Random Penguins Fodder

[Guinness]

Pperseverating

I'm not sure what this word is, but by gawd I like it and I'm gonna start working into my vernacular.

[Guinness]

I wasnt for Smith - Zucker swap and it proved to be bad move.. but I liked the additions of Eller, Acciari and Nieto.. Eller was especially good, Acciari would be also much better if used properly,as checking winger, not f....shutdown center all season to accomodate Carter.
Nieto wasnt that bad either, he did what was kinda expected 4th line winger and sadly got injured quickly.

Smith and Graves were biggest mistakes, but who would thought Graves will be the most horrible Dman of maybe last decade with how he played for Devils.

I'll preface this by acknowledging that I'm not a systems guy, or any kind of coach. Me personally, all I've ever done with regards to hockey was play drop-in, but more than that playing on inlines at parks, so I'm not bringing analytical commentary here... but it seems to me that it tends to take a little time for defensemen specially to sort of work their way into a system. I'm not ready to give up on Graves. Let's see what he looks like this time next year before we do any bridge-jumping. I mean, we're not fans of Nutting's Pirates, right!? Well, maybe some of us are, but we can't just EXPECT them to regularly suck... This team actually does try to win...

[Guinness]

I think the first order of business for Kyle Dubass is to perform the job that he was hired for: president of hockey operations. Easy to forget that is how he was introduced in the media.

In order to do that, he needs to hire a competent General Manager. His immaturity to think that he can do both is a glaring failure on his part. Narcisista.

If he wants to do GM duties, then go to FSG and let them know that he wants to forgo the Big Boss Man duties so that he can wheel and deal roster moves. FSG has money to pay POHOKD and a competent GM.

I haven't read the job description for GM or POHO, but I have a sense that there really isn't too much space between the requirements of either job. It's not too too unusual for those roles to be filled by the same person.

I'm not ready to pass judgment on KD yet. He's stuck right now with last year's contracts, NMC's./NTC's and last summer's batch of free agents. I thought he did a good job last summer, given what the market was.... Acciari was a good signing. Graves SHOULD have been. the Karlsson trade was *chef's kiss* and frankly anyone who'd complain about doing what he did to acquire one of the most dynamic defensemen to ever play the game should probably get checked for head trauma.

I've said before and I'm gonna say it again - I'm not really gonna judge KD until next trade deadline.

I agree with the bulk of this with the glaring exception is that Sullivan should have been fired in November at the latest. To me, it's off the charts level incompetence, so it clouds the issue a bit. I'm a nobody in the pro hockey world and somehow I saw he needed to be gone 5 years ago and now everyone else on earth sees except KD? I can't quite grasp the issue there. Otherwise, yeah I agree with the statements about the trades and signings. I think replacing Sullivan might (MIGHT) have saved this season early on but we'll never know... and by save I mean actually squeeze into the playoffs, as I think that's the ceiling this team had. It is what it is now though.

Yeah on that point (firing Sully) I agree with you.

Often times it's difficult for a mew manager and just come in and slash and burn... doesn't really go well with pretty much everyone - players, media and fans. There's a certain amount of diplomacy that has to come with being a manager. That said, as I said previously, for us here watching the team regularly, it's as plain as day. Sully is just past his expiration date... not sure what it is with NHL coaches, but they all (except Jon Cooper) eventually just lose the room...

[Three Stars]

Graves needs to have lunch with Gonchar, Martin, Michalek and Ehrhoff. Major defenseman acquisitions who had rough first years with the team. It's happened often enough to be a trend and not a coincidence. Ehrhoff vanished. Michalek collapsed and was sent back to the desert. Gonchar and Martin figured it out.

Karlsson can stop by too, although his year hasn't been as bad as the years the above guys had.

[yinzer69]

We can debate the return all we want but trading 59 was the correct move. We were going to miss the playoffs with him this year and we missed the playoffs with him last year. To give Jake a long term contract with an AVV above 9m with current course this team is on the last 2 seasons would be been crazy.

