Ryan Wilson: Is There A Trade Match Between Pittsburgh and Vancouver? Is There A Trade Match Between Pittsburgh and Vancouver?

It’s no secret that the penguins are a position to capitalise on the ‘big four’: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Marc-Andre Fleury. At least not with some of the current crop they continue to renew and obtain every year.

Mike Johnson was unable to prove his worth this season. His coaching ability is not in question, neither is his team management. His plays are somewhat outdated but that is outside the scope of this article. Jim Rutherford did what we all expected but hoped he wouldn’t do. He traded assets. Despres for Lovejoy is unforgettable. 31 year old declining defensemen for a competitive, gritty young gun. The Mark Arcobello fix failed as did the experiment with Rob Klinkhammer.

Let’s be clear, I am just as frustrated at what transpired asset wise; but Rutherford cannot be blamed for all. There was the mumps that struck the heart of the team, Chris Kunitz Iron deficiency, Pascal Dupuis blood clot, Evgeni Malkin’s injury, Letang being slashed by Ovechkin then concussed by Shane Doan, Olli Maatta had numerous unfortunate health scares, Ehrhoff disappeared with illness and injury and by the time we reached the playoff’s Pittsburgh were without approximately 1/3 of their salary cap in Ehrhoff, Letang, Maatta and Dupuis.

Let’s just say that Pittsburgh never really had a chance to showcase their full ability. They made the playoffs on the back of an impressive start to the season and relied on the natural ability of Crosby, Malkin, Fleury, and Hornqvist to steady the ship into the playoffs. I am game enough to say; at full strength Pittsburgh would take any team in 7 games. But that’s the problem, Pittsburgh never got to full strength. As I sit here across the globe, I get frustrated at seeing Tampa Bay, Chicago, Ottawa and Washington dominate the back end of the season. It leaves me to question – who do they have that Pittsburgh doesn’t? On paper, Pittsburgh out matches all of those teams. The answer is simple. Youth.

Although it may be unfair to target some players individually, at the end of the day, they are payed to play the sport we watch at the best of their ability and to ultimately win the Stanley Cup. Thus, I’m throwing political correctness and sugar-coat out the window.

With the exception to Marc-Andre Fleury - Pascal Dupuis, Chris Kunitz, Rob Scuderi, Ben Lovejoy, Thomas Greiss, Paul Martin, Craig Adams and Christian Ehrhoff are all on the bad side of the age 30.

With Craig Adams no longer required, Thomas Greiss no longer required and Ehrhoff still able to convince teams he’s worth over $5,000,000 a season we can safely remove those three from that list.

Paul Martin is almost certain to go – although, one hopes he takes a huge pay cut to play for the team and not for money; as Sidney Crosby has – that’s a captain – Jonathan Toews wouldn’t salary sacrifice for the benefit of the team, but I digress.

This leaves us with – wait for it – Rob Scuderi, Ben Lovejoy, Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis. I will keep Pascal because his early season form. He is a fan favourite and fan favourites are often the character of the team. He still has the eye of the tiger that Pittsburgh was born on. Chris Kunitz had a frustrating year. As fans we were frustrated that he couldn’t produce – but I suggest this – It wasn’t as if he wasn’t trying to – clearly there was more to the Kunitz slump than meets the eye and it turned out that health was a problem. I’m prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt for his service.

I am not going to match my credentials against Ben Lovejoy’s – it will frustrate me. He lacks what every hockey player needs. I am astounded that he still has a contract. It is a credit to him and his management that he is able to convince teams that he is NHL worthy, that he deserves to be paid to play NHL and even be on the ice. I’d pay him to stay off it. My advice to Pittsburgh is remove him.
Rob Scuderi. We all hold our breath every time he is on the ice. He needs to be bought out or retire or be traded. I don’t care which, but just do it.

It is no secret that the key to Chicago’s and Tampa’s success is youth mixed with elite experience. Pittsburgh have the elite experience, tenfold, but not the youth. The solution is simple. Take advantage of Malkin, Crosby, Letang, Fleury, Hornqvist, Perron and Kunitz while they are still dominating the game. How do we take advantage? Bleed the youth into the game. Mix them up with the elite experience. Have Fleury mentor Matt Murray, have Letang mentor Maatta, Have Crosby mentor Kasperi Kapanen, Dupuis and Sheary, Cole paired up with Pouliot and the two rookie d-man Chorney and Dumoulin play as pairs. This is the best system. It has happened in the past when James Neal was bleed with Malkin – James Neal because a real threat.

