Folks, I'm heading to the Steelers game on Nov. 16th. Looking for a place to stay that's within travel distance to the game (will take the train, so hotel needs to be near a stop). I saw a Holiday Inn Express at Greentree (I believe) that seems to work. If I stayed there, would I be able to get to the stadium easily?
- jmatchett383

There are several hotels on the North Side right by PNC Park. You can walk to Heinz from there.

There are several hotels on the North Side right by PNC Park. You can walk to Heinz from there.
- PensFan1962

Even better. Some day I'll spend a couple days in Pittsburgh too.

My third line options for center would be:
1) Nazem Kadri 26y/o 5 years left @ 4.5
2) Eric Staal 32y/o 2 years left @ 3.5
3) Tomas Hertl 23y/o 1 year left @ 3.0 (RFA)
4) Sam Bennett 21y/o RFA

Obviously all would cost a different amount but I'd be open to trading any of Hornqvist, Hagelin, Maatta, Sheary, Jarry, 1st...

With sprong and Aston Reese apparently ready and cost effective forwards we seen in playoffs I think all 4 options are very realistic. Let's hear some feedback.
Ryan Wilson thoughts???
- pens4life-66

I question whether anyone on your list is truly available for what would be considered a reasonable exchange. However, as I mentioned earlier, E. Staal is my top choice. But I'm sure GMJR has other ideas I haven't considered.
I am not open to trading Hornqvist. He should be given an extension. What he provides can not be easily quantified or replaced. Its too early to make Jarry available. His value could skyrocket in two years, after more development in WBS and increased NHL exposure.
Maatta is still quite young and should only be moved in a blockbuster, AND assuming there's a backup plan in place for an already thin blue line (C. Franson?).
With a group of young forwards eager to prove themselves, this could be a great time to sell high on Sheary. Hagelin is a good piece and showed how valuable his speed can be in the cup winner. But $4m/ would be nice to free up, especially if Sprong/Aston-Reese can show enough to join the big club and be effective for a playoff run. My preferred pieces in any deal for a 3C are a combo of Pouliot, Sheary, and/or picks.
How'd I do? Can I be GM for a day? Is the franchise ruined?

Signed with Colorado and than disapeared. Is he that bad? Good defensively?
- Barnaby36

Hes a system guy, if he has a assigned role, especially a defensively oriented one...hes ok, he sucked last year but so did everyone else.

Hes a system guy, if he has a assigned role, especially a defensively oriented one...hes ok, he sucked last year but so did everyone else.
- DDM-Coga

Hagelin-Soderberg-Hörnqvist

Good defensive line.

Let's talk about overrated guys:

Shattenkirk. Slow footed, bad defensively but with a good vision and good shot.

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I honestly wouldn't trade Schultz for him based on what I saw in the Penguins vs Washington series. I don't get all the love for him. Cool name though.

Let's talk about overrated guys:

Shattenkirk. Slow footed, bad defensively but with a good vision and good shot.

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.
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I honestly wouldn't trade Schultz for him based on what I saw in the Penguins vs Washington series. I don't get all the love for him. Cool name though.
- Barnaby36

Don't trade Schultz for anyone, he might be the best D-man on the team.

Let's talk about overrated guys:

Shattenkirk. Slow footed, bad defensively but with a good vision and good shot.

.
.
.

I honestly wouldn't trade Schultz for him based on what I saw in the Penguins vs Washington series. I don't get all the love for him. Cool name though.
- Barnaby36

Figures a guy with Barnaby as his username would have an opinion like this.

Hes a system guy, if he has a assigned role, especially a defensively oriented one...hes ok, he sucked last year but so did everyone else.
- DDM-Coga

I wouldn't mind Soderberg for next year, but I don't know about the next 3. Maybe at 1.75 retained. Other than the Pens games, I watched zero Avs games last year.

How's his skating? I don't remember him being a particular good skater, but it wouldn't be tough to top Bones in that regard either.

Bryan Little or Mathieu Perreault.

Problem solved.

Send Määttä to Winnipeg and let Pouliot develop. Perhaps sign Franson for insurance.

