where abouts in the blue ridge mountains?

this is funny cause my wife and i left the blue ridge mnts to honeymoon in pittsburgh for a penguins game....made a sign that read- "we came to watch sid and malkin on our honeymoon" got on national TV. this was like 4 years ago feels like 20
- pensfan024

Near Raphine and not to far from lexington i believe. I havent really done anything except fish drink and honeymoon stuff all week so i dont know a lot about where we are.

I'd rather have Yandle at his 2.6M cap hit over Letang and his durability issues.
- rangerdanger94

The cap hit makes the difference. All things being equal I take Letang, but I am biased.

Like in the Oscar Lindberg Ethan Werek deal in 2011? The Gomez to Montreal deal in 2009 that got them McDonagh? The Rick Nash deal in 2012? The Klein for Del Zotto deal in 2014? The Gaborik to Columbus deal in which they got the more effective and younger player out of the trade in Brassard?

Yes the Callahan-St. Louis deal looks bad now only because they didn't win a cup while St. Louis was here and Callahan will be playing in Tampa a lot longer. But those extra picks they acquired turned into trade downs and those second round picks aren't guaranteed to be anything.

As far as the Yandle deal is concerned, Duclair looks great at the start but his career is barely 30 games old. Yandle, meanwhile, is one of the ten best offensive defensemen in the game today and still in his prime. Hard to say that trade was a bad one for either side.
- MidnightMarauder

If you don't win a cup (which I now think is a given), it will look bad to have traded 2 players & a first for a third pairing D man. The win now (which we know very well) is just that, so if you don't win you lose. Now if you can trade him for 'something' ala the Hawks sop, then it's not too bad. Or if you find a way to sign him & he gives you more service then again that's not too bad. But 'currently' I think the Yotes are 'looking' better.

If you don't win a cup (which I now think is a given), it will look bad to have traded 2 players & a first for a third pairing D man. The win now (which we know very well) is just that, so if you don't win you lose. Now if you can trade him for 'something' ala the Hawks sop, then it's not too bad. Or if you find a way to sign him & he gives you more service then again that's not too bad. But 'currently' I think the Yotes are 'looking' better.
- Aussiepenguin

First off, how is it a given they won't win?

Second, a third pairing defenseman? He's a top pairing defender on 90% of the league, including your very own.

First off, how is it a given they won't win?

Second, a third pairing defenseman? He's a top pairing defender on 90% of the league, including your very own.
- MidnightMarauder

You have lost very experienced & good players - some of whom played in their 2nd consecutive SCF last season. There are question marks on your line up that are bigger this year than last. Other teams have less question marks & look better in my opinion than you guys.

What is Yandle playing on the Rangers? Doesn't matter where he 'could' play on other teams it's on your team that counts. You traded for him not us??

90% of the league?? How are his defensive skills?

You have lost very experienced & good players - some of whom played in their 2nd consecutive SCF last season. There are question marks on your line up that are bigger this year than last. Other teams have less question marks & look better in my opinion than you guys.

What is Yandle playing on the Rangers? Doesn't matter where he 'could' play on other teams it's on your team that counts. You traded for him not us??

90% of the league?? How are his defensive skills?
- Aussiepenguin

He's not better than McDonagh so naturally he won;t play top line defensive minutes.

On this blueline, the minutes are spread out pretty evenly. Yandle plays about 20 minutes a night and top power play unit time.

They lost Hagelin, who looks really good in Anaheim by the way, and St. Louis to retirement. They are relying on the young kids to step up and so far they have done just that.

And yes, Yandle defensively is not the best but he is by far the worst as well. He played on a miserable team in Arizona thus his +/- suffered. But since he has been in NY defensively he looks just fine. Hard to say a trade is lost when a player has a long way to go in his career and has been one of the top scoring defensemen in the league for the majority of his time spent in the NHL.

Would you trade Duclair and a 1st for Letang?

Because Letang and Yandle are essentially the same players.
- rangerdanger94

In the offseason, when i'm able to take Letang's and Duclair's salary difference and spend it freely on a good replacement Dman, i'm doing that every day of the week if i'm a Pens GM.

Midseason, when it's less of a guarantee that i'd be able to effectively use the freed up cap space? i'm less likely.

Im not seeing the part where the coachd is the biggest problem. Trading Hornqvist is a mistake.
- Grinder47

It depends on what you get back.

if you get back a LW version of Hornqvist, then it's not a mistake.

He's not better than McDonagh so naturally he won;t play top line defensive minutes.

On this blueline, the minutes are spread out pretty evenly. Yandle plays about 20 minutes a night and top power play unit time.

They lost Hagelin, who looks really good in Anaheim by the way, and St. Louis to retirement. They are relying on the young kids to step up and so far they have done just that.

And yes, Yandle defensively is not the best but he is by far the worst as well. He played on a miserable team in Arizona thus his +/- suffered. But since he has been in NY defensively he looks just fine. Hard to say a trade is lost when a player has a long way to go in his career and has been one of the top scoring defensemen in the league for the majority of his time spent in the NHL.
- MidnightMarauder

It's only my opinion which shouldn't mean too much to you. I'm not saying Yandle is a bad player, I'm commenting on the conditions of the trade & the outcome to date. I think he was supposed to push you guys over the edge to a winning cup team, but that didn't happen. Your team at the moment & from what I can tell at the moment isn't as good as 2 years ago & not as good as last years hence my opinion on you not winning. Based on that paying 2 players & a first is steep unless you can trade for something or resign to 'strengthen' the team moving forward - but again to resign him you look to lose players for cap reasons, & in doing so possibly weakening the team further unless you can get some beneficial hockey trades - I said after last season on your thread Nash could be a positive trade for you guys to make.

