LOST
Nick Bonino .... Nashville .... 4 years .... $4.1m
Trevor Daley .... Detroit .... 3 years .... $3.178m
https://www.capfriendly.com/players/chris-kunitz
https://www.capfriendly.com/players/ron-hainsey
https://www.capfriendly.com/players/cameron-gaunce

SIGNED
Antti Niemi
Matt Hunwick
Garrett Wilson
https://www.capfriendly.com/players/justin-schultz
https://www.capfriendly.com/players/frank-corrado
https://www.capfriendly.com/players/tom-sestito
https://www.capfriendly.com/players/casey-desmith
https://www.capfriendly.com/players/chris-summers
https://www.capfriendly.com/players/jarred-tinordi
https://www.capfriendly.com/players/greg-mckegg
https://www.capfriendly.com/players/zach-trotman

I'll try to update to keep up

Sad to see Bonino go ... to the Preditors ... and at such an achievable salary and term. I wonder what Rutherford had his value at, or if he already had something else in place. I felt that up to $4.25m would be acceptable, and I wonder if would have stayed for a counter offer of $3.8m ($300k difference).

pretty much knew that we would lose all the FA's going in sad to see bonino go. but all the dmen i had an eye on went pretty much dirt cheap same with the 3 players i had at 4c. pretty much junk left only avenue to improve and fill out team is thru trades. nashville really took it to next level but they have 5 rfa to sign and with the 1c numbers that are floating around johansson is going cost 8m per. was looking forward to scf rematch next year. lot of teams improved seems pens lost lot of ground so far. trade market is going be pure stupidity.. too expensive and costly to future. our prospect pool isnt exactly overflowing with blue chippers i really only see 4 maybe 5 jarry sprong simon aston-reese and maybe prow and dea are iffy. our defense is passible but we have almost no depth there i would have liked to see ryan murphy or kyle quincey grabbed both are decent fit for 5/6/7 depth dmen and didnt cost much. lets hope JR can pull off some amazing trades in next month. shultz cap hit is about the price i expected it to be but i expected more term. hopefully dumo come in at good rate and term. 4 x 3.25 would be perfect.

I find it strange they didn't address the center position AT ALL. Dominic Moore signed for 1yr at $1m ... I wonder if they even talked to him. He had nearly 30 pts last year and has the skill set we need; speed, defense, faceoffs, some scoring, and cheap. It couldn't be salary or term.

Crosby and Malkin are not getting any younger. 3-4 years might be the end of the era, especially with the improvement other teams are making. There are play off teams from last year who look to be cup contenders in the next year to 2, which is going to make it that much harder to cash in on Crsoby/Malkin.

I think Ryan Murphy is in the Pouliot's situation, no one is sure he can actually play in the league, accept Carolina who doesn't think he can. They did add some depth D for the AHL which may surprise and see NHL mins. Hunwick signing seems decent, gentle cap hit. His lack of offense doesn't worry me if Letang stays healthy and Pouliot comes along. Hunwick makes it possible to give Pouliot the shot at playing his way in or out, of the lineup. We need Pouliot to play 40ish games to see what he's got. They have a lot of back to back games this year, so rest Letang and play Pouliot every chance they get. I hope the don't plan to play Letang 25+ mins again. He'll never see the playoffs if they keep that up.

Prospect wise, you got to consider Guentzel, Archibald, Kuhnackl, and they signed DeSmith, which stacks our Gs and Ws. But we also have assets to move for what we need now. Haglen and Wilson are expendable, and IMO I don't mind adding Sheary (depending on his contract) and Maatta to that list if the return is right. Dallas is heavy at center and defense. Might be a potential trading partner.

I think Schultz signing was good. I would have like an extra year or 2. I'm Hoping the sign Dumoulin and Sheary to bridge contracts. Both in the $2.5m but definitely under $3m range, so they can save some cap to add players via trade, though we look like we got plenty to spend. I just hope Rutherford doesn't chase the stars, adding another a $6m winger. We need a true 3rd center who can PK, block shots, take faceoffs, etc. Not a guy who makes $6m to score numbers points like Bonino did.

I'm kinda hoping to see the Pens sign Mikhail Grigorenko to 2 way deal. I haven't seen him much, he's played the wing and center, is large, very good face off numbers and has scored 20+ in the NHL as a 4th liner. I've heard questions about his skating, but at 23 he should be able to turn that around if Ryan Reaves can do it at 29-30. Don't think he's the answer, but potential versatile option, who should be cheap enough to make it worth the risk and add depth to the roster to help other moves take place.