[KG]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/podcasts/32-thoughts/

Some Pens tidbits here from Freidman:

-Says Kings were interested in Smith at the deadline, something that could be revisited after this season.
-Thinks there might be something to EK returning to Ottawa.
-Pens initially wanted to keep Jake but their other players didn't have enough value around the league and KD wanted to refill some of the cupboards
-Rangers finished 2nd in the Jake sweepstakes. They wouldn't add a prospect the Pens wanted

Real curious to see how this all plays out at the drat and into the off-season!

[Skatingpen]

Gruden on waivers

[lemieuxReturns]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/podcasts/32-thoughts/

Some Pens tidbits here from Freidman:

-Says Kings were interested in Smith at the deadline, something that could be revisited after this season.
-Thinks there might be something to EK returning to Ottawa.
-Pens initially wanted to keep Jake but their other players didn't have enough value around the league and KD wanted to refill some of the cupboards
-Rangers finished 2nd in the Jake sweepstakes. They wouldn't add a prospect the Pens wanted

Real curious to see how this all plays out at the drat and into the off-season!

I wonder who the roster player would have been

[FLPensFan]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/podcasts/32-thoughts/

Some Pens tidbits here from Freidman:

-Says Kings were interested in Smith at the deadline, something that could be revisited after this season.
-Thinks there might be something to EK returning to Ottawa.
-Pens initially wanted to keep Jake but their other players didn't have enough value around the league and KD wanted to refill some of the cupboards
-Rangers finished 2nd in the Jake sweepstakes. They wouldn't add a prospect the Pens wanted

Real curious to see how this all plays out at the drat and into the off-season!

The biggest thing seemed to be that teams didn't want to take on term in most cases. So, I'm going to assume Dubas wants to keep Bunting. Dubas could look to trade one of Rakell or Rust. Maybe Detroit shows renewed interest in Rust at the draft. Maybe we can ask for a Marco Kasper or Nate Danielson

Friedman seems to be pushing the Karlsson back to OTT narrative pretty hard. Keeps thinking that because Alfredsson is on the coaching staff that it is going to happen. If it does, I've seen a few people say we'd probably need to retain 3M or so on Karlsson. Maybe this is a summer trade we can explore that nets us Shane Pinto in return.

I think/hope we are going to see Dubas make some trades this summer, rather than huge UFA splash. Use a Rakell/Smith/Rust plus one of the Jake prospects to get us a guy around 23-26 years of age.

[FLPensFan]

Gruden on waivers

Important note...according to a cap wizard on Twitter, if Gruden is claimed by another team, he cannot play in the NHL the rest of the year, because he was not on that teams roster before the trade deadline.

[KG]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/podcasts/32-thoughts/

Some Pens tidbits here from Freidman:

-Says Kings were interested in Smith at the deadline, something that could be revisited after this season.
-Thinks there might be something to EK returning to Ottawa.
-Pens initially wanted to keep Jake but their other players didn't have enough value around the league and KD wanted to refill some of the cupboards
-Rangers finished 2nd in the Jake sweepstakes. They wouldn't add a prospect the Pens wanted

Real curious to see how this all plays out at the drat and into the off-season!

The biggest thing seemed to be that teams didn't want to take on term in most cases. So, I'm going to assume Dubas wants to keep Bunting. Dubas could look to trade one of Rakell or Rust. Maybe Detroit shows renewed interest in Rust at the draft. Maybe we can ask for a Marco Kasper or Nate Danielson

Friedman seems to be pushing the Karlsson back to OTT narrative pretty hard. Keeps thinking that because Alfredsson is on the coaching staff that it is going to happen. If it does, I've seen a few people say we'd probably need to retain 3M or so on Karlsson. Maybe this is a summer trade we can explore that nets us Shane Pinto in return.

I think/hope we are going to see Dubas make some trades this summer, rather than huge UFA splash. Use a Rakell/Smith/Rust plus one of the Jake prospects to get us a guy around 23-26 years of age.

