Kasperi Kapnanen and Andreas Johnsson are not far off in value from one another. It was well known the Maple Leafs were in a cap crunch and needed to cut salary. Yet, the Penguins paid a premium for Kapanen while the Devils only had to give up an AHL player to acquire Johnsson. There is a huge gap in value from what the Penguins paid and what the Devils paid. By spending the first round pick on a player that could have been had for way less the Penguins limited their ability to be productive this offseason.

If the Penguins don’t have Hornqvist, Tanev, Matheson or Sceviour’s contracts what kind of conversation could they have had with Taylor Hall? Both Crosby and Malkin would have elite wingers and McCann has someone like Zucker. I’m not even saying the Penguins needed to go after a player like Hall, but having the potential to have a conversation about a difference maker would have been nice. He signed a one-year deal with the Buffalo Sabres for crying out loud. The Penguins couldn't have benefited from having a conversation? Instead, the Penguins were already priced out of an advantageous buyer’s market.