The mailbag keeps getting bigger and bigger. Tons of great questions and it takes a good chunk of time to sift through all the responses. I very much enjoy reading what everyone sends in (even the ones I can't use haha).
Without further ado, here are my responses to the March Mailbag:
How great is Jaromir Jagr, though? Seriously he's beautiful.What's your favorite movie?
What do you think the odds are that Kris Letang is traded this summer, assuming he is healthy? -BulliesPhan87
1. The Best European player of all time, apologies to Nicklas Lidstrom.
Jagr is 42 years young and is currently the New Jersey Devils top scorer, he has 57 points in 66 games, and his 21 goals so far this year give him his 18th(!) 20 goal season.
Jagr is a tremendous quote and clearly loves the game of hockey. He is an asset to the NHL and one that should be enjoyed by all fan bases. Appreciate what you have before you don’t have it anymore.
Jagr may come back for another season, but he might not either.
#JagrbombsForever
2. Dumb and Dumber. Needless to say that I am incredibly excited for the proper sequel that will be coming out later this year. I think Dumb and Dumber Too will be better than the Anchorman 2 sequel. Dumb and Dumber is one of the most quotable movies of all time and it is still as good as it was the first time watching it.
In my college years the Boston Bruins came to Rochester for a preseason game against the then parent club of the Rochester Americans, Florida Panthers.
Cam Neely was in the house and I passed him in the concourse. I proceeded to yell out Sea Bass! and give him a high five. Very mature I know.
3. I think there is zero chance Letang gets moved now. I believe the stroke is indeed a factor and that if there was any potential of a Letang trade, there is not anymore. First, I don’t believe the Penguins want to trade a core player when that player is going through the kind of life event that Letang is going through. Secondly, from a more callous point of view I don’t believe Letang holds the same value in a trade until there is more clarity on his medical issues.
3rd line was supposed to be the main focus at trade deadline yet it is still glass/pyatt sutter gibbons, with Goc on 4th line and Stemps on 1st. How do you fix the 3rd line? Megna? Harry Z? Bennett? - nh4442
Patience. The Penguins will not get a proper look at their forward depth and how they want to allocate that newfound depth until Beau Bennett is healthy and playing. Judging by Dan Bylsma’s comments I don’t believe that Beau Bennett will be given the keys to the top line when he first returns and I am OK with that. If Stempniak plays like he did at home against Washington that will prove to be a great fit for the Penguins.
Bennett will play on the 3rd line and that will greatly improve what the status quo has been. Jayson Megna is playing left wing down on the farm right now and I predict that they are grooming him to be potentially called up. With Neal, Stempniak, and Bennett playing the RW that doesn’t leave as much opportunity for Megna as LW does. I don’t believe Pyatt will have a regular spot in the lineup come playoff time.
I think there is a good chance the Penguins use a Glass/Megna-Goc/Sutter-Bennett 3rd line come playoff time.
Out of all the possible opponents that the pens could be paired up against, which two would you think would pose the biggest threat? (ei out of: Tor., Mon., T.B., N.Y.R., Col., Phi., N.J., Det., Was., and Ott.) - Irisches Glueck
I believe the New York Rangers will provide a tough challenge for the Penguins. They had a slow start to the year but they are improving as time goes on. I like the trade they made for Martin St. Louis a lot. It was a short term move and the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs are certainly within the short term window.
The Rangers have struggled to generate offense at times and a St. Louis for Callahan swap provides an offensive upgrade and fits more in line with how Alain Vigneault likes his teams to play.
Henrik Lundqvist is still one of the best in the business and has the ability to steal games that otherwise the Rangers should not win.
I think the Devils would also be a tough matchup if they are able to sneak into the playoffs. The Jagr factor comes into play here. A Jagr team has knocked the Penguins out of the playoffs the previous 2 seasons.
