Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Move some cap for Ryan Suter?

Episode Date: July 14, 2021

We're really into the roots of the offseason now! The Wild bought out Zach Parise and Ryan Suter today and Hunter touches on that in the first segment and how it could impact the Penguins. Should they pursue one (or both) of them? What would Ryan Suter bring to the lineup? He also talks about Chris Driedger and how much money he's looking for on his next deal. Does it make sense to pair him with Tristan Jarry next season? Would it be too much money added to their cap? He also discusses the possibility of signing Kyle Palmieri from the New York Islanders. Would he be looking for a more lucrative offer? Which version of Palmieri this year more accurately portrays him? All that, plus much more on this episode of Locked On Penguins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Your Locked-on Penguins, your daily podcast on the Pittsburgh Penguins, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. Hello, everyone, welcome to this Tuesday evening episode of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. I'm your host, Hunter Hodes. Remember to follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes. Follow this show's Twitter at L.O. On Score Penguins, if you need more hockey news, Locked on NHL, the national show for the network is here to fill the gap.

It's our daily podcast on everything happening around the league. You can subscribe and listen each day for a quick look at the biggest stories and game recaps each day. Subscribe to Locked on NHL today wherever you get podcasts. So have a lot to get to for this episode of the podcast. I was actually supposed to have Josh Yoey on today, but apparently he did something to his ankle right before we were about to record. So pretty shitty luck there. We are rescheduling. So it looks like that's going to be later this week.

Of course, we're going to touch on a whole lot. expansion talk, what he's potentially hearing with Ron Hextall, going into the all season with free agent signings and trades and whatnot. So hoping to get that for you all as early as tomorrow, but if not then, Thursday or Friday. But for today, though, going to touch on the very stunning buyouts of Zach Parisei and Ryan Souter are going to angle it in a way for the Penguins, especially because I think Pittsburgh should have interest in someone like Ryan Suter, even though they don't have a lot of cap space right now. I think that they should be in that three quarters of the league mark where, you know, a lot of teams should be going after him

because I still think he is a good player. Now, Zach Perese, not as much. So, you know, let's just get right into it. Right around, what was it, 11, 11, 30, you know, right around lunchtime, you know, we get the stunning announcement that the two faces of the Minnesota Wilde have been bought out their last four years of their contract. And that's a high ticket. I mean, in the next few years, I think that's going to be 14.6 million. million on their cap, especially if you go to a few years from now, it is a lot of money.

And I think this year, the Wilde are trying to go all in. I wouldn't be surprised if they make a move for Jack Eichel. It just makes a lot of sense. I think they have the assets to do it. But then the biggest thing is, can you absorb his cap hit for however many years left on his contract? I think it's like six or something like that. And I can't remember the last time.

I can't, excuse me, I can't remember his last extension, but I think it's at least five to six more years left on that. Can they absorb that with all that dead cap that they're going to have to eat? And then also, if Parise and Souter retire before those contracts are up, they could face some cap recapture penalties. Because remember, when they signed those contracts, it was a completely different CBA than what we have now. I think there would be some very serious cap recapture penalties

if they were to retire before the end of their contracts. And, you know, Perese, I mean, I get that. You know, he's not that good of a player anymore. He's kind of a 13th Florida. I think at this point, kind of fell out of favor, I thought, this year with the wild. I mean, I totally see him going back to Lou La Marello with the Islanders. It makes too much sense. I know they're going to be losing a couple people.

Overall, you know, they're also going to be losing someone in expansion. You know, like I said, Nick Letty, I think, is going to get dealt. It's just, you know, his Ajax probably going to walk. I think Paul Mary, I think is going to walk as well. Enter Zach Perise. It just makes all the sense. I think even Elliot Friedman confirmed that. on the 31 Thoughts podcast today.

Other than that, I really don't know how much interest he'll get. I mean, you can probably get him on a one-year, 1.1-25 million deal or something like that, maybe one and a half million per. It's definitely going to be less than $2 million. I mean, he'll just take a one-year, prove-it deal, see if he could potentially be better than he was this past season, and then maybe go cash out a little bit to end his career.

