jmatchettt383 I forgot to respond to your post answering my question, and yes you hit the nail on the head when discussing the long term contracts to aging vets. Those kill the roster. Currently I don't think you can trade Malkin because you have no true top six players outside of he, Sid, Kunitz, and Neal.
To fix this, Pittsburgh has to entertain the thought of trading James Neal for depth wings, Letang for top six wings, or even Paul Martin for a top six wing.

I don't think this team can afford to let Malkin go right now with so many other bad contracts here to stay.
- usethe1-2-2

we have no winger depth and to trade the highest scoring winger on the team makes zero sense

we have no winger depth and to trade the highest scoring winger on the team makes zero sense
- all-pgh

Didn't you just argue that point production is NOT the best way to evaluate a player's worth?

I was screaming for Letang to be traded at the draft last year instead they gave him a ridiculous contract. Now he has a broken hand and foot not to mention a stroke probably really diminishing his trade value.

Trading Letang last offseason would have weakened the team this year. You needed a player like that's contributions on a $3.5 mill cap hit, especially in a year where the cap went down $6 million.

They can probably veto any big move, but he just signed Archibald to an ELC and yes he has complete control right now despite being interim.
- usethe1-2-2

Yeah.. He can probably do general housekeeping like signing some of the ATO's and recent draft picks to entry level or minor league deals, but I would think anything past that would require approval from above.

Didn't you just argue that point production is NOT the best way to evaluate a player's worth?
- jmatchett383

I sure did. Neal is 26 and a 40 goal scorer. Dupuis and Kunitz are on the wrong side of 30 and one is coming off of a major injury. Nobody else is close to his goal production. Tell me why it is a smart move?

I sure did. Neal is 26 and a 40 goal scorer. Neal and Kunitz are on the wrong side of 30 and one is coming off of a major injury. Nobody else is close to his goal production. Tell me why it is a smart move?
- all-pgh

you dont just ship him off for picks and a wish. but if you can move him for another capable, more balanced young winger, you look at. even if it costs you 10 or so goals over the year.

Trading Letang last offseason would have weakened the team this year. You needed a player like that's contributions on a $3.5 mill cap hit, especially in a year where the cap went down $6 million.
- Deadstar

He missed half of this season and half of last season and his 7.8 mil for half a season of one way play isn't going to help anybody. He would have netted a nice return last year. Mot so much this year.

I sure did. Neal is 26 and a 40 goal scorer. Neal and Kunitz are on the wrong side of 30 and one is coming off of a major injury. Nobody else is close to his goal production. Tell me why it is a smart move?
- all-pgh

Because he is a complete clown. He is reckless, irresponsible, only works well with geno, doesn't play physical enough, and he doesn't back check on a consistent basis. James Neal might score 40 goals, but he doesn't bring anything else. He just doesn't bring enough to the table.
They took him off the power play and he became useless. When Jussi Jokinen becomes a harder worker and more consistent worker than you, it is time to go.

Trading Letang last offseason would have weakened the team this year. You needed a player like that's contributions on a $3.5 mill cap hit, especially in a year where the cap went down $6 million.
- Deadstar

That's the thing... When the Pens extended Letang, they did so before signing Scuderi (even though that didn't work out), while Matt Niskanen's spot was still in question, and before most of us knew what an Olli Maatta was.

I don't think they wanted to go into his last year without a resolution, so they locked him up when they could. This past year could have been trouble with having Letang around.

They left themselves an option to move him before (or even after) the new deal kicks in, they couldn't have figured on the stroke.

No no no no no no no no NO! NO!

Now that we've got that out of the way, I think he is captain material. Is he A+ captain material? No. But he is captain material.

- Leads by example, which is USUALLY a good thing. The players will follow him, which means that he has earned their trust. Very hard to do.

- Is extremely competitive, even for a pro athlete. Critical part of a captain.

- Has superior skill, and still works as hard as anyone to get even better.

- Is not afraid to give an honest assessment of the team, pushing aside cliches for truth.

He may not be a Toews/Iginla/Pronger/Messier-level captain, but he is a legitimate captain.
- jmatchett383

yes crosby leads by example.....excellent diver. I give him 10's!!!!!!!!

you dont just ship him off for picks and a wish. but if you can move him for another capable, more balanced young winger, you look at. even if it costs you 10 or so goals over the year.
- stayinthefnnet

THIS! I would take Saad over Neal any day of the week.

yes crosby leads by example.....excellent diver. I give him 10's!!!!!!!!
- jmdodgeser4

yes crosby leads by example.....excellent diver. I give him 10's!!!!!!!!
- jmdodgeser4

ugh he must have given too good a lesson in that playoff series. giroux has been right there with him since.

THIS! I would take Saad over Neal any day of the week.
- usethe1-2-2

The problem is that the Blackhawks, and every other team against the cap would too.