Perhaps acquire another D in a side deal.
- Barnaby36

What makes you think Little is available?

Let's talk about overrated guys:

Shattenkirk. Slow footed, bad defensively but with a good vision and good shot.

.
.
.

I honestly wouldn't trade Schultz for him based on what I saw in the Penguins vs Washington series. I don't get all the love for him. Cool name though.
- Barnaby36

So we're judging him in a 7 game sample size lugging around the carcass of Orpik on the 3rd pairing? Sounds like a good way to evaluate someone

Don't trade Schultz for anyone, he might be the best D-man on the team.
- cleg

Schultz isn't even close to Letang. That's a ludicrous take.

Schultz isn't even close to Letang. That's a ludicrous take.
- Victoro311

Letang has played 75 games once in his career. He can't stay on the ice, so I knock him for it. Harsh, but not ludicrous. The team sure proved they didn't NEED him on the ice this summer. Because Schultz filled his skates. It'll be nice to have both, hopefully Letang can finish the season.

Letang has played 75 games once in his career. He can't stay on the ice, so I knock him for it. Harsh, but not ludicrous. The team sure proved they didn't NEED him on the ice this summer. Because Schultz filled his skates. It'll be nice to have both, hopefully Letang can finish the season.
- cleg

Schultz has had one good season...

Letang has played 75 games once in his career. He can't stay on the ice, so I knock him for it. Harsh, but not ludicrous. The team sure proved they didn't NEED him on the ice this summer. Because Schultz filled his skates. It'll be nice to have both, hopefully Letang can finish the season.
- cleg

The Pens pulled out a cup win through some grit, resolve, and a little luck. They were not the better team in many of their games. Letang was absolutely NEEDED. Crosby is the best player on this team, but for years Letang has been the most vital to the Penguins success. Luckily, the Penguins were so strong this year, they were able to carry on without him. Don't take that to mean that Letang is not their most important player.

Leafs are not trading Kadri, at all lol they JUST signed him to that deal.

Staal MIGHT be available but doubtful.

Hertl could be expensive, but the Sharks are in win now, so not sure if they'd move him.

Bennett.. not sure if he's even available or why he would be available.

I personally don't think Sprong and ZAR are ready yet.
- j.boyd919

Not just picking on this responce because there are a couple close to it but from following hockey and hearing 2 high ups talk pretty much everyone beside like 3-5 players in the league are available. Im pretty sure we all know Kadri isnt 1 of the 3-5. Nobody including the top "insiders" thought Panarin, Saad, and to a lesser extent Hjallmarrson were "available" but they got traded. There is a lot more players then those 3 but thats just the last month.

Back to my point, would trading for Kadri take an "overpayment"? Id definitely say yes. Is overpaying always a bad thing for a team. Not really. Pens are going for a third straight championship in a row. To get Kadri Im just throwing out a random scenario but Im sure Sheary+Maatta+1st gets them definitely thinking. Id say thats an overpayment from the pens. (They have Mathews, Nylander, Marner, Bozak, Marleau, Komarov, Fehr, Moore that all have played center). Im not saying its probable but its definitely possible on the leafs end.

Now were does that leave the Penguins...
Guentzel Crosby Hornqvist
Hagelin Malkin Kessel
Wilson Kadri Rust
Sprong Rowney Reaves Aston-Reese/Kuhnhackl spares (lines obviously can be changed) Want more depth... Jagr/Vanek free agents with the 3 mill saved in trade.

Dumolin Letang
Cole Schultz
Hunwick Franson (Yes Franson would fit in cap if he made under 4 per)
Pouliot Ruhwedel

Not only does this save there cheap prospects it solves the third line center problem for 5 years and also gets 1 of the best 3rd line centers in hockey that can easily jump to the second line in case of injury. Also that defence is better than the 1 that just won the cup.

