I like Rowney's game, too, but it is a really small sample size with limited minutes. There is probably a reason he is making his NHL debut at age 28. Also, is he a natural center? Going forward, I don't know that I would want to rely on him to anchor a line on a Cup contending team.
- T-Train

He is a natural center. And I agree with you, he's not great, but he's also a 4C. We've been very spoiled with Cullen these last two years. I'd prefer to have Rowney as a depth guy than an every night 4C, but he's also passible and now we have one less option there.

Regardless of all that, which is pretty irrelevant to the point I'm making here, I just really don't like giving up assets to acquire a guy at the position at which we have the most organizational depth at (RW) when we need centers and defensemen.

I like Rowney's game, too, but it is a really small sample size with limited minutes. There is probably a reason he is making his NHL debut at age 28. Also, is he a natural center? Going forward, I don't know that I would want to rely on him to anchor a line on a Cup contending team.
- T-Train

He is a natural center. And I agree with you, he's not great, but he's also a 4C. We've been very spoiled with Cullen these last two years. I'd prefer to have Rowney as a depth guy than an every night 4C, but he's also passible and now we have one less option there.

Regardless of all that, which is pretty irrelevant to the point I'm making here, I just really don't like giving up assets to acquire a guy at the position at which we have the most organizational depth at (RW) when we need centers and defensemen.

He is a natural center. And I agree with you, he's not great, but he's also a 4C. We've been very spoiled with Cullen these last two years. I'd prefer to have Rowney as a depth guy than an every night 4C, but he's also passible and now we have one less option there.

Regardless of all that, which is pretty irrelevant to the point I'm making here, I just really don't like giving up assets to acquire a guy at the position at which we have the most organizational depth at (RW) when we need centers and defensemen.
- Victoro311

Would you agree that finding a player who can skate, defend, and add toughness is not as common as a 4C? My point is Reaves isnt a goon and he fits an organizational need that few actually qualify for... there's not many Lucic, Wilson, Kessler, Maroon players out there.

I thought it was an overpayment. Don't forget Tom Wilson was a first rounder. I don't love the deal, but by overpaying on draft day we sent a message to the nhl. Time to protect stars. And by all accounts reeves is a semi functional hockey player who can protect our stars when we need him to. Not sure on fighting, but you take a run at us he can take a run at your important players. If it wasn't a garage league then bad move.,,,but is what it is.

Would you agree that finding a player who can skate, defend, and add toughness is not as common as a 4C? My point is Reaves isnt a goon and he fits an organizational need that few actually qualify for... there's not many Lucic, Wilson, Kessler, Maroon players out there.
- hipcheck_goalie

I don't care who you are, if you're averaging less than 10 points per season throughout your career, you're easy to replace in free agency on the cheap. Definitely easier to find guys like that than a 4C. Hell, off the top of my head I can think off Chris Neil, Dom Moore, Tanner Glass, and Brooks Laiche who are UFAs that check off most or all of the boxes you just rattled off, and I'm sure there's plenty others.

We dropped 20 slots in a weak draft. If anyone thought Sundqvist was worth a nickel, we probably would have moved him for that.

It was Reeves for a 20 spot drop in a weak draft and a throw in who was set to be taking up space and ice time in Wilkes barre. Chalk this up as an easy win
- TheGame316

I hear the Jim Benning school of trading has some spots open. Care to apply?

THat was probably spin trying to drive up his value to move him. Kinda like when they played Scuderi every night trying to find a taker. The book was out and StLoius was probably one of the only teams willing to take a flier on him

Too slow to be a center on this team. End Of Story
- TheGame316

I don't think you've watched him play. End Of Story.

