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This mailbag was enormous and it took me almost as long to read all the questions as it did to respond to them.
There were tons of questions that were similar to one another and I tried to pick the ones that covered the most ground.
Here we go:
When will Beau Bennett return and will he get a chance in the top 6 this season when he does return? - Jared
Beau Bennett has started skating again before practice but his return isn’t slated for another 4 weeks. The timing of his return puts GM Ray Shero in a rather precarious situation. Bennett’s return will be after the Olympic break and with only 3 games before the trade deadline.
If the status quo remains Beau Bennett will definitely get a shot at the top 6 when he returns, who else is there? Any potential trade Shero makes will of course have an impact on what Bennett’s role is though. I think if Bennett is playing on the 3rd line that is not such a bad thing, it would mean that the Penguins have a pretty decent option up with the Crosby line.
I am a Sabres fan but enjoy reading your blogs off and on even though i'm not a big fan of the penguins. But coming from a Sabres fan, what do you think about a possible trade of Matt Moulson to the penguins, his fit in the organization, and what we could expect in return. - Sully19
I think the acquisition of Matt Moulson would certainly help out with the Penguins forward depth issues they have right now. Given that Moulson plays the left side he would most likely be slotted to play on the Malkin line which would allow Jokinen to pair up with his former Hurricanes linemate Brandon Sutter. Acquiring Moulson might not make the Malkin line all that much better given the nice job Jokinen has done, but it would indirectly improve the 3rd line.
As far as the return, the Buffalo Sabres would be looking at a minimum of a 1st round draft pick for Moulson. There will be no shortage of suitors for Moulson if he does hit the market. I think that the Sabres would be open to keeping Moulson and Steve Ott long term, but if somebody wants to pay a premium they would let them go.
I think Ray Shero will explore non rental player trade options at first.
Do you ever think that Malkin would ever want to captain his own team in the NHL someday? If so, where do you think he would want to play? - captkirk5150
I don’t think Malkin is the type of guy that has a burning desire for the spotlight here in North America. I think he is completely content on letting Sidney Crosby handle the lion’s share of the media obligations. Malkin is highly respected in the Penguins room as well as around the league. I don’t think wearing the ‘C’ would alter anybody’s opinion of him as a player or a competitor, he is already regarded as one of the best in the world. Malkin had a terrific opportunity to break off from the Penguins and explore another situation but he elected to sign a max deal contract with the Penguins instead.
I think both Crosby and Malkin really enjoy playing on the same team as one another. The healthy competition between 87 and 71 drives them both to reach levels that other players just aren’t capable of reaching.
I think Malkin is a Penguin lifer until he decides to play out the final years of his career in the KHL for Magnitogorsk.
So we all know Olli Maatta is the next Lidstrom, but I think we should be asking ourselves, could he be more? Should we start measuring his true potential in DecaLidstroms? Perhaps KiloLidstroms? - anonymous
After his performance against the Capitals the other night it is pretty clear that he has not only stolen some of Lidstrom’s moves but actually perfected them.
I think the natural progression for Maatta should be him reaching Lidstrom’s prime level by the end of this season. He will be in the DecaLidstrom range for his sophomore season. Five years into his career he will have 0 Norris Trophies but will have earned 4 Hart Trophy’s and 2 Conn Smythe’s, thus putting him in KiloLidstrom territory.
His true ceiling probably lies somewhere between the GigaLidstrom range and the TeraLidstrom range.
If his career path starts to look like only a MegaLidstrom I believe that Shero should aggressively pursue trading him due to the fact he is an underachiever.
Besides none of them (I don't like any of them, etc.), which Philadelphia Hockey Flyer is your favorite? Why? - BulliesPhan87
Honestly, I really don’t care what jersey a player is wearing, I just really enjoy watching the best players do their thing.
Before his injury I would have hands down said Chris Pronger. Pronger is a personal favorite of mine and him going to the Flyers did not change my opinion. Only two players have gone to the Cup Final with 3 different teams since the 2004-2005 lockout, Chris Pronger and Marian Hossa. Difference being that Chris Pronger took teams that really weren’t considered the favorite all the way.
