take gaunce out and it's a deal. he's untouchable.
- therealagent

Take Gaunce out and the trade is a joke...
Edler, Ballard and 2nd for a signed Letang and Kennedy? Terrible deal for Pens...Letang is a top5 d-man in the league, maybe even top3...and Ballard has zero value.

Don't you ever make a proposal for the second coming of Ron Francis(Couturier)
Crosby Malkin OV are pretty much the only guys(unrealistic Flyers fans) would ever take in return for him....
- nelson911[Insert Flyers bashing of Crosby here]

send me your proposal for an edler and burrows package to the pens that includes letang coming back. elder gets you 55 pts a year, hits like a truck, passes well, plays the pp and hard minutes. burrows is a heart and soul player, lightening fast, great on the pk, gritty and based on his performance with the twins would be a great linemate for sid or gino.

Not that good of a deal for Pens IMO...Ballard has negative value...so its basically Edler and Gaunce for a signed Letang? 2nd=Kennedy/Jeffrey

I think lots of teams could top that...
Wouldn't a deal of something like: Kulemin, Gardiner or Rielly and a 1st for a signed Letang be something more interesting for the Pens?
- BoBBeR56

That's just it... Kennedy won't be retained... I don't know if he's even worth a 2nd, taking the compliance buyout gets the pick to a second rounder... could even make it a first.
I dunno I don't really want another dman prospet, Edler is signed for 6 years at 5 mil and is a top pairing dman for the most part. Kulemin doesn't have much value to us cause you don't know what you're getting. Gaunce could very well be another Jordan Staal so he is a key piece.

If Pit thinks it has a guy that can fill the void left by Letang then move him for max value and fill the holes. I think Malkin is way more valuable and sacrificing Letang is a necessary evil. Letang is a great D man but on another roster I think it would be hard to replicate the same numbers. I'd gladly take him on my team but I think trading for him and signing him to a huge extention may be detremental. If Pit does trade him away they should sign a guy like JBo who can replicate Letangs skating ability. JBo will most likely be bought out by St Louis if Peto and Shat get big money.
- riceroni

St Louis didn't trade a 1st round pick to buy out JBo a few months later

Absolutely and completely zero chance of JBo getting bought out by the Blues, regardless of what Petro & Shatty make. So many other things would happen first if we were in cap trouble. And why people persist in thinking we will be in cap trouble when Blues have 5th most cap space in the league, and only 4 players we need to sign with it, is quite confusing.

On top of that, Jbo only has one year left making big bucks. If he is willing to play for the sort of salary the Penguins could afford if he makes it to UFA next year, Blues would extend him at that rate before he gets there.
- Antilles

send me your proposal for an edler and burrows package to the pens that includes letang coming back. elder gets you 55 pts a year, hits like a truck, passes well, plays the pp and hard minutes. burrows is a heart and soul player, lightening fast, great on the pk, gritty and based on his performance with the twins would be a great linemate for sid or gino.
- therealagent

Its ok, I live in BC I know what I'm getting....

Gaunce would have to be in that deal....

I like Burrows but I don't think I could take him over Kunitz so it makes his inclusion a moot point.

If Kassian would have shown more promise he could have pushed the deal over the top... who knows with him, that is still one of the worst deals Gillis has put together IMO, I hated that deal the minute I saw it.

That's just it... Kennedy won't be retained... I don't know if he's even worth a 2nd, taking the compliance buyout gets the pick to a second rounder... could even make it a first.
I dunno I don't really want another dman prospet, Edler is signed for 6 years at 5 mil and is a top pairing dman for the most part. Kulemin doesn't have much value to us cause you don't know what you're getting. Gaunce could very well be another Jordan Staal so he is a key piece.
- nelson911

You don't know what your getting with Kulemin but Gaunce COULD be Jordan Staal?
Kulemin has played VERY well with Malkin anytime they have played together and is an amazing penalty killer.
So swap out Gardiner for Phaneuf.
Phaneuf, Kulemin, 1st

You don't know what your getting with Kulemin but Gaunce COULD be Jordan Staal?
Kulemin has played VERY well with Malkin anytime they have played together and is an amazing penalty killer.
So swap out Gardiner for Phaneuf.
Phaneuf, Kulemin, 1st
- BoBBeR56

