I think you def nailed 4 out of 5, but i gotta disagree with Rutherford. No Ray Shero, Holland or Chiraelli but i think he holds his own and has got some nice young pieces to work with.
- did109

Rutherford gave us Jokinen for free and is paying 30% of his salary.... He's also gave us a top 10 pick, good defensive prospect and Brandon Sutter for Staal, who only wanted to go there, and could have been had for free as a UFA in one year.

And he gave Alex Semin 5 years x $7 million after like a month of good play.

Easy now.
- Whiskey-Tango

What did I say that is wrong? If you think its wrong, please defend him. I can't wait to hear this. He is a terrible GM that quite frankly should have been shown the door last year.

He's old and that's a bad injury... I just don't think he can do it... it's what's best for the team...

Oh hey look we scuds is back... forgot he was on the team....

Is the pressers going to b on TV or do I have to follow on twitter?
- nh4442

Ha Ha no you hope he can't do it. I don't know about the presser I'm following on twitter. Hemsky is still in play big guy don't worry. Actually I like him a little more after the olympics then I have in the past.

Kesler will be playing 1 st line with Parise so forget your fantasies
- VANTEL

You need to forgive them. It's pretty easy to see how a team with Crosby and Malkin would fantasize about getting their hands on a guy like Kesler

I think Gillis is one of the worst GMs in the league; along with Holmgren, Sather, Rutherford, and Snow. He doesn't look in the mirror and blame his shear idiocy for his franchise's failures. He will make a bad trade at the deadline. With who, I have no idea.
- Oneonta Penguin

Agreed, though it could be worse for the illes ... They could bring back milbury

I question Rutherford's drafts all the time. I know you can't blame him entirely, but his farm system sucks; they can't develop talent; he makes some questionable decisions. He got played by Shero badly.
- Oneonta Penguin

Right now yes they are thin but as far as developing i think he has a prtty nice showing right now...E.Staal, J.Skinner, J.Faulk, R.Murphy, C.Ward all drafted by Rutherford. And for the life of me i have no idea why i am defending the Hurricanes or Jim Rutherford as i find them to be one of the most boring teams to play against just because it seems like an exihibtion game with no emotion everytime the flyers play them.

Ha Ha no you hope he can't do it. I don't know about the presser I'm following on twitter. Hemsky is still in play big guy don't worry. Actually I like him a little more after the olympics then I have in the past.
- dbell646

Maybe Hemsky should go play in the Czech leagues after this year. To me, he looked like newly named Czech Republic head coach Vladimir Ruzicka in Sochi. You know, the guy with great talent that scored big goals for the Czech's internationally, only to underachieve when he came to the NHL. They are twins from different mothers to me.

I heard on NHL Network last night that Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews have never played against each other in the NHL.. That just sounds bizarre.

Makes sense when you think about Sid's injuries and the whole East/West schedule thing, but it's surprising.

I remember when Gretzky was in Edmonton and LA, it seemed like him and Lemieux never got to play head to head either with injuries and scheduling.

Rutherford gave us Jokinen for free and is paying 30% of his salary.... He's also gave us a top 10 pick, good defensive prospect and Brandon Sutter for Staal, who only wanted to go there, and could have been had for free as a UFA in one year.

And he gave Alex Semin 5 years x $7 million after like a month of good play.
- rival22

Staal wanted traded and was going to be traded at the draft. The penguins did him a favor in trading him to Carolina and yes they got Dumolin and Pouliot in return. Sutter is an Avg 3rd line center. I dont see how this is getting played....Jokinen had fallen out of favor in Carolina...not rutherfords fault and he dealt him. hindsight is 20/20 on alot of trades, but saying he was played is a bit of a stretch.

You need to forgive them. It's pretty easy to see how a team with Crosby and Malkin would fantasize about getting their hands on a guy like Kesler
- Canada Cup

You're a strange fellow. You show up in every Canucks-related thread to make a sarcastic/disparaging comment about Canuck players/fans. Do you need a hug or something? Did a Canuck or Canuck fan screw your wife? Kick your dog? I know this site is jokes and all, but you seem to have some pretty deep Canuck-related issues.

All this talk of trades up front do you trust zatkoff as the number 2 going into post season?.....I know vokoun has been cleared to resume, but thats a leap of faith to say he will be ready and stay ready come playoff time. as most of you are penguins fans in here....foresee another collapse of 29 come playofftime?

He's old and that's a bad injury... I just don't think he can do it... it's what's best for the team...

