Well considering his SV% is better, as is his GAA over his career, then you look at playoff stats and Fleury as a .906 sv% compared to Crawfords .920... and his GAA is 2.66 compared to Crawfords 2.26... His EVSV% is better than Fleury's over his career... .617 career QS, over Fleury's .446 QS in the playoffs, regular season quality starts are .613 for Crawford and .542 for Fleury... I'm not really sure where he's not better than Fleury?
- j.boyd919

My point was saying "not as good" to the point that one is that much more valuable than the other is exaggerating a bit. If given the option based on the capabilities of either, I wouldn't place one over the other if I had to make a choice in net. All things being the same, I find it hard to believe they both wouldn't be worthy of the same trade considerations.

Both goalies past two seasons are very similar statistically. Enough so that I wouldn't say one's worthy of a 1st round pick and the other isn't.

Also, I'd be surprised if Crawford's numbers wouldn't more closely resemble Fleury's if he played as many games and had the chance to have as many down seasons as a No. 1 starting goalie.

Frolik isn't as bad as you think and rust isn't as good ...
- Redmile247

Frolik is overpaid. Good player, but overpaid. I don't really want his contract. Rust is certainly underpaid at 650k. No brainer who's the better contract.

That would be great but there's no room unless you move kuni and one of sheary Wilson rust or Kuhn. There's just no room.
- nh4442

He's on an ELC? How is there no room? Vesey is probably better than all of those players.

Frolik isn't as bad as you think and rust isn't as good ...
- Redmile247

Agreed. Frolik had some amazing games for the Flames. He is a bit inconsistent though.

He's on an ELC? How is there no room? Vesey is probably better than all of those players.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

Furthermore, most of the guys he named that are blocking him cost 650K against the cap. Its really easy to manage that many cheap contracts on a team, even if some have to be pressboxed. Make no mistake though, injuries will hit and everyone will eventually play. The super short offseason makes it all the more likely.

Did he substantiate that at all, or was that just Regis speculating?
- Victoro311

He just said Pittsburgh and Buffalo are the two teams he's heard from 'a little birdie'. In the Pens case, cherry on top being Sullivan as a Boston boy and how well he's developed young players.

Love the armchair GMs around here. Why o why do you ever move Malkin right now? I have yet to hear a decent reason.

It's like: Chicago, you just won the 2013 (or 2015) Stanley Cup! Ok, time to trade Jonathan Towes or Patrick Kane! Why not? Just because!

Why would anyone do that? The organization committed to Malkin through 2022, at a near record salary, he appears to like Pittsburgh and has a huge home in the South Hills suburbs where his wife, son, and parents live. He just won the Stanley Cup on a team that's an 8-1 favorite to repeat.

Can we stop this idiocy (which I know is trolling us Pens fans, trying to reduce our joy at our team smoking the league and its "heavy" concept), unless it can be backed up with a serious reason why the player or the club would want to pull the trigger? Is there some secret reason nobody knows about or that we are missing?
- PensFan1962

It's just this Sammy tool that is obsessed with trading Malkin, has been for years. Pay him no mind, no one else does.

My point was saying "not as good" to the point that one is that much more valuable than the other is exaggerating a bit. If given the option based on the capabilities of either, I wouldn't place one over the other if I had to make a choice in net. All things being the same, I find it hard to believe they both wouldn't be worthy of the same trade considerations.

Both goalies past two seasons are very similar statistically. Enough so that I wouldn't say one's worthy of a 1st round pick and the other isn't.

Also, I'd be surprised if Crawford's numbers wouldn't more closely resemble Fleury's if he played as many games and had the chance to have as many down seasons as a No. 1 starting goalie.
- NJPensfan

Fair enough, I can get behind that. I definitely don't think either of them fetch a 1st either. But if I had to make a choice between the 2, I'm taking Crawford over Fleury all day. He might only be slightly or marginally better, but better is better, and that gives you a better chance to win.

Frolik is overpaid. Good player, but overpaid. I don't really want his contract. Rust is certainly underpaid at 650k. No brainer who's the better contract.
- Victoro311

Last 3 seasons he's averaged .5 p/g ....how much would you say he is worth ?

I don't think it's crazy to question how Murrays play will be after 65+ games and into the playoffs. His play did fall off towards the end. Only 23 games played. That being said, I think a summer with our Tending coach will help immensely. He has flaws but they should be fairly easy to correct. No goalie is without their flaws, we will see Jones and Vasi come back to earth next year too. We need to find a cheap (good) older backup to help him through what would be his first full season and the adversity that is bound to come up.
- Thorny87

You can question how he is going to respond with year of work, you must also remember the workload he was thrust upon at the end of the year and the playoff grind that he went through. Many goaltenders would have tired with the workload he had. Three months of every other day hockey will take its toll.

Agreed. Frolik had some amazing games for the Flames. He is a bit inconsistent though.
- Thorny87

Yeah he can be ..playing a lot of defensive assignments can cause a guys offence to suffer sometimes

I think a Dallas deal would only work with a 3rd team involved.