Using the Chicago model – You have Toews playing with Saad, Kane and Hossa playing with Shaw, Darling with Crawford, Sharp playing with Teuvo Teravainen who is only 20 years old, proving that it isn’t too early. And what we see is Saad, Shaw, Teravainen and Darling saving the Blackhawks night after night. Darling won them the series against Nashville in the first round alone.

Tampa bay has the ‘triplets’ – but they also have Stamkos, Brian Boyle, Killorn and Brayden Coburn who isn’t a flop.

So what do I suggest?

Deal with Scuderi – trade, buy-out retire.

Trade Beau Bennett (it’s just not working), Brandon Sutter (whose perceived value is beyond actual value), and Ben Lovejoy (if possible).

I suggest the following lines

1 (new winger – maybe Saad? Or Kessel) Crosby Hornqvist
2 Perron Malkin Kapanan
3 Sheary Kunitz Comeau
4 Spalling Sundqvist Dupuis

1 Letang Maatta
2 Cole Pouliot
3 Chorney Dumoulin

Young, fast, future driven but present and determined. I know it’s new, I know it’s different – but it can work – Management just has to be smart.

Unfortunately I doubt Pitt is going to give up their first round pick since they don't have one. Van would probably be more inclined to let the player leave and not take another player back. Sutter's contract doesn't give them the cap space they could use by just trading Vrbata for a pick.

Too old...Pass!

Too old...Pass!
- sammy87

Hate to break it to you, but getting a "young" winger is going to be tough, considering the lack of assets the Pens have.

Vrbata is 34 with this year left. Safe to assume this would be a rental. Not smart use of asset management again.. Let's use probably our best trade chip in a deal for a young top 6 guy.

I love how you talk about how bad of a player Brandon Sutter is, and then make him the centerpiece of all of your trades

I don't know many young top 6 fowards available out there. Even less one that would come back to us for a Sutter + Harrington deal.

Vrbata on a 1 year deal at 5M would fix our need for top 6 this year. Next year we see if Kapanen is ready.

@sammy

Find us a young, top 6 winger, on a cheap contract, that is proven, and won't mortgage our future then.

Oh wait... that poop doesn't exist.

I love how you talk about how bad of a player Brandon Sutter is, and then make him the centerpiece of all of your trades
- Hossa1881

Which is exactly what ARI fans did with Vermette right before Bowman traded a significant price for him. All it takes is one GM to overvalue Sutter. He has the "pedigree" and the box car stats that make it pretty likely.

EDIT: BTW, Jim Benning is an idiot so ripping him off shouldn't prove to be too difficult.

I love how you talk about how bad of a player Brandon Sutter is, and then make him the centerpiece of all of your trades
- Hossa1881

21 goals is going to appeal somewhere.

Which is exactly what ARI fans did with Vermette right before Bowman traded a significant price for him. All it takes is one GM to overvalue Sutter. He has the "pedigree" and the box car stats that make it pretty likely.

EDIT: BTW, Jim Benning is an idiot so ripping him off shouldn't prove to be too difficult.
- jfkst1

That is a better answer >_>

I love how you talk about how bad of a player Brandon Sutter is, and then make him the centerpiece of all of your trades
- Hossa1881

because Sutter's perceived value is tenfold his actual value

The Penguins need to trade Malkin or Cosby to have the kind of scoring wingers (young) that most fans want

or

find a really stupid gm who gives a known scorer away

or

find a diamond in the ruff somewhere

The 3rd option has the highest percentage of happening...and we all know how low the odds are on that

Interesting, Pens FB page has a pic of Perron, 58 and Despres drinking wine together. Wheres Lovejoy? Seems like Letang and Despres were buds on the team, still not sure why they made that deal.

[quote=icedog97]The Penguins need to trade Malkin or Cosby to have the kind of scoring wingers (young) that most fans want

LOL - Malkin and Crosby are the scorers that not only fans want but teams need.
Kane + Toews, Giroux + Vorecek, Seguin + Benn

@sammy

Find us a young, top 6 winger, on a cheap contract, that is proven, and won't mortgage our future then.

