I’m still a little bitter he was traded from the Hawks. Hope he continues to succeed. He just is one of those “little engine that could” type players.

Cap my rear end. Kahun was $925k and yes had bonuses, but they didn't amount to $5M which these players do. Bonuses only go over to next year if you don't have the space this year. He's the best player in the deal...an RFA...and would cost less cap. It's either this trade was bad...or Maatta Kahun was bad. Can't have it both ways.

By the way...jesus he switches on players a lot....and FAST. I mean Gud, Galy, Kahun, Oleksiak, Pearson, Reaves, Hags...that's just in 2.5 years too! AND I think only 1 of those guys got in a full 82 games.

That has got to deteriorate a locker room. I guess he's panicking to keep putting together teams to play with Crosby and Malkin since the clock could be running out on that soon. Mind you, it's what he did to win cups before too.

I agree with what you're saying, but doesn't that also just make the Kessel trade feel worse? $5M for (2) players that are...ok I guess, but $1.8M more and you have a guy that was literally an 82 point player last year in this system. I'm NOT saying he's a lock for that every year, but $1.8M isn't a huge delta. He would have a ton more with PIT than AZ, that's for sure. very different systems. PIT likes to run and gun and that's Kessel does.

Wasn't there chemistry issues with Kessel? He did produce regularly and I am not sure they trade was actually that great of an idea for both sides. I think in the playoffs when it gets more chaotic, Phil and Hall will lead that team with Keller to run and gun and everyone else being great at defense. The thing is, they are a cusp team now so hopefully they make it.

That’s not really true. After the Marleau trade the pens had 1,843,375 in cap space if you include the 3,700,000 in bonuses into their used cap. And that’s without putting Guentzel on LTIR. So none of that 3.7 million bonuses were going to transfer to next year. Now that we picked up 4.075 million in cap we had to place Guentzel on LTIR for cap relief, we will have to transfer the 850k in bonuses left to next year taking precious cap space to sign players.

If the pens would have gotten Sheary and Rodrigues for maybe Bjugstad instead of Kahun, they’d have 943,375 in cap space with the bonuses included in used cap left without having to put Jake on LTIR.