As far as current Flyers when Claude Giroux is on his game I love watching his creativity that he can exhibit with both his mind and puck skills.
Scott Hartnell didn’t have a great start to the year but I love his ability to play that physical and annoying brand of hockey while pumping goals into the net. His back and forth with MalkaMania in the playoffs a few years ago was great. He’s a guy who relishes in the villain role on the ice, but off the ice it strikes me that it couldn’t be further from the truth.
If you were in Ray Shero's shoes, would you be willing to make a deal for a top 6 forward or some 3rd line depth?Also, would you look for a rental player, or something more along the lines of the Neal for Goligoski; and the Kunitz for Whitney deals? I know there are variables involved, but I'd prefer the latter. - mowinski
I fully believe Shero is going to try and find a deal that mimics the Kunitz and Neal/Niskanen deals. The trade might not ultimately end up as lopsided as those two deals but the variable that will be consistent is the fact that Shero will want contractual control over the player that is coming back in the deal.
If Shero is going to pull a trade for a top 6 player which involves somebody like Despres he will not be looking the rental route.
The fact is it is not easy to swing deals like what we saw with Kunitz/Neal/Niskanen. Shero might be forced into going down the rental route.
I am not privy to all the information on who is available around the league but Shero could trade for a top 6 guy and then have trickledown effect to help 3rd/4th line. He could also deal straight up for a 3rd line player and hope that Beau Bennett can lock down that top line right wing spot.
With all the rumors coming out about Pittsburgh possibly being in on Kane, Ladd, etc. Who do you feel is the real target of Shero? -cg17247
If history shows us anything it is that Shero usually comes out of left field with his trade targets. Even the long rumored Iginla to Pittsburgh trade had an extremely unexpected path to fruition.
Hossa, Neal/Niskanen, Kunitz, Guerin, Morrow, Murray, Jokinen, were all trades that involved players that were not being rumored to Pittsburgh like Kane/Ladd/Wheeler are right now.
It makes it difficult to track down Shero’s true targets because he has a lot of different paths he could go down. He has high end prospects he could elect to deal, he has a 1st round pick to go the rental route, and he has a player like Letang he could trade (even if it isn’t probable).
Do you see the Pens aiming to keep Niskanen this off season and, in the process, letting Orpik walk? Niskanen has been one of the Pens best D-Men all season and should be the one they're aiming to retain right? - NapoleonBlownapart87
I think the Penguins should aim to keep Niskanen over Orpik. As with any contract deal it has to make sense for the Penguins. Matt Niskanen is playing himself into the 5M per season on the open market. I’m not so sure the Penguins can afford to go that high on him but I think they would certainly ink him in the 4M/year range. It remains to be seen what Niskanen will be looking for and what he values. He certainly enjoys playing in Pittsburgh but it’s tough to pass on significant amounts of money.
Brooks Orpik’s future in Pittsburgh was clouded the moment that the Penguins re-acquired the services of Rob Scuderi. Given the amount of young defenders who will be ready to play in the next few years there are only so many spots for players in the same mold. Orpik has been a terrific player/leader for the organization but I would thank him for his services and move on.
With the clutter of defenseman we have in Pitt and coming up through the system, Why isn't Shero dealing from a position of strength to pick up a winger for Sid to replace Dupuis, even if it is just a rental? I like a lot of your articles but I think you are doing too much Fenwick/close % info, that is over the top for the average die hard. Leave it to the basics. Thanks. - N/A
First, with the cushion that the Penguins have in the standings it is not imperative for Shero to rush and make a trade right now. He can sit back and seek out the trade that best makes sense for the Penguins from an asset management perspective.
Second, the misconception is that Corsi/Fenwick are “advanced statistics…. Tracking shot attempts is not overly complicated or advanced. You can’t shoot the puck if you don’t have it, thus Fenwick/Corsi being possession stats. I think we can all agree it is better to have the puck than to not have the puck.
Fenwick/Corsi are simple stats with stupid names.
I would argue that tracking giveaways/takeaways and hits is way more complicated than shot attempts. It’s also probably why those stats are so inaccurate and there is no consistency from building to building.
I don’t agree that the idea of shot attempts is over the top for any fan, no matter how long they have followed the sport.
