Polaris922

@aziz Primeau counted because the Flyers paid him despite his "retiring". If a club does that he counts against the cap, though LTIR takes care of that for cap purposes.

Closer than your Flyers every season except one . I could understand your comment if Crosby & Malkin were 33 or 34... But at 27 that's just plain silly. @doom88 Thank you. Lol

Fleury had a good playoffs this past season so yes our goalie can do just fine. Our defensive corps is way ahead of yours for depth and puck moving capabilities when everyone is healthy. Even losing NIskanen this season, we have plenty of depth there so that won't be an issue. And I strongly disagree that your forwards are ahead of ours. If that were the case, you would have had more offensive numbers than us, which you did not. We had better goals for, goals against, power play... you name it. And that while leading the league in games missed due to injury. We had three or four AHL players on any given night, and you're trying to tell me your forwards are better? Our crippled team finished second in the east and fell just short of another conference final. Our franchise is going to add grit to the lineup and Dupuis will return healthy. Bennett has a season under his belt and the new coach will (hopefully) fix what was broken in Bylsma's system. Johnston seems to favor the run and gun Bylsma got away from, and honestly, that's what our lineup thrives on. Do I think your Flyers are competitive? Sure. I'm not sold on what Hextall has done so far with the Umberger thing, but I refrain from judging yet. But at this point, I still think the Pens have a better lineup through and through. We can revisit it half way through the season and see where we stand. Back to the point though... to even suggest a "window closed" for guys like Malkin and Crosby is just jealousy and spite. It's actually quite silly. The Hawks didn't make it much further this season, did Toews and Kane miss their last opportunity as well?? Good grief...

And if he'd been 33 when he'd signed the contract he'd be retired.

@aziz That's my point. It was just a mistake by Holmgren. My arguing about it is in regards to those individuals who want to blame Bettman or the league like they're somehow being slighted against, when the problem was Holm-grown. And you probably don't recall this, but I'm the guy who pointed out the fact last summer that Pronger's LTIR status really doesn't hurt the team one bit, just messes with his status of retired or not. I don't understand why guys whine about it and try to blame the league which is why I get into these disputes. As for the Pens, we're not in the cap hell a lot of Flyers fans seem to think we're in. I still don't know why that is being said. The cap hike this year more than made up for the raise Letang got. Now Orpik leaves and they trade away Neal. Can we afford to sign NIskanen at what he'll be overpaid? No of course not, but the Pens wouldn't overpay him anyway with the young players coming up the pipeline. @Jmdodgesrt4 If you think Crosby and Malkin are not going to have a chance at more Cups, their window being closed as you put it, you're nuts. They're just coming into their primes. Letang isn't a screwup yet. The guy just set a career high in goals scored playing half a season. The new system Johnston brings in will be right up his alley. The guy is getting $7 million a season, but ask yourself what a Norris trophy candidate gets these days. There are NINE defensemen in the league making over $7 million per year this season. Letang is still young and has a long way to go IF his health holds up. If his health doesn't hold up, there is always the buyout and LTIR route. Either way he doesn't hurt the team too badly, so how is this such a bad contract? I'm thinking we see him as a candidate for the Norris a few more times, and maybe even win one or two before it's all done. @sarsippius The only smug BS I read in this post is from Flyers fans trying to blame the league for Holmgren's lack of reading comprehension. It DID backfire because of his age, because that's the chance ALL of the teams take, and if he hadn't been right up against the 35 rule it wouldn't even be discussed.

@flyercanuck There was a lot if talk about the organization being unhappy with Neal when he threw an elbow (I think it was) in the playoffs after his previous suspension. I know Lemieux had talked to him during his suspension and he'd been playing clean till then, but that moment may very well have punched his ticket.