Pure speculation. But I've seen some posts guess that Josh Norris would potentially be involved in an EK trade for cap reasons. He's 24 center. Hurt...6 more years at $7.95mill AAV. We will badly need a top 6 center sooner than later. That would interest me. Norris was already traded for EK in the SJ trade. Would be funny if they got traded for each other again.

[lemieuxReturns]

I can't wait to get Petry's retention off the books and Jack Johnson's buyout. I would hate to be saddled with EK even at 3M until 2027
I do think retention is a potential asset gainer during the deadline, but more like we did with Jake. Where it is over once the season is over.

Dubas is going to need to get creative to gain assets. I do not think it should involve eating salary for multiple years. Just keep EK until you can trade him without eating salary.

[DelPen]

I can't wait to get Petry's retention off the books and Jack Johnson's buyout. I would hate to be saddled with EK even at 3M until 2027
I do think retention is a potential asset gainer during the deadline, but more like we did with Jake. Where it is over once the season is over.

Dubas is going to need to get creative to gain assets. I do not think it should involve eating salary for multiple years. Just keep EK until you can trade him without eating salary.

How about we get a coach in who doesn’t make Karlsson look like the second coming of Ross Lupuschuk before we trade one of the best offensive defensemen to ever play the game?

[E-Ramone]

I can't wait to get Petry's retention off the books and Jack Johnson's buyout. I would hate to be saddled with EK even at 3M until 2027
I do think retention is a potential asset gainer during the deadline, but more like we did with Jake. Where it is over once the season is over.

Dubas is going to need to get creative to gain assets. I do not think it should involve eating salary for multiple years. Just keep EK until you can trade him without eating salary.

How about we get a coach in who doesn’t make Karlsson look like the second coming of Ross Lupuschuk before we trade one of the best offensive defensemen to ever play the game?

Yeah, I’m in the same camp regarding Sullivan. I feel like there’s more than enough of a sample size over the years to warrant placing the blame for the under performance of players at Sullivan’s feet. How many new players have come to the Pens and disappeared? Every year we have established players come here and have their worst years. This can’t simply be a coincidence. Before we push out someone of Karlsson’s abilities, let’s see him with a different coach first. Hell, maybe we’ll even get some depth scoring too.

[DelPen]

I don’t understand why Gruden has to go back through waivers after just clearing 3 days ago and why he was brought up at all under a non emergency role since now we burned 2 of the 4 regular call ups and need to eventually have a 7th defensemen on the team. Just stupid management again.

[Guinness]

I can't wait to get Petry's retention off the books and Jack Johnson's buyout. I would hate to be saddled with EK even at 3M until 2027
I do think retention is a potential asset gainer during the deadline, but more like we did with Jake. Where it is over once the season is over.

Dubas is going to need to get creative to gain assets. I do not think it should involve eating salary for multiple years. Just keep EK until you can trade him without eating salary.

How about we get a coach in who doesn’t make Karlsson look like the second coming of Ross Lupuschuk before we trade one of the best offensive defensemen to ever play the game?

Yeah, this really is the deal... The balls on Sully to try to make, as you said, one of the best offensive defensemen in the history of the league a responsible defenseman is ludicrous. You let him play his game, you swallow your pride as a coach, and you send him over the boards without telling him how to do his job. Karlsson is practically a generational talent. I don't think we know how Sullivan will rank as a coach until he runs another bench, but we've already seen everything we need to see out of Karlsson over the course of his career to know what we have in him, for sure. So Sullivan, in my opinion needs to get out of the way of players like that and just let them be the freaking legendary hockey players that they are. This ain't mites, this ain't high school or juniors or college, and it's not even the minors... most of these guys - MOST - don't need to be coached. They need to be told when to go over the boards, when to rein it in, and when to go for it... and that's about it. It's fine if a coach comes in with a system, but when his system hampers some of the best players in the world, set your system aside and let those guys do the extraordinary stuff they do.

[FLPensFan]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/podcasts/32-thoughts/

Some Pens tidbits here from Freidman:

-Says Kings were interested in Smith at the deadline, something that could be revisited after this season.
-Thinks there might be something to EK returning to Ottawa.
-Pens initially wanted to keep Jake but their other players didn't have enough value around the league and KD wanted to refill some of the cupboards
-Rangers finished 2nd in the Jake sweepstakes. They wouldn't add a prospect the Pens wanted

Real curious to see how this all plays out at the drat and into the off-season!

The biggest thing seemed to be that teams didn't want to take on term in most cases. So, I'm going to assume Dubas wants to keep Bunting. Dubas could look to trade one of Rakell or Rust. Maybe Detroit shows renewed interest in Rust at the draft. Maybe we can ask for a Marco Kasper or Nate Danielson

Friedman seems to be pushing the Karlsson back to OTT narrative pretty hard. Keeps thinking that because Alfredsson is on the coaching staff that it is going to happen. If it does, I've seen a few people say we'd probably need to retain 3M or so on Karlsson. Maybe this is a summer trade we can explore that nets us Shane Pinto in return.

I think/hope we are going to see Dubas make some trades this summer, rather than huge UFA splash. Use a Rakell/Smith/Rust plus one of the Jake prospects to get us a guy around 23-26 years of age.

Pure speculation. But I've seen some posts guess that Josh Norris would potentially be involved in an EK trade for cap reasons. He's 24 center. Hurt...6 more years at $7.95mill AAV. We will badly need a top 6 center sooner than later. That would interest me. Norris was already traded for EK in the SJ trade. Would be funny if they got traded for each other again.

So in an EK65 trade, it's a toss up between Kenny Rogers and the man with one shoulder. Norris is out for the year because he injured his shoulder...apparently the 3rd time already at age 24 that he is going to need surgery on the same shoulder. I probably would bet on Pinto instead.

[Cow_Master66]

I can't wait to get Petry's retention off the books and Jack Johnson's buyout. I would hate to be saddled with EK even at 3M until 2027
I do think retention is a potential asset gainer during the deadline, but more like we did with Jake. Where it is over once the season is over.

Dubas is going to need to get creative to gain assets. I do not think it should involve eating salary for multiple years. Just keep EK until you can trade him without eating salary.

If he gets out from under that contract without retention he should be nominated for GM of the year.

[FLPensFan]

I can't wait to get Petry's retention off the books and Jack Johnson's buyout. I would hate to be saddled with EK even at 3M until 2027
I do think retention is a potential asset gainer during the deadline, but more like we did with Jake. Where it is over once the season is over.

Dubas is going to need to get creative to gain assets. I do not think it should involve eating salary for multiple years. Just keep EK until you can trade him without eating salary.

If he gets out from under that contract without retention he should be nominated for GM of the year.

Agreed. Next to zero chance he gets out of EK65 contract without retaining. I mean, he could take back an equally bad contract, which I guess technically would be better than using a retention slot, but, I don't want Sullivan playing some stiff over other deserving players just because he's paid a lot and has a contract on the books. Yeah, I'm looking at you Jeff Carter.

[Guinness]

I can't wait to get Petry's retention off the books and Jack Johnson's buyout. I would hate to be saddled with EK even at 3M until 2027
I do think retention is a potential asset gainer during the deadline, but more like we did with Jake. Where it is over once the season is over.

Dubas is going to need to get creative to gain assets. I do not think it should involve eating salary for multiple years. Just keep EK until you can trade him without eating salary.

If he gets out from under that contract without retention he should be nominated for GM of the year.

Agreed. Next to zero chance he gets out of EK65 contract without retaining. I mean, he could take back an equally bad contract, which I guess technically would be better than using a retention slot, but, I don't want Sullivan playing some stiff over other deserving players just because he's paid a lot and has a contract on the books. Yeah, I'm looking at you Jeff Carter.

If Sullivan is the coach again next year, I will have lost all confidence in Dubas.

My personal timeframe for assessing him is broadly speaking next trade deadline - that gives him this summer to work with what he has regarding some expiring crappy contracts, a decent amount of cap space during the offseason, and 3/4 of a season to assess the team that he'd built and to make changes as necessary. In essence, now that the trade deadline this year has passed, he owns this team. I never expected him to come in and work miracles in his first year, especially given the absolute dumpster fire that Burkstall left him with... but from here on out, it's his rodeo. And job 1 has to be **** canning Sullivan. And I don't hate Sully, it's just time, and I think even most laymen can see that.

[Puck-Lurker]

I can't wait to get Petry's retention off the books and Jack Johnson's buyout. I would hate to be saddled with EK even at 3M until 2027
I do think retention is a potential asset gainer during the deadline, but more like we did with Jake. Where it is over once the season is over.

Dubas is going to need to get creative to gain assets. I do not think it should involve eating salary for multiple years. Just keep EK until you can trade him without eating salary.

If he gets out from under that contract without retention he should be nominated for GM of the year.

Agreed. Next to zero chance he gets out of EK65 contract without retaining. I mean, he could take back an equally bad contract, which I guess technically would be better than using a retention slot, but, I don't want Sullivan playing some stiff over other deserving players just because he's paid a lot and has a contract on the books. Yeah, I'm looking at you Jeff Carter.

If Sullivan is the coach again next year, I will have lost all confidence in Dubas.

My personal timeframe for assessing him is broadly speaking next trade deadline - that gives him this summer to work with what he has regarding some expiring crappy contracts, a decent amount of cap space during the offseason, and 3/4 of a season to assess the team that he'd built and to make changes as necessary. In essence, now that the trade deadline this year has passed, he owns this team. I never expected him to come in and work miracles in his first year, especially given the absolute dumpster fire that Burkstall left him with... but from here on out, it's his rodeo. And job 1 has to be **** canning Sullivan. And I don't hate Sully, it's just time, and I think even most laymen can see that.

Absolutely. I can see him not parting with Sullivan just yet, for org political reasons. But he needs to be gone at the latest at trade deadline next year.

There is a scenario where we lose Sid though so he can chase a cup with a contender. I'm not sure we are willing to contemplate that.

[Guinness]

Absolutely. I can see him not parting with Sullivan just yet, for org political reasons. But he needs to be gone at the latest at trade deadline next year.

There is a scenario where we lose Sid though so he can chase a cup with a contender. I'm not sure we are willing to contemplate that.

He's gotta be gone this summer - he's had 7 years since his last playoff success of any kind with this team. If they were winning one, two or even the occasional 3 rounds over that time period, it would be reasonable to retain him and try to jigger the roster to help him get over the top. But he hasn't. And now he's missed two seasons of playoffs in a row. There is no way that is acceptable with a roster that includes Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and now as Petterson has emerged and even moreso with the addition of Karlsson... it's just beyond acceptable. I don't see anyway that Dubas can justify starting next season with him behind the bench.

That said, it seems to me that Sid is one of those guys whose legacy and story mean a lot to him. He's won 3 Cups. In that particular manner, he's managed to outshine Mario. And before he's done, he may well pass him in points. Mario holds an absolutely special place in the heart of this franchise, but Sid is really creeping up on him. There may well be a day in the not to distant future that we're debating who exactly was the best Penguins player of all time.

[Pens4Life]

Nobody can justify Sullivan behind the bench anymore.. literally no one! But FSG management will do whatever they can to have homeboy still here next season and thats just.....uuugh

[Pitts]

I 100% believe they will relieve Sully after the season. Just a hunch I have, but I think it's finally time.

[Badger Bob]

We all think it's long long past time, so I don't know that I can support your hunch. I'm worried that the people running the organization have no clue, plus they love people from Boston.