Here’s the deal with statistics (in any sport). You should never take one stat and put total value in it. Puck possession stats are very useful and do a nice job at predicting success but they should never be used as a standalone stat.
There is no “god particle… stat out there.
I have heard of using Letang as a possible forward. Do you think this a feasible plan since they have tons of depth at the Defensive Position? I personally don't think it will work but maybe it's worth a look??? - wberk29
I’m not a fan of that idea. We saw a glimpse into how that would go when the Penguins gave up a goal against the Capitals with Letang on the ice as a forward during 4 on 4 play. I don’t think it is money well spent if you are paying a player to be a Norris caliber D man and then you place him up as a forward.
If the Penguins ever got to the point where they thought Letang would be better served as a forward than a defenseman for them it would make way more sense to move him in a trade. If the Penguins are going to pay a winger 7.25M per season it had better be for a winger who has a track record of success at that position.
Letang is a defenseman and will always be a defenseman. Whether that is with the Penguins for the next 8 years or not I have no idea.
What did I ever do to you? - RyanWhitney19
Ryan, it’s never personal. Its business, always business.
You were billed as an offensive defenseman, but really did not make any special plays in the offensive end to justify that kind of billing. Your defensive play was subpar and you never used your big frame to initiate physical contact with the opposition. The defensive shortcomings could have been somewhat ignored if the offensive production was significant. However, playing with Crosby, Malkin, and Gonchar on the power play picking up secondary assists wasn’t enough to fool this observer. Before teams figured out the Sidney Crosby slap pass on the power play you were the one on the receiving end of many of those successful passes. Unfortunately most times those passes were fumbled and wasted. Not exactly what you want from an “offensive… defenseman.
Foot speed has been an issue since 2007-2008 for you after going through an unfortunate stretch of foot related injuries. You make some of the best breakout passes to forwards with speed when nobody is on you, the problem is your foot speed is not conducive to finding that kind of time and space.
You will have a successful career in the media once retired, but the playing career never quite lived up to expectations.
Can Kadri flourish and blossom as a rugged C or Winger under DB system on Pens. If so, who do you send back to TO. - intelligent scorpio
No. Kadri is not rugged and is not bottom 6 material. Nazem Kadri is a very gifted player who is best utilized in the top 6 regardless of what team or organization he is on. The Penguins are not in the market for a top 6 center and won’t be for the next 8 years at least.
I am also unsure why the Leafs are actively looking to deal Kadri. Kadri should be a part of the Leafs solution. The longer the combination of Nonis and Carlyle remain in Toronto the less chance the Maple Leafs have to turn the corner and become contenders. The Leafs are stuck in the past with their mindset that values grit over skill and it has shown with the personnel decisions they have made.
Grabovski and MacArthur are having success with their new teams while David Clarkson is off to a rough start with the Leafs. Toronto also remains fascinated with implementing an unplayable 4th line which regularly includes Colton Orr and Frazer McLaren.
Assuming that Vokoun is out, who would be your ideal choice as a back up considering UFAs and tradable goalies? Or stick with Zatkoff? - OnIceEnforcer
I think at this point in time we can assume that Vokoun will indeed be out. Jeff Zatkoff has done an excellent job as the backup so far this year in Pittsburgh, much better than I had anticipated. However, no matter how well Zatkoff plays will he really give Ray Shero peace of mind entering the playoffs as the backup goaltender?
The most alarming thing for me as it pertains to Zatkoff is his anemic EVSV% of .902%. That just isn’t good enough. Out of goaltenders who have played 400 minutes this season he ranks 60th out of 63. Its not like he is playing on a team like the Oilers, his numbers should be better in that department.
I think the Penguins would have been wise to make a similar deal like the one the Oilers just made for Ben Scrivens. Scrivens currently has an EVSV% of .935%. Yes, a lot of that has to do with playing on the Kings but the Penguins are also a quality team and I don’t think Scrivens would be logging an EVSV% as low as Zatkoff’s if he was with the Penguins all year long.