Letang, Fleury to the Leafs
Gardiner, Kessel, Reimer to Pens

You don't know what your getting with Kulemin but Gaunce COULD be Jordan Staal?
Kulemin has played VERY well with Malkin anytime they have played together and is an amazing penalty killer.
So swap out Gardiner for Phaneuf.
Phaneuf, Kulemin, 1st
- BoBBeR56

that's right Kulemin is a UFA next season... probably a 4 million dollar player.. easy and he is an enigma.... we know of the Magnitogorsk Malkin connection...
Gaunce will be on an ELC deal which is massive and he is CDN, something we love.
Phaneuf we want no piece of. Not a chance. He is UFA in a year as well and is getting 6.5, I would just hand over the extra 500k and Letang would stay a pen

Letang, Fleury to the Leafs
Gardiner, Kessel, Reimer to Pens
- therealagent

That's actually a good trade for the Pens, Leafs fans would die if they did that, Pens would still be paying 7 million to Kessel.... don't see it.

that's right Kulemin is a UFA next season... probably a 4 million dollar player.. easy and he is an enigma.... we know of the Magnitogorsk Malkin connection...
Gaunce will be on an ELC deal which is massive and he is CDN, something we love.
Phaneuf we want no piece of. Not a chance.
- nelson911

Gaunce and Jensen are the only young draft picks worth talking about when you talk about Vancouver's future up front. This organization, Burke then Gillis, has raided the cupboards. It's embarrassing. Nonis did a decent job. Imagine if both Hodgson and Grabner were still in the fold? It would be a different story.

Gaunce is the guy they hope takes over Kesler's role. At some point, maybe this year, Kesler has to take the #1 center role then as the Sedins fade away in a few years, Gaunce has to be ready for the #2 slot.

This is why it's almost a given that Gillis will try to package Edler for a future #1/#2 center like Schenn or Couturier, etc..

That's actually a good trade for the Pens, Leafs fans would die if they did that, Pens would still be paying 7 million to Kessel.... don't see it.
- nelson911

kessel takes a pay cut to play with the pens though.

Gaunce and Jensen are the only young draft picks worth talking about when you talk about Vancouver's future up front. This organization, Burke then Gillis, has raided the cupboards. It's embarrassing. Nonis did a decent job. Imagine if both Hodgson and Grabner were still in the fold? It would be a different story.

Gaunce is the guy they hope takes over Kesler's role. At some point, maybe this year, Kesler has to take the #1 center role then as the Sedins fade away in a few years, Gaunce has to be ready for the #2 slot.

This is why it's almost a given that Gillis will try to package Edler for a future #1/#2 center like Schenn or Couturier, etc..
- therealagent

You're right... I would be calling the Flyers if I were Canucks, I dunno whats gonna happen after they get Streit though.

Hodgson trade killed Gillis...

Make letang the water boy!

Id personally like to see the Pens get Phaneuf. But only so that Elisha Cuthbert comes to all our home games...

Letang, Fleury to the Leafs
Gardiner, Kessel, Reimer to Pens
- therealagent

Not bad return, but salary coming back isn't good (in a year).

Not bad return, but salary coming back isn't good (in a year).
- rival22

When you think about its not that bad of salary. Gardiner/Reimer probably 5mil combined, Kessel maybe you can get him to 6 mil.... these are new deals for them in the upcoming seasons...

Fleury was 5, Letang maybe 7 upcoming

Trade him to the Flyers

Trade him to the Flyers
- JAKEw1234

Only if we get Briere and Bryz in the deal

Love to keep Letang at a decent cost under 6.25 mil for max years with nmc/ntc..

if he wants more than trade him for a couple of picks and player/prospect (hopefully winger)

also hope he gets traded to West coast team...

this draft is deep....

Great blog. I think we have seen the last of Letang in a Penguins' sweater. This team does not need a prolific offensive threat from the blue line with all the talent they have up front. Would love to see Shero deal Letang for a cap friendlier, solid, stay at home defenseman and a forward prospect to fill into the system. Shero is a genius at getting the most out of a trade, so it will be fun to watch where he goes. There should be 10-15 teams interested in Letang's services.
- cap1681

I think so too.

19 mill tied up with 2 players.

should be able to get a nice return for him.

Can the pens afford $6-7 mill on 5 year deal for LeTang.

I think so too.

19 mill tied up with 2 players.

should be able to get a nice return for him.

Can the pens afford $6-7 mill on 5 year deal for LeTang.
- zazzle

they need young players with low cap hits which means a deal with a team like edmonton for a young player, like yakupov, or san jose for couture, etc. it will take that type of deal for pittsburgh to make the cap dollars work. if i'm the oilers, i do that deal in a heartbeat but i hesitate if i'm san jose to trade my future captain.

Dump him and get more defense minded defenseman.

Only if we get Briere and Bryz in the deal
- nelson911

I hope you're being serious...

Dump him and get more defense minded defenseman.
- powerhouse

I do think a more simplified defensive zone system would do wonders for him.