Now, for Ryan Souter, I still think that's a player that has a lot of decent years left. Obviously, he's not as good defensively anymore. But, you know, if you look at J. Fresh's stuff with his analytics, you know, 93% tile, even strength offense, finishing ability 65%tile, primary assist per 60, 66%. His goals per 60% only around 47%. But his wins above replacement is 58%. So he can drive offense.

But, you know, if you go to his defense, 29% town, even strength, His power play skills not that good, 31% and the PK ability, that's really falling off of cliff as well at 19%. So he also eats a ton of minutes. He probably don't want him on your top pairing right now, but he's also not that kind of defenseman anymore. If he's playing on your second or third pairing, I think that's good enough. Heck, if I were the penguins, honestly, I've had this, I've been thinking about this take a lot today. And I'm going to say it right now. If I were Pittsburgh, I would potentially look to dangle, you know, one of Petters.

or Matheson and bring in Ryan Suter here. I think it makes all the sense in the world. You're already losing Cody C.C. And also, if they don't think P.O. Joseph is ready. I mean, I disagree with that premise, but with how Ron Hextall has talked about this offseason, it doesn't sound like he thinks he's ready yet. Pittsburgh should be all over going after Ryan Suter

on maybe just a two-year deal, you know, three to four million per. I think that makes a lot of sense for a second or third-parring role. You can still do Dumlin, Latang, Souter with Marino and then whoever you want on the third period between Pedersen and Matheson with Chad Ruehidel. I mean, I think that's a perfectly fine defensive corpse. I mean, you know, you don't really have any anchors on your blue line there are just players that are really bad and taking up a lot of cap pit space that they really shouldn't be. And like I said, that's just a competent blue line.

And again, Suter still drives offense. You know, his defenses maybe fallen off of it. But I think he could benefit from a change of scenery and how, and with how Pittsburgh. plays in the defensive zone with you saw what Cody Sisi was able to do in a sheltered role this season for them, I definitely think you could get similar numbers from Souter than what you got from Sisi, and I will stand by that as well. Though it's probably unlikely that Pittsburgh does go out and get Souter. I know Friedman mentioned on the 31 Thoughts podcast today that he's heard Vegas has already

interested. That makes a lot of sense because remember Alec Martinez is going to be leaving there. he's priced himself out of there he's going to get a nice contract from somewhere there also he also said Colorado that makes a lot of sense especially in the third pairing where they probably want to upgrade and then Washington the capitals he said are also believed to be interested I guess that makes sense because Brian McLellan always just wants to build his team full of old players I mean you know they signed every old player in the book during last season you know what what's one more I mean

also Zendane Ocharra is going to walk and I think they could definitely use a replacement for him. So it definitely makes sense in that regard. And again, taking this back to the penguins, you know, I had a buddy text me today, you know. Imagine the penguins' future if they had signed both Souter and Parisei during that offseason because remember, I mean, the Penguins were one of the main finalists for both Souter and Parisei.

And of course, you know, they did go to Minnesota for that monster contract. But if the Penguins sign those two players, who knows what happens? I mean, do they even win the Stanley Cup? in 2016 and then 2017? Probably not. Do they even get Phil Kessel in a trade? Probably not. Heck, we don't even know if Jim Rutherford would have been hired in 2015 had Paris Ainsuder signed here.

I mean, the whole future of this franchise would have just been flipped 180 degrees. I mean, it just would have been something else. I'm glad, you know, looking back at it that they didn't sign them because those contracts were just horrifically long and way too overpaid, I think. You know, I always liked Pariset and. Suter and I did want the penguins to get them. But when I saw that contract when I was, what, 15, 16 years old, it just, it was for far too much, for far too long.

So that being said, of course, I'm glad that the penguins were not able to sign them because, I mean, it definitely would have altered this franchise's history and I'm sure quite a few ways, but I would probably move heaven and hell to get Ryan Suter here to Pittsburgh. I don't really know how much he'll cost. I'm making a guess that it'll be around three to four million per. Maybe he asked for a two to three year deal for five million per. I don't think the penguins can do that just because they're so cap-strapped, but I think they could make the room for it if, you know,

it's maybe three to three and a half million per upwards of four million per at the very most for probably just, I think, a two-year deal. But I definitely think he is a big upgrade over Pedersen and Matheson, especially offensively. And I like what Matheson did in the offensive zone this year. I thought after the first month he really wasn't a problem. in really nicely, but I think at this point I would still take Souter for a couple years at whatever cap hit the Penguins give him over Mike Matheson, who makes $4.8 million per for the next five years. And I think the same can be said with Marcus Pedersen, who has signed for what?

