2018-19 Penguins and NHL Offseason

[scstillerfan]

Sad, sad ending. I can take losing, but getting swept is embarrassing. The bad part is I believe the value for Malkin, Kessel, Letang are much worse now after recent performances. They have some really difficult decisions to make in the off season. That said, I appreciate the effort getting into the playoffs. We have been spoiled the last few years.

 

[MTC]

Guys I would maybe trade away? Crosby would not be on that list. He may very well be a pain in the *** set in his ways.

Crosby did absolutely jack **** and everyone still stuck to trying to be ******* fancy. They looked like a complete clusterfuck. Like a monkey trying to **** a hockey puck.

Maybe it's time for a new coach? GM? They sure messed up a good thing when it wasn't needed.

It's part Sullivan. He refused to give Reaves minutes of ice time.
The guy has proven he can skate and score. He's a wrecking ball for Vegas.

The Cole situation was very odd. But he and Oleksiak were a decent pairing at the time.
Just as that team was gelling and winning, they got traded away cause of Sullivan's stubborness.

And Rutherford for going through with these trades

 

[JMM]

I call getting swept round one and not even being remotely competitive sitting on the seabed. I suppose maybe that's a little much.

I agree... Good analogy. I meant that if we did not make the playoffs we would have been up on the rocks with the hull breached and necessitating years of rebuilding.

 

[Coryea]

You absolutely can't trade Malkin. He helps take the pressure off Sid, and the power play is way better with him. He and Sid are my untouchables, everyone else is on the block, although with what Horny and Letang make I'm not sure what you'd get from them.

They have two options, over haul the roster or have a more structured system.
They're in a ****** spot, they'll have trouble trading alot of these guys, but they can't get them to buy into the system.

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[Vader]

1. Maatta
2. Malkin
3. Letang
4. Kessel
5. Jack Johnson


Some are for stupid play. The others for cost vs production. I'm kind of on the fence with Kessel.
And Murray needs to play a hell of a lot better.

I'm sure others may want to add to the list. It's been 2 years of downturn now. The ship is on the seabed .

I think Kessel is done. I have a hard time trading Malkin. I think with better players around him he'll be ok. I'd get rid of Johnson, Kessel, Maatta, and Letang without batting an eye. You also have other guys you can trade.

 

[JMM]

It would never happen but if you could trade all or most of the vets on the team and get enough young talent in return so you can have 10-15 years of success after floundering for a year maybe two, do you make the trade?

Otherwise your vets will be of no value in a couple more years. You might have 1-2 years of limited success like this year then flounder for 5-10 years while you rebuild through the draft. So flounder now for a couple years or flounder later for a longer period of time...Tough choice

 

[Uncle Ben]

Fixing this team quickly ain't going to be easy !

We have a 1st rounder for the first time since 2014. No second or third. Where we will be picking it is highly unlikely we pull a player that can step in.

WBS was a shamble of their former selves. There is little help there that we haven't seen already. Jarry has a one way NHL contract next year.

Hornqvist, Schultz and Kessel have limited no move clauses. That makes them harder to trade and likely for lesser value.

Jack Johnson has term at higher $ value than he is worth.

Blueger, ZAR and Pettersson are Restricted Free Agents.

Trotman, Ruhwedel, Cullen and Wilson are Unrestricted Free Agents.

My point is that assets are mortgaged. What has value has too many strings attached. I'm all for blowing things up but if you don't bring back better assets you don't improve. I'm guessing Maatta and Jarry move at the draft. The Pens need to restock WBS with some quality, so WBS can return the favor. Geno and Sid aren't going anywhere, both have no trade clauses .

Letang has been one of my favorite players over the years and I would hate to see him go. His contract is high but he still has value. His regular season play put him in the Norris discussion. He has a limited move but it is likely the teams on it are exactly the teams that would want him. I really hate to say it but he is a logical start to a retool.

What a mess !