I think Penguins got all they could out of Fleury, Daley, Kunitz, other guys they lost... Getting a former cup winner in Niemi real dirt cheap is pretty good while keeping Schultz. Their signings might not be flashy, though they were missing players last year form injury. Even Bonino I think was hurt in Final, maybe Letang can come back which would be a major upgrade. I still think there is time for them to make more moves, maybe they end up with Ilya . There a few forwards still unsigned like STafford, HEmsky, Doan, Winnik, PA Parenteau, Marleau, VAnek, Pirri, MIchalek, Grigorenko, Chaiasson, Smith Pelly so I'd not freak out too much yet. Always a few stray players signed from KHL, unless they make a run for Radulov or some others.

I'd hate for them to get Ilya Kovalchuk. They seriously don't need anymore wingers, so unless they sign a guy and trade him for assets they do need, I'd rather they just keep the cap space for trades. 87/71 are scoring plenty with the players we have. The don't need a $6m+ money sink to do what Guentzel and Sheary are doing. Hornqvist and Kessel both seen time on the 2nd and 3rd line, because scoring across all lines is that important ... or they can do like WSH and stack one or two lines and lose in the playoffs because they live or die by those lines.

Grigorenko is the only thing I see worth the Pens signing at this point, and that's only if the price is under $1m, and only because he can play Center or Wing, or waived or sent down, if/when a better Center comes available. Most of the guys you mention couldn't keep up with their old teams let alone the Pens. At least Grigorenko put up career highs in goals and FO% before COL surprise a lot of people by not giving him a qualifying offer.

I think could get him pretty cheap or some incentive contract... He was supposed to be a good player, showed some flashes... Maybe playing on a team like Penguins where he wont have the pressure to be the guy or perform will help. Saad I think had issues with CBJ having to be the main dude, so going to Chicago I think will help him rebound. Be glad didn't give Jumbo Joe 8M for 1 year or the contract Marleau had. Penguins could just go into season then make a deal around deadline it worked out well when they got Schultz for example. So having the free cap space might be a better idea than trying to force everything now. Figure any season they don't win the Cup isn't going to be good enough so the bar is set pretty high. I think they are in better shape having a lot less money locked up in the goalie position. Locking up Schultz saves them trouble trying to find a right shot D-man to replace him which would have been real tough considering only Franson/Wideman are left for the named players there.

Capitals look like they had to shed some players for the contracts they just handed out. I don't think they will be that good this year, wouldn't shock me if they missed the Playoffs to be frank. Teams in East got better, think their window slammed shut for making a Cup run. At least Crosby took a cap hit that allowed his team to compete unlike some less talented players like Kopitar who wanted to break the bank. Stamkos is another guy with a fair salary, I think Tampa will be the team from the East to beat out or maybe Montreal. Really would be tough for a team to make Cup final 3 years in a row in the salary cap age anyways. My biggest worry would be if Murray gets hurt having to rely on Niemi to play 30-40 games. Nothing against him, I don't think they would have done as well with even Fleury in there over Murray last 2 runs. Though others played their role pretty well when Murray didn't play or was hurt.

I think Colorado might be tanking trying to get a 1st overall or are in full rebuild mode shedding anything they can for assets. Either way that trade didn't work out for them so they cut their loses with Grig.

Saad production was even with what he did in CHI. I'm pretty sure Hossa's health had a bit to do with it, as Saad is much more that kind of player.

TB, TOR, MON, and maybe OTT and BOS are my concerns in the EAST, but the West teams that could make the Finals is also much scarier. DAL, EDM, NSH, ... teams are improving. Pens haven't improved anything but cap space. downgraded Daley to Hunwick (no complaint) and MAF to Niemi, which appears to be a huge drop off. I think it was the Murray/MAF tandam they last 2 runs. With out Fluery does Murray have a chance to close it out this year? Could Fluery have carried them the rest of the way? Luck for us we don't need to play the "what if" game. Does Niemi cushion them for even a series though?

The issue I see with trades is giving up assets and find the guy doesn't work out. Is there time to replace him to make a real cup push? A FA signing has camp and time to work out, or not. A trade requires loss of assets, but If it comes before camp there's time to move what doesn't work before the playoffs.

But not a contract like Eric Fehr's though. We trade him plus to clear cap, and a roster spot, where a Grigorenko might sign under $1m and be another 23 yr old prospect (AHL or lost to waivers) ... UNLESS the KHL is calling. Russian money vs potentially playing in the minors? I think COL should fire Sakic. They can bomb the season with assets they acquire from trading players who are losing value. That lotto seems to kill some teams, and bless others though.

