Here is my overall thoughts on what I would prefer to see for the penguins this summer.
I think realistically you look to move Smith, Nieto (could probably waive) and Acciari. People will want Graves moved but I just don't see that being a possibility.
I'm leaving openings below for the roles that I view the penguins needing this summer.
The players I have listed in the "Scratches" below are to me players that can come into camp and fight to earn a bottom line role. I imagine Broz would most likely spend the year in WBS having just signed his ELC but i'd like to see the other 4 fight for the 4th line wing positions. (this would of course assume you move Nieto and Acciari)
I keep the second line as it was to end the season (Bunting/Malkin/Rakell).
Team needs to go find a LW to play on the first line whether that is through trade, or through FA. I don't really think there are many FA options that make much sense (Stamkos, Guentzel and Teravainen are about it) but i'm not sure what the trade market would look like for that position.
I think Drew O'Conner had a really great year, he struggled in the early half of the season but really turned a new page the last 50 or so games. I know he ended the year on Sid's wing, but personally I just don't see him as a true 1LW option. I also felt that Puustinen proved himself to be a solid depth winger this year, and is someone that i'd like to see with a bit more TOI next year and potentially even some 2nd PowerPlay time. To me between DOC and Puustinen the penguins have the making of a good, speedy forechecking 3rd line, the key is to add a 3C that can contribute to that while driving the play. Again not super super wild about the FA options (Stephenson, Lindholm and maybe a guy like Roslovic would be options) but I wonder if this is is a role that Dubas addresses via trade. I don't personally think that Ponomarev or Poulin are fit to be a legit 3C yet (could be wrong of course).
The next openings in this scenario are 4th LW and RW. As I noted above if the team moves Nieto and Acciari i think you have plenty of options from WBS and Puljujarvi to add two younger guys to the 4th line. Eller was great this year, but to me he belongs on the 4th line next year. If the team can't move the likes of Nieto and Acciari, I don't really have an issue personally of rotating your 4th line wingers between Acciari, Nieto and Puljujarvi. I think Acciari will have a better season if he plays on the wing like he has in the past (shouldn't have been running Center all year IMO).
For defense JSI to me proved he can be a very affordable and reliable third pairing. That should be an easy signing to bring back and stick him on the third pair. Pettersson, Letang and Karlsson aren't going anywhere. To the group of you wanting to trade EK I do not see that happening and depending on what Letang's supposed injury is that will require surgery possibly, it's even more important IMO to hang on to EK. I don't believe Dubas will trade Graves (mainly because it'd be quite difficult) he was pretty blunt at the season ending presser that they weren't impressed by his play at all this year and that they know he can be better. So to me they're going to make him try and work his way back up, but only time will tell.
I think that means you need to find another top 4 LD guy, I did think POJ had a good second half of the year, but I also don't think he's a long term fit in top 4. Ideally he'd be a solid 3rd pair with JSI, but i'm not opposed to the team bringing back POJ for the right price.
Last, i think they'll bring up Blomqvist to backup Jarry unless Ned is willing to sign a similar goalie deal, $2M AAV would be the absolute most i'd go on Ned personally. The team could try and trade Jarry of course, but I think that then leaves you with trying to either find two goalies (Starter and Backup) or just finding a starter and using Blom or Ned as backup. The goalie UFA market this year yet again is not good, so that would mean you have to make a trade for a starter, not exactly easy. Ned isn't a starter in my eyes, so I don't see success in running Ned and Blom as some people seem to keep preaching.
So, I think the focus is Adding 1LW, 3C and Top 4LD this summer.
Obviously if something happens where a Jarry or Graves are traded, then you're looking to replace both.
These should be the three players that the pens look to trade in the summer, i'm just using ANA to move them off the team so ANA fans, this isn't real.
I would agree eller would be a pretty good 4C, i wish we got to see nieto actually play a decent bit, i watched the avs when they got him near the deadline last year and liked him. He’s got speed can PK and solid defensively, honestly a 4th line of Nieto-Eller-Acciari would be stellar to me if they nieto and acciari stayed healthy. That line has speed, forechecking, energy, defensively reliability, chippiness, and all provide solid PK options. But the key is staying healthy. As for the 3C that’s a bit harder, Stephenson would probably be the most realistic option, but price could be the problem. I think you just hope letang isn’t injured going into the season and that graves finds his game, think those are the options there, the only way i can see us being rid of graves is like a cap dump for cap dump trade, maybe like a PLD for smith and graves thing, but idk that that would happen, if it did i could see putting PLD as the 2C and hoping he gets back to where hes been (and doesn’t cause locker room issues) and put malkin on crosbys wing. As for the LD if they got rid of graves id look at ghost or skjei, but a ghost letang pairing could be incredibly bad at actually defending.
you don't have to trade Nieto.
A. he never came off LTIR, he was suppose to miss 8 weeks, he was out much longer. So he might never come back.
B. he can be buried in WBS
you don't have to trade Nieto.
A. he never came off LTIR, he was suppose to miss 8 weeks, he was out much longer. So he might never come back.
B. he can be buried in WBS
yeah i noted he could be waived (which would send him to WBS)
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