 

[JMM]

UB, you mentioned Malkins no trade clause but what if he wants to leave. He has looked totally disinterested for over a year now. I really wonder if he's tired of playing second fiddle. He has the size and strength of Ovechkin but plays like a guy half his size. It's like his talents are just going to waste in front of our eyes.

 

[Steelr4evr]

UB, you mentioned Malkins no trade clause but what if he wants to leave. He has looked totally disinterested for over a year now. I really wonder if he's tired of playing second fiddle. He has the size and strength of Ovechkin but plays like a guy half his size. It's like his talents are just going to waste in front of our eyes.

That's what I've seen. A guy half assing it with lazy uncaring play. The stupid turnovers in front of your own goal have really rubbed me the wrong way. I've loved his play for many years,but what I'm seeing now is just lazy. Maybe I'm just dejected. I just saw a lot of players skating around acting like they're the Bad News Bears all of a sudden.

 

[Steel G]

You absolutely can't trade Malkin. He helps take the pressure off Sid, and the power play is way better with him. He and Sid are my untouchables, everyone else is on the block, although with what Horny and Letang make I'm not sure what you'd get from them.

Sure, there's no pressure on Sid while the PK is out there because the hot headed Rooskie is sitting in the sin bin for the millionth time. Malkin is now older, slower, lazy, stupid, and worse, disinterested.

 

[Coryea]

Sure, there's no pressure on Sid while the PK is out there because the hot headed Rooskie is sitting in the sin bin for the millionth time. Malkin is now older, slower, lazy, stupid, and worse, disinterested.

Sids play has nothing to do with Malkin and vice versa, it's always this way if Sid has a bad stretch, it's always "well Malkin does this and that". It can never be Sid didn't play well.
Malkin over the past two seasons while supposedly slower, blah, blah is averaging almost the same # of ppg as Sid, you don't trade a guy averaging 1+ ppg, thats stupid.

All I'm talking about is this series, Sid had one point was a negative 3 or 4, missed a huge wide open net that would've tied the game. It's ok to say Sid was bad.

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[SteelerFan448]

"The Pens need to make moves this offseason to get better."

"Let's trade away all of the best players!"

Yeah, trading Malkin, Kessel, and Letang is not the answer. Hornqvist is a guy you may consider moving because his production fell off a cliff and he has a ridiculous contract. Or how about trying to unload the highly paid defenders who you know, can't play defense.

Rutherford helped build a Cup team, but man, did he really bungle the roster after that and this article is a homerun on how it all went down: https://nhl.nbcsports.com/2019/04/17/penguins-playoff-exit-was-two-years-in-the-making/

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Kessel and Hornqvist will probably be cap casualties, Letang maybe too. Need better defenders and role players. The way they played last month of the season did not inspire confidence and getting swept in the first round didn't surprise me a bit.

 

[Djfan]

Sid, Geno and Guentzel are untouchable, IMO. Not many will go though. I bet Phil goes. Hope we retain the florida guys.

I may be the only one here, but I like JJ. He's physical and we need more of that.

We keep Murray. Dude needs help. Not sure who he is anymore.

I'll bet you that Letang stays.

Not sure who else though. Not sure Sully stays.

 

[MTC]

Kessel and Hornqvist will probably be cap casualties, Letang maybe too. Need better defenders and role players. The way they played last month of the season did not inspire confidence and getting swept in the first round didn't surprise me a bit.

I wasn't surprised either. This team grinded their way to the playoffs. Pretty impressive for the lack of pieces for Sullivan's system.
This team needs a more aggressive, but fast 3rd & 4th lines. Find an actual winger similar to James Neal for Geno and this team needs to put their egos aside and just frickin play.


I agree with Djfan too, keep JJ.
He improved in the latter part of the season. This team is just a few pieces away from being cup contenders again.

The only issue is there was too much coaching rotation down in Wheeling which affected WBS, which affected the development of our call ups this season.


This franchise will be alright.