@Samifan Come to the dark side... @flyercanuck The kid seemed to think it was pretty funny too. Lol

And he might have made a nice setup guy for Neal... Interesting

Steel fog? That's cute in a middle school kind of way Actually you're missing the big difference here. Crosby signed a 12 year extension at the age of 24. The Pens solidified a generational talent for the entire length of his prime in the league. A multiple Art Ross winner, Hart winner, and Lindsay winner. A roll of the dice because a concussion could end it all, but a regular buyout or LTIR are your backup plans. Pronger signed a 7 year extension at age 35... When he was already showing signs of the abuse his body had taken and lost a couple steps. The Flyers signed a man in the twilight of his career to a long term contract to lock him up at big money values while spreading the cap hit out to leave room for other signings. They did almost the exact thing the Devils did to circumvent the salary cap issues, and now it has backfired because if his age. They signed this knowing full well what the rule was, and decided circumventing meant more than the chance of injury. So Holmgren rolled the dice and the franchise is paying the price for it. That's not a slight by Bettman against the Flyers. That's not an unfair thing to have happen because you expose yourself to it knowingly and willingly. So you see, they both rolled the dice, but in trying to save more Homer also risked a lot more. When you risk more, sometimes you lose more. Does it make you happy? Of course not. But is it Bettman's or the league's fault? Absolutely not. And is it 100% fair across the board? Yes, it is.

Not a chance. I heard an interview with Johnston a couple days ago talking about his system. He LOVES the weak side d-man pinching in, and with Letang's skating he's going to be a much bigger factor than in Bylsma's system. Johnston also happens to have been Pouliot's coach and speaks highly if him as a fledgling Letang so he knows what his system is going to do for them. Would take a lot more than JVR to pry him away!

@jammer2 Sounds like we'll see it real soon then. And great line name! Lol @yave1964 Agreed. Good day to be a Ducks fan.

The Pens are shopping for a scoring winger...

If he can get there in time to play with them while they're still in their primes that could be a very dangerous combination indeed.

Garrison used to be a pretty physical guy by his own net. I take it by reading your post he's gotten away from that??

The only time they're accused of tanking is for Lemieux and 1. It's highly debatable and 2. If they did it was smart as hell as he won two Cups here for us. They never tanked for Crosby. You're saying so proves your ignorance to the facts. They sat Crosby out because that's what smart teams do. Rest players in games that mean nothing to them before the playoffs start. Especially a guy playing his first full season in for years. They threatened to move because they needed a new arena absolutely to get new revenue from it. If you knew anything about them you'd know why they needed new revenue agreements from a new arena and why they probably would have had to move if they didn't get it. They got ZERO from the old arena. Had nothing to do with attendance but no arena revenue and poor financing by the previous owner. I don't expect you to know anything though as your initial post was pure jealous spite and ignorance. Go drive your little SRT 4 banger and leave hockey to those who take time to learn the facts.

@Irishjim He said in the article how he was booed when announced and he "survived it". Lol @jammer2 The write up on him is pretty good. Like his dad but better hands and size. Could be a good pick. And thanks!

