54 and 65 pounds amongst 6 guys is hardly a big difference. Arcobello is 10 times more physical than any of those other forwards. Perron too. Size does not always = physical presence. Penner was a top 6 forward with us for a few years and had all the physical presence of a houseplant. Breaking it down to poundage is simplistic.
- TheTaoOfSemenko

I was about to type that. The Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis line has been one of, if not the best, top line in the NHL over the past year and a half, and Dupuis is the biggest guy on there at 6-1 and 205 lbs. Kunitz is barely 6', 198 lbs and hits like a freight train.

its just touh to get an E.Kane or Eberle bc there is just so much hype surrounding those guys, you really have to overspend to get them, they have some inflated value to them based on past glory.

other than those guys, I dont really know what teams or young wingers that you should target
- DDM-Coga

i tried thinking of this the other day. its really a thin list. say we set the parameters at someone 26 or younger, with the ability to play and excel in a top 6 role with high offensive skill, who can realistically be acquired and contractually controlled for the foreseeable future. its a short list for sure.

the one thing that bothers me, and im sure every fan base is guilty of it, is that they always want full potential to be payed for their guys, but will not acknowledge the room for growth or improvement beyond current stats when evaluating the player on the other side.

by that same logic, eberle is a guy who has largely been a stranger to good goal scoring levels. im not gonna go into the whole oh hes worth more/less than letang thing, but the very fact that its in discussion shows that he is being given credit for more than his already produced body of work in his evaluation as a player.

If someone wants to stay he's really stupid, I'd be on board with that.




- canadianpenfan

This reminded me. If anyone's noticed in the last few years, when Crosby scores these days, all his teammates are rightly avoiding hitting him on the head in congratulations. Except Letang. There he is the other night, the only one jamming on Crosbys head after he scored in the last minute to tie it.

Microcosm of Letangs smarts.

People seem to forget Klefbom when they say first rounders
2nd rounders Musil Marincin
Musil was a projected first rounder and Maricin will be playing alongside Chara at the Olympics

i tried thinking of this the other day. its really a thin list. say we set the parameters at someone 26 or younger, with the ability to play and excel in a top 6 role with high offensive skill, who can realistically be acquired and contractually controlled for the foreseeable future. its a short list for sure.

the one thing that bothers me, and im sure every fan base is guilty of it, is that they always want full potential to be payed for their guys, but will not acknowledge the room for growth or improvement beyond current stats when evaluating the player on the other side.

by that same logic, eberle is a guy who has largely been a stranger to good goal scoring levels. im not gonna go into the whole oh hes worth more/less than letang thing, but the very fact that its in discussion shows that he is being given credit for more than his already produced body of work in his evaluation as a player.
- stayinthefnnet

It will probably end up being someone no one expected. Shero is good at finding value and finding the right GM to screw when he goes looking for a trading partner, especially when its more of a hockey trade then a deadline deal.

Man people severely underrate transitional d men... Believe it or not letang, Ehrhoff, Suter and Keith are some of the best at it. You may laugh at Ehrhoff but the Canucks offense took a major hit with the loss of him. Tough to gauge by people who don't watch other teams on a regular basis but one player can actually turn a team around, as for Letang doing that for Edmonton, I dunno, would think it would be a step in the right direction. They just need another top 4 dman and some better bottom 6 guys.

It will probably end up being someone no one expected. Shero is good at finding value and finding the right GM to screw when he goes looking for a trading partner, especially when its more of a hockey trade then a deadline deal.
- cap1681

true. i just am struggling to think of many players that fit the bil

Today, I learned that renascence is a word.

If someone wants to stay he's really stupid, I'd be on board with that.




- canadianpenfan

The sad part about that is that Crosby looks the other way.

I would do the Eberle for Letang deal as I believe it helps both teams. But... I would come down off my high horse when talking about how bad the Oilers have been. Let's not forget the Penguins no so distant history. The Oilers had 3- top 5 picks in a row. The Penguins had 5- top 5 picks in a row when they were going through their struggles and would most likely not even be a franchise anymore had they not "won" the Sidney Crosby draft lottery. Please remember this when you talk about how the Oilers have had enough high draft picks.
- Ihatebrianburke

The Pens traded up for Fleury, took Malkin at 2 behind Ovie, took Crosby at 1 in 05, Staal 2 overall in 06.