To PIT: Nishkushkin, Niemi & DAL 1st.
To DAL: Fleury, PIT 2017 3rd & ARI 2016 4th.
To ARI: Pouliot & Lehtonen

So...
Pens get Nish, a late first and $2M in cap space for Fleury, Pouliot & next years 3rd.
Dallas gets a legit #1 goalie & 2 mid round picks and $4M cap space for a former first, this years first and two goalies they want to get rid of anyways.
Arizona gets a former top 10 pick who they can develop into a top 4 D man for taking on a big salary and a mid round pick.

Probably too many moving pieces and Arizona might have no interest in taking on a goalie but they have the cap space and would love Pouliot.
- MacPatty

All the same problems as I indicating in prior deals.

Pouliot for Nish is a fair trade

So your basically trading Fleury + a 3rd for niemi and a 1st.

I wouldn't trade 3rd for niemi and a 1st.

Better to dump fleury for a 4th round pick. We would get more cap space.

Frolik isn't as bad as you think and rust isn't as good ...
- Redmile247

I know Rust is as good as the player I saw in the playoffs and I'm ok with that, but maybe it was an illusion.

Yup, Rust, Murray, Sheary and all the rest aren't really that good...smoke and mirrors. And don't get me started on that over-rated Crosby.

I know Rust is as good as the player I saw in the playoffs and I'm ok with that, but maybe it was an illusion.

Yup, Rust, Murray, Sheary and all the rest aren't really that good...smoke and mirrors. And don't get me started on that over-rated Crosby.
- NJPensfan

Rust played well, but I'm not sure if he's a longterm answer to Geno's wing. He still seems like 3rd/4th line material to me.

Last 3 seasons he's averaged .5 p/g ....how much would you say he is worth ?
- Redmile247

frolik is worth his salary just like hagelin. Its the price you pay to add mid 6 UFA guys.

Rust played well, but I'm not sure if he's a longterm answer to Geno's wing. He still seems like 3rd/4th line material to me.
- j.boyd919

If and when he improves his shooting overall, he is a top 6 winger with that speed. He'll become another version of Hags. Nothing wrong with that by any means.

If Fleury wants to be a starter again all he has to do is make it impossible to trade him, Play backup until the shine wears off of Murray and the grind of an 82 game season makes his mediocrity unbearable and there you go. If I was him though I would be pissed at the organization that turned there back on him, the other veterans probably feel the same. Fleury could have easily sat back an enjoyed the ride like Murray did. Murray is going to tear this team apart. Mark my words.
- Grinder47

You're ridiculous, just stop, yes we get you LOVE MAF now go be alone with the posters you have of him on your walls.

frolik is worth his salary just like hagelin. Its the price you pay to add mid 6 UFA guys.
- sditulli

Worth is subjective. As long as a player fits into a team, what they are doing, and can be productive that way. Their worth is justified. Is Kessel worth what he's making on the Pens who won a Cup with and because of him? Yup. Worth every penny and probably more. Was he worth what he was making in Toronto? I would think probably not.

Question about Schultz. Say if the pens only want to give him 2.5 mil a year, do they have to release him first then try to sign him, or can Schultz agree to that deal before he is released. Not entirely sure with the RFA status and how QOs work in that sense
- drummer829

There's no release involved. July 1 he becomes a FA and he could have worked out something with the Penguins but it can't be made official until July 1.

new blog up

Well with Goligoski gone the Lehtonen situation is a little easier to manage if we are giving them a potential 3/4 dman in Pouliot. GoGo for Pouliot swap gains them 3m in cap space, enough to cover Lehtonen until Pouliot needs his raise then they can explore a buyout.

They have no way to shed that stupid Lehtonen contract, so if they want to upgrade their goalie, and they very much do... This trade is pretty good for them if Pouliot works out.
- stackthepads

Hilariously terrible deal for the Penguins. Another retread dman that's too old and too limited.

He just said Pittsburgh and Buffalo are the two teams he's heard from 'a little birdie'. In the Pens case, cherry on top being Sullivan as a Boston boy and how well he's developed young players.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

I mean, the chance to play on the wing of either Crosby or Malkin on the defending cup championship cant hurt either

Pittsburgh is the absolute best destination for him given the superstar talent at center and lack of talent/depth at LW.

Frolik isn't as bad as you think and rust isn't as good ...
- Redmile247

Rust is signed for 2 more years at 800 000 and he's just coming into his own as a player.

Rust played well, but I'm not sure if he's a longterm answer to Geno's wing. He still seems like 3rd/4th line material to me.
- j.boyd919

Next year I would like to see Sprong and Wilson as Malkins linemates and Rust and Kuhnhackle as Sundqvist's. Wilson has better hands and I want the 4th line to be fast on the wings and fearless in the corners.

I mean, the chance to play on the wing of either Crosby or Malkin on the defending cup championship cant hurt either

Pittsburgh is the absolute best destination for him given the superstar talent at center and lack of talent/depth at LW.
- MacPatty

To maximize his 2nd contract IMHO Pens look like the best opportunity. Solid talent developing in PIttsburgh and elite centerman to play with.