The conditions of your trade cannot change. The results can & that what we judge to date - that's no reflection on the player.

I'd rather have Yandle at his 2.6M cap hit over Letang and his durability issues.
- rangerdanger94

fair enough. we will see how durable he is this year. im pretty sure you can call that stroke thing a freak incident. and concussion are concussions. any one can get them anytime.

if letang continues at almost 30 mins a night...we will truly see how durable he is.

Near Raphine and not to far from lexington i believe. I havent really done anything except fish drink and honeymoon stuff all week so i dont know a lot about where we are.
- Grinder47

def pretty up through there. im about an hour south of that area. Beautiful Roanoke have fun buddy.

It depends on what you get back.

if you get back a LW version of Hornqvist, then it's not a mistake.
- poopmouth

Do you honestly believe that Fixeseverything?

Moving 58 for a Dman that's not as goodies another step back as well.

fair enough. we will see how durable he is this year. im pretty sure you can call that stroke thing a freak incident. and concussion are concussions. any one can get them anytime.

if letang continues at almost 30 mins a night...we will truly see how durable he is.
- pensfan024

If the pens traded Letang for Yandle this offseason, they wouldve been able to also sign Paul Martin. (not saying this was ever on the table. just the best way to highlight player value vs player goodness)

Letang's the better player, but Yandle is the better asset when it comes to team building.

It's only my opinion which shouldn't mean too much to you. I'm not saying Yandle is a bad player, I'm commenting on the conditions of the trade & the outcome to date. I think he was supposed to push you guys over the edge to a winning cup team, but that didn't happen. Your team at the moment & from what I can tell at the moment isn't as good as 2 years ago & not as good as last years hence my opinion on you not winning. Based on that paying 2 players & a first is steep unless you can trade for something or resign to 'strengthen' the team moving forward - but again to resign him you look to lose players for cap reasons, & in doing so possibly weakening the team further unless you can get some beneficial hockey trades - I said after last season on your thread Nash could be a positive trade for you guys to make.

The conditions of your trade cannot change. The results can & that what we judge to date - that's no reflection on the player.
- Aussiepenguin

We disagree it doesn't mean it angers me that you think opposite what I do.

If they do lose Yandle, after this year, that makes two really detrimental "go for it" moves that Sather made; especially if they come up empty this season. But, Yandle can play at least another six years with the majority of those years being at a high level.

As far as the Nash situation is concerned, I am definitely open to seeing him dealt especially if he continues to occupy so much cap space and not deliver when they need him to. He, even at the age of 31, can garner a good return as he is just coming off his best regular season goal output. I like Nash, overall, but in salary cap world it's hard to keep expensive players that don't maximize their talent level/production.

I'm not looking it up but didn't the Blues get Paijarvi for Perron? I'm pretty sure that was the trade and if so you didn't win that one.
- Dcoms

The Blues sent Perron to EDM to Paajarvi & EDM 2nd round pick, which became Ivan Barbashev. He's the gem of the trade. He hasn't played in the NHL yet, so as others have said you can't say he's the better player YET, but his skill set & upside are greater than Perron. Defensively, he's already better than Perron. Like all young players, he just needs to get acclimated to pro hockey & let his talent develop.

The Blues sent Perron to EDM to Paajarvi & EDM 2nd round pick, which became Ivan Barbashev. He's the gem of the trade. He hasn't played in the NHL yet, so as others have said you can't say he's the better player YET, but his skill set & upside are greater than Perron. Defensively, he's already better than Perron. Like all young players, he just needs to get acclimated to pro hockey & let his talent develop.
- usmcaaron

Which might never happen and routinely does. Claiming a prospect is a superior player is wildly optimistic.

The Blues sent Perron to EDM to Paajarvi & EDM 2nd round pick, which became Ivan Barbashev. He's the gem of the trade. He hasn't played in the NHL yet, so as others have said you can't say he's the better player YET, but his skill set & upside are greater than Perron. Defensively, he's already better than Perron. Like all young players, he just needs to get acclimated to pro hockey & let his talent develop.
- usmcaaron

This^^^. I've always been advocating some trade between the pens and blues where the pens could pry away barbashev.

Which might never happen and routinely does. Claiming a prospect is a superior player is wildly optimistic.
- jfkst1

That never happens here....

That never happens here....
- sammy87

Even look at the prospects that were traded. They're still not anywhere

That never happens here....
- sammy87

Not by me it doesn't. Prospects are unproven commodities in the league. Even promising ones don't always develop like expected.

Not by me it doesn't. Prospects are unproven commodities in the league. Even promising ones don't always develop like expected.
- jfkst1

Half this board wanted to trade58 because DP was sooo good and a bonified top pairing Dman.

Half this board wanted to trade58 because DP was sooo good and a bonified top pairing Dman.
- sammy87

There is a good chance he still will be. How old is he?

The Blues sent Perron to EDM to Paajarvi & EDM 2nd round pick, which became Ivan Barbashev. He's the gem of the trade. He hasn't played in the NHL yet, so as others have said you can't say he's the better player YET, but his skill set & upside are greater than Perron. Defensively, he's already better than Perron. Like all young players, he just needs to get acclimated to pro hockey & let his talent develop.
- usmcaaron

With Schwartz out three months would the Blues be interested in Kunitz?

With Schwartz out three months would the Blues be interested in Kunitz?
- acdc1206

Please. I love Kunitz but he's getting there in age.

Half this board wanted to trade58 because DP was sooo good and a bonified top pairing Dman.
- sammy87

I've never read anyone claim that. Everyone that wanted to trade Letang justifies it due to his lack of durability. Too late to trade him now any way. He had to be traded before his extension.