Sutter is also useless to them unless the Blues make major changes to their roster and unload at least 2 of Lehtera/Backes/Berglund.
- jfkst1

I said earlier Sutter is useless to them. Again, its trade second rate talents or busts and inexperienced third pairing Dmen or a seventh Dman for a top six forward. It doesn't work that way in this instance.

Having a Despres back would help this deal a lot, if there is validity to this. Having our first round pick back would as well.

Lehters isnt going anywhere

Backes is probably going to the wing

Berglund is adios

blues have enough Center depth no need for Sutter
- sycsam

Which is why the Pens and Blues aren't good trading partners this time.

Laughable that Pitt fans keep saying no to Sharp, despite their annual early exit from the playoffs again. Fact is, if you guys don't overpay, one of your rivals will (see Washington), and you guys will be in a worse spot than you were last year. The Blackhawks, despite their salary cap dilemma, are the ones in the position of strength here, not the teams with missing parts.
- Katana777

They are not in the position of strength, because everybody knows they need to move Sharp to be able to fill out their roster. Teams will not pay top dollar knowing this fact. Chicago does not have the luxury of saying "if we don't get what we want, we'll just keep him" because it is an impossibility.

Laughable that Pitt fans keep saying no to Sharp, despite their annual early exit from the playoffs again. Fact is, if you guys don't overpay, one of your rivals will (see Washington), and you guys will be in a worse spot than you were last year. The Blackhawks, despite their salary cap dilemma, are the ones in the position of strength here, not the teams with missing parts.
- Katana777

Plz come back when you know what you're talking about. Your team has no position of strength here.

I said earlier Sutter is useless to them. Again, its trade second rate talents or busts and inexperienced third pairing Dmen or a seventh Dman for a top six forward. It doesn't work that way in this instance.

Having a Despres back would help this deal a lot, if there is validity to this. Having our first round pick back would as well.
- Oneonta Penguin

I know you did. And yes, this is where everyone said losing Despres was going to hurt. He was more valuable in trade packages than on the roster. But Rutherford didn't take advantage of that. Packaging Despres and Sutter would probably land a capable top 6 F.

Which is why the Pens and Blues aren't good trading partners this time.
- jfkst1

Wish we had gotten despries from you instead of Borts but oh well

so we are supposed to assume you are a hawks fan when you just joined and you have no team affiliation on your bio?

Move along junior
- sycsam

Always makes my day to see a Bluesers fan get bent out of shape.

Laughable that Pitt fans keep saying no to Sharp, despite their annual early exit from the playoffs again. Fact is, if you guys don't overpay, one of your rivals will (see Washington), and you guys will be in a worse spot than you were last year. The Blackhawks, despite their salary cap dilemma, are the ones in the position of strength here, not the teams with missing parts.
- Katana777

So... Pitt being a team that always dry humps the edge of the cap, should vastly overpay for a winger... to solve their cap issues, limited assets, and early playoffs with his 2 years on contract?


Wow... I know smart Chicago fans are few in number, but damn you're dumb.

Wish we had gotten despries from you instead of Borts but oh well
- sycsam

Even though I think that deal would still favor STL, Cole for Despres would have been a more fair value trade than what Despres was actually traded for.

Laughable that Pitt fans keep saying no to Sharp, despite their annual early exit from the playoffs again. Fact is, if you guys don't overpay, one of your rivals will (see Washington), and you guys will be in a worse spot than you were last year. The Blackhawks, despite their salary cap dilemma, are the ones in the position of strength here, not the teams with missing parts.
- Katana777

Absolute delusion on your part he is worth what is being reported for a 33-year old guy on the decline that is making 5.9 million per. You aren't dealing from a position of strength here. Carry on with your delusions.

Plz come back when you know when you're talking about. Your team has no position of strength here.
- nelson911

That means he should never come back because I doubt he will honestly ever figure it out.

Always makes my day to see a Bluesers fan get bent out of shape.


- Katana777

Pretty sure I am not bent out of shape just calling out a newb for what he is a newb

They are not in the position of strength, because everybody knows they need to move Sharp to be able to fill out their roster. Teams will not pay top dollar knowing this fact. Chicago does not have the luxury of saying "if we don't get what we want, we'll just keep him" because it is an impossibility.
- cap1681

That is not a secret to anyone. We know we cannot afford to keep him. But if the market creates competition between several teams for his services, his price tag goes up. Basic supply and demand principles. Economics 101 for you slow peeps out there.

Even though I think that deal would still favor STL, Cole for Despres would have been a more fair value trade than what Despres was actually traded for.
- jfkst1

Agreed Lovejoy brutal

I cringed when I saw taht deal

Pretty sure I am not bent out of shape just calling out a newb for what he is a newb
- sycsam

He payed 4 bucks for 1 month just to hope no one saw he was a brand new account... Is it too soon to label this an obvious troll who likely isn't for any of the teams being mentioned in these debates?

To be honest, as a PIT fan, I'm kinda scared that they will do something stupid like trade the farm for guys like Sharp, Kessel or Skinner because, if so, I think ownership is forcing it in order to boost current value of the team and so make more $$ off selling it. I think they have done this before (I have no concrete evidence, but it makes sense given the amount of picks being dealt away over the past few years), but it's just too hard to win the cup in the cap era to do such foolish short-term moves. Most of the teams that have thrived in the cap era have been the teams who retain much of their picks, draft smartly, have a solid core of 4-5 players, evaluate aging players well (and pay them accordingly) and have a organizational system in place (i.e., CHI, LA, DET, BOS). The other up and coming younger teams (EDM, BUF, FLA, DAL, etc.) have already been stated as going after this model since it seems to be the best way to sustain a chance of winning each year.

