Team: 2022-23 Pittsburgh Penguins

Initial Creation Date: Jun. 4, 2022

Published: Jun. 5, 2022

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

Penguins situation is nearly impossible. The best option is probably to sign Letang and Malkin if you can get better value for 2 of the top 5 available FAs than any other team will. Heinen, McGinn, and Zucker are all the same player (~$9m cap) There are 2 options for Zucker. Buyout and save $3m or pray he plays like 50pt Zucker and wait for him to be LTIR’d. They have a D that can skate transition and score but they can’t clear out the net front or put a body on anyone at any of the 6 spots. See example- Rangers D knocked out Sid and Rackell resulting in playoff exit. Not having the defensive responsibility to hold a lead of any kind must be addressed along with the log jam of $4m LDs to bring in cheap POJ. If Hextall and friends can’t maneuver the roster improvements to make the 3-5 year all in push to the end then it will probably be another 1st rd exit. It’s probably best to let Letang walk if he wants more than $7m (which he could easily get).
Food for thought below: last cup roster no Letang, top 6 scoring, 3rd line gritty goal scorers, defensively responsible defensemen and bottom 6. So that’s what I tried in the mock.
Guentzel Crosby Sheary
Rust Malkin Kunitz
Horny Bonino Kessel
Wilson Cullen Rowney
Dumo Schultz
Cole Daley
Hainsey Maatta
Fleury Murray

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