Ryan Wilson: Team structure won’t work without drastic changes Team structure won’t work without drastic changes

Easy: Trade Crosby, he's clearly washed up.

And if Ryan Reaves is where he belongs, what does that say about the players (aside from Crosby) that fall behind him?

I won't argue that it was a horrible trade to acquire him, but maybe he's not the absolutely awful terrible hockey player that RW makes him out to be.

I think RW has been reading my replies... can’t wait for the Sheahan & Reaves defenders

A new blog? what is this madness

Easy: Trade Crosby, he's clearly washed up.

And if Ryan Reaves is where he belongs, what does that say about the players (aside from Crosby) that fall behind him?

I won't argue that it was a horrible trade to acquire him, but maybe he's not the absolutely awful terrible hockey player that RW makes him out to be.
- jmatchett383

A lot of issues at play with the top six, but going in a different direction in the bottom six has really exacerbated the issue. They tried something else, it’s not working so it’s time to go out and get the right personnel.

Easier said than done, but it’s needs to be done.

It is going to take a drastic change indeed if the Pens are going to rebuild the roster.

He is one of my favorite players but I think the trade piece the Pens would be most likely to throw out there would be Letang. He has a NTC, but I could easily see him waive it for Montreal.

I could also see the Leafs being in on Letang big time.

Letang + Sprong for OEL + Duclair

I think RW has been reading my replies... can’t wait for the Sheahan & Reaves defenders
- Rinosaur

Did you even read the blog?

Letang + Sprong for OEL + Duclair
- WSCTeton17

It is going to take a drastic change indeed if the Pens are going to rebuild the roster.

He is one of my favorite players but I think the trade piece the Pens would be most likely to throw out there would be Letang. He has a NTC, but I could easily see him waive it for Montreal.

I could also see the Leafs being in on Letang big time.
- MacPatty

If you trade Letang, your defense will be in even more shambles.

I know you have to give to get, but the Penguins have very little to give right now that won't create a bigger hole than it fills.

Why is Malkin day to day?

anybody know anything?

Why is Malkin day to day?

anybody know anything?
- Squilliam-

Herpesifilitus.

Why is Malkin day to day?

anybody know anything?
- Squilliam-

His SARS is acting up today.

It is going to take a drastic change indeed if the Pens are going to rebuild the roster.

He is one of my favorite players but I think the trade piece the Pens would be most likely to throw out there would be Letang. He has a NTC, but I could easily see him waive it for Montreal.

I could also see the Leafs being in on Letang big time.
- MacPatty

Who the (frank) do we want from Montreal? They already traded Subban. (frank) that noise lol

Who the (frank) do we want from Montreal? They already traded Subban. (frank) that noise lol
- j.boyd919

Yeah, not a great crop, especially on D. Aside from Weber (no longer elite, but still legit), no one who could come close to being on par with Letang. Maybe Letang + for Davidson and Galchenyuk.

If you trade Letang, your defense will be in even more shambles.

I know you have to give to get, but the Penguins have very little to give right now that won't create a bigger hole than it fills.
- jmatchett383

Trust me, I hope there is a better option out there but the Pens have several massive holes in their roster right now. And like you said, they will have to give to get.

Ideally, they would work out something like this:
Letang & Sheehan to EDM for RNH & a pick in rd 1-2.
1st & 3rd to DET for Green.

Or, since Toronto is apparently interested in Weber:
PIT: Bozak, Galchenyuk & Kapanen
TOR: Weber & Sheehan
MTL: Letang & TOR 1st

I understand it isn't that simple and the values are probably off.

Trust me, I hope there is a better option out there but the Pens have several massive holes in their roster right now. And like you said, they will have to give to get.

Ideally, they would work out something like this:
Letang & Sheehan to EDM for RNH & a pick in rd 1-2.
1st & 3rd to DET for Green.