I don't care who you are, if you're averaging less than 10 points per season throughout your career, you're easy to replace in free agency on the cheap. Definitely easier to find guys like that than a 4C. Hell, off the top of my head I can think off Chris Neil, Dom Moore, Tanner Glass, and Brooks Laiche who are UFAs that check off most or all of the boxes you just rattled off, and I'm sure there's plenty others.
- Victoro311

Old and Slow, Nothing like Reeves, Glass-Seriously? and Old and Slow and not tough either

Got any other suggestions? Because those are like comparing Crosby to Mike Fisher and saying "They both can be 1C"

I don't think you've watched him play. End Of Story.
- DeflatedPucks

ya, I'm going to go with the opinions of a 3 time Cup winning GM and 2 time Cup winning coaches as to Sundqvists NHL career probabilities over DB's on hockeybuzz

Old and Slow, Nothing like Reeves, Glass-Seriously? and Old and Slow and not tough either

Got any other suggestions? Because those are like comparing Crosby to Mike Fisher and saying "They both can be 1C"
- TheGame316

Moore and Glass are fast. Moore much more so than Glass, but Glass is certainly not slow. Trust me, not advocating getting anyone I named off, especially (frank)ing Glass, but why acquire Reaves when these guys are available?

Also that second paragraph is an absurdity. You're acting like Reaves is one of the best fourth liners in the game. He is nothing more than fine.

I don't care who you are, if you're averaging less than 10 points per season throughout your career, you're easy to replace in free agency on the cheap. Definitely easier to find guys like that than a 4C. Hell, off the top of my head I can think off Chris Neil, Dom Moore, Tanner Glass, and Brooks Laiche who are UFAs that check off most or all of the boxes you just rattled off, and I'm sure there's plenty others.
- Victoro311

Dominic Moore can add toughness ?

Moore and Glass are fast. Moore much more so than Glass, but Glass is certainly not slow. Trust me, not advocating getting anyone I named off, especially (frank)ing Glass, but why acquire Reaves when these guys are available?

Also that second paragraph is an absurdity. You're acting like Reaves is one of the best fourth liners in the game. He is nothing more than fine.
- Victoro311

We can agree to disagree but I have watched him play and he's more like Lucic than like Glass... look at the video of him burning Schultz... He's got talent too.

We can agree to disagree but I have watched him play and he's more like Lucic than like Glass... look at the video of him burning Schultz... He's got talent too.
- hipcheck_goalie

I don't know man. Lucic is a legitimate top line talent. Its hard to compare perennial 10 point guy to someone that produces ~50 points a season.

Like I said its whatever. I'm not expecting Reaves to be a disaster, I just don't really like the deal that got him here. Pretty much feel the same way I did when the Lovejoy trade went down, but less pissed off.

Dominic Moore can add toughness ?
- willi

Well he hits lol. But you're right he's not a guy that you're bringing in to drop the gloves for your teammates. Was just rattling off some grit guys that came to the top of my head.

I don't know man. Lucic is a legitimate top line talent. Its hard to compare perennial 10 point guy to someone that produces ~50 points a season.

Like I said its whatever. I'm not expecting Reaves to be a disaster, I just don't really like the deal that got him here. Pretty much feel the same way I did when the Lovejoy trade went down, but less pissed off.
- Victoro311

Lucic isnt a top line guy anymore. He is way too slow gor the league and Im betting he's going to be considered one of the worst contracts in the league pretty soon. Reaves doesnt have lucics hands or shot but he can skate, hit, control the puck on the cycle and fight. Yes fighting isnt important anymore but it was noticable when players like Wilson, Martin, Dubinskys started crossing the line there was no answer from the Pens.

Yada yada answer by scoring on the PP, sometimes a Reaves chat goes father than a PP.

"Pretty much feel the same way I did when the Lovejoy trade went down, but less pissed off."

Simple solution, don't get pissed off about something out of your control....it is called being a true fan and always supporting...give it a try!!

ya, I'm going to go with the opinions of a 3 time Cup winning GM and 2 time Cup winning coaches as to Sundqvists NHL career probabilities over DB's on hockeybuzz
- TheGame316

Ya I'm sure you think JR can do no evil. I'm surprised, do you you think every one of his trades has been a clear win? And somehow Mikes deployment of Hainsey has an explanation?

Not saying they aren't great but they are fallible.