 

[Coryea]

It seems to me, Rutherford and Sullivan are not on the same page, Rutherford brough Reaves in and Sullivan barely played him, signed Horny to a big new deal, Sullivan plays him on the 3rd line. I think there is a disconnect there between the two, maybe a power struggle.

 

[SteelerFan448]

It seems to me, Rutherford and Sullivan are not on the same page, Rutherford brough Reaves in and Sullivan barely played him, signed Horny to a big new deal, Sullivan plays him on the 3rd line. I think there is a disconnect there between the two, maybe a power struggle.

Rutherford mistakenly got caught up in the old-school hockey mentality and wanted to bring in tough guys when he didn't need to. Half of his trades seems like he's making moves just for the sake of making moves and to see what sticks and what doesn't. That isn't to say Sullivan couldn't make adjustments and do better with the guys Rutherford is providing, I just think Rutherford is bringing in the wrong types of players and getting away what helped win the team back-to-back Cups.

 

[Coryea]

Rutherford mistakenly got caught up in the old-school hockey mentality and wanted to bring in tough guys when he didn't need to. Half of his trades seems like he's making moves just for the sake of making moves and to see what sticks and what doesn't. That isn't to say Sullivan couldn't make adjustments and do better with the guys Rutherford is providing, I just think Rutherford is bringing in the wrong types of players and getting away what helped win the team back-to-back Cups.

I think Reaves could've been a good 3rd line guy, he can skate well. I hated that they traded Hags away, and didn't get the Jack Johnson signing at all.

 

[SteelerFan448]

I think Reaves could've been a good 3rd line guy, he can skate well. I hated that they traded Hags away, and didn't get the Jack Johnson signing at all.

Reaves was a terrible pickup from the start. Sundqvist had a good season this year in that role with St. Louis and the Pens could've packaged that first round pick for another player or actually kept it to add talent to their minor league system. Instead, they thought they could get a tough guy to protect their stars, which is one of the biggest myths in sports.

 

[thesteelcity]

I think I heard an interview with GMJR that he said something about making trades to see what sticks. If that's the case, what if all of your trades don't stick, then we are stuck with Simons and Garett Wilsons? Some moves were brilliant, some are head scratchers. I would love to have Cole on D.

I don't see them moving Letang, even though they should. Same with Kessel. I know he is a fan favorite, but with his salary and production don't match with the holes throughout the team. There are many aspects that need improved to get back to be a legit contender. I'll be interested to see what they come up with. Sully and Rutherford needs to be on the same page to get players in here that fits a system. The players have to buy into it, though.

 

[SteelerFan448]

I think I heard an interview with GMJR that he said something about making trades to see what sticks. If that's the case, what if all of your trades don't stick, then we are stuck with Simons and Garett Wilsons? Some moves were brilliant, some are head scratchers. I would love to have Cole on D.

Rutherford just said this was the best defensive group he's had here. He doesn't pull any punches when he speaks to the media, the guy has lost his mind.

 

[thesteelcity]

Rutherford just said this was the best defensive group he's had here. He doesn't pull any punches when he speaks to the media, the guy has lost his mind.

Best? They looked like *** in the four games they got swept. They did win the Cup w/o Letang. Couldn't win it with him the past two years. It's not all on him, but he's not playing good. He's a liability.

 

[MTC]

Rutherford has been very sketchy in what he says. He's lost it

 

[JMM]

Anyone catch the Caps/Canes game? I didn't but see where the Canes won 2-1and our old buddy Oshie got hurt towards the end of the game. We've seen that show before. Probably got bumped then threw out his back embellishing the bump.

 

[MTC]

Anyone catch the Caps/Canes game? I didn't but see where the Canes won 2-1and our old buddy Oshie got hurt towards the end of the game. We've seen that show before. Probably got bumped then threw out his back embellishing the bump.

Dude. Oshie needs to try out for the US swim team.
Dude takes more dives then Michael Phelps for practice