on the team.
Acquire at least one player with size to help stop getting pushed around. Ideally 2 players with one being a defensemen to clear the net front, but that’s likely a long shot unless Pettersson is moved out. Definitely start drafting those players.
I doubt Letang gets $9M. $6M at best – he just can’t be relied upon regarding injuries and he’s on the wrong side of 35.
I think that both of you are mostly spot on with your assessments and priorities for the Pens. Maybe it’s just me but if given the choice I’d be much more concerned with having a all in finish his career as a Pen than Letang. And like bucsfan I think that Letang gets an insane offer from someone else and takes it.
I always feel that players should ask for the moon and if a team is crazy enough to give it to them, that’s on the team. But I would hope that Rust, and maybe Letang to an extent, understand that a good percentage of their success has come from their surrounding roster and environment in Pittsburgh. Both guys should take the best offer for them and I don’t expect loyalty over common sense, but maybe there’s good compromises there.
Rakell needs to be brought back. You don’t trade for him, see the difference he helped make, and let him walk. Figure it out and get it done.
I need to see more of Zohorna in the lineup somewhere. IMO that guy is a keeper.
Find someone to take a salary or two off of their hands in order to both create cap room and replenish draft picks. McGinn? Pettersson? (I like him but I get it if he’s moved). Maybe even DeSmith? (although offhand I don’t think he’s all that expensive). Decide who you can live without and find a trade match somewhere.
How many players are you going to be able to dress? 10? They already up against the salary cap and you want to pay Rust and add Rakell? Seriously?
Well Geno is currently making 9.5MM AAV, so 7MM would free up 2.5MM, which if Rust took the Guentzel contract would be an exact match. Retaining Rakell likely involves dumping someone like Pettersson, but it’s also doable if you play some of the kids in the bottom 6. Can also save a little by having Domingue as the backup instead of DeSmith.
These are different times. The new ownership has no emotional ties with Malkin, Letang or Rust. It’s time for a makeover and letting all three walk opens up salary cap space to get younger and hopefully more physical. The Penguins window with these guys has closed in terms of winning a Stanley Cup and as long as Crosby is playing at this level that needs to be the goal. Fenway Group will not waste time or money on nostalgia. Time to reload with a few different players and then at the end of next year make a serious run at McKinnon when he is a UFA. That’s what corporate owners do.
All valid points. Trying for McKinnon would be interesting but I worry that the Pens could fall into the same issue that Chicago and LA faced when you have a handful of max contract guys and then have to dump young stars to be under the cap.
The Pens have had such sustained success largely due to Crosby and to a lesser extent Malkin playing on lower AAV contracts than they are/were worth. Having someone like Crosby set the example to follow can’t be oversold. Hard to find those guys period, even harder when they aren’t homegrown.
i’d assume Letang & Rust leave for financial reasons.
geno likely stays, hard to replace a center and wouldn’t want to face him. likely gets similar contract to what he’s already getting.
use the Tanger and rust money on a defender and Fleury
I can’t see MAF returning, as much fun it would be. I can see a massive overhaul on defense happening within the next 2 seasons. Letang might be gone this year, Dumo and Marino had subpar years and may not return to their previous highs, and Pettersson’s contract doesn’t match his play. Ruhwedel and Matheson are fine, but Matheson’s contract could be very ugly if he doesn’t sustain his play.
well GK has stung the pens in back to back playoffs.
we can look at things under a microscope, but the team generally played really well the past 2 seasons and got failed by poor goaltending in the playoffs.
should’ve brought in a vet backup at deadline this year , now absolutely must adresss it in the off-season