Letang has played 75 games once in his career. He can't stay on the ice, so I knock him for it. Harsh, but not ludicrous. The team sure proved they didn't NEED him on the ice this summer. Because Schultz filled his skates. It'll be nice to have both, hopefully Letang can finish the season.
- cleg

Health =/= hockey ability. You wanna say letang cant stay healthy fine, but Schultz isn't half the hockey player Letang is when they're both on the ice. These past playoffs proved that.

Health =/= hockey ability. You wanna say letang cant stay healthy fine, but Schultz isn't half the hockey player Letang is when they're both on the ice. These past playoffs proved that.
- Victoro311

I won't disagree with this or the other responses above. My take is focused on availability. I understand few in the league can match Letang's skill set, when he is on the ice.

Haula is probably the best of the scrap pile if we went with a guy JR "could go get right now"

Does anyone know how Cody Franson would fit into the Pens system? PP/PK? Seems to be one of the remaining D names floating around, and possibly an option if any current pieces are moved to fill the 3C role.

Does anyone know how Cody Franson would fit into the Pens system? PP/PK? Seems to be one of the remaining D names floating around, and possibly an option if any current pieces are moved to fill the 3C role.
- cleg

He'd be a solid bottom pairing RD for Cole. The general footspeed of that pairing might be its downfall, but it could work. And as a bottom pairing it's hideable.

Not just picking on this responce because there are a couple close to it but from following hockey and hearing 2 high ups talk pretty much everyone beside like 3-5 players in the league are available. Im pretty sure we all know Kadri isnt 1 of the 3-5. Nobody including the top "insiders" thought Panarin, Saad, and to a lesser extent Hjallmarrson were "available" but they got traded. There is a lot more players then those 3 but thats just the last month.

Back to my point, would trading for Kadri take an "overpayment"? Id definitely say yes. Is overpaying always a bad thing for a team. Not really. Pens are going for a third straight championship in a row. To get Kadri Im just throwing out a random scenario but Im sure Sheary+Maatta+1st gets them definitely thinking. Id say thats an overpayment from the pens. (They have Mathews, Nylander, Marner, Bozak, Marleau, Komarov, Fehr, Moore that all have played center). Im not saying its probable but its definitely possible on the leafs end.

Now were does that leave the Penguins...
Guentzel Crosby Hornqvist
Hagelin Malkin Kessel
Wilson Kadri Rust
Sprong Rowney Reaves Aston-Reese/Kuhnhackl spares (lines obviously can be changed) Want more depth... Jagr/Vanek free agents with the 3 mill saved in trade.

Dumolin Letang
Cole Schultz
Hunwick Franson (Yes Franson would fit in cap if he made under 4 per)
Pouliot Ruhwedel

Not only does this save there cheap prospects it solves the third line center problem for 5 years and also gets 1 of the best 3rd line centers in hockey that can easily jump to the second line in case of injury. Also that defence is better than the 1 that just won the cup.
- pens4life-66

There may actually be some validity to that point. Say we offer a package of X, Y, and Z for a big name like Duchene and it doesn't work. Maybe we call Toronto or Minnesota or WPG and use those same/similiar assets as a starting point for Kadri/Staal/Little.

So, they may not be "available" per se, but maybe Toronto thinks long and hard about it.

The Pens pulled out a cup win through some grit, resolve, and a little luck. They were not the better team in many of their games. Letang was absolutely NEEDED. Crosby is the best player on this team, but for years Letang has been the most vital to the Penguins success. Luckily, the Penguins were so strong this year, they were able to carry on without him. Don't take that to mean that Letang is not their most important player.
- jrmjames67

A lot of truth here. I was stunned we won the cup with out Letang.

We seriously should have gave an offersheet on Parayko...

Health =/= hockey ability. You wanna say letang cant stay healthy fine, but Schultz isn't half the hockey player Letang is when they're both on the ice. These past playoffs proved that.
- Victoro311

isn't availability an import ability? I don't care how talented you are, if you can't stay on the ice. I have no doubt Letang is the better player. I just hate that he always misses big parts of the season. Only 1 season over 70 games played int he last six years. I think you have to factor in health when talking about a player. Do you think when its all said and done, that Schultz will be in the ball park of Letang in career points?