Or, since Toronto is apparently interested in Weber:
PIT: Bozak, Galchenyuk & Kapanen
TOR: Weber & Sheehan
MTL: Letang & TOR 1st

I understand it isn't that simple and the values are probably off.
- MacPatty

Yeah, Toronto would have some massive issues with adding Weber since Matthews and Nylander will want massive pay days. With Weber's hit running until 2076, that's a big time hit for them.

Yeah, Toronto would have some massive issues with adding Weber since Matthews and Nylander will want massive pay days. With Weber's hit running until 2076, that's a big time hit for them.
- jmatchett383

For sure it is but Weber isn't going to play out his full contract. He will play this season and 4 more at most (his last 3 years only pay out $5M). They also have some really good contracts with Kadri and Rielly. Babcock loves Weber and I think they could look at him as a missing piece. I expect Montreal might be willing to eat some cap hit if they get good value in return.

For sure it is but Weber isn't going to play out his full contract. He will play this season and 4 more at most (his last 3 years only pay out $5M). They also have some really good contracts with Kadri and Rielly. Babcock loves Weber and I think they could look at him as a missing piece. I expect Montreal might be willing to eat some cap hit if they get good value in return.
- MacPatty

If he retires, it will stay on the books (the recapture rule) since it was signed before the CBA outlawed those types of deals. It would help if Montreal retained some, but I don't see them being able to add him, as Matthews and Nylander could be looking at deals just under what McDavid and Draisaitl just got.

Edit: Nevermind, the recapture would just affect Nashville. Paul Holmgren really screwed them on that one.

Easy: Trade Crosby, he's clearly washed up.

And if Ryan Reaves is where he belongs, what does that say about the players (aside from Crosby) that fall behind him?

I won't argue that it was a horrible trade to acquire him, but maybe he's not the absolutely awful terrible hockey player that RW makes him out to be.
- jmatchett383

Him saying Reaves is where he needs to be is tantamount to saying all the players below him on the chart are having a dumpster fire of a start to the season.

Here we go again. Going to keep hammering on goals-for and boxcars because that's a better story than the Penguins are getting great chances and getting terribly unlucky.

There's a team at the start of every season that has a ridiculously low shooting percentage compared to their expected shooting percentage based on shot quality. This season it's us. Those teams always regress (progress) to the mean, which is to say the Penguins will be fine and nothing needs to change about the system.

Not that I would mind firing Reaves into the sun.

Him saying Reaves is where he needs to be is tantamount to saying all the players below him on the chart are having a dumpster fire of a start to the season.
- eNDSo

Yes, but he's been bashing Reaves all season without giving it to McKegg/Kuhnackel/Hags. Again, I agree that Reaves has AHL skill, but for all the hate RW has given him, he's actually been one of their better performers. That may say more about the others than about Reaves himself, but at least give the guy a bit of credit where it's due. If he's performing as expected but others are performing even worse than him, shouldn't more of his spite be at those players as opposed to Reaves? That was all.

I want an analytics comparison to HCMJ's terrible start to the season.

I want an analytics comparison to HCMJ's terrible start to the season.
- eNDSo

Here you go



As you can clearly tell, there are several differently-colored lines, as well as a vertical and horizontal axis with major horizontal gridlines.

Also, this has not been smoothed out, so keep that in mind when drawing your conclusions.

Yes, but he's been bashing Reaves all season without giving it to McKegg/Kuhnackel/Hags. Again, I agree that Reaves has AHL skill, but for all the hate RW has given him, he's actually been one of their better performers. That may say more about the others than about Reaves himself, but at least give the guy a bit of credit where it's due. If he's performing as expected but others are performing even worse than him, shouldn't more of his spite be at those players as opposed to Reaves? That was all.
- jmatchett383

I hear you. Reaves is a non-topic with how bad everyone else on the team (minus Kessel and Sheary) is performing. I think Mike Johnston was fired during the terrible possession era, what's going to happen during this terrible PDO era?