You know, four more years at basically $4 million per. So that's where I stand on that. Let me know your thoughts on that. Do you think the Penguins should go after Ryan Suter in free agency? Do you think they should create the cap space available to go after him? And then what do you think of Zach Parise. I do think Pittsburgh should go after him as well on a cheap deal to fill out their bottom six. Again, I think he's kind of washed. I think there's plenty of other better options within the organization and outside the organization than someone like Zach Parise, who was just, like I said, he fell off a cliff this year. But before we get to the next segment, it's time to talk about rockado.com. You can save time and money when using Rock Auto. Why should you

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That's rock auto.com. Welcome back to this episode of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. I'm your host, Hunter Hodes. I'm going to follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes. Follow this show's Twitter at L.O underscore Penguins. So there's also something else that I saw today from Pure LeBron on Insider Training. I know a lot of people have connected Chris Dreger, the goaltender from the Florida Panthers, to the Penguins, as you know, some sort of, you know, a 1A, 1B kind of stop gap option for Tristan Jari,

because, of course, you know, you struggled really badly in the playoffs for Pittsburgh. But according to LeBron, he is asking. for $3.5 million per on his next contract, and that's just a hard pass for the Penguins. I mean, they are not going to be paying that. I mean, if they were to do that, that would be over $7 million, because Jari, I think, makes, is it $3.75 or is it $3.5? Actually, no, it's $3.5, excuse me. So it would be $7 million per for both of those goalies, and that's just too much. I mean, Jari's not that good right now. Anyway, Dredger, I mean, if he can give you league average, maybe it's worth it, but can you really rely on him after mainly just, what, one to two good seasons

in the league? I mean, I'm not sure I really want to do that. You're better off to signing someone like Linus Omark to a multi-year deal or, you know, someone like Peter Marazic on a one-year deal or something like that. I think Dreeger's going to get, you know, a three-to-four-year deal for a team that really needs a goalie. And I firmly believe the Penguins are not in that camp where they firmly believe they need one. I mean, sure, they could use them.

one. I mean, I think they firmly need one, but I'm also not going to pay three and a half million per for a one B kind of goalie, where my other goaltender also makes three and a half million per. I just, you know, that's the position I want the least amount of cap space allocated to. That's been my biggest thing when it comes to building a team, a contender, when you have a core in place, you always want the goaltending, unless you have Andre Vasselvesky, Carrie Price, a couple of these others. You know, Henrik Longquist in his prime. You always want your goaltending to take up as little cap as possible

because you can get league average goaltending for the vet minimum, one to two million per. And that's really all this team needs to get to the playoffs and potentially even win in the playoffs. I know your goalie needs to elevate his game a bit in the playoffs. Maybe not to 950 every series, but, you know, 925, 930, well above average. But you can still find a goalie that can do that.

for you around two to two and a half million per you don't need to go out and pay someone like treacher three and a half million per I really wouldn't be surprised if he goes back to Florida because the Panthers may try to dump Robrovsky off to another team even though I think that's highly unlikely and then oh yeah they do have Spencer Knight coming up as well who's going to be the starter some point I think in the future it definitely in their long-term future but I don't know if it's going to be right away but I did see that today wanted to share my thoughts with you all on that I do not like the option of Dreger with Pittsburgh just because I think it's going to be for too many years

and with too much money and I think there's too much interest that could drive up the price even more and that would just you know that would put it way out of the Penguins range I don't think Ron Hextall is going to go out of his way to do that. The next thing I do want to discuss is another free agent target that I did see in here as well scoring cap friendly and that's the case for Kyle Paul Mary to potentially join the Penguins this season 10 goals 21 points in the 51 games 30 years old also was good for the islanders in the playoffs. You know, I remember, you know, I touched on this on the podcast so many times

in case any of you have not listened to this before. It was so funny because before he got, when he got traded the islanders, he was just doing so poorly and then down the stretch with the islanders, I think had one or two goals in 1920 games. Ajax had no goals. And that trade was starting to look like a dud. What do you know? You know, as the playoffs come around,