They need to sign a few key RFA (Sheary, Dumoulin, and also Pouliot), which makes me think they might be a long way apart on estimating value. If Pens are thinking $2m and agents are thinking $4m, then it might be better to trade their rights then to sign them. The next team would be able to say "Mr. Sheary, what do you think you're worth with out Crosby?" but the Pens can only threaten to play him somewhere else to see if his numbers come down to earth. Maybe it was just getting Schultz out of the way ...

I've talked about Saad a bit in other postings though mostly that was for size/younger player he is few inches taller along with 30 pounds heavier... Also he is under contract longer, so that will help Chicago LT with the cap crunch they are facing. They flipped Kurger to Vegas for future considerations so that will really help them while having a cheap backup goalie or two depending who wins likely Forsberg though.

I think Nashville will miss he Post Season now that they have expectations other teams like Kings, Stars, Jets, Coyotes who missed are better than last year. Even a few teams ahead of them who were the lowest seed got better if anything. Oilers are another team I think will have a harder time, nobody expected them to make it that far so now teams will play them harder. They seemed to adjust to McDavid in Post Season since he didn't even have a point a game. Talbot look exhausted so some games in Playoffs he seemed to let in goals related to that that he wouldn't have earlier in season. They had to make some moves to buyout players or other things which might factor in. Always harder to win or do well when have expectations or not going to surprise anybody.

I have this weird feeling Drew Stafford will end up on Penguins for a cheap contract much like I did with Niemi. HE had 21 goals not that long ago, even had a career high 31. Hagelin or so probably will have a better season then he did last year. Cullen I would imagine would retire so that might hurt them since he filled in well for Bonino while having more goals than Kopitar last season . Domoulin they want to keep since they protected him in the expansion draft. I"m surprised teams don't seem to sign people to offer sheets in general since its not a bad payout in most cases. Boston had some guy with a big season they claim will match any offer sheet. Penguins have like 11M in cap space so figure should have least 4-5M free to get a good player or players still. Looks like they will be in good Cap shape the next few years or longer so sure will eventually replace or upgrade. I think they will get rid of Hag while keeping Horn, Cole shouldn't cost that much if they plan to keep him either.

The fact that the Penguins didn't blow a bunch of money on UFAs is always good.

Personally, I thought they did fine. Restocking the defensive cupboard is always helpful, even if most of these players are destined for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The Schultz contract is tolerable. The Penguins do still need a 3C, but it's probably going to come via trade as opposed to free agency. Who depends on what sort of rumors pop up. If Sakic wants to trade Duchene, then screw it, I'll take Duchene and go for dat three-peat, even if it's Määttä, Sprong, and a 1st.

They don't need Duchene at 3rd line center. If they got him he should play wing on the top 2 lines, which would also mean they'd have to move a person off the top 2 lines, and STILL need a 3rd center and Trading for Maata you create a hole at defense. Add $2m in cap and still need to sign RFA who can take up to $9m, which every bit of cap you have left, so no Cullen even if he did come back. If Duchese gets hurt, what cap space do you have to replace him? He had 3 points more then Bonino and makes nearly $2 mil more then NSH paid Bonio. So why not just resign Bonino? Do you think his scoring is going to make up for the hit you took at D-man, and the downgrade from Bonino's defensive game to Duchase? Sprong is cheap scoring when a spot opens up, which might be Hornqvist leaving next year, or to replace a more expensive player you move like Hagelin or Sheary.

Anyone making over $4m is highly unlike to be traded for. Even if they ship a $4m player out. It screws you for depth and you end up like Washington. 2 awesome lines and an early summer. The same is true of trading our most NHL ready prospects. It just creates wholes that are that much harder to fill.

Just ridding themselves of the Fleury contract was a win for Pens. Not Fleury's play but Pens didn't need to carry the additional cap. When you're a successful team you're going to lose players as UFAs.

Yeah they got all the use they could from Fleury even tossing into Post Season to help them... I'm thinking they will wait for the deals of the RFAs to get done before making a bigger move at UFA... Winnik is out there, I got a list of about 3-5 centers who might elaborate more on later. Figure if Fleury was so good while would play Murray who had like a pulled hamstring or some injury in the ECF. I think the Senators would have beat Fleury, I do think he played well in the 1 Cup he won even if others knock him. My memory could be flawed, back then I think he earned it, not expecting him to do well in Vegas... I'll be surprised if he isn't another Brian Hayward there, making Pickard basically Jeff Hackett .

Fluery had 3 games vs OTT ... A 2 GA @ .943 SV%, a shutout, and then a bad period that got him pulled because Murray (having recovered from injury) is a very good goaltender, not because Fluery is a crappy one. It's like saying Crosby is 1st center so Malkin can't be that good. Murray should have been pulled twice in the finals in NSH. Fluery was huge in 09, which was similar to Murray this year with ups and downs in the finals.

