I am sorry but if any of these guys are our hopes for bottom six help we are destined to make the same giant mistakes that we have made the past 2 years.

We need help from the outside, there is no one in this organization that can help us bottom six.
- nbartley9

i disagree. resigning goc to a cheapish deal would be a huge upgrade. we forget that throughout most of the playoffs, they were relying on him as actually the THIRD line center, because everyone shifted up with malkin on crosby's wing.

goc, for say a million a year, would be a perfect 4th line center for this team. not a mauler, but not paper mache either, not slow, sound defensively, great on draws. what more would you realistically like?

i disagree. resigning goc to a cheapish deal would be a huge upgrade. we forget that throughout most of the playoffs, they were relying on him as actually the THIRD line center, because everyone shifted up with malkin on crosby's wing.

goc, for say a million a year, would be a perfect 4th line center for this team. not a mauler, but not paper mache either, not slow, sound defensively, great on draws. what more would you realistically like?
- stayinthefnnet

Why would he take a pay cut to stay?

Godard-Prust-Engelland?
- Grinder47

If it came down to it, put Engelland on wing full time.

I look at stats like this they are great when they support your opinion but who gives a (frank) when they don't. Some of these bloggers take themselves way to serious. The next millionare hockey blogger will be the 1st.
- dbell646

It's not even always the bloggers, sometimes it's the vocal readers/commenters (those blog commenters are truly filthy scum).

It's not even always the bloggers, sometimes it's the vocal readers/commenters (those blog commenters are truly filthy scum).
- BulliesPhan87

They're the worst.

Why would he take a pay cut to stay?
- dbell646

coming off an injury, down on offensive numbers. either way. id still be willing to match what he made last year.

If it came down to it, put Engelland on wing full time.
- imperate

I think they are moving on from Engelland. Mike Colligan reports he heard from other teams Pens were considering trading him at the deadline

coming off an injury, down on offensive numbers. either way. id still be willing to match what he made last year.
- stayinthefnnet

I get that he's versatile but with the lack of Depth all over the forward position and limited cap space available I can't justify dumping 2 mil in the 4th line center role.

I am sorry but if any of these guys are our hopes for bottom six help we are destined to make the same giant mistakes that we have made the past 2 years.

We need help from the outside, there is no one in this organization that can help us bottom six.
- nbartley9

We will be happy to give you Jesse Joensuu.

I get that he's versatile but with the lack of Depth all over the forward position and limited cap space available I can't justify dumping 2 mil in the 4th line center role.
- dbell646

any suggestions on solutions?

any suggestions on solutions?
- stayinthefnnet

Find a guy who can play good for 6 minutes a game for half that. Handzus, Moore, Mackenzie all made a mil and are UFA's would fit in nice

Too bad Callahan wants too much $$, he would be an awesome fit on this team!

I do see these guys as potentially good fits (noting Goc is a resign)
F: Setoguchi, Downie, Kulemin, Goc, Carcillo, Michalek,
D: Matt Greene, Chris Butler,

Personally, I'd try:
1. Letang + Niskanen rights <-> EDM: Yakupov + 1st
2. Neal + Despres <-> PHO: Yandle + 2nd round pick

13.45: Kunitz (3.85) - Crosby (8.7) - Bennett (0.9)
14.425: Yakupov (0.925) - Malkin (9.5) - Michalek (4)
8.75: Dupuis (3.75) - Sutter (2.5) - Kulemin (2.5)
4.5: Megna (1) - Goc (1.5) - Carcillo/Downie (2)
0.7: Adams (0.7)

10.25: Martin (5) - Yandle (5.25)
3.4: Butler (2.5) - Maatta (0.9)
4.425: Scuderi (3.375)- Demoulin/Harrington (0.85)
0.6: Bortuzzo (0.6)

5.6: Fleury (5), Ztakoff (0.6)

Total: ~66mil cap hit.

Find a guy who can play good for 6 minutes a game for half that. Handzus, Moore, Mackenzie all made a mil and are UFA's would fit in nice
- dbell646

domonic moore pissed me the hell off, but he has been pretty effective.

whoever suggested the goc, gibbons, megna line. that should come out to around 3.3. not awful.

i disagree. resigning goc to a cheapish deal would be a huge upgrade. we forget that throughout most of the playoffs, they were relying on him as actually the THIRD line center, because everyone shifted up with malkin on crosby's wing.

goc, for say a million a year, would be a perfect 4th line center for this team. not a mauler, but not paper mache either, not slow, sound defensively, great on draws. what more would you realistically like?
- stayinthefnnet

Goc is not physical enough for me to be our 4th line center, and not only that the guy sucks.

Too bad Callahan wants too much $$, he would be an awesome fit on this team!

I do see these guys as potentially good fits (noting Goc is a resign)
F: Setoguchi, Downie, Kulemin, Goc, Carcillo, Michalek,
D: Matt Greene, Chris Butler,

Personally, I'd try:
1. Letang + Niskanen rights <-> EDM: Yakupov + 1st
2. Neal + Despres <-> PHO: Yandle + 2nd round pick

13.45: Kunitz (3.85) - Crosby (8.7) - Bennett (0.9)
14.425: Yakupov (0.925) - Malkin (9.5) - Michalek (4)
8.75: Dupuis (3.75) - Sutter (2.5) - Kulemin (2.5)
4.5: Megna (1) - Goc (1.5) - Carcillo/Downie (2)
0.7: Adams (0.7)

10.25: Martin (5) - Yandle (5.25)
3.4: Butler (2.5) - Maatta (0.9)
4.425: Scuderi (3.375)- Demoulin/Harrington (0.85)
0.6: Bortuzzo (0.6)

5.6: Fleury (5), Ztakoff (0.6)

Total: ~66mil cap hit.
- mventres

Well I've never seen them play together but supposedly Kulemin and Geno are a mtach made in heaven so I suppose I'd move Kulemin up to for the USSR line and bump Michalek up to play with sid. I think that would be fun to watch. Bump Bennett down to the 3rd line. Defense I'd have to think about a little more. Solid line up assuming those players would take those salaries

Too bad Callahan wants too much $$, he would be an awesome fit on this team!

