John Toperzer: Pens shoot Sens Sunday & fantasy league update Penguins return home Tuesday to face the New York Islanders

Hey - Does anyone have access to TIOPS and, if so, can you tell me who the non-rental W's are that the Pens are supposedly targeting? Not sure why, but I really want to know.

I'm guessing Setoguchi is one of them.

http://insidepittsburghsp...-targets-surfacing/54633/

No more afternoon games ever=totally fine with me.

Niskenon has been very good, really not bad at all. It has been the lack of TEAM defense that has been a problem until the Ottawa game. Sure, if you can wave a wand and pick up a net clearing D man who is mean as biker, OK I'll take him. Maybe at the trade deadline? Who knows. Till then we will survive.

I don't want our best defensive prospect going ANYWHERE.

Sorry, but Mark Madden is an idiot. I don't know why anyone would want to go to him for serious hockey analysis.

Niskanen has been one of our more consistent defensemen this year, and has looked just fine alongside Letang. If he's out for any meaningful amount of time we are in trouble.

If anyone has been "glaring" hole on the Top 4, its been Letang.

Hey - Does anyone have access to TIOPS and, if so, can you tell me who the non-rental W's are that the Pens are supposedly targeting? Not sure why, but I really want to know.

I'm guessing Setoguchi is one of them.

http://insidepittsburghsp...-targets-surfacing/54633/
- s0rcerer1984

I couldn't see it either but I'd prefer to not move Despres for Setoguchi

Why would the Pens trade their top D prospect who is the closest to the NHL for a F with similar #'s to Dupuis? Setoguchi hasn't scored 30 goals in 4 seasons. He just seems like another 3rd line forward teh Pens don't need.

How is this poll at 58% for yes?

How is this poll at 58% for yes?
- canadianpenfan

Really, that is a very good question that I was wondering myself.

Really, that is a very good question that I was wondering myself.
- powerhouse

other people voting that want depres off our roster.. I voted hell no

Sorry, but Mark Madden is an idiot. I don't know why anyone would want to go to him for serious hockey analysis.

Niskanen has been one of our more consistent defensemen this year, and has looked just fine alongside Letang. If he's out for any meaningful amount of time we are in trouble.

If anyone has been "glaring" hole on the Top 4, its been Letang.
- nhindian

Other than how well Letang can skate, he hasn't impressed much. It's still early though.

I thought the game was at 5mst, so I only caught the shootout. I'll get the next 2 games on NHLN and NBC!

Really, that is a very good question that I was wondering myself.
- powerhouse

It's probably a bunch of wild fans who want Despres, or Philly fans who want to see the pens get raped in a trade lol.

Why would the Pens trade their top D prospect who is the closest to the NHL for a F with similar #'s to Dupuis? Setoguchi hasn't scored 30 goals in 4 seasons. He just seems like another 3rd line forward teh Pens don't need.
- sammy87

Especially a 6"4 225 LB D prospect who can skate. I know he has had some growing pains this year but that's to be expected. I know Gogo had a lot more tape than Despres but Seto is not worth it IMO. Plus I feel like this team will score a ton when everyone is comfortable the problem has been keeping the puck out of our own net.

Sorry, but Mark Madden is an idiot. I don't know why anyone would want to go to him for serious hockey analysis.

Niskanen has been one of our more consistent defensemen this year, and has looked just fine alongside Letang. If he's out for any meaningful amount of time we are in trouble.

If anyone has been "glaring" hole on the Top 4, its been Letang.
- nhindian

His delivery of information can be scrutinized, as he is a polarizing "character". However if you strip away the showman/cockiness part of his shtick the information/opinions about hockey are not terrible and most times accurate.

Despres is 21. Not many dmen are ready to play top 4 minutes right off the hop. Letang was a 3rd pairing dman his first 2 years in the league.

How is this poll at 58% for yes?
- canadianpenfan

No one watches Wild games? They're confusing him with Miko Koivu?