Marty St. Louis has more points than anyone in the NHL since the 2010 games. How does the most productive player in the world over the past 4 years get snubbed? Rick Nash was seemingly taken based on merit. By that logic Dany Heatley should've cracked the squad too. What was Team Canada thinking!? Sorry, I know this has been somewhat exhausted, but I'm still fired up - Industrialgavel
I agree, I had Martin St. Louis on Team Canada as an extra forward. I just don’t understand why Canada valued Rick Nash and Jeff Carter more than him. Given that Canada was going with the dynamic duo approach with Crosby/Kunitz, Toews/Sharp, and Getzlaf/Perry I don’t know why the passed on Stamkos/St. Louis.
Its not a decision that is going to kill Canada because of the amazing talent pool they draw from but I certainly believe that the Olympics were a deserving carrot at the end of the stick for St. Louis and his career arc.
What is a reasonable expectation for a return if we trade Despres? I have a feeling he is really on the outs here and in need of a change of scenery. Could he and another prospect net us someone like Eberle or Cammalleri?- crebar
Despres trade value is a little bit of a mystery but I can say with certainty that it is not high enough to be a centerpiece for a trade involving Jordan Eberle. I think he could certainly be a main part of a deal that involves a rental player like Cammalleri, but is that really the kind of value that the Penguins want to get out of Despres?
As far as being on the “outs… in Pittsburgh, I don’t fully agree with that assessment. I think he is a player that is fighting for playing time on a Stanley Cup contender that does not have many open spots on the defense corp.
If Despres is dealt I think it is because the Penguins have depth in the position that he plays and do not have in house answers for their needs at forward. I don’t believe it would be because they don’t believe in him long term. You have to give to get in trades and the penguins really don’t have another area that they can offer quality assets from. The Dupuis injury might force Shero’s hand to make a trade he otherwise would not have made this year.
What could Brooks Orpik fetch in a trade right now? Is his value much lower by being a UFA? - Poole
In the case of Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen services rendered are worth way more than what the Penguins could get on the trade market.
Both are pending UFA’s and the kind of team looking for a pending UFA is the also the same kind of team the Penguins are. Contending teams that are looking for rentals are not in the business of trading away assets that are helping their team in the now.
The Penguins would have to find a contending team that has a quality forward who is also a UFA, then that other contending team would also be in need of a defensemen. I’m not so sure that fit exists.
Any chance we see the big 68 back in the 'burgh? he couldn't keep up on crosby's line, but he could possibly fit on an east-west style line with malkin and jussi. - dirty old uncle jarvis
I don’t think we will see any #JagrBombs in a Pittsburgh uniform ever again. Hypothetically speaking if the Penguins did swing a trade for Jagr it would be for the Crosby line, not the Malkin line. Jagr and Neal are both RW’s and I wouldn’t separate one of the best center/wing combos in the league with Malkin/Neal.
I also do not believe Jagr would struggle “keeping up… with Crosby. Bill Guerin was no speedster and he did just fine. Jagr loves to grind along the wall and so does 87. Jagr is having another great year and is leading the Devils in points with 38. The next closest Devils is Michael Ryder with 25 points.
Clouding any potential Jagr trade is the fact that the Metropolitan Division is extremely wide open for teams to claim the final playoff spots after the Penguins. If the Devils are still within 4-5 points of a playoff spot during the trade deadline would they even consider moving Jagr? And the reality is if they did elect to move him they would be selling high. The Devils would easily get a 1st round pick from somebody for Jagr and probably would not move him for anything less. This is compounded by the fact that the Devils currently lack a 1st round pick because of the Kovalchuk contract penalty.
Hey Ryan, Do you think that if the playoffs start and Letang is struggling with turnovers or not playing well Bylsma will be less patient than last year and play the young kids? It seems when the kids play they play a more sound game then when the veterans play. Thanks - fd10
If Letang is struggling you might see his minutes be cut back a little bit and his power play QB responsibilities taken away from him, but I don’t think you will ever see him being a healthy scratch.
Do you believe it's possible to keep Sutter/Jokinen for next year? - Orpik44
Yes, and I think the Penguins should actively make that happen. Sutter is the Penguins long term plan for the 3rd line center position and Jokinen is the perfect forward piece that can be slotted all over the place in the lineup.
