Plan A was to tank and make it not look like he was doing it.
- BINGO!

...

🤔

1. Land First Overall Pick in the Draft
2. Extend Crosby
3. ?????
Profit

They were better off w Jr than hex or dubas….fact
- sammy87

Hextal yes. Dubas has two more years to know definitively. Rutherford won us two Cups and then bottomed us out and showed no signs of course correcting. It would have been more "fun" than the Hex years but no guarantee it would have been any better.

Plan A was to tank and make it not look like he was doing it.
- BINGO!

I don't think that's true. I think he just did not have a very good first offseason.

I don't think that's true. I think he just did not have a very good first offseason.
- Victoro311

Nah it's been pretty apparent from the start that he was going to appease Sid and Co by getting Karlsson and offering them the chance to prove that they could still be competitive.

They weren't. They didn't.

This Pens team could still be a pain to play against but it would require a complete systems overhaul that fits the current make up of the team. Also, any trades made need to compliment that style of play.

Unrelated: are we linked to any undrafted college FA’s?

This Pens team could still be a pain to play against but it would require a complete systems overhaul that fits the current make up of the team. Also, any trades made need to compliment that style of play.
- Thorny87

Right. That's the easiest, least painful change to make. They won't do it. We're on our 3rd GM who's afraid of the coach.

Nah it's been pretty apparent from the start that he was going to appease Sid and Co by getting Karlsson and offering them the chance to prove that they could still be competitive.

They weren't. They didn't.
- BINGO!

That is not what tanking is.

RUSSELL WILSON ===== Erik Karllson Book It Now

Unrelated: are we linked to any undrafted college FA’s?
- Brownsoldier

I hope all the good ones lol

I hope all the good ones lol
- 123Kid

All I needed to hear.

Cup run 2025 is back on.

RUSSELL WILSON ===== Erik Karllson Book It Now
- broncohorvath

Soo, a good QB?

Could there be a scenario where Karlsson goes to Ottawa for Jakob Chychrun? They have $13M in cap space next yr.

What is he's on the Flyers?
I would love him on the Flyers for 3 reasons:
1) Because he's an amazing hockey player.
2) To see the Pens' fan base throw a million hissy fits.
3) To see the Flyers' fan base throw a million hissy fits.
- jmatchett383

It would be nice to see Sid on a team that has his back. That’s for sure.

Hextal yes. Dubas has two more years to know definitively. Rutherford won us two Cups and then bottomed us out and showed no signs of course correcting. It would have been more "fun" than the Hex years but no guarantee it would have been any better.
- Victoro311

Well he was trying to trade Malkin but the politics veto’d him so the G said see yah!

Trade Sullivan. Problem solved.

What is he's on the Flyers?
I would love him on the Flyers for 3 reasons:
1) Because he's an amazing hockey player.
2) To see the Pens' fan base throw a million hissy fits.
3) To see the Flyers' fan base throw a million hissy fits.

Hell will freeze over and the Pirates will win a World series before that ever happens

Jake/Bunting - Sid - Rust
McCann - Malkin - Rakell
DOC - E-Rod - Puustinen
ZAR - Eller - Nieto


Pettersson - Letang
Graves (I think someone else would probably be signed here) - Marino
POJ - Rutta


Granlund wouldn't have been needed if E-rod was our 3rd line center. I assume Carter wouldn't have been extended as long (sorry Grinder). I assume Jake gets traded, but maybe he prices himself out of Pittsburgh and we still trade for Bunting in the offseason. This team looks wayy better than current.
- 123Kid

MickV said it, but they keep the solid, younger, cheaper pair of Matheson-Marino. Ruuta was also a Hextall add. Guess Rackell was too, but that's a back and forth move that didn't look great.

But that's me going from what Rutherford left to what we have now. The fact you only kept 2 Hextall guys, Rackell and Ruuta versus all the guys he moved (McCann, Marino, Matheson, ERod, ZAR) says a lot about what Hextall did.

I dont necessarily agree. The Pens need to start bringing in the next generation, but that doesnt mean they need to do it all through the draft.

Lets say you move Graves and Smith with the pick to Zona and get back Keller (and lesser picks). You have a 25 year old 1st line winger with a value contract at $7.15M per year for 5 years. Along with that you have $2M in cap space freed up.

My key caveat here is that the top 2 forwards are off the board by the time we are picking. We miss way more than we hit on defencemen and even though there are a ton of talented D in the top of the draft, I dont trust us to get it right.
- MacPatty

The counter caveat is if you trade the first, you better have a good year, because if this team bottoms out next year, a very possible scenario IMO, you'll wish you just gave San Jose the pick and had one next year.

No, no he didn't. Both Hex and Dubas' bottom 6s can't score. Dubas' bottom 6 gets scored on less than Hex's.
- MattStrat

Yes but you didn't factor in EK's lack of "defensive play" on top of that didn't help much with the bottom 6 either? It's know wonder dubas got most of them defensive forwards that and the old school logic.

Trade Sullivan. Problem solved.
- Thunderbolt

Been saying this for years.. I never seen 2 coaches loved so much in this city. Tomlin is the other. Neither coach adapt to nothing. 38 year old GM with a 56 year old coach. A different philosophy is needed badly with both franchises. Both are stale and boring. If it's not working try something new already.

Yes but you didn't factor in EK's lack of "defensive play" on top of that didn't help much with the bottom 6 either? It's know wonder dubas got most of them defensive forwards that and the old school logic.
- jb55

EK is having arguably his best defensive season of his career. He is being asked to play more defensively. Sullivan has a leash put on him whereas in San Jose he was allowed to run free. Despite the brand new system, playing more defensively and non-productive PP he's on pace for around 60 points (at times its been 70, after this low to no scoring past two weeks its on pace for 56)...something that's only been done by 3 other D-men for the Pens the last 25 years. So, your logic is off here. They have a bottom 6 not being scored on near as much and added a defenseman that is out producing most of the bottom 6 combined last season (didnt look into this, just feels like it haha).

The sh!t PP is the main reason why this season went to crap....and yes, he is totally a part of that haha.

https://www.msn.com/en-us...depth-forward/ar-BB1jIckd

Let's see who gets the nod. Poulin or Ponomarev?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nhl/penguins-waive-young-depth-forward/ar-BB1jIckd

Let's see who gets the nod. Poulin or Ponomarev?
- Thunderbolt

I'd love to see both of them to be honest. Who else should they waive? haha