Courtesy of the Penguins.nhl.com: FEATURES Pens Get Their Guy in Skilled Winger Kapanen Friday, 06.27.2014 / 10:51 PM Michelle Crechiolo When NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced that the Penguins were on the clock preparing to make the 22nd-overall pick at the 2014 NHL Draft on Friday evening, the Flyers faithful that had packed Wells Fargo Center booed their hated rival. They booed, and booed, and continued to boo even as Pittsburgh’s selection, Finnish forward Kasperi Kapanen, took the stage and donned his new black and gold jersey. And while that certainly could have been intimidating, it didn’t faze Kapanen in the least. That’s because he considers himself a Philadelphian, having spent much of his childhood in the city while his father Sami, an NHL veteran of 831 games, played here from 2002-08. “I lived here for six years. I consider this my home, so it’s really an honor to be drafted in Philly,” Kapanen said. “It’s kind of a twist going to Pittsburgh, but that’s not a problem. They’ve got a great franchise and I’m really happy to go there. “I thought (the fans) were going to boo me so bad, but luckily it wasn’t that bad. I survived,” he smiled. And despite his ties to Philly and the Flyers, Kapanen couldn’t be more thrilled to be drafted by the Penguins. “You just know that the world’s best players are playing there,” Kapanen said. “Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, they’ve been playing really well these past five years. I’m just really stoked to be there.” Ready for another twist? Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford actually drafted Kasperi’s father Sami, in the fourth round (87th overall) in the 1995 NHL Draft when he was the GM of the Hartford Whalers. Rutherford was thrilled to see that the younger Kapanen was still available when it was the Penguins’ turn to pick, as Pittsburgh had him rated much higher on their draft board. Kapanen was listed as No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting’s final ranking of European skaters for this year’s draft. “We had him rated seventh (overall) on our list, and it’s exciting for me because I drafted his dad,” Rutherford smiled. “I don’t know how often that happens, that you draft a dad and his son.” And in yet another twist, Kapanen, 17, has actually been playing alongside his 40-year-old father for the past two seasons, with KalPa of the Finnish Elite League. “It was a dream come true, for me and for him,” Kapanen said. “I mean, he’s been my influence in everything. He’s been my coach, my trainer, my fan, my dad all at the same time. So that’s special and I’m really excited that I got to play with him.” Kapanen describes himself as being more of a finesse player than his father, while Rutherford added that Kasperi is bigger and stronger than Sami. “I think skating is my biggest strength, and just playing with the puck,” Kapanen said. “Passing, shooting, goal scoring, I think those are the ones that stick out for me. I think defensively, I have to be better if I want to play in the National Hockey League someday. It’s a league for men; it’s the best league in the world. So I’ve got to prepare myself and we’ll see what happens.” What works in Kapanen’s favor is that he’s already been playing alongside men in the Finnish Elite League. He made history in Finland last year when he made his debut in Liiga, Finland's top professional league, as a 16-year-old and skated in 13 games. He then played all of the 2013-14 season with KalPa, totaling seven goals and 47 points in 47 games. “I think when you play in the men’s league, you have to bring your A game every game or else you’re going to get benched and you’re not going to play well,” Kapanen said. “So you’ve always got to be ready, prepare, you can’t just kind of show up and kind of give 80 percent. It’s not enough. You always have to go 100 percent and that’s it. I think I matured because of that.” Rutherford believes that he has. “He’s a great skater. He’s already played with men,” Rutherford said. “So his development has moved along a little more than other players. So this is a really good pick for us.” While Kapanen wouldn’t rule out playing another season in Finland, he was clear that his goal is to take that black and gold jersey onto the ice. “Well of course, I’m going to try and take a spot on the roster,” he said. “I mean, it’s the wrong mentality if you think that you can’t do it. It’s what I’m going to try to do.”