In 07 the made the playoffs.... In 08 they made the cup final... and in 09 they won the cup.

The difference in Edmonton being due to the affinity with high skill forwards, the Oilers are still at least 3 years away from being a top 8 team in the west consistently.... Minimal D and still no goalie

I was talking about the Pens
- DDM-Coga

So was I. What do they need another LW for?

So was I. What do they need another LW for?
- Ihatebrianburke

They need another top 6 LW on this team. Could see Kane playing with Geno until the Kunitz deal is up, then moving up to play with Crosby.

Edit: The idea of Kane playing with Geno and Neal is a scary prospect. That line would dominate.

Yak for nisk

The Pens traded up for Fleury, took Malkin at 2 behind Ovie, took Crosby at 1 in 05, Staal 2 overall in 06.

In 07 the made the playoffs.... In 08 they made the cup final... and in 09 they won the cup.

The difference in Edmonton being due to the affinity with high skill forwards, the Oilers are still at least 3 years away from being a top 8 team in the west consistently.... Minimal D and still no goalie
- Yonk1216

Fleury being traded up for has no merit on anything I said. Still a top 5 pick. If we were to be on Pittsburgh's timeline of sucking instead of our own, last year we wouldve picked in the top 5, which we didn't and this year we would pick in the top 5 again, which we will. Their rebuilds are very similar in length of sucking. I don't know how you're so high and mighty about yours. Since we've been rebuilding, we've still managed to sell out just about every game. You guys didn't support your team whatsoever and were about to lose them until you "won" the lottery for the best player of this era.

It will probably end up being someone no one expected. Shero is good at finding value and finding the right GM to screw when he goes looking for a trading partner, especially when its more of a hockey trade then a deadline deal.
- cap1681

Like the Neal trade, unreal

They need another top 6 LW on this team. Could see Kane playing with Geno until the Kunitz deal is up, then moving up to play with Crosby.

Edit: The idea of Kane playing with Geno and Neal is a scary prospect. That line would dominate.
- cap1681

Neal and Kunitz are both listed as LW's on hockeydb. Does one play both wings? If so this would make more sense to me

Yak for nisk
- dbell646

Yak has less value than Nisk now. He is playing bad hockey. Edmonton wouldn't do that. Nisk is a pending UFA and no chance he signs in Edmonton.

Fleury being traded up for has no merit on anything I said. Still a top 5 pick. If we were to be on Pittsburgh's timeline of sucking instead of our own, last year we wouldve picked in the top 5, which we didn't and this year we would pick in the top 5 again, which we will. Their rebuilds are very similar in length of sucking. I don't know how you're so high and mighty about yours. Since we've been rebuilding, we've still managed to sell out just about every game. You guys didn't support your team whatsoever and were about to lose them until you "won" the lottery for the best player of this era.
- Ihatebrianburke

C'mon, the Oilers had 5 years of top 10 picks. You want to include the Pens picking 5th, but not include the Oilers picking 7th?? Not much difference there. And the uneducated response of "you were going to lose the team until your "won" the lottery is garbage." The reasons why the team almost left and why it wasn't supported was bigger then just "sucking" as you so put it.

C'mon, the Oilers had 5 years of top 10 picks. You want to include the Pens picking 5th, but not include the Oilers picking 7th?? Not much difference there. And the uneducated response of "you were going to lose the team until your "won" the lottery is garbage." The reasons why the team almost left and why it wasn't supported was bigger then just "sucking" as you so put it.
- cap1681

Weren't Gagner and Cogliano top 10's?

Weren't Gagner and Cogliano top 10's?
- canadianpenfan

Gagner was 6th overall, Cogliano was in the 20s

Weren't Gagner and Cogliano top 10's?
- canadianpenfan

edit- Gagner was #6, Cogliano #25

Neal and Kunitz are both listed as LW's on hockeydb. Does one play both wings? If so this would make more sense to me
- Ihatebrianburke

Neals been playing RW

The sad part about that is that Crosby looks the other way.
- Ben37

Concussions are a scary thing...

Neals been playing RW
- Deadstar

Yeah, that's where all the drama with Iginla came in last year.

The jets are throwing big buff on offense, they are a mess right now. I truly think they will be a trade partner for the pens. Probably won't be a big blockbuster with Kane, but maybe Ladd or another top 6 guy