Despres is 21. Not many dmen are ready to play top 4 minutes right off the hop. Letang was a 3rd pairing dman his first 2 years in the league.
- Deadstar

Well there you go talking all logical and so forth. You will never have a controversial/sensationalistic low information blog, for sure!

I couldn't see it either but I'd prefer to not move Despres for Setoguchi
- dbell646

That's kinda why I want to know who it is. I'd be ok moving Despres as part of a package, if it came to that, for certain players (ie, Bobby Ryan or Dustin Brown) but not for others (ie, Chris Stewart or Devon Setoguchi).

The Pens have depth at D w/ Dumoulin, Morrow, Matta, Harrington, & Puoliet, but still wouldn't want to move Despres unless the payoff is significant.

I actually do get Madden's thought process on getting a top 4 dman. It would make this team very strong to have Niskanen back on the 3rd pair. The issue is the cost to acquire one, as well as the fact we have a lot of top defensive propsects. Despres and Harrington (despite the fact he's in junior, he's a very polished player and will make a strong push next year) are probably very close. Morrow will play a lot better now that he will get regular ice time.

good article http://blog.triblive.com/...kanen-malkin-and-despres/

His delivery of information can be scrutinized, as he is a polarizing "character". However if you strip away the showman/cockiness part of his shtick the information/opinions about hockey are not terrible and most times accurate.
- Gunner Staal

Yeah MM is in the entertainment business. He is right more times than not. I use to listen to him a lot when I lived in Pitt.

I read somethign the other day that I never realized. Staal is Shero's only draft pick with the Pens to see regular time in the NHL so far.

Yeah MM is in the entertainment business. He is right more times than not. I use to listen to him a lot when I lived in Pitt.

I read somethign the other day that I never realized. Staal is Shero's only draft pick with the Pens to see regular time in the NHL so far.
- sammy87

So far being the key word. There is about to be a glutton of NHL defensemen he has drafted in the NHL, whether its with Pittsburgh or not is another discussion.

Yeah MM is in the entertainment business. He is right more times than not. I use to listen to him a lot when I lived in Pitt.

I read somethign the other day that I never realized. Staal is Shero's only draft pick with the Pens to see regular time in the NHL so far.
- sammy87

Not too many highly successful teams have a lot of draft picks from 06 on playing regularly. Check out the Wings drafting since then. It takes time.

So far being the key word. There is about to be a glutton of NHL defensemen he has drafted in the NHL, whether its with Pittsburgh or not is another discussion.
- Gunner Staal

Very true. You almost have to expect 3yrs, at the easliest, for a draft pick not in the Top-5 overall to make it to the NHL. The '12, '11, and '10 drafts look good to me. The '09 draft is weak, but when you win the Cup and draft last in every round, what can you expect? The '08 draft was traded away.

Can't really defen the '07 or '06 drafts, but there are some pieces in there that had/have value, aside from Staal. Strait looked solid, but was just too low on the depth chart. Espisito and Caputi brought tradedeadline pieces, and Bortuzzo and Jeffrey continue to work their way into the Pens.

Yeah MM is in the entertainment business. He is right more times than not. I use to listen to him a lot when I lived in Pitt.

I read somethign the other day that I never realized. Staal is Shero's only draft pick with the Pens to see regular time in the NHL so far.
- sammy87

Time will tell about those drafts... Look at Detroit, who have a great history of scouting/drafting, only one player, Shawn Matthias, has played more than a full season in the NHL (since 2006 draft), and that was with another team.

Teams like St Louis or Edmonton are like Pittsburgh in the mid-2000's. They had high picks, and bad rosters, so these guys had the opportunity to play sooner.

The problem with trading Despres now, is that his current trade value is not where near his potential value to a team.

Whitney and Goligoski got great return, but they were both proven NHL players at that point. Shero's brilliance was that they were pretty much at their ceilings at the time of the trades. Most people agree that Despres is on the right path to being a top-4 dman, but no team is going to give much more than a Devon Setoguchi for him right now.

Would you be happy if your team traded a bonafide top 6 winger who scores 25 goals, for a prospect who probably will be very good? Unless it's a deal for a rental, or part of an all out fire sale, I doubt it.