Here's how it transpired. Sounds like Neal's lack of toughness was the death bell for him here. I like more that he's talking of finding another top talent winger to replace Neal and saying there's cap space to do it. I'm not a big fan of this deal yet but if they make use of that space my opinion could change. I just think they could've gotten more. However, if Neal is a locker room issue... WHAT HAPPENED General manager Jim Rutherford pulled the trigger on his first trade at the helm of the Penguins organization. Pittsburgh acquired forwards Patric Hornqvist and Nick Spaling from the Nashville Predators in exchange for forward James Neal. HOW THE DEAL CAME TOGETHER The Penguins and Predators have been talking for about a week on this deal. Many other options were discussed, including a deal including more pieces. The two sides decided to make the deal prior to the start of the draft. “We talked to about 15 teams, those calls were mostly initiated by them. I had a few offers to consider,” Rutherford said. “(Talks with Nashville) had been going on for about a week. We talked about a few other things, making it bigger. We got here tonight and met before the draft and decided we were going to do it.” WHAT THE PENGUINS RECEIVED Patric Hornqvist – The talented winger is a four-time 20-goal scorer who posted a career-high 30 goals in the 2009-10 season. Hornqvist, 27, plays with grit and isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. He has a finishers touch and should thrive in a top-6 role playing with a star center like Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin. “Hornqvist plays at the net, goes to the net, works the corners,” Rutherford said. “We like Hornqvist a lot. We think he’s a complete player, an all-around player, a player that plays with an edge. He’ll be good in the playoffs.” Nick Spaling – The rugged forward will add grit and battle to the Penguins’ bottom-6 forwards. Spaling, 25, versatile, can play all three forward positions, and plays the game with a ton of heart. His acquisition also adds some depth to the Penguins’ forward position. “Character, good dressing room guy,” Rutherford said. “It gives us more balance in our forwards. It’s something I talked about when I got the job, I wanted to get more balance 1-12. “He’s also a player that can play all three forward positions. So if one of our centers gets hurt he can just slide in there, very versatile player. I think he’s very important to this deal.” Cap space – The Penguins will save nearly $800k in salary with Hornqvist ($4.25 million) as opposed to Neal ($5 million). That extra space gives the Penguins some flexibility as the free agent period approaches. And Rutherford said he plans on utilizing that extra cash to possibly find a winger to replace Neal for Malkin. “By doing this, we have a better chance of doing something on July 1st that may be suitable to ‘Geno,’ too,” Rutherford said. “The deal we made helps with our cap space. I’m not going to call out any names (of free agents), but we think we’ll get somebody to fit on his line.” (Note: Spaling will be a restricted free agent, but whatever his salary ends up being it will likely be offset by current Penguins players entering the free agent pool. The Penguins consider the cap swap of this deal as a straight up between Hornqvist-Neal). WHAT THE PENGUINS GAVE UP James Neal – Neal, 26, is a six-time 20-goal scorer and topped out at 40 goals in the 2011-12 season. He’s still an elite talent, but the last two seasons he’s missed several games due to injury and suspension. Neal is a hard talent to part with, but to collect pieces of value you have to give up pieces of value. “We were just trying to change the mix of our team and get a little different type of player,” Rutherford said. BOTTOM LINE The Penguins identified the types of players that want on their team, the type of players that have grit and character, the type of players that will help them win in the playoffs. Hornqvist plays with an edge, but still has a valuable scoring touch. While Spaling with strengthen the depth and added heart to the lineup. “These guys play the game hard. They play with an edge,” Rutherford said. “They’re great team guys that we have in our room. Some of the things we talked about, we have two players like that.”

Learn more facts before spouting gossip. Most of what you posted is BS. And our "crap team" has won a Cup in the past few years. How's that going for you? All that Comcast money and nothing. Maybe a little tax money is needed to win a Cup?

Holmgren rolled the dice and lost. Does it suck a guy has a permanent injury? Yes even though its one of the dirtiest players in recent history I don't wish him harm. But that's the chance your GM took and lost. The Pens had that worry with Crosby and still do. But don't blame Bettman for your franchise's mistakes.

@B21 Spaling is a mid-grade two way forward and an RFA this year.

So now Bettman is responsible for the Pronger contract? Wait... What?

Just posted the same thing. I'll delete mine. Horrible trade in my eyes.

Heh heh heh!

From NHL.COM: The Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday acquired defenseman Jason Garrison from the Vancouver Canucks. The trade also sees the Lightning receive the rights to forward Jeff Costello and a seventh-round pick in the 2015 NHL Draft in exchange for their second-round pick (No. 50) in the 2014 draft. Garrison, 29, had seven goals and 33 points in 81 games this season, his second in Vancouver after signing a six-year contract. Garrison, who waived his no-move clause, has four years remaining at an average annual value of $4.6 million. "When it all kind of happened I was shocked and I didn't want to go anywhere else. I only signed here two years ago and wanted to be here the while time for sure," Garrison told Team 1040 AM in Vancouver. Garrison entered the League as an undrafted free agent and had a career-high 16 goals with the Florida Panthers during the 2011-12 season. He has career totals of 38 goals and 108 points in 318 games with the Panthers and Canucks. "It was shocking for sure. You don't really think it's going to happen," Garrison said. "The initial call was tough, but that's where the business part of this game comes into play and they have to look out for themselves and then I have to look out for myself. "It comes down to you want to play in a place that you are wanted." Costello, 23, was a fifth-round pick (No. 146) of the Ottawa Senators in 2009. He played four seasons at the University of Notre Dame, scoring 13 goals and 22 points in 40 games this past season.