I believe the Penguins will be in the neighborhood of 3.0M each to retain both players.
Is Bennett a concern with being injury prone ? He's been injured most of his professional career right ? Why would that change now ? - Bradley3
I am cautious with throwing around the injury prone label with Bennett (or anybody)but it can’t be argued, he has missed significant time due to injury in college and in the pros. The good news is that Bennett’s injuries do not seem to be soft tissue related. They seem to be bone breaks which fall more in the category of bad luck than injury prone.
That doesn’t change the fact that the injury de jour for Bennett seems to be a broken wrist. That is definitely not ideal when talking about a player who needs strength in his wrists for both playmaking and sniping.
For now Bennett is a player who has unreached potential. He will be one of the more interesting players to watch moving forward and could be the reason the Penguins succeed in the spring, or fall short.
How do the playoffs work this year? Top 3 teams from the 2 divisions then what? - pensfan024
NHL.com’s Dan Rosen has your explanation here:
The top three teams in each division will make up the first 12 teams in the playoffs. The remaining four spots will be filled by the next two highest-placed finishers in each conference, based on regular-season points and regardless of division. It will be possible, then, for one division to send five teams to the postseason while the other sends three.
The seeding of the wild-card teams within each divisional playoff will be determined on the basis of regular-season points. The division winner with the most points in the conference will be matched against the wild-card team with the lowest number of points; the division winner with the second-most points in the conference will play the wild-card team with the second fewest points.
The teams finishing second and third in each division will play in the first round of the playoffs. The winners of each series will play for berths in the Conference Championship series.
The two divisional champions in each conference will then play in the conference finals to advance to the Stanley Cup Final.
Yep, the NHL fixed something that was not broken, what else is new?
What did we do wrong to deserve this ridiculous 1 game in 8 days schedule?? - PensFan1103
I’m sure it’s not easy to create a massive schedule for a professional sports league but this is the same league that will have 13 games on one night and then 2 on the next.
Not to jinx them , but if the Penguins have another disappointing playoff run, do you think Lemieux has to step in and fire both Blysma and Shero? Shero certainly won't fire Blysma himself, and even though they have been up against the cap, I don't like the team he has assembled around the stars. - sjfpp
Depends on what the definition of disappointing is. If the definition of disappointing is anything short of a Stanley Cup Championship regardless of how the team plays I’m not sure those are realistic parameters to judge from. Even the best built teams need a little bit of luck to win a Stanley Cup.
The only way Bylsma is on the hot seat is if the Penguins get worked over in the 1st round and the goaltending was a non issue.
It was disappointing to see the Penguins swept in the Eastern Conference Finals last year but the Penguins and Bruins were within 1 goal of each other the last 8 periods in that series. Out of the 14 periods of hockey played in that series, only 4 periods had the teams more than 1 goal away from each other. It’s a results driven business but sometimes you have to look at the process. The process wasn’t far off from being successful and the people in charge have shown the ability to win a championship. The grass is not always greener on the other side.
The aforementioned Bruins were a Maple Leafs non-collapse away from potentially being in a position to fire Claude Julien. That would have been a mistake too.
Just for comparison sake Mike Babcock has a playoff record of 20-22 since the 2009 Stanley Cup Final. Dan Bylsma has a record of 20-21 during that same time frame.
When and if will the penguins realize that they need wingers with grit size and toughness they have these mini forwards who continue to be out muscled knocked off the puck and intimidated especially in the play offs - captain crunch
They ranked 20th in weight and 29th in height. I’m not so concerned with the size of the player as much as I am with their willingness to battle in all areas of the ice.
As long as we aren’t talking about a Chris Conner sized player I think the days of needing oversized players are over.
You need players who understand body position and leverage while having good enough foot speed.
Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis are not big players; they have shown to be highly effective despite not being big.
I’m certainly not against having big players but they had better possess puck skills and foot speed.
Give me a player with hockey skill over a player who is big and lacking hockey skill/speed Taylor Pyatt is just as ineffective as Chris Conner.