Palmeri just turns into a god and plays like he did the last couple of seasons with the devils. His possession was good. this year, especially when the out and there's in that short, short sample size, excuse me, 17 games, 53.7% coursey percentage. With the Devils, though, 54.9% overall, 54.5%. So almost 55% for shot attempts while he's on the ice. That goes basically in line for his career, which is around 54, but, I mean, he was 2020,

55.1 the year before that, 55.2 in 2018. He's always been around there, and he's always had, good underlying numbers in the 19 playoff games, seven goals, nine points in the 19 games. If you go to his natural statric and looked at how he played in the playoffs, playing on a line with Travis Zajak,

but also, I think he also spent a lot of time with Jean-Gabriel Pajot, although for Walsstrom was on his line. But I think he just mainly catching it on his chances, even though the underlying numbers were not that good in the playoffs in the 19 games, 44% possession.

So, I mean, that's just way off than where it was in the regular season. is expected goals, 48.2%. That's not good. Only 44.4% of the scoring chances at 5v 5.5. High danger also lost that battle as well at 49.3%. But for the actual high danger goals for 9 to 2. So again, he was finishing on his chances, as was his line, even though the other numbers were not lining up to that.

A lot of that, I think, does have to do with some good fortune and luck. But I still think the more likely version of Palmyra, you'll see next year is the one you saw in the regular season when he was with the New Jersey Devils. I think he's going to go and try to get a decent cash-out payday. I think there's going to be a bunch of teams lining up to give him a good contract because, I mean, he's been a good player throughout his career. I've honestly always thought that he was pretty underrated. I mean, this was a first-time 30-goal score in 2016.

Four years after that, 26 goals in 2017, 2018-204 goals, 27 goals of 2019 and then in 2020 before this year 25 goals 45 points in 65 games he's always average over a point per game ever since he really came into the league full time with the Anaheim ducks I mean he honestly might command 4 million per on a 3 to 4 million deal I don't think the penguins are going to be able to pay that it makes sense if you can plug him into your bottom 6 he's a right winger I think the penguins will need more of that going into this season

but I think right now it doesn't make sense for them to sign him. I also could see him going back to the Islanders potentially, but I'm not sure Lou Lamarillo can do that with how cap-strapped his team is. But I think the more likely outcomes that he signs somewhere that can put him in the top six because I don't think, I honestly don't think he's a top six winner on the Penguins team, especially Jake Gensel, Cindy Crosby, Evgeny Malkin, Brian Rust, Kasperi Kappen, and Jason Zucker as it right now. And if they want to go out and get to Tard to replace over Zooker,

I would put Tatar up there as well. I don't think Paul Mary is better than any of those six players, at least, in my opinion. So if you're asking me, I don't think it would be wise for Pittsburgh to go after him because I don't think they will be able to, one, being a bidding more for him, and I don't think they should overpay for a player like that, who is 30 years old and he's going to be 31 during next season. I mean, you're going to be paying a player too many years and too much money as he's out of his prime, I think, at this point.

But I did want to touch on that for this segment. Still have a little more to get to end the show, but before we do that, it's time to talk about bed online, the fastest and easiest way to ban on all your sports action. Get all the latest news, odds and info for all your sporting needs, including MLB, NBA, NHL and all your UFC action. Before the next pitch, head over to bed online on your laptop or phone and check out all the great sporting news,

sign-up bonuses and contest information. You can head to the website or use your mobile device to sign up today and receive a 50% off welcome bonus on your first deposit. That's been online, your online sportsbook experts, with the promo code locked on. All right, welcome back to this episode of the Locked On Penguins podcast. I'm your host, Hunter Hodes.