I don't think any goalie will do good in Vegas for the next 2-5 years. Bylsma system was let Fluery stop it and try to get the rebound. His numbers were amazing when he had team defense played in front of him, which was the year before he started losing the job to Murray. Just can't pay $5 plus mil for a back up in the cap era.

I won't be surprised to see MAF traded this season.

I don't recall saying he was crappy, though I do think Senators goalie is better than Fleury or would have beat him way he was playing. Murray managed to find a way to win, then ran into Pekke Rinne who did play crappy except for 2-3 games at most in SCF. They got Murray locked down for a few years before having to worry about his cap hit going up though. I do hope Vegas trades MAF, hopefully he can play well enough to raise his return or a key injury gets a team to over pay for him. They were smart enough to make Penguins trade them more to take him in the expansion draft, otherwise I might have taken Cole.

Hard for any goalie to do well when Miller is probably the only right shot D-man team has... I don't count the glorified goon as being a real right handed shot... So all those lefty shots trying to play together makes me think of something I read about the old Russian teams... How supposedly they all had the same type of stick so would be shooting from the same side even if they were right or left handed it didn't matter they only had 1 type of stick . I give Penguins coach credit for replacing Fleury when numbers might have made it more difficult to do that. Most coaches would have left in Fleury even if it meant they lost the series. Quick didn't even get replaced in 2013 when he was struggling against Chicago... They even stuck with him when he had like a broken wrist over Jones when they got their final cup.

I do think Fleury was good in 09 even though I read some article that really bashed him in that... I recall him making some pretty clutch saves being amazing if anything not mediocre... Though that was a while ago so not sure how sharp my memory was or is . I think Crosby is better than Malkin, at the very least more consistent with a lower cap hit. I'll admit I figured he was done for the Post Season when they claimed he had a concussion. Almost shocked to see him back as soon as he was, doubt they would have won with him along with Letang missing. It was nice in a way that Fleury got to contribute to the final Cup before leaving for Vegas. They selling a fair amt of merchandise for him related to Knights already so will get what they can before he goes .

I read this ... "Figure if Fleury was so good (while = WHY?) would (they) play Murray ..." and also you keep saying he couldn/can't "beat" OTT when to that point he has 1 bad period in 3 games ... much like Murray had 3 bad games in the Pred series. Reads like good goalie wouldn't get pulled and not good goalies can't beat teams.

I was more concerned about Rust. I figured there were other D for Vegas to get in expansion so Cole was probably going to get left. I assumed they'd be looking to sell players for picks. 1yr to RFA has more value to me than 1 yr to UFA. The 2nd made sense, but a 3rd basically got Methot, however would still need to move Fleury.

I made a Vegas Armchair-GM. I think they can do pretty well if they don't insist on keeping guys like Schmidt, who has more value being moved for other assets because the team is going to struggle the rest of his career.

I took Cole when I did my draft for Vegas over Fleury . I figured he was a good value/under rated as a player that could fill their lineup pretty well... The goalies I was slotted to take were Mrazek, Hutchingson, Gudlveski who Islanders have not, and Forsberg who ended up on Chicago. Senators goalie was playing pretty good it took OT to win when looked like Senators would win that game in regulation. Somebody being better don't make the other guy bad... Like if Bobby Orr is better than Gretzsky it don't mean wayne sucked or anything . If Penguins coach thought he could beat OTT he wouldn't have changed to Murray in the first place. Before the protection lists were official I had Vegas taking Domourin or however spell his name. I think Vegas could have got more if didn't take Methot least a 2nd round pick from Senators with another pick... Then they could have taken Wideman a right shot D-man who was good for about 5 goals or so a year. Who worse case scenario they would have flipped for a player or a pick.

Vegas to me made mistakes that know from experience doing expansion in fantasy leagues. Think they went too heavy on left shot D-men while not enough right shot ones. Passed on a few players I think were better off taking instead of package to not. Then to not be a factor in free agency seems to show they took too much cap not trying to win this year looking to next or later... Right now they are on like a 10 year plan, though owner claims will win Cup in 6 I don't see that with current crop of players. I'm not confident in any of them being a franchise player who is currently on the roster, hopefully they have a star or superstar. Guess they will try to flip Neal if he can have a good year. I wanted Jankrork or however spell it on Nashville he had a nice cap hit under contract a fair amt of years but they protected him . Quick won a Cup with Jones as his backup who ended up in SCF though I think he played better than Rinne... So Jones could have just as easily taken over in LA, Kings probably would have got a better deal trading Quick after Cup win in 2014 than nothing for Jones/Miller/Lucic/1st round pick worked out for them .