Oh wait... that poop doesn't exist.
- Guile

The Pens were so old and slow it wasn't even funny. Hawks and Bolts would skate circles around them. Not sure how adding a 34 yr old vet helps.

The only way to get someone young, on a cheap contract is trading maatta or pouliot +.
That's just counterproductive because after we would have fixed a top6 need and would have a D problem.

Our trade pieces are Kunitz, Sutter, Doumolin, Harrington and picks. We wont' find anyone willing to trade saads or tarasenkos for them. So Vrbata on a 1 year deal until Kapanen has more experience and time to adjust to NA hockey is not a bad idea. Actually it would be fantastic if we could swing sutter + for him.

[quote=icedog97]The Penguins need to trade Malkin or Cosby to have the kind of scoring wingers (young) that most fans want

LOL - Malkin and Crosby are the scorers that not only fans want but teams need.
Kane + Toews, Giroux + Vorecek, Seguin + Benn
- Tradetimer

Interestingly enough...each group you listed has a center and a wing....

We all know what Crosby and Malkin are, right?

I've seen sutter mentioned in every single rumor. Why not just try to trade him to the oilers for the first overall pick and draft McDavid?

Sutter for McDavid probably sounds fair

The only way to get someone young, on a cheap contract is trading maatta or pouliot +.
That's just counterproductive because after we would have fixed a top6 need and would have a D problem.

Our trade pieces are Kunitz, Sutter, Doumolin, Harrington and picks. We wont' find anyone willing to trade saads or tarasenkos for them. So Vrbata on a 1 year deal until Kapanen has more experience and time to adjust to NA hockey is not a bad idea. Actually it would be fantastic if we could swing sutter + for him.
- Conse

I'd rather see what it costs to acquire Kassian or Higgins.

"Paul Martin is almost certain to go – although, one hopes he takes a huge pay cut to play for the team and not for money; as Sidney Crosby has – that’s a captain – Jonathan Toews wouldn’t salary sacrifice for the benefit of the team, but I digress."

Among your many paragraphs of useless drivel, you throw in garbage like that shows how big of a hockey dolt you are. Crosby has more elite talent than Toews will ever have, but there is a reason why Toews is arguably regarded as the best captain in hockey by most with a working brain and one of the best "all around" players in the world. Crosby has elite talent, but can't hold Toews jock as a complete, all around player. Go crawl back under your rock and eat dirt.

The Pens were so old and slow it wasn't even funny. Hawks and Bolts would skate circles around them. Not sure how adding a 34 yr old vet helps.
- sammy87

That is not an answer. FIND US A BETTER REPLACEMENT. Its very simple, you hate the options, but provide no real solutions. You want Malkin traded, but don't have a real plan for what to replace him with outside of a "type".

"Paul Martin is almost certain to go – although, one hopes he takes a huge pay cut to play for the team and not for money; as Sidney Crosby has – that’s a captain – Jonathan Toews wouldn’t salary sacrifice for the benefit of the team, but I digress."

Among your many paragraphs of useless drivel, you throw in garbage like that shows how big of a hockey dolt you are. Crosby has more elite talent than Toews will ever have, but there is a reason why Toews is arguably regarded as the best captain in hockey by most with a working brain and one of the best "all around" players in the world. Crosby has elite talent, but can't hold Toews jock as a complete, all around player. Go crawl back under your rock and eat dirt.
- Dannyboy

So mad, so jelly... No experts say Towes is better than Crosby, they find the argument silly. Towes has the better team, yet can't out perform Crosby.

Go back to your bandwagon kiddo.

Which is exactly what ARI fans did with Vermette right before Bowman traded a significant price for him. All it takes is one GM to overvalue Sutter. He has the "pedigree" and the box car stats that make it pretty likely.

EDIT: BTW, Jim Benning is an idiot so ripping him off shouldn't prove to be too difficult.
- jfkst1

So you wouldn't trade a first round pick plus a prospect for 4 Playoff goals, 3 of which were of the game-winning variety, 2 of which came in the Stanley Cup Final?