(frank) it, right or die with the young kids. It'll give the Pens tons of money to spend on forward depth next year.
- j.boyd919

There are barely any UFA's and they'll be signed to big deals for long term for depth guys, Scuderi part 2 anyone?

Then you get rid of those players... they're awful and replaceable anyways. You don't move Crosby or Malkin. That's nonsense.
- j.boyd919

exactly... if your problem is bitter grinders, than ship them out and replace them... not generational talents.

I'm actually ok with where this team is for next season

? - Crosby - Hornqvist
Perron - Malkin - ?
Kunitz - Sutter - Dupuis
Wilson - Spaling - Bennett
Kapanen/Sundqvist

Letang - Maatta
Pouliot - Lovejoy
Cole - Dumoulin
Harrington

Dupuis is a question mark, so is the future of guys like Sutter, Kunitz & Spaling. Scuderi has to be bought out.

We likely need two top six wingers... Best case scenario is that Kapanen can be one, but we will still need to find one elsewhere.

Not a lot on the UFA market, but there are some teams who have a shortage of centers. Maybe flip Sutter plus something for a lower end top 6 wing?

I know emotions are high now, but this team is in a decent place next season. They just need to avoid moving any more future pieces, and if anything acquire some more picks/prospects somehow.
- rival22

Can they give BB a 2-way contract? I know hes a RFA this year. but he sucks.

I would keep Lap, hes been one of the few decent players this playoffs. I let Comean, Winnik, Downie walk.

Formula isn't working meaning they have boasted the two best players in the world, for the last eight seasons, yet only one title to show for it.

They don't need to blow it up, by any means, but something needs to change. They keep running into the same problems offensively, come playoff time, not enough depth at forward.

This year they are decimated by blueline injuires so they get a pass; especially considering how close these games have been despite this fact.
- MidnightMarauder

I think the Pens biggest problem has been their refusal to keep the future in mind. We have been so busy trying to "win now" that we trade away young talent for "veteran presence" UFA's who are gone the next year, and we give away our draft picks like candy. Add that to the fact that our drafting, particularly of forwards, is god awful and you can see how we have ended up where we are.

Then, as someone else already pointed out, we started drafting young, puck moving D men so we could trade them for offense, only to turn around and make mind boggling trades with some of them that resulted in no offensive return. And now the ones we do have left we will need next year in our system because we have got to the point where some of our current D are moving on.

While I get you need to go all in to try to win the cup while you have a chance, having no eye on the future is a fast way to run a team into the ground. And since those who forget/ignore the past are doomed to repeat it, it seems this will be a vicious cycle for us for years to come. Especially with no considerable draft picks to speak of for the next 2(?) years.

Part of it is a lot of first time coaches don't want the pressure that goes along with being Coach of the Penguins.

If you have Crosby/Malkin/Letang and don't have success, there's a stigma around it and people point fingers at you that can prevent you from getting hired in the future. "How can he have success anywhere if he didn't have success with THOSE guys?!"

Conversely, as in Bill Peters' case in Raleigh, he can screw up a couple times and not feel a ton of heat over it because the team doesn't have all that much talent. If he has success with them, he's a genius. If he doesn't, well, nobody expected them to win anyway.
- BINGO!

I think more of it had to do with the way they treated Shero and Bylsma. Then with the rumors of the Pens just wanting an interm coach until they can chase Babcock, who would want to put themselves in that situation. And then you have the owners mandating your assistant coaches on top of it.

Can they give BB a 2-way contract? I know hes a RFA this year. but he sucks.

I would keep Lap, hes been one of the few decent players this playoffs. I let Comean, Winnik, Downie walk.
- sammy87

No, but you offer him his qualifying offer ($945k I think) as a make or break deal. He has some knee issues, hopefully he comes back better and stronger and can contribute next season. If not, you move on, but a one year deal at that price is fine with me.

I wouldn't mind Comeau and Winnik back at the right price, and putting them in the right role as 3rd line players.

Well what if that backfires and you blow a season and 1 of 87, 71, 58 get pissed and demand a trade?

None of those players bring much value back in a trade. Again, only 87, 71, 29, 72 really bring any thing back. Cant trade 72, then you have a top 6 hole or its just a swap. 58 is too banged up for value. 29, still need a starting G.
- sammy87

Why will every other idea back fire but yours ? You say trade Malkin but no team is going to give you 3 decent roster players in return. And Malkin and Sid have NMC so they decide where they go or don't go.

As soon as Lappy pulled his classless, fake injury stunt, I knew the Pens were in trouble. You don't spit in the face of the hockey gods.
- Bromancer

It was a penalty regardless. You cant hit a guy who isn't near the puck. Downie got whistled for it for the first penalty of the game, and I would expect that to be a penalty as well.

But maybe what he did is what caught the refs eye. Had he not done that, who knows if they would have bothered to call it.

As soon as Lappy pulled his classless, fake injury stunt, I knew the Pens were in trouble. You don't spit in the face of the hockey gods.
- Bromancer

It was a penalty regardless. You cant hit a guy who isn't near the puck. Downie got whistled for it for the first penalty of the game, and I would expect that to be a penalty as well.

But maybe what he did is what caught the refs eye. Had he not done that, who knows if they would have bothered to call it.

So we've seen the Pens can clog everything up to slow the Rangers down. I would be tempted to play game 5 wide open and see what happens. They would probably get blown out but the other way isn't working either.
- LetsGoPens!!

