Bjugstad out of Florida. Do it GMJR. Do it
- stowerkraut

No thanks. He's more of a scorer than a distributor, he doesn't play PK, his defense is terrible, he has missed a lot of games due to injury, and he's below average at faceoffs. Oh, and his offense, his only strength, has been declining for the past three seasons. He's young and he may turn it around, but I think he's just too one-dimensional.

Twin questions...

How good is Maata

How good can Maata be
- Santo_44

Maatta has a high hockey IQ, great hands and stickwork.

He's also slow as molasses, not physical at all, and injury-prone.

He could become more physical if he adds bulk but I don't think it's in his nature - he is very passive when it comes to defending. He could get past his injury woes, but he is slow and doesn't avoid checks. That, combined with his slender frame, leads me to think he will get injured a lot more. Aaaaannnnnddddd...he will always be slow, which will always limit how good he can be.

Franzen is still in the league?? I thought he retired...

.....They're not trading for Matt Duchene.
- BINGO!

Well......they should.

Franzen is still in the league?? I thought he retired...
- mgriffen

He basically did, he is basically like Nathan Horton for the Leafs right now.

Given the possibility that Sprong and/or ZAR could become regulars and some teams cap issues don't need to be resolved before the season starts, I think GMJR should consider giving Guentzel a look at 3C. He can certainly create opportunities for whichever talented wingers we have playing on the third line. Question is can he win face-offs and assert himself defensively at that position in the NHL. A trade is still needed for depth and/or to replace Cullen, but why not give the guy a shot if you're trying to buy more time. If anything your willingness to play him there could reduce other teams' perceived desperation level that the Pens have for a center. If the deal is there before the season starts then go for it. If Cullen decides to come back though, I don't hate the idea of Guentzel getting a look.

I highly doubt that will happen. Little has been replaced as the 2C by Lowry and I think Copp could step into the 3C role for them (or Perreault, if need be). The Jets are short on LWs (which is why I don't think they want to trade Perreault and his reasonable 4 year $4.1 mil contract).

I would prefer Perreault over Little, but I don't know that JR wants to be tied down to him for 4 years (even it is a pretty good contract for what he provides). Pens are short on LWs, too, so his versatility would be very beneficial.
- T-Train

I disagree! Little has absolutely not been replaced as our number two Center and both Lowry and copp are better suited as fourth line centres. Perrault is better on the wing than Center and is now a third line LW behind ehlers and Connor on the Jets. Raslovic is our future 2nd line Center, not sure he's ready yet.

May I interest you guys in Matty "franchise" Stajan?

He is still a serviceable player and he could probably be had (wit some salary retained) at a bargain shop price. We have pretty good depth at centre so he's been playing more of a 4th line role for us. But he is capable of playing up the lineup if need be (he also seems to come alive in the playoffs, which is a bonus).


We might be looking to shed some salary to bring in another winger, so it could be a good trade match.

https://public.tableau.co...4BY2RW?:display_count=yes

I disagree! Little has absolutely not been replaced as our number two Center and both Lowry and copp are better suited as fourth line centres. Perrault is better on the wing than Center and is now a third line LW behind ehlers and Connor on the Jets. Raslovic is our future 2nd line Center, not sure he's ready yet.
- Ross77

Connor is your second line LW? Did he get handed the position because he sure as hell hasn't earned it. As for Lowry, he was getting 2C minutes last year while Little was getting 3C minutes at the end of the season. Maybe they were evaluating him since they weren't making the playoffs but they definitely elevated his role and dialed back Little's.

May I interest you guys in Matty "franchise" Stajan?

He is still a serviceable player and he could probably be had (wit some salary retained) at a bargain shop price. We have pretty good depth at centre so he's been playing more of a 4th line role for us. But he is capable of playing up the lineup if need be (he also seems to come alive in the playoffs, which is a bonus).


We might be looking to shed some salary to bring in another winger, so it could be a good trade match.

https://public.tableau.co...4BY2RW?:display_count=yes
- Saskabush

Eh, no thanks. He is a 4th line center and he is a player in decline. In the link, change the archetype to 4C and it will be closer to what Stajan is than 3C. Comes alive in the playoffs? 4 points in 17 games and a big goose egg in 3 games his years says otherwise. I like his defense ok and the fact that he plays PK, but he is average at faceoffs and is just a run-of-the-mill 4C at this stage of his career. There are a bunch of FA centers still available that are as good or better that can be had for free and for a much smaller contract. You would be lucky to get rid of him and that contract.

Twin questions...

How good is Maata

How good can Maata be
- Santo_44

He's a solid second pairing guy. High IQ and work ethic, moves the puck well.

How good is a great question. He's not particularly fast and needs to bulk up. He's a young guy that's fought through cancer and a shoulder injury he came back from too soon and reinjured so he hasn't developed or bulked up as much as he could but there's still upside. Probably not going to be a star. It used to be assumed he'd be a #2 defenseman if he bulked up and that still might happen, but 2nd pairing guy is the safer bet right now.

He's a solid second pairing guy. High IQ and work ethic, moves the puck well.

How good is a great question. He's not particularly fast and needs to bulk up. He's a young guy that's fought through cancer and a shoulder injury he came back from too soon and reinjured so he hasn't developed or bulked up as much as he could but there's still upside. Probably not going to be a star. It used to be assumed he'd be a #2 defenseman if he bulked up and that still might happen, but 2nd pairing guy is the safer bet right now.
- Tojo.

