7.5 million for Brown and ERod and then a horrible trade to replace letang. No thanks.

So you're telling me...losing Kapanen who has so much potential but is lost on the Pens. And POJ, in your OWN WORDS, "I would trade him in a minute for a decent return from a team desperate for defense." and a not first round pick...For an offensive, top-pair RHD is a horrible trade??

And two good RW's on shorter term deals for a total 1.5M over what Rust would ask for 6 YEARS?

Come on now. Calm the homerism.

1st of all, your assessment is off.
Lets just start individually.
Is ERod worth 3.5 mil....nope. Let him walk.
Is 37 year old Brown worth 4 mil.... nope don't do that either.
So ok, we have cleared both of those, which frankly have nothing to do with Rust and are just bad moves in themselves.

Which leaves us to the trade.
Yes, I would move POJ for a decent return.
And I'm not claiming that Ellis isn't a solid Defenseman.

But you piss away 7.5 million on bad contracts, to let Letang walk, to give up assets for a guy that's going to cost you 6.25 a year?
Meanwhile, there are plenty of good RD available in FA next year.

It's not called Homerism, it's called logic.
How about at worst just give Letang the small raise he's asking for and not waste cap space on two bad forwards?
That's the worst possible outcome that one should expect.

Lemme assess this.
1. Pittsburgh-Philadelphia will not trade with each other. They both want to kill each other.
2. Dustin Brown will not be a Penguin next year. Boyle possibly if it's JUST a depth piece.
3. Kris Letang is going to be a Penguin next year. Letang is the 3rd best right handed D-man in the league behind Makar and Fox.
Ryan Ellis will never make the impact that Letang does. I'd rather give up 8.5 + to Letang than bring in Ellis.
POJ needs to stay and I think Kapanen is gonna be vital here down the stretch
4. I agree with E-Rods deal. I think the Penguins will decide on ERod over Rust.
5. Marc-Andre Fleury will not be a 1 year deal 1 million guy. If he does sign in PIT, it'll be 3 yr- 3 mil
6. Zucker will not be back. One of Pettersson/Marino or Matheson is gone next year

pharrow is right on the money here as well. These are the last years of Sid-Geno. Gotta be right with the money