Yeah thats true. Probably a huge factor.

I think most people would agree that it isn't out of the realm of possibility that Bjugstad is more valuable than Kapanen this season. PIT traded one for a 7th, PIT acquired one for a 1st +

You can't buy out an injured player

You can't buyout an injured player

Dumbest comment of the year goes to:

Guerin to Rutherford: "This is a really good deal for us in Minnesota, so definitely we are saying yes to this one. I hope you know what you are doing."

I'm not a fan of Kapanen as a top 6 guy and that comment is insane.

I know that you can't buyout an injured player, I didn't know that he was currently injured

Yah but always injured

He just had spinal surgery. More likely he never plays again than anything else.

Then why not just place him on LTIR? I'm not trying to be difficult. I'm just not clear on the process.

Putting him on ltir won't create cap space. They will still be on the hook for 4.1 million cap hit and have to pay him over 5 million in actual salary. If they truly are trying to spend less that is the number that really matters. Yeah they didn't get anything back in this trade, but they were able to shed actual dollars and open up 2 million in cap space.

And whats the risk to them? They have cap space to spare, the pick is conditional. Best case scenario? They have a 3C. Worst case scenario? They're in the same situation they were in before trading for him.

Then I really don't understand the trade in Minnesota's perspective

I dont kno if its comical but prob not going to happen w/ MIN but it could , Ya never really kno.

LOL

I just read it & had to read it again, then my drink came out of my nose from lol

Jesus christ. What the hell is JR thinking? 50% Salary retained!

They are taking a risk free chance. If he doesn't work out they loose nothing. If he does they got him for a 7th round pick. There really is no downside.

So the Pens got rid of an injury riddled player who's been close to the replacement level and unloaded a half of his bad contract for free

Minnesota got a player who might be sorta useful and if he's not — again, it's for free and it's only one year

But yeah, Pens lost the "find a third line center" game again

A buyout would have cost about the same in terms of real money, and would have saved $1.45M in cap hit this year (but would have added $1.75M) next year. So a getting a 7th is probably slightly better. However, given the Penguins are a team whose best players are aging, and there is a cap crunch around the league right now, with an expansion draft next year, I actually think the cap space this year, has more value than cap space next year.

So the question is really if it made sense to buyout Bjugstad. When he has played he has been a 15 goal, 30 point center, but last year he played very little. The condition on the 7th is that Bjugstad has to play at least 70 games or get 35 points, so basically a 7th goes back to Pittsburgh only in the circumstance where Bjugstad proves he's not a buyout level player.

So basically, if Bjugstad isn't very good, the Pens get nothing, and would have been just as well off to buy Bjugstad out.

Or if Bjugstad is pretty good, the Pens get a 7th, in which case they lose the deal because they retained salary and only got a 7th on a player that was actually decent.

It feels like watching a friend bet on every Stanley cup favourite when they didn't realize they will be down money no matter what the outcome is.

This isn't a horrendous trade, I mean if Bjugstad's value is around the level of a buyout, there isn't much of a difference, it's just kind of funny that a buyout might actually have been better than getting nothing, but getting something means Minnesota wins the deal hands down.

LOL what do you mean?

Pittsburgh basically traded:

1) 1st round pick (2020 = 15th overall)
2) 2nd round pick (2018 = Hallander)
3) Nicholas Bjugstad
4) Evan Rodrigues

In an over payment for Kapanen ... and lost cap space in the process.

Bjugstad's original cap hit was $4,100,000 (Rodrigues wasn't getting qualified at $2,000,000 plus).

Now Kapanen ($3,200,000) + Bjugstad's retention ($2,050,000) = $5,250,000 in cap space.

So he lost $1,200,000 + the future (potential) cap savings of two ELC's.