I actually think he has lots of room to get better. He lost quite a few offseasons there and that set back his development. And he's only 22.

As far as speed, I never recall thinking he was slow during his rookie year. And I don't think that perception is there now because he's that slow, it's more that he gets hung out to dry by his partners and gets caught flat footed because of it, which will make any D man look slow.

At this point, Maatta is kind of like Paul Martin. Underappreciated, not flashy, jack of all trades kind of guy who does all the little things but doesn't stand out, and then will make a mistake or get beat and people harp on him.

Maatta has a high hockey IQ, great hands and stickwork.

He's also slow as molasses, not physical at all, and injury-prone.

He could become more physical if he adds bulk but I don't think it's in his nature - he is very passive when it comes to defending. He could get past his injury woes, but he is slow and doesn't avoid checks. That, combined with his slender frame, leads me to think he will get injured a lot more. Aaaaannnnnddddd...he will always be slow, which will always limit how good he can be.
- T-Train

Seems like a book or bust player.

At 4 million for 5 years that's tough to take on

He's a solid second pairing guy. High IQ and work ethic, moves the puck well.

How good is a great question. He's not particularly fast and needs to bulk up. He's a young guy that's fought through cancer and a shoulder injury he came back from too soon and reinjured so he hasn't developed or bulked up as much as he could but there's still upside. Probably not going to be a star. It used to be assumed he'd be a #2 defenseman if he bulked up and that still might happen, but 2nd pairing guy is the safer bet right now.
- Tojo.

Ive pondered wether Bozak for Maata would Ben a good idea or not.

Maata-Rielly
Gardiner-Zaitzev
Hainsey-Lilagren

That might not be too bad in a couple years.

Well......they should.
- madmike71

Not for what Colorado wants for him.

Prospect depth is tremendous, but it doesn't make a lot of sense to hurt our roster long term for two years of Matt Duchene.

They aren't going to get a 3C that doesn't (or cant effectively) kill penalties, especially since they employ Reaves now.

So i'd imagine that really cuts down the 3C list.

Also, i think it's really important for everyone here to remember...

Even if they do trade for...say... Staal, they don't have to keep him for the entirety of his contract. Heck, they could keep him for 2017-18 only, trade him, and get a more cap-friendly 3C in 18-19 if they need to.

This year, they are in an awesome position of being really good, having pretty much just one glaring hole on the team (a penalty-killing 3C), and the cap space to get a really good one.

if the intention is to keep staal forever, then sure... give up extra prospects and draft picks in order to get CAR to eat more salary. but i dont think that has to be the case. For the first time in a while, the Pens actually have the short term cap space to *not* worry about that.

and this is totally not analytics based and is just gut feeling based, but.... i feel like pairing Kessel with a defense-first center would re-force Kessel to sort of be more of a shot-hog, which would be a good thing.

Ive pondered wether Bozak for Maata would Ben a good idea or not.

Maata-Rielly
Gardiner-Zaitzev
Hainsey-Lilagren

That might not be too bad in a couple years.
- Santo_44

Connor Brown for Olli Maatta?

Connor Brown for Olli Maatta?
- j.boyd919

There is risk involved in trading for Maata

With Brown he's a rfa who's going to get paid under 3 million. I wouldn't trade Brown unless we are getting a bonafide top 4 D back.

There is risk involved in trading for Maata

With Brown he's a rfa who's going to get paid under 3 million. I wouldn't trade Brown unless we are getting a bonafide top 4 D back.
- Santo_44

Fair enough. I can see that. For the Pens I'm just not a fan of trading a player under contract for Bozak who will be UFA at the end of the season.

There is risk involved in trading for Maata

With Brown he's a rfa who's going to get paid under 3 million. I wouldn't trade Brown unless we are getting a bonafide top 4 D back.
- Santo_44

What if it's Maatta+Sprong for Bozak+Brown?

Fair enough. I can see that. For the Pens I'm just not a fan of trading a player under contract for Bozak who will be UFA at the end of the season.
- j.boyd919

I guess this conversation comes down to... do we think they could get somone as good as Maatta/Bozak in FA next offseason.

if they can, then who really cares about Maatta's years of control?


However, even if Maatta for Bozak is fair, they need a 3C that can kill penalties effectively, dont they? If the Pens had more penalty killers, i'd welcome Bozak. But they don't have enough penalty killers to employ an offense-first 3C.

What if it's Maatta+Sprong for Bozak+Brown?
- j.boyd919

Is Marcel Goc available?

- DeflatedPucks

Connor Brown is gonna be a stud. 20 goals last year in his rookie year. Sprong is still a year or so away. I would trade Sprong for a cost controlled RW that's about to hit his prime for the last few years of Geno/Sid's prime.

Guentzel-Sid-Brown
Sheary-Geno-Hornqvist
Hagelin-Bozak-Kessel
Rust-Rowney/Cullen-Reeves

Those forwards are going to score... a lot.

Ive pondered wether Bozak for Maata would Ben a good idea or not.

Maata-Rielly
Gardiner-Zaitzev
Hainsey-Lilagren

That might not be too bad in a couple years.
- Santo_44

Dont think Hainsey will be around in a couple years.