With Stempniak's obvious ability to play well with Sid and Kuny do you believe he will be staying on the that RW spot for the remainder of the season, or perhaps into next season as well? Personally, I believe he is a great pick up by Shero and he fits the system well. -maxglider
There is definitely a chance that Stempniak sticks with the Penguins past this season. Stempniak’s play in the coming months will certainly play the biggest role but there is a fit and if he does play well he could be the perfect kind of low cost high reward player the Penguins need to make the salary cap work. Stempniak’s current 2.5M cap hit is the largest of his career. I’m not too sure other teams will be willing to go much above that.
Stempniak has played on mostly bad teams throughout his career and certainly has not played with a guy like Crosby before. Stempniak is from Buffalo, NY and his wife just gave birth to twins. Pittsburgh is not far away from Buffalo and one of the Penguins specialties is treating player’s families excellent.
I think there is certainly a chance that Stempniak is not just a rental. Time will tell.
It seems I'm the only one heartbroken by Kesler not being acquired. Please tell me I''m not alone!! PS Bills still suck - dbell646
The Penguins gave their strongest offer for Kesler without compromising their future asset pool, which is realistically all anybody can ask of Shero as it pertained to the Kesler situation. The Penguins could revisit Kesler during the draft/offseason and the fact that Kesler just had a knee injury is not going to help his stock out.
The offer that the Penguins made at the deadline could potentially being the deal that gets Kesler to Pittsburgh depending on his health. There are too many variables at play to make strong predictions right now though.
The Bills will suck until they find a very good quarterback. That is the only variable that matters anymore in the NFL. Fun fact about the Bills, since 1970 the Bills have only had 1 playoff win without Jim Kelly on their team.
What becomes of "The Flower" after his contract expires? Does the Pens management want to pay what Fleury will be looking for in his next deal? - Todd
It is all or nothing for Marc Andre Fleury in these playoffs. If he plays well there is a high probability that the Penguins stick with him. If he plays poorly, he is gonezo.
If Stempniak continues to look good with Sid, do you still go after Kesler, or resign Stempniak and Sutter, and use Dupuis (or Stempniak) to strengthen the 3rd line next season, instead of Kesler + rookie/cheap UFA there? - rival22
If Stempniak continues to play at a quality level I think you make the effort to retain his services and I also think the Penguins should look into Ryan Kesler again. Brandon Sutter is going to get close to 4M according to some experts based on how the system works. To me it is a no brainer, if you can get Kesler for only 1M more per year, you do it.
Dupuis could always play 3rd line left wing if he had to leaving Bennett and Stempniak to fight it out for the top line RW spot.
The biggest variable that will impact how the Penguins operate in the offseason with their forwards will be the Jussi Jokinen situation. He has played great and is a perfect fit with the Malkin line. If the Penguins have to replace that spot then their entire offseason plans could change.
The good news? It appears that Jussi Jokinen wants to remain a Penguin and understands all the different things Ray Shero needs to take care of.
Some quotes from the Josh Yohe story:
“You know, I really do like it here. I like everything about this place.
I just figure that it will take care of itself in the summer. I don't mind if we don't talk until the summer, either. I really don't care. There are a few free agents on this team, so I know they'll be busy making decisions. There is a lot they have to handle. So I totally understand that. But I do want to stay here.…
“Obviously, any winger around the league would like to be in the spot that I'm in right now. Geno and Nealer are great players. I like it, playing with them. Anybody would like it.…
I'm just enjoying my time so much right now. It's a first-class organization. Theytry to win every year, and as player, you want to be a part of that. And then there's the city. It's just a great place. I'm having a lot of fun right now. …
“This is where I want to be,…
Those are very very good quotes if you are a Penguins fan.
Who do you think will be the Penguins defensemen & backup goaltender next year? - OgreZellie
Kris Letang, Paul Martin, Olli Maatta, Matt Niskanen, Rob Scuderi, Derrick Pouliot, and Robert Bortuzzo is my current prediction. Lots of moving parts and things could change. Simon Despres, Brian Dumoulin, and Scott Harrington are also variables that can come into play.