You cant play wide open hockey when we have no D men capable of moving the puck up to our offense. Our forwards have to come back and help support the D, thus removing any chance we have of moving through the neutral zone with speed and playing "wide open".

Why will every other idea back fire but yours ? You say trade Malkin but no team is going to give you 3 decent roster players in return. And Malkin and Sid have NMC so they decide where they go or don't go.
- willi

IDK, but what they've been doing hasnt been so peachy. 6 years in a row now we are talking about the same issues. So keep the gang together and try again!

Can they give BB a 2-way contract? I know hes a RFA this year. but he sucks.

I would keep Lap, hes been one of the few decent players this playoffs. I let Comean, Winnik, Downie walk.
- sammy87

I think Winnik is a keeper. Not only would he be an ideal third line guy here, but you have to keep him to justify that price for giving up a second and a fourth to get him. As long as the price is right, he should be kept.

No, but you offer him his qualifying offer ($945k I think) as a make or break deal. He has some knee issues, hopefully he comes back better and stronger and can contribute next season. If not, you move on, but a one year deal at that price is fine with me.

I wouldn't mind Comeau and Winnik back at the right price, and putting them in the right role as 3rd line players.
- rival22

+1 on all thoughts.

I think Winnik is a keeper. Not only would he be an ideal third line guy here, but you have to keep him to justify that price for giving up a second and a fourth to get him. As long as the price is right, he should be kept.
- Oneonta Penguin

Next year:
Perron-87-PH
X-71-X
Kuni-Sutter-Winnik
Wilson-Lap-Sund/UFA

It was a penalty regardless. You cant hit a guy who isn't near the puck. Downie got whistled for it for the first penalty of the game, and I would expect that to be a penalty as well.

But maybe what he did is what caught the refs eye. Had he not done that, who knows if they would have bothered to call it.
- thickman1178

A slight push to the chest, in a playoff game, where the refs are letting them "play", is not a penalty. The correct call would have been 2 minutes for embellishment, period. ou could even see the guys on the Pens bench looking all "what the F"?

not many teams coming to mind...chicago, dallas, maybe avalance...ummm...calgary has some good up and commers...anaheim maybe? I mean itd be tough for sure but maybe it could work

top 6 winger, preferably younger and cheaper, top 4 d man, someone solid, doesnt need to be an all star, and a 1st round pick or 2 depending on who the top 6 is...

yea by tough i mean nearly impossible, but hey stranger things have happened, we traded lovejoy for a 5th rounder then traded our first rounder for him
- JLT168

There are equitable deals to be made. Some have put them down. Chicago can't do anything. They have zero cap room, especially with the price tags of Toews and Kane. Will someone step up and put out the necessary pieces to acquire him, that is the question.

STL would be an option, same with Montreal.

Next year:
Perron-87-PH
X-71-X
Kuni-Sutter-Winnik
Wilson-Lap-Sund/UFA
- sammy87

Perron has a lot of searching to do if he wants to have that spot. I haven't seen anything that dreams top six from him in three months.

Not sure Sound is your prototypical fourth like guy.

I would like that third line ... a lot, especially if the real Kunitz shows up.

It's obvious that the pens can't afford above average wingers to take the slightest attention away from the #1 and #2 player in the world. Trading Malkin or Letang would be able to grant an all-star wing(s - if Malkin) in return. This team desperately needs better forward depth. The defense has been great all season, even with the injuries, and the statistics support that.

A slight push to the chest, in a playoff game, where the refs are letting them "play", is not a penalty. The correct call would have been 2 minutes for embellishment, period. ou could even see the guys on the Pens bench looking all "what the F"?
- Bromancer

A correct call on King's flop in game three would have been embellishment, right?

It's obvious that the pens can't afford above average wingers to take the slightest attention away from the #1 and #2 player in the world. Trading Malkin or Letang would be able to grant an all-star wing(s - if Malkin) in return. This team desperately needs better forward depth. The defense has been great all season, even with the injuries, and the statistics support that.
- WhiffleUrChin

Letang has zero value on the trade market.

There are equitable deals to be made. Some have put them down. Chicago can't do anything. They have zero cap room, especially with the price tags of Toews and Kane. Will someone step up and put out the necessary pieces to acquire him, that is the question.

STL would be an option, same with Montreal.
- Oneonta Penguin

CO has interesting pieces to offer.

Letang has zero value on the trade market.
- Oneonta Penguin

Yeah then what sign a mid level D UFA for 6mil?....pass

A correct call on King's flop in game three would have been embellishment, right?
- Oneonta Penguin

Sid did bump him, on purpose, but yes, I'd say that was embellishment.

CO has interesting pieces to offer.
- sammy87

I saw your idea last night. No way does CO put Landeskog and Duschene together plus a first. We would have to add. Denver is a place he could go, especially with the way they play.

They have a poopty farm system to boot with nothing that should interest Pittsburgh from a close to ready NHL prospect.

Iggy? We have been down that road before ... too old; Tanguay? Too old. ROR? Too expensive and I don't like his negotiating practices. Tyson Barrie? EJ? MacKinnon?

While they have some appealing talent, I don't see much of a match as far as the right package that they would hand over.

Sid did bump him, on purpose, but yes, I'd say that was embellishment.
- Bromancer

That bump Sid put on him doesn't knock down my 12-year old son. Yes, it was embellishment to the max.