- nh4442

Pittsburgh Penguins ‏@penguins now
Pascal Dupuis on lingering effects of the injury: "I'm coming back 100 percent"

Dupuis is a fitness freak. I don't have any doubts about him coming back next year

Staal wanted traded and was going to be traded at the draft. The penguins did him a favor in trading him to Carolina and yes they got Dumolin and Pouliot in return. Sutter is an Avg 3rd line center. I dont see how this is getting played....Jokinen had fallen out of favor in Carolina...not rutherfords fault and he dealt him. hindsight is 20/20 on alot of trades, but saying he was played is a bit of a stretch.
- did109

If Rutherford would have waited a few months, he doesn't have to give up a top 10 pick, another solid D prospect and Sutter, who was a solid two-way third line center at the time and somewhat a crowd favorite. He got spooked when Shero went to Sather, another idiot GM, to see what he could get for Jordan because there happens to be a Staal that plays for the Rags. Rutherford increased the offer. His offer before was better than Sather's offer of Gaborik. Sutter isn't great, but he isn't terrible.

Anytime you ask for a seventh round pick and pay for 30% of someone's salary and all the sudden that player becomes a pretty significant piece elsewhere, you have to ask yourself what went wrong.

I'd do Sutter, Pouliot, 1st.

Too much? I sucks at trade proposals
- nucks_94

Too little.

And where's the future top-6 F?

Canucks are set at D.

The team only has 3 too-6 F as it is—they can't afford to trade one without getting one in return.

Too little.

And where's the future top-6 F?

Canucks are set at D.

The team only has 3 too-6 F as it is—they can't afford to trade one without getting one in return.
- Fosco

actually, its too much.

I would gladly insert Bennett in place of Pouliot. Foolish to deal him. That said, this makes zero sense.

Pittsburgh Penguins ‏@penguins now
Pascal Dupuis on lingering effects of the injury: "I'm coming back 100 percent"


- rival22

Oh good

Hemsky for 3rd and doumolin

After flaming out of the playoffs again, Pittsburgh spent last summer embracing their failure by retaining Bylsma, Fleury, Dupuis, Letang, &c. Reaching into the past and pulling out Rob Scuderi was not the answer, either. The team needed a minor player rebuild and a difference in on-ice philosophy in a way that has been very obvious for the past three seasons.

I think winning that 2009 Championship against a much better Detroit team is as good as it's going to get, hockey fans. All of this 'dynasty' stuff was abandoned last summer. The only real shot Pittsburgh had coming into this season was to trade Kris Letang. What happens with him at this point is a complete unknown.

I'm usually not one to look at the empty half of the glass, but if one examines Chicago and then Washington, then asks which of the two Pittsburgh more closely resembles - I don't like what I'm seeing. No, rather, I still don't like what I'm seeing.

I don't see how Kesler would help this year if he was a third line center. The Pens would still have the same holes before the trade and less trade chips to use for other deals. If they would get a player like Kesler then he needs to play in the top six. Don't waste him on the third line playing him with whoever's name was picked out of the hat. The one positive is that he is under contract and won't be a rental. For me this would be a trade more for the future than right now. I wouldn't mind that but I rather have Shero concentrated on a winger.

Oh good

Hemsky for 3rd and doumolin
- nh4442

Too much for that enigma.

After flaming out of the playoffs again, Pittsburgh spent last summer embracing their failure by retaining Bylsma, Fleury, Dupuis, Letang, &c. Reaching into the past and pulling out Rob Scuderi was not the answer, either. The team needed a minor player rebuild and a difference in on-ice philosophy in a way that has been very obvious for the past three seasons.

I think winning that 2009 Championship against a much better Detroit team is as good as it's going to get, hockey fans. All of this 'dynasty' stuff was abandoned last summer. The only real shot Pittsburgh had coming into this season was to trade Kris Letang. What happens with him at this point is a complete unknown.

I'm usually not one to look at the empty half of the glass, but if one examines Chicago and then Washington, then asks which of the two Pittsburgh more closely resembles - I don't like what I'm seeing. No, rather, I still don't like what I'm seeing.
- Johnny Wrath

LOL ... I'm growing on you.

actually, its too much.

I would gladly insert Bennett in place of Pouliot. Foolish to deal him. That said, this makes zero sense.
- Oneonta Penguin

Depends how you look at it.

It might be too much for the Pens to give up, but Kesler is worth quite a bit more.

And another team will undoubtedly pay more if he's moved.

LOL ... I'm growing on you.
- Oneonta Penguin

Watch out, it may seem to others that we hate Kris Letang. Blatant conspiracy.

Mite be that 8 year 7.25/yr deal that gets him that fragile tag. Thats alotta cash missing time.
- did109

That has a big thing to do with it. It was a dumb extension knowing that even before the stroke, Letang was brittle as a player - two trips to the IR this year alone before the stroke, and his carelessness with the puck.

When a player of Letang's ilk, one that just signed an eight year, 7.25 million per year deal is out of the lineup everytime someone sneezes, its magnified.

Depends how you look at it.

It might be too much for the Pens to give up, but Kesler is worth quite a bit more.

And another team will undoubtedly pay more if he's moved.
- Fosco

The pieces Pittsburgh has aren't quite right. If I'm Gillis, I don't move him unless the package is a great fit.