I think Zatkoff will stick around. He is cost effective and provides the Penguins what they need in the regular season.
Does Shero offer Orpik a new contract? - Pukeboy
I don’t think Orpik will be a Penguin after this season. I don’t know if Shero will offer him a contract or not, but some other team will be willing to make Orpik rich based on past performance.
Orpik was a really good Penguin, but it looks like the end of the road for him in Pittsburgh.
Based on what we have seen so far, will Despress be a Pen next season?Even with the cap going up next year, do you think the Pens can realistically build a solid top to bottom team with 87 and 71 eating so much of the cap? - sammy87
1. It depends on what the Penguins are looking to do in the offseason. Will they make another run at Ryan Kesler? Is Derrick Pouliot NHL ready? Brian Dumoulin? Scott Harrington? There are too many moving parts to be sure, but I think he will NOT be a Penguin. That doesn't mean it is the wrong decision either.
2. Yes. The Crosby and Malkin contracts will be a bargain moving forward. As more and more star players start to get paid we will begin to see more and more players possessing a bigger cap hit than both 87 and 71.
We have already seen examples of how the new CBA is playing out with star players with Getzlaf, Perry, and Kesler. Just wait for the new Toews and Kane deals.
With the health status of Letang now and moving forward, IYO is it imperative that Shero resign Niskanen? - Oneonta Penguin
I don’t think it is necessarily imperative because of the Letang situation, I think it might be imperative because he has been a very good player in his own right. Niskanen has excelled in every situation he has been thrown in this year. He started as a bottom pairing guy who was sheltered with Maatta, and has evolved into a top pairing role with Maatta because of all the injureis the Penguins have sustained. His role has changed, his level of success has not
Niskanen’s presence on the ice has correlated with the Penguins playing better hockey no matter what role he has been in. I think for that reason the Penguins should re-sign him.
I think Letang will be healthy to play next season.
Is Kris Letang a penguin today if healthy? Would he have been moved to Vancouver for Kesler? -rbpenfan_71
Letang would not have been involved in any trade scenario involving Kesler. I don’t believe the Penguins have any intention of moving him, even before the stroke.
Is it fair to think that Fleury has been cured of the playoffs debacle, and he is good for a Stanley Cup run? - allaboutpens
Fleury is having an excellent regular season. I don’t think that necessarily means it will translate into the post season. The key for Fleury will be to remember that his job doesn’t change just because it is the playoffs. He needs to make the nickel and dime saves and occasionally make a million dollar save. In the past few year’s he has allowed all the nickel and dime shots to go in. That can’t happen.
Fleury is more than capable of having a quality playoff run, he has done it before (albeit a while ago).
No pressure on Fleury though, only his career is riding on this postseason.
Come playoffs -- if fully healthy (big if, I know) -- what will be the ideal lineup the Penguins can field? Realistically, what do you think it will be? - Tony Costa
The Penguins ideal lineup will focus on their strengths and not worry about outhitting the other team.
Puck skill and speed need to reign supreme for the Penguins this postseason.
14-87-22 36-71-18 59-16/57-19 15-16/57-46/5
I am assuming Letang is out.
44-7 3-2 4-47
Martin, Maatta, Niskanen, and Despres will have a huge responsibility. They are the guys that need to get the puck to the forwards with speed in the neutral zone. If they fail, the Penguins fail.
Looking back over the years which Flyer player is the most hated by Penguin fans. Also, who is the most hated Penguin player by Flyer fans over the years? - powerhouse
I believe the most hated Flyer was Jaromir Jagr. It was a perfect storm of variables that came together. Jagr left Pittsburgh under a cloud of negativity and many fans were hopeful about Jagr returning to Pittsburgh and burying the hatchet. #JagrWatch toyed with Penguins fans feelings and when he signed with the Flyers it was too much to handle. It was a tougher pill to swallow when Jagr played terrific for the Flyers and was a main catalyst for the great improvements in both Claude Giroux and Scott Hartnell’s games.