Do penguins need to make trade to win the stanley cup - Tom Brown
With a healthy Pascal Dupuis I think you could have argued that the Penguins could have gotten way with not making a deal. Without Dupuis I’m not sure they can go into the post season without making a deal. Dupuis’ absence is a legitimate problem. I don’t think the Penguins have enough forwards to plug all of the gaps in the lineup without Dupuis, and that is with the assumption that Bennett can slide into the top spot and Megna can lock down the 3rd line RW role.
As it stands now you have:
Kunitz Crosby Bennett Jokinen Malkin Neal XXX-Sutter-Megna Glass-Vitale-Adams
The 3rd line is not nearly good enough and the 4th line is not very good at all when you consider the fact that Craig Adams is starting to show signs of really slowing down this year.
Dupuis injury was a costly one, one that will cause Shero to use up assets he otherwise would have held on to.
Is ovechkin carrying Washington - Bigeestpenfan
Yes, but he is only one man. Washington is a team that is getting by with unreal goal scoring from Ovechkin and a league best power play. Once again George McPhee has failed to properly construct a Stanely Cup contending hockey team.
GMGM is wasting away Ovechkin’s prime.
Who do you think will win the Stanley Cup - anonymous
The Western Conference gets a lot of love this year and rightfully so, but the Stanley Cup Champion might come from the East because of the West’s own strength. I think the grind of escaping the West will ultimately be the demise for whatever team is fortunate enough to make the Cup Final. The only contenders I see in the Eastern Conference are the Bruins and Penguins.
The Kings, Blackhawks, Sharks, and Blues are the top 4 possession teams in the NHL right now and have as good a shot as anybody.
I can’t make a true prediction until after the trade deadline though, so many moving parts and there are some significant moves yet to come that should dramatically change the landscape.
Have injuries hurt penguins or made them stronger - SteelCity29
If I take this question literally, yes the injuries have hurt the Penguins, broken bones and torn ligament do indeed hurt.
Now to answer your question in the spirit in which you asked it. I think that Pittsburgh is an organization that has had a lot of injuries the past few seasons and have learned to deal with whatever comes their way.
To Dan Bylsma’s credit he seems to get the players to focus on who is in the lockeroom as opposed to who is not in the lockerroom. It was remarkable that the 2010-2011 Penguins even made the playoffs after losing Crosby and Malkin like they did.
The only way this stretch of injuries hurts the Penguins in the 2013-2014 season is if they burn out Sidney Crosby. The injuries and lack of depth have forced Crosby’s line into a shutdown role and I think that will negatively impact that line for the playoffs. Especially with Crosby and Kunitz playing in Sochi.
How many points will Crosby finish the season with? - jima
If he plays the rest of the season healthy I think he will get to 115 points and in the neighborhood of 42 goals.
Question With the emergence of rumors suggesting the Caps are interested in Halak, should Pens fans be worried of a repeat of the 2010 playoffs? - Amanion
No, because if Halak was playing at that kind of level they would not be trading him and at the same time looking for an upgrade (cue up the Ryan Miller rumors).
Capitals are also no guarantee to make the playoffs at this point either.
Question What's the REAL story with the Ice @ Consol Energy Center? Why does it suck and why can't they fix it? - GDamn_Lurker
It's no secret that the ice at Consol Energy Center is garbage. but there are variables at play that make it difficult to maintain consistently high quality of ice. The climate of Pittsburgh, the humidity in the building, and the amount of non hockey events that take place at the building.
Here is a nice article from Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette which has anonymous Penguin players giving their opinions of the ice surface.
Question Last night, I had a dream that the Penguins traded for Jiri Hudler. I have absolutely no idea why. My question is would the Penguins target a guy like Jiri Hudler? - Potash4prez
I believe that if Hudler was a pending UFA the Penguins might kick the tires with a player like him but considering he has two more seasons after this one at 4M I don't think that is an investment the Penguins would be willing to make. Hudler has shown he can score 25 goals in a season, but more times than not he shows that he'll score around 13 goals per season. Trading for his contract would mean that Jussi Jokinen would have to move on and quite frankly I'd rather have Jokinen.
I had a lot of fun reading all the submissions (and there were a ton of them). Hope you enjoyed reading my responses as much as I did writing them.
We’ll do this again sometime before the playoffs.
Thanks for reading!
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