Remember to follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes, follow this show's Twitter at L.O underscore Penguins. So just going around the league a little bit more here, Pierre LeBron reported tonight. There's a growing sense that the predators might leave Matt Dushain unprotected in the expansion draft. For those that have forgotten, he has five more years on his deal at $8 million per. So that was a awful deal when it was signed,

and it still is today. I were Ron Francis in the Seattle Cracken, I would not touch that with a 10-foot pole. I mean, that was just a god-awful contract. Excuse me from David Poyle. Also, Gabriel Landiscagg and the Avalanche, they are not close on an extension. So, free agency is coming up pretty quick.

I mean, there's two weeks, so they better get on that quick. And know everyone, the Penguins are not likely to go after Gabriel Landiscag. They would have to move out quite a bit of cap space, I think, to even entertain the thought of paying him because he's going to command at least $8 million per season, if not $9 million per season. I ultimately think he goes back to Colorado.

But if not, I think he'll probably want to go to a contender. But again, people, this is not going to happen to Pittsburgh. We're not on hashtag Landiscagwatch here if people are with that sort of thing. Also looking for other stuff, I'm pretty sure there was something weird that I saw today. So I was listening to the 31 Thoughts podcast, and Elliot and Jeff, they were suspecting that a Seth's Jones deal to Chicago would start with Kirby Doc and adds a combination of potentially De Brinket and Bochrist, which is just insane to me. Because if Stan Bowman made that trade, I don't think he lasts the rest of the week in Chicago.

So, and I'm not talking about just from being fired, I think his house could be egged by Black Hawk's fans. I mean, I literally do not think he would last the week, let alone the day even in Chicago. I mean, and it's just so funny to see all these people talk about Seth Jones like he's Wayne Gretzky. I mean, I don't really think I've shared my opinion about, you know, if the penguins should acquire him. You probably should know my answer right now, and that is a no. It would cost the penguins way too many assets, and he's just not that good of a player. I honestly think he's probably one of the more overrated players in the league. He's kind of like a mini Drew Dowdy in a way in the fact that, you know, all the hockey man and the hockey media overrate him.

and he's not as good as they think he is. It's the same thing with Seth Jones. Everyone says that he's this number one defenseman. He's miscast. You don't watch enough of his games and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But if you dig deep and look in his underlying numbers and you watch him play, he honestly, he's just not that good. And I'm glad that Ron Hextall and Brian Burke are not interested in him.

I don't think the Penguins would, one, have the space to do it. And two, even have the assets. and three, I don't think Columbus would be trading within the division, especially to a team that they consider one of their biggest rivals. So I had to throw that out there. And I also think the people that think that the Blue Jackets are going to get this massive haul for Jones, I don't think remember the Eric Carlson trade because Carlson was probably a top five player in the league when he got traded from Ottawa to San Jose, and they got a horrific package in return for Carlson.

If I remember correctly, I don't even think they had a first round pick in that. deal actually let me look that up real quick as I finish recording this just right here so um see here Google is being mean to me today let's see here okay so it was yeah Chris Tierney Dylan DeMello the rights to an unsigned Josh Norris okay so they did get a first round pick second round pick and two get additional draft picks they also got another player but I mean that's that honestly was not even a lot. I mean, Chris Tierney,

eh, Dylan DeMello, okay, not bad. Josh Norris, okay. He's definitely a little bit part of their future. First round pick, okay, but like, that's still not that much. And people are saying that Seth Jones is going to get more than that for a player who's not even near

at the level that Eric Carlson was at the time when he got traded. It just doesn't really make any sense to me. And I apologize for the error that I thought that Ottawa did not get a first-round pick. It appears they did. But still, you know, that being said, I just can't see Jones getting a package more than that.

I honestly would not even trade a first for him. I think the highest pick I would give for Jones is a second round pick plus a prospect. I think that's as far as I would go into trading form. I think he's a solid top four defenseman. Is he a top-paring defenseman? Absolutely not. No. I think he's way too overrated,

and he would bring down your top pair if any team would play him on that, best be sure of that. But I think that'll do it for this episode. I'll be locked on Penguins podcast. As always, I appreciate every single one of you supporting and listening to this podcast. We'll have another one of these tomorrow. Hopefully I will have Josh Yo-ean talk everything,

Penguins from expansion draft, to potential trades to what he's hearing with regards to the Penguins off-season. So I'll let you all know as soon as I know about that, and I'll talk to you all tomorrow.