Dont resign Rust after his big time performances in the cup runs?

Keep rust, keep Schultz, don't get Subban, trade for a different second pair d man (Spurgeon comes to mind) and use the extra cap space to sign/trade for a bottom pair d man to replace Riikola

Yup nothing like getting PK Subban to fix the defense...? A Worse defensive Kris Letang with an even higher cap hit that cant even QB the powerplay?

Lets also ensure we have absolutely no forward depth as well and pray that we get Gusev in this magical parallel world. Seriously I would prefer the penguins current roster to abour 50% of the changes you made.

No. Pay for future performance... not the past. Let someone else pay

That would work too. It’s just that PK was traded.... and Pitt should have been in on him, and got him

I am a fan of puck moving D that can score. Offense is the best D. Too much $$$ and term given to non core players is my issue. That’s why I moved them. Rust at 2.5 m, 3 years... ok. Hornquist at 6 m for 3 years .... ok. JJ at 2 mil for 2 years.... Tanev 2.5 m at 2.... ok

Well his future performance has been solid. Speedy winger that is coming off a career year and their best PK forward. It was a good signing

JJ is going to be gone within a years timeframe, be it traded this offseason or given to seattle next season. That gets rid of him. Hagelin was not going to be re-signed, he is aging and his wheels are going to fall off sooner rather then later and nearly 3m per year for a guy who hasn't topped 10 Goals per season in the past 3 years and on a 4 year contract? So much for your 'Pay for future performance' take...

Hornqvist I can at least agree with you on, but his biggest flaw in his deal was the NTC, if that isn't there no one including myself is complaining because he is easily moved, Rust doesn't have a NTC and still performs excellently and is a flexible player on the right side that can even play with Sid, 3.5m for that flexability and a 20ish goal scorer with no NTC or NMC? I'll take that in a heart beat, but then again when he was signed he was less then a 15 goal scorer... Again so much for your "Future performance" argument since he did better after his contract.

And that brings us to Tanev, sorry but I like the signing given he has speed, he is hard to move off the puck and can use his body to protect the puck and is an excellent penalty killer. Plus kid put up career numbers this year.

Fully agree with your assesment of need for puck moving defensemen, but PK Subban is a defense liability worse then even Letang can be, overcommits on the rush and is a glorified goon. Him and Sullivan would mesh about as well as Sullivan and Phil did after Tochhet the intermediary left.

Edit: Just read your "Offense is the best D" Take and literally laughed out loud. The Penguins from 2011 thru 2014 proved that was BS, puck moving Dmen is one thing, you need to have them, but guys that overcommit on the rush lead to breaks and 2 on 1s like we had all of last season that cost us time and again.

Too much $$$ too much term for me