Tanguay had a decent season I doubt Colorado would be interested. The carolina deal seems fair but will never happen because Cane's owner hates JR now. If shero is high enough on Dea that may be a possibility but the conditional pick is a little wonky. More likely just Scuderi, Dea, 3rd for a 5th or 6th.

Every team has bad contracts. Scuds at 3.4m a year for two more years isn't good but in no way i nearly the worst. Collectively the Pens have a cap problem with Crosby, Malkin, Kessell, Letang, and Fleury making 37.5 m a year, over 50% of the cap.
Without a "bunch" young players to keep salaries low, the Pens are in cap and personnel problems. Talk of Gonchar making the team, Erixon and even Tyler Biggs too......Yikes. Just looks like the Pens will be a making the traditional Maple Leaf rim in April.....a run to make the playoffs

I think this is hyperbole. Pitt's problem isn't their core, which isn't far out of line in cap % with other successful teams. It's injuries. Their cap hits are fine; if they're playing.

I totally agree DD67

DD and Stormm: Let's take a look at some recent other successful teams caps.
Top 5 players on each team. Hawks 38m, Pens 37m, Rangers 34m, Boston 33m, Kings 30m, Tampa 29m.
You know by reading Armchair GM the amount of effort it is by Chicago & Ranger "teams" to get under the cap. Boston had to trade RFA Hamilton for just draft picks, partly because his 5.6m salary (which he received from Calgary) would have impeded other signings.
I was singling out any player, but I tried to say, " collectively.....the Penguins top 5 salaries are collectively are high, which impedes their secondary signings."
Regarding Lunquist.....he might be the best Ranger in the past few years, but to make 8.50m a year when the next goalie makes 7.425 a year, gee Price only makes 6.5m, seems very high. See how the Lunquist contract looks in 2021 when Lunquist is 39 years old. Good luck to him, but it might be a drain on the Ranger as there is
no "cap" relief for players over the age 35. Geez, his contract (not necessarily his play) is a strain on the Rangers cap now.

The bigger correlation is man games lost. Like you said, the Pens are in a tier of teams that spend to the cap and their core players are about as expensive as anyone else in that group. But injuries to the key players in this group have held them back.