I do see these guys as potentially good fits (noting Goc is a resign)
F: Setoguchi, Downie, Kulemin, Goc, Carcillo, Michalek,
D: Matt Greene, Chris Butler,

Personally, I'd try:
1. Letang + Niskanen rights <-> EDM: Yakupov + 1st
2. Neal + Despres <-> PHO: Yandle + 2nd round pick

13.45: Kunitz (3.85) - Crosby (8.7) - Bennett (0.9)
14.425: Yakupov (0.925) - Malkin (9.5) - Michalek (4)
8.75: Dupuis (3.75) - Sutter (2.5) - Kulemin (2.5)
4.5: Megna (1) - Goc (1.5) - Carcillo/Downie (2)
0.7: Adams (0.7)

10.25: Martin (5) - Yandle (5.25)
3.4: Butler (2.5) - Maatta (0.9)
4.425: Scuderi (3.375)- Demoulin/Harrington (0.85)
0.6: Bortuzzo (0.6)

5.6: Fleury (5), Ztakoff (0.6)

Total: ~66mil cap hit.
- mventres

I actually like the idea of these 3 guys.

There is definitely a trickle down (or would it be more like an Eklund domino effect?) when your third and fourth line is not up to par with who your opponent puts on the ice.

In trying to understand why Crosby looked less and less like Crosby over the past couple of playoff seasons...and ruling out injury and any sort of personal issue he may or may not have had (heard rumors about that)...the one thing that makes the most sense is the slowly deteriorating quality of players on lines 3 and 4 over the past few seasons.

The Penguins had Kennedy, Staal and Cooke as a third line for both cup runs. Those are quality hockey players (MT: "the turd line") that do all of the good things mentioned in this blog.

You don't have that...then teams can say..."Look, we can try and take Sid out of the equation...really focus on doing that...because we think the rest of our team match-up is better".

Obviously, this 3rd/4th line issue would be most noticeable in the playoffs when only teams that have a good 3 or 4 lines make it far enough. I think that's what we are seeing in these past two post seasons at least.

domonic moore pissed me the hell off, but he has been pretty effective.

whoever suggested the goc, gibbons, megna line. that should come out to around 3.3. not awful.
- stayinthefnnet

Not it's not probably less then what we had to end this season but it's the same parts we had last year that were part of the problem. I'd like to get a few bangers.
Moore was terrific in our series.

I actually like the idea of these 3 guys.
- nbartley9

yuck. i mean maybe michalek, but he probably wouldnt come cheap enough to offset the risk in him.

i understand the qualities you look for, but (frank) those other 2 guys

Not it's not probably less then what we had to end this season but it's the same parts we had last year that were part of the problem. I'd like to get a few bangers.
Moore was terrific in our series.
- dbell646

moore was terrific. if you can get someone like him, im all ears. but banging for the sake of banging doesnt do it for me.

yuck. i mean maybe michalek, but he probably wouldnt come cheap enough to offset the risk in him.

i understand the qualities you look for, but (frank) those other 2 guys
- stayinthefnnet

My objective is to ice the most irritating, dirty, and hated players we can possibly find.

moore was terrific. if you can get someone like him, im all ears. but banging for the sake of banging doesnt do it for me.
- stayinthefnnet

If you bang on the forecheck and get the puck and tax the opposing team it's worth it

Too bad Callahan wants too much $$, he would be an awesome fit on this team!

I do see these guys as potentially good fits (noting Goc is a resign)
F: Setoguchi, Downie, Kulemin, Goc, Carcillo, Michalek,
D: Matt Greene, Chris Butler,

Personally, I'd try:
1. Letang + Niskanen rights <-> EDM: Yakupov + 1st
2. Neal + Despres <-> PHO: Yandle + 2nd round pick

13.45: Kunitz (3.85) - Crosby (8.7) - Bennett (0.9)
14.425: Yakupov (0.925) - Malkin (9.5) - Michalek (4)
8.75: Dupuis (3.75) - Sutter (2.5) - Kulemin (2.5)
4.5: Megna (1) - Goc (1.5) - Carcillo/Downie (2)
0.7: Adams (0.7)

10.25: Martin (5) - Yandle (5.25)
3.4: Butler (2.5) - Maatta (0.9)
4.425: Scuderi (3.375)- Demoulin/Harrington (0.85)
0.6: Bortuzzo (0.6)

5.6: Fleury (5), Ztakoff (0.6)

Total: ~66mil cap hit.
- mventres

If Mario wants "grit" type guys, those aren't it. I like some of the forwards you are looking at but I think they are pretty "soft". I don't like the D you suggest though. No thanks on Yandle. He doesn't play defense at all. Reminds me of Mike Green from the Capitals. A forward dressed as a defender.

I think that Scuds needs moved or bought out. I also wouldn't trade Letang and Depres without knowing that more than 1 AHL guy is definetly ