I have to give them a little bit of time. It can't be easy for a new coach to implement a new system with 6 days of camp and no preseason games.

However, it's really starting to feel like a John MacLean type disaster.
- rival22

I'm not saying Oates is a disaster; just that Ovechkin tends to care more about his stats and personnel accomplishments than subjugating his own stats for the good of the team. In other words, skilled player, but has more Jagr in him than Yzerman or Sackic.

wasnt that the letestu mind of thinking? try to trade him for a pick bc he will get picked up on waivers... kinda like what happened to... walshy cover your ears... nick johnson... he could have easily gotten a 4th for him from minny but they decided to send him down and minny picked him up instantly...
- nh4442

Letestu was a little different. The season before his trade, he was actually in the Calder discussion after the first quarter of the season. His production really fell off, but his name was out there a bit. He would have never cleared.

For Johnson, as much as our Aussie friend loved him, there was a good chance that he wouldn't get claimed. You gotta think if Fletcher/Yeo weren't in Minny, he would have made it through waivers. They must have liked what they saw from him in the past. But it looks like he won't pan out to be an NHL regular either.

OV needs to Kovy himself.

Being big and playing forward doesn't autmatically make you a power forward. Nothing about his game makes me think he will develop into one.
- canadianpenfan

I get that, but all I hear from everyone is how the Pens need to unload him for whatever they can get. What I haven't heard from anyone is what the Pens should do regarding their holes a W now and in the future.

Right now the Pens top-6 looks like this:

Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis
?????-Malkin-Neal

The Pens already have 1 hole on W and Dupuis & Kunitz are both 33yrs old and UFA in the summer of 2013 (Dupuis) and 2014 (Kunitz). So, by the summer fo 2014 the Pens could potentially have 3 of the 4 Top-6 W's empty. Hopefully, Bennett fills one of those holes, but that is still uncertain & what about the other 2 posistions? I'm just saying throwing young guys out left and right now & not planning for the future isn't the best idea.

I get that, but all I hear from everyone is how the Pens need to unload him for whatever they can get. What I haven't heard from anyone is what the Pens should do regarding their holes a W now and in the future.

Right now the Pens top-6 looks like this:

Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis
?????-Malkin-Neal

The Pens already have 1 hole on W and Dupuis & Kunitz are both 33yrs old and UFA in the summer of 2013 (Dupuis) and 2014 (Kunitz). So, by the summer fo 2014 the Pens could potentially have 3 of the 4 Top-6 W's empty. Hopefully, Bennett fills one of those holes, but that is still uncertain & what about the other 2 posistions? I'm just saying throwing young guys out left and right now & not planning for the future isn't the best idea.
- s0rcerer1984

I want to trade for iggy and have iggy-sid-bennet, kuni-geno-neal, tk-sutter-dupuis, cooke-adams-glass with vitale ready for an injury... bottom 2 lines dependant on what we send for iggy

I felt this way before and even more now, Bruce Boudreau was not the problem. The caps even though they were playing badly towards the end of his tenure there have gotten progressively worse.
- Reverend Killtaker

Boudreau is probably happy to be out of Washington. The Ducks have looked good their first 2 games, tallying 12 goals

I want to trade for iggy and have iggy-sid-bennet, kuni-geno-neal, tk-sutter-dupuis, cooke-adams-glass with vitale ready for an injury... bottom 2 lines dependant on what we send for iggy
- nh4442

What would you do long term for the Pens situation at W?

I'm not saying Oates is a disaster; just that Ovechkin tends to care more about his stats and personnel accomplishments than subjugating his own stats for the good of the team. In other words, skilled player, but has more Jagr in him than Yzerman or Sackic.
- s0rcerer1984

The difference with Ovechkin seems to me, not only is he selfish, but he has no desire to put in the work to keep improving. Even Jagr was (and still is) a workout/practice freak. And while Jagr often made things all about Jaromir, it was almost always off the ice. Once on the ice, he put in the effort.

You look at the young stars of the game, and the thing that most of them (Crosby, Malkin, Stamkos, Neal, Jeff Skinner, PK Subban, Tavares, etc) have in common, is that they put a lot of effort in training and nutrition. Ovechkin would rather party with hot Russian babes (which really isn't a bad option either lol).

Boudreau is probably happy to be out of Washington. The Ducks have looked good their first 2 games, tallying 12 goals
- cap1681

Yup...and there was an obvious reason he got scooped up immediately after getting fired by the Caps. I remember his years as the AHLs Hershey Bears head coach when they play against WBS...I hated him and the Bears but I completely respected him as a coach, he knows what hes doing.

What would you do long term for the Pens situation at W?
- s0rcerer1984

Is Tangradi the long term solution at wing? If not it doesn't really matter. Shero has cap room to plug holes.

Anyone who wants to keep him at this point is holding out hope he greatly improves, it's really that simple. Because your argument holds no water unless you think he'll develop into a top 6 winger on the Pens.

I for one, don't. That's all. I hope he proves me wrong with the chances he has left.

What would you do long term for the Pens situation at W?
- s0rcerer1984

i hope bennett is going to be a top 6 guy, so thats one slot.. then i would worry about resigning geno and letang like we all have been discussin and then try to trade for someone bc it seems like no free agent wants to play with sid or geno, lol

pens have enough D dpeth that they might be able to trade a guy like matta or harrington or doumolin (sp) along with a pick for someone... of try to get another top 10 pick and get a winger this time lol...

but to be honest, i have no idea... kuni and dupuis imo havent looked good on the top line... and no my hatred for dupes on the 1st line isnt impairing my judgement... i think putting kuni back with geno and neal might help and then try jeffrey or bennet with sid and I guess dupes seeing how they have noone else...

we will have to just wait and see how this team plays the next 10 games and then see where other teams are and who is avail... is the trade deadline date still in end of feb?

Take it for what it's worth, but from Rossi's blog today:

= Hearing a lot of rumblings about the Penguins looking for a winger. Nothing close yet, but know that D Simon Despres can be had for the right price. Question becomes is that price a veteran winger with a short-term future or if the scouting staff has identified the next James Neal and now GM Ray Shero is set on trying to bring said player to Pittsburgh.

i hope bennett is going to be a top 6 guy, so thats one slot.. then i would worry about resigning geno and letang like we all have been discussin and then try to trade for someone bc it seems like no free agent wants to play with sid or geno, lol

pens have enough D dpeth that they might be able to trade a guy like matta or harrington or doumolin (sp) along with a pick for someone... of try to get another top 10 pick and get a winger this time lol...

but to be honest, i have no idea... kuni and dupuis imo havent looked good on the top line... and no my hatred for dupes on the 1st line isnt impairing my judgement... i think putting kuni back with geno and neal might help and then try jeffrey or bennet with sid and I guess dupes seeing how they have noone else...

we will have to just wait and see how this team plays the next 10 games and then see where other teams are and who is avail... is the trade deadline date still in end of feb?
- nh4442

That line goes as Crosby goes. It will come around.

Take it for what it's worth, but from Rossi's blog today:

= Hearing a lot of rumblings about the Penguins looking for a winger. Nothing close yet, but know that D Simon Despres can be had for the right price. Question becomes is that price a veteran winger with a short-term future or if the scouting staff has identified the next James Neal and now GM Ray Shero is set on trying to bring said player to Pittsburgh.
- rival22

Got get 'em Ray.

Take it for what it's worth, but from Rossi's blog today:

= Hearing a lot of rumblings about the Penguins looking for a winger. Nothing close yet, but know that D Simon Despres can be had for the right price. Question becomes is that price a veteran winger with a short-term future or if the scouting staff has identified the next James Neal and now GM Ray Shero is set on trying to bring said player to Pittsburgh.
- rival22

see too me that sucks bc i want to keep despres and see what he becomes, i have grown attached where the guys in juniors and ahl (other than morrow) I have not....

but if it brings in bobby ryan... ill be okay lol

Take it for what it's worth, but from Rossi's blog today:

= Hearing a lot of rumblings about the Penguins looking for a winger. Nothing close yet, but know that D Simon Despres can be had for the right price. Question becomes is that price a veteran winger with a short-term future or if the scouting staff has identified the next James Neal and now GM Ray Shero is set on trying to bring said player to Pittsburgh.
- rival22

This is not surprising at all, I just hope the return merits it.

Yup...and there was an obvious reason he got scooped up immediately after getting fired by the Caps. I remember his years as the AHLs Hershey Bears head coach when they play against WBS...I hated him and the Bears but I completely respected him as a coach, he knows what hes doing.
- Reverend Killtaker

I was never a huge Boudreau fan, but can honestly say, living in DC, I felt sorry for the guy. Everytime he tried to discipline OV or instill some responsibility Leonis (the Caps owner) cut his legs out from under him.

Boudreau once told the media that OV needed to change his style of play, as the team couldn't afford for him to be suspended due to questionable hits. In other words, Boudreau's criticism was "OV is so good and we need him so much that we can't do without him, so please be careful." Leonis came out a day later and said OV didn't need to change the way he played at all and publicly disagreed with Boudreau. I mean, what could Boudreau do? He had no power and everyone knew it. Hunter did whatever he wanted, won games, and the Caps let him go to. Can't run a sucessful team that way.

This is not surprising at all, I just hope the return merits it.
- Reverend Killtaker

Do we have any reason to believe it wouldn't? I think RS's track record when it comes to trades speaks for itself.

Losing Despres would be tough, but I'm intrigued to know what RS could get for him.

That line goes as Crosby goes. It will come around.
- canadianpenfan

ok ill give you that... but sid cant do it all and if he can guys to open the ice he can do more... i see it as this... you have kuni-sid-dupes on a line and kuni has the puck with dupes and sid skating in... 80% of the time he is going to try to hit sid and not dupes and players know that so they will play closer to sid... preventing him to do anything and making the play look horrible...

where as when malkin and neal are on the ice and say tk has the puck, he has two awesome options for him to pass too where defenders have less of a chance to guess correctly...

ok ill give you that... but sid cant do it all and if he can guys to open the ice he can do more... i see it as this... you have kuni-sid-dupes on a line and kuni has the puck with dupes and sid skating in... 80% of the time he is going to try to hit sid and not dupes and players know that so they will play closer to sid... preventing him to do anything and making the play look horrible...

where as when malkin and neal are on the ice and say tk has the puck, he has two awesome options for him to pass too where defenders have less of a chance to guess correctly...
- nh4442

Your talking like this is some new combination.

Your talking like this is some new combination.
- canadianpenfan

no just more teams are picking up on that dupes sucks and the pass is going to sid

Do we have any reason to believe it wouldn't? I think RS's track record when it comes to trades speaks for itself.

Losing Despres would be tough, but I'm intrigued to know what RS could get for him.
- canadianpenfan

I totally give RS the benefit of the doubt...trust me. But there is always a first time. I just dont want to lose him for lets say another similar Kovalev experiment.

no just more teams are picking up on that dupes sucks and the pass is going to sid
- nh4442

I wish we had more players that sucked as bad as Dupuis.

I totally give RS the benefit of the doubt...trust me. But there is always a first time. I just dont want to lose him for lets say another similar Kovalev experiment.
- Reverend Killtaker

I hear ya. I think we're safe from that happening.

Maybe Evander Kane leaves on the plane to Pits after the game tonight.

I wish we had more players that sucked as bad as Dupuis.
- canadianpenfan

wait...