I sure did. Neal is 26 and a 40 goal scorer. Dupuis and Kunitz are on the wrong side of 30 and one is coming off of a major injury. Nobody else is close to his goal production. Tell me why it is a smart move?
- all-pgh

Crosby and Malkin can easily score 40. Kunitz 30-40, Dupes on the 1st 20+, scoring goals is not a problem of the Pens. Having a balanced team top to bottom is. Neal is very good at 1 thing....scoring when Malkin sets him up for the easy blast. He does not generate pts on his own, he does not foreckeck, and he takes offensive penalties in gm 7 when down 2-1 on the PP. Not to mention his reckless play. I would be much happier moving him for a 1st, then using his 5mil and get Hemsky, Cammi, 2 solid bottom 6 players etc....

So it has nothing to do with the core group of players, at all?
- jmatchett383

Quitting in any aspect is on the players for sure.

The problem is that the Blackhawks, and every other team against the cap would too.
- rival22

I'm actually talking outside of the realm of the cap. If they both had a 5mill cap hit I would take Saad over Neal. He is just a much more heady player. Focus is consistent. Strong back check, reads the play well, lots of room to grow. He only had 20 penalty minutes as well. Neal had 55 in a lot less games.

I'm actually talking outside of the realm of the cap. If they both had a 5mill cap hit I would take Saad over Neal. He is just a much more heady player. Focus is consistent. Strong back check, reads the play well, lots of room to grow. He only had 20 penalty minutes as well. Neal had 55 in a lot less games.
- usethe1-2-2

I would probably tend to agree with this as well. I haven't specifically watch Saad in too many games, but from what I've seen, I do like him.

I would probably tend to agree with this as well. I haven't specifically watch Saad in too many games, but from what I've seen, I do like him.
- rival22

The way he can move up and down the Hawks lineup and play that consistent is something that few players can do. It was a big swing and a miss to not overpay for him in the draft and select him first round.

Possibly the least popular option on here, but the Penguins might have to entertain a trade of Paul Martin. Clearing out his 5 mill, possibly James Neal's 5mill, would give the Penguins enough breathing room.

Dumoulin and Despres are ready to play and you should be ready to take that chance and play them. Maatta - Letang, Bortuzzo - Despres, Dumoulin - Pouliot/Samuelsson/Harrington. You have to use the young players and this is a huge loss in veteran leadership, but I don't see any other way you can address the forward core. Scuderi is probably going nowhere, but if you can't trade him I don't think you have to play him. Even a buyout so his cap hit is only 1mill would be better.

Same goes for the fourth line. Vitale doesn't need to be resigned and neither does Glass. There is no way Payerl, Sill, Harry Z, Archibald, whoever they can bring up is less impact-ful than Craig Adams and Vitale were.

"Also, I got no work done today because of this site so this is a win for me and a loss for the clients haha"

Trading Letang last offseason would have weakened the team this year. You needed a player like that's contributions on a $3.5 mill cap hit, especially in a year where the cap went down $6 million.
- Deadstar

It depends what you would have received in return. His value was higher last year.

Possibly the least popular option on here, but the Penguins might have to entertain a trade of Paul Martin. Clearing out his 5 mill, possibly James Neal's 5mill, would give the Penguins enough breathing room.

Dumoulin and Despres are ready to play and you should be ready to take that chance and play them. Maatta - Letang, Bortuzzo - Despres, Dumoulin - Pouliot/Samuelsson/Harrington. You have to use the young players and this is a huge loss in veteran leadership, but I don't see any other way you can address the forward core. Scuderi is probably going nowhere, but if you can't trade him I don't think you have to play him. Even a buyout so his cap hit is only 1mill would be better.

Same goes for the fourth line. Vitale doesn't need to be resigned and neither does Glass. There is no way Payerl, Sill, Harry Z, Archibald, whoever they can bring up is less impact-ful than Craig Adams and Vitale were.


"Also, I got no work done today because of this site so this is a win for me and a loss for the clients haha"
- usethe1-2-2

You trade Letang before Martin. It's not even close. Martin is a better Dman. 7.3 million for the next XXX years is too much to swallow.

Crosby and Malkin can easily score 40. Kunitz 30-40, Dupes on the 1st 20+, scoring goals is not a problem of the Pens. Having a balanced team top to bottom is. Neal is very good at 1 thing....scoring when Malkin sets him up for the easy blast. He does not generate pts on his own, he does not foreckeck, and he takes offensive penalties in gm 7 when down 2-1 on the PP. Not to mention his reckless play. I would be much happier moving him for a 1st, then using his 5mil and get Hemsky, Cammi, 2 solid bottom 6 players etc....
- sammy87

There you go ... moving Neal for a pick, which is poor asset management. This is an example of why this franchise is in the standing its in. You have to wait three years to see anything resembling a return for Neal and that isn't a given. You need to get a top six forward back if you move him. A pick doesn't do jack poop. If pick busts, you received nothing for a 30-40 goal scorer at a relatively cheap cap hit.

Hemsky? Cami? LOL Flawed players as well. Hemsky is fragile as hell and Cami is an expensive, older Neal. If Neal is the one trick pony you say, so is Cami. He has been going down hill since 2008-09.

You need to start putting long term solutions in there, not aging free agents with flaws in their games at expensive prices. If you are going to spend the necessary $$$ on Cami, may as well sign Callahan. He is better than the two you mentioned.

Start here, its pretty obvious what the Penguins problems were.

http://www.mc79hockey.com/?p=6761
- Ryan_Wilson

Well that is some very telling data, thanks Gunner.