Team: 2024-25 Pittsburgh Penguins

Initial Creation Date: Mar. 3, 2024

Published: Mar. 17, 2024

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

1. Toffoli has always played the game at a controlled pace, a pace that Malkin now has to adjust to. He can help with that transition and match late-stage Malkin/Crosby well.

2. Fleury apology/retirement tour. One last run with the boys which should rejuvenate everyone.

3. Sprong brings in someone in their prime who can score and could reach career highs with Crosby.

4. Guentzel is brought back to keep Crosby happy and allay rebuild fears. Pittsburgh is committed to competing, for better or worse, and needs to go all in on that commitment. They got an injection of assets, but they don't have to lose the player.

5. RHP is an example of someone young and determined who has shown the potential to produce at the NHL level. Someone who can be injected into a line to provide some pep while playing responsibly.

6. Harris is an example of a solid young two-way defender who can move the puck and is versatile.

7. Kovacevic is an example of a young, defense-first 3rd pairing guy who can take the tough deployment and PK to save the legs of Letang and Karlsson.

8. Two of Rust, Rakell, Smith, are moved out to get the cap room necessary to make some changes.

Still some room to maneuver and make some changes at the bottom of the lineup.
Cap is going to be tight regardless of how close/far my contract estimates are. Hopefully the total cap impact of the full slate of moves can be tweaked to come within $1M.