[quote=Darklight11]
I'm still a big Rutherford guy, and defend resigning him in favor of retaining Boterille. His overall body of work has been fantastic as Penguins GM and he's been a completely different guy here than he was in Carolina.

But I don't get the "always support" mentality. Yes I support the Penguins and will go balls to the wall rooting for them to win every single game while they're contenders (I'm a big tank guy and start rooting for my teams to lose when they're not contenders). But that does not mean that I am going to blindly support every move the GM and coaches make. A big part of sports fandom is having opinions about the going ons and management of your franchise and being emotionally invested in that aspect as well. Plus, if every conversation we had here was just an echo chamber of patting Rutherford and Sullivan on the back, it would get really boring really fast. What can I say, its the offseason and we need things to talk about.

I think we're all experiencing Vics wrath here this morning (my time ).

Vic, what's done is done, defending Sundqvist is ok but when you consider he would be taken for free if he passed through waivers, or traded somehow for 'something' or sit in the press box & play from time to time, swapping him for a guy that will probably every game if uninjured, seems ok. Throwing a late first (the actual last pick), & picking up a middle 2nd (or very very early 3rd ), to me seemed an overpayment. But considering JR picked projected 3rd round players I doubt that matters much anyway.

I think we're all experiencing Vics wrath here this morning (my time ).

Vic, what's done is done, defending Sundqvist is ok but when you consider he would be taken for free if he passed through waivers, or traded somehow for 'something' or sit in the press box & play from time to time, swapping him for a guy that will probably every game if uninjured, seems ok. Throwing a late first (the actual last pick), & picking up a middle 2nd (or very very early 3rd ), to me seemed an overpayment. But considering JR picked projected 3rd round players I doubt that matters much anyway.
- Aussiepenguin

Haha wrath? I'm not yelling at anybody. I'm just over analyzing a pretty minor move because I'm hungover as (frank) and have nothing else better to do. I don't like the move but I'm also not super worried about it. I have no reason to believe Rutherford will do something super dumb this offseason yet.

Lucic isnt a top line guy anymore. He is way too slow gor the league and Im betting he's going to be considered one of the worst contracts in the league pretty soon. Reaves doesnt have lucics hands or shot but he can skate, hit, control the puck on the cycle and fight. Yes fighting isnt important anymore but it was noticable when players like Wilson, Martin, Dubinskys started crossing the line there was no answer from the Pens.

Yada yada answer by scoring on the PP, sometimes a Reaves chat goes father than a PP.
- stackthepads

Yeah, that line has annoyed me from the first day it was uttered. PP goals in the regular season don't mean squat (even still, there's only a 20% chance of scoring). Not constantly being on the receiving end of cheap shots IS important. It won't cut out all of it, but they will be greatly reduced. And maybe we dish out a few of our own for a change, injure some players on other teams for a change, and have other teams have to go short-handed for a change. I'm not endorsing intentionally injuring other players, but hey, poop happens. It's happened to us way too much.

Disclaimer: I would rather all players and teams just played hockey and there were zero cheap shots. But that's not the case in the garage league we are dealing with here.

Yeah, that line has annoyed me from the first day it was uttered. PP goals in the regular season don't mean squat (even still, there's only a 20% chance of scoring). Not constantly being on the receiving end of cheap shots IS important. It won't cut out all of it, but they will be greatly reduced. And maybe we dish out a few of our own for a change, injure some players on other teams for a change, and have other teams have to go short-handed for a change. I'm not endorsing intentionally injuring other players, but hey, poop happens. It's happened to us way too much.

Disclaimer: I would rather all players and teams just played hockey and there were zero cheap shots. But that's not the case in the garage league we are dealing with here.
- T-Train

yes, as long as there's guys like Reaves in the league, it's a bush league at best

Randy sexton leaves the penguins for the sabres.

Randy sexton leaves the penguins for the sabres.
- martox

No, not randy sex!

Randy sexton leaves the penguins for the sabres.
- martox

This was known to be happening weeks ago.