Fans in Pittsburgh took Jagr signing in PHiladelphia personal. The reality is that Jagr is a business man first and foremost and he took a significantly better money offer from the Flyers. It's never personal with Jagr, it's always business.
The most hated Penguin is an easy one. There is only one guy who gets his own personalized chant in Philadelphia. Sidney Crosby is villain #1 in all of Philadelphia sports and that is saying something.
Mario got a standing ovation for scoring a goal in Philadelphia, that is not in Sidney Crosby’s future.
Was Goc acquired to be our 4th line center? As much as it adds depth to a team with a horrible bottom 6, he seems to be wasted there. Yet would he also be wasted on the wing on the third line? Kind of a conundrum here. Where do you think Goc would be most effective? - Shinoix
Goc was brought in to help improve the Penguins bottom 6. Having a Sutter/Goc combo up the middle on the bottom 2 lines does indeed improve the Penguins. You need 4 playable lines to win the Stanley Cup and without Goc the Penguins don’t have that, they do now.
Goc doesn’t strike me as a winger so I don’t think him playing on the 3rd line as a winger would be as advantageous as him playing 4th line center.
Goc on the roster also provides the opportunity for Bylsma to put Crosby and Malkin together at various times at even strength. Bylsma would still have 2 competent centers to create some other makeshift lines. More options the better for a coach heading into the playoffs.
I would be fine with Goc as the third line center supplanting Sutter and I would also be fine with him anchoring down a quality 4th line playing in the middle. Wherever Goc plays he will be a positive factor for the Penguins. A very good trade pickup.
A week ago u were somewhat doom and gloom on the penguins with their injuries and what not. Did our pick ups at the dealine and the play of our goalies change ur mind at all? - pensfan024
The deadline acquisitions definitely help out. The Penguins of 2 weeks ago were an extremely flawed hockey team. The Penguins as they are currently constructed have a puncher’s chance at the Stanley Cup.
Beau Bennett's return is a huge factor and so is the play of Simon Despres. With Kris Letang more than likely not coming back it will be up to a guy like Despres to pick up the puck moving slack on the back end. Despres has to earn his playing time, and the Penguins need him to earn his playing time.
The Penguins need puck skill on the back end to navigate the tight checking waters of the NHL playoffs. Last year they lacked that and they got beat by the Bruins because of it.
Beau Bennett's presence in the lineup gives the Penguins a better chance at getting secondary scoring, also a must have in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The 4th line will either have Goc or Sutter centering it, a huge upgrade from what the Penguins have been using this season.
2 weeks ago the Penguins had Pyatt, Kobasew, and Adams all in the same lineup. Adams might be the only hold over going into the playoffs.
Gibbons will no longer see action on the top line. It looks as though Stempniak will be able to provide at least some of what the Crosby line was lacking when Dupuis was lost to injury.
Simon Despres is also seeing more time.
These changes will certainly help, not hurt the Penguins
What has to happen for the Penguins to win The Cup this year? - Potash4prez
The Penguins best players need to be their best players. Crosby and Malkin will need to be close to the top of the playoff scoring list and Marc Andre Fleury needs to channel 2008/2009.
Secondary scoring is a must. No team has ever won the Cup without their bottom 6 providing offense.
Skill over grit.
Luck, there is more luck involved than most fans are willing to admit.
The Penguins are still not a favorite for the Cup in my book, but they look a hell of a lot better on paper than they did before the deadline. They have a chance, and as a fan that is all you can ask for.
Thank you all for the great questions, there were many that I just was not able to get to. I appreciate everyone who took the time to send me a question.
Penguins Flyers weekend, here we come.
Thanks for reading!