Capology and the Pittsburgh Penguins

If the Pens are going to improve next season and not be subject to the same foibles of weak wing play and iffy defense, then Ray Shero will have to work within a few boundaries: the salary cap, and available personnel.

Writers keep asserting that it's devilishly difficult to keep Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Jordan Staal together. Here's your chance to see for yourself.

First, here are the players set to return under contract for the 2010-2011 season: Crosby, Malkin, Staal, Chris Kunitz, Pascal Dupuis, Maxime Talbot, Mike Rupp, Eric Godard, Tyler Kennedy, Craig Adams, Brooks Orpik, Kris Letang, Alex Goligoski, Marc-Andre Fleury, and Brent Johnson.

Thanks to the good work of the folks over at HockeyBuzz.com's Cap Central (and a little spelunking for the Letang and Johnson salaries), we know the above returning players will cost $45.1 million against the cap.

Taking Commissioner Gary Bettman at face value, that the $56.8 million salary cap will be "flat or up a tad," that leaves $11.7 million and perhaps "a tad."

With that $11.7 million, the Penguins have to sign or promote four defensemen and at least one, and more like two wingers.

At that price, keeping Malkin, the Pens can afford a couple free agents, and even sign a couple of their own, but they have to buy on the cheap. In fact, the writers are correct to a certain degree, it's damn tight.

But is this Malkin, Staal or Crosby's fault? Hell, no. There are a number of factors that contribute to this awkward phase the Pens are going through.

They have traded away a number of players who could have filled some gaps they are facing, and got a temporary boost in return.

Some of the guys who are still with the team had their salaries set by others, and in retrospect, perhaps that pay is not in keeping with their talent level. Kunitz making $3.75 million comes to mind.

But even with all those limitations, the Pens can still get it done keeping the core together. Sure, that pretty much rules out Ilya Kovalchuk, Maxim Afinogenov and the like, but some good wingers and D men are available for less.

Finishing respectably in points for unsigned right wingers was Bill Guerin, at 45. I'll take him again, please.

Lee Stempniak (48 points),  Alexei Ponikarovsky (50), and Todd Bertuzzi (44) are the other possibilities. Pick one.

At left wing, it's time for the Eric Tangradi era to begin. 

At D, Mark Eaton and Jordan Leopold can't both stay. Leopold is simply better both ways, and he made less money last season.

Scouring the wire for D men, it's not easy to find a responsible guy in his own end who can eat minutes for $3 million or less, but I found one, at least for the purposes of discussion.

Henrik Tallinder of the Buffalo Sabres is a plus-13 on a team not known for either obscene goal scoring or insanely great D play.

He has a decent injury history, and he averages 20-plus minutes of ice time. Being that he won't see time on the power play, that's plenty. And he's 31.

Here's how I think the numbers could work to both keep Malkin and produce a really compelling roster, just "a tad" over this year's limit.

First Line; Bertuzzi, Crosby, Dupuis

Second; Guerin, Malkin, Tangradi

Third; Talbot, Staal, Kunitz

Fourth; Kennedy, Adams, Rupp

Goon; Goddard

First pair; Tallinder, Leopold

Second; Orpik, Letang

Third; Despres, Gologoski

Seventh D; Lovejoy

G 1; Fleury

G 2; Johnson

Total cost = $57,058,333

Now, go do it yourself!

Hat Tip to HockeyBuzz: http://www.hockeybuzz.com/cap-central/team.php?team=PIT

Notes: Other than what's noted at hockeybuzz, raises were given to Bertuzzi ($2.3 m from $1.5 m), Tallinder ($3 m from $2.5 m), Leopold ($2.125 m from $1.75 m) and Lovejoy ($750k from $600k).

Guerin was signed for the same $2 million. Letang's new salary is $3.5 m, and Johnson's is $600k.