PIT has thinned themselves out as it is, doing more of it is just a backwards mentality. PIT is on the verge of heading down a very dark path; and Rutherford doesn't have the track record of being a GM who can build a team from the ground up (he rarely seeks prospects/picks in trades, often deals them away for much less than their value). He is at best an average GM...personally, I quite liked Shero, who was a longer-term thinker and savvy trade maker, but that's a different rant

IMO PIT needs to (a) develop/use the younger guys and give them a real opportunity to show what they can do (i.e., Bennett, Wilson, Sundquist - Kap isn't ready yet) by rotating them into the top 6 and on PP (they can retain 3rd/4th line roles in general for now but play them a bit more - like what DET does); (b) try to acquire some decent picks (i.e, rnds 2-3), (b) sign some under the radar guys with upside who play aggressively for bottom roles (i.e., Halishcuk, Brodziak, Condra), (c) get one of Soderberg or Belesky (@4-4.5/yr over 4 over 4-5 years to play top 6 wing. (d) sign an older but serviceable #4 D who can chew up minutes but play a solid game (Oduya, Jackman, Hejda) - likely around $4/yr for 2-3 yrs.
(e) if Dupuis is indeed back and 100% healthy, deal Kunitz for a pick (3rd/4th likely) IF he doesn't fit under the cap. (f) trade Lovejoy for anything (say 5th-7th rnd pick)

As much as I like Harrington and think he will be a really solid top 4 guy in a couple of years, I think we should package him with Sutter or Spaling to get a potential top 6 winger or more appropriate #3C i.e.

Spaling+Harrington to CBJ for Jenner (I could work with Atkinson/Rychel as well, slightly changes a FA signing below)
Sutter to CAR for Semin (@3.5/yr) + 2nd round pick

Perron - Crosby - Hornquist
Soderberg/Belesky - Malkin - Semin
Kunitz/Dupuis - Jenner - Bennett
Sundquist (as C) - two of Winnick/Halischuk/Condra/etc (or Kunitz if he fits in the cap)
Wilson

Letang - Maatta
Pouliot - Hejda/Oduya/Jackman
Demoulin - Chorny
Scuderi (I think there are too many reasons not to buy him out)

That means he should never come back because I doubt he will honestly ever figure it out.
- Oneonta Penguin

And I would not have a problem with that.

That is not a secret to anyone. We know we cannot afford to keep him. But if the market creates competition between several teams for his services, his price tag goes up. Basic supply and demand principles. Economics 101 for you slow peeps out there.
- Katana777

His price tag was likely never that high to begin with... and while multiple teams should be interested in them, they also aren't going overboard on a bidding war. This isn't some antique auction, is a salary cap sport.

If this was Baseball, you'd 100% be right in his price being able to skyrocket.

Absolute delusion on your part he is worth what is being reported for a 33-year old guy on the decline that is making 5.9 million per. You aren't dealing from a position of strength here. Carry on with your delusions.
- Oneonta Penguin

Where did I say he is worth what is being reported. Do you have trouble reading? I simply said his value increases the more teams that are interested, which shifts the leverage into our favor (not completely, but more evenly distributed).

Laughable that Pitt fans keep saying no to Sharp, despite their annual early exit from the playoffs again. Fact is, if you guys don't overpay, one of your rivals will (see Washington), and you guys will be in a worse spot than you were last year. The Blackhawks, despite their salary cap dilemma, are the ones in the position of strength here, not the teams with missing parts.
- Katana777

That's not really the case at all being that there is no one in the league paying that price for Sharp who everyone in the league knows Chicago HAS TO move. No individual teams have power but they do have the power over Chicago as a group.

Seems like a Sutter trade is going to happen sooner rather than later. I will be interested to see how Rutherford handles this.

Seems like from a targeting perspective, Rutherford is doing the right things. Seems like he has called around a lot and has been gauging other team's and what they are offering.

Seems like a Sutter trade is going to happen sooner rather than later. I will be interested to see how Rutherford handles this.

Seems like from a targeting perspective, Rutherford is doing the right things. Seems like he has called around a lot and has been gauging other team's and what they are offering.
- SuperHenderson13

That seems like a GM doing his job. I'll judge him based on the results.

Seems like a Sutter trade is going to happen sooner rather than later. I will be interested to see how Rutherford handles this.

Seems like from a targeting perspective, Rutherford is doing the right things. Seems like he has called around a lot and has been gauging other team's and what they are offering.
- SuperHenderson13

Report from @Mackey_Trib : Brandon Sutter trade "imminent"

That was about 3 hours ago... Not sure if you are going off of that, but I somehow missed it until now ~_~

That seems like a GM doing his job. I'll judge him based on the results.
- jfkst1

no question. just glad he hasnt focused on one guy and is poised to give the farm away for him.

seems like there are a number of decent options for the penguins to take. hopefully they do something draft day to make it interesting for us considering we have no pick.

Anyone wants Patrick Sharp 100% has the advantage since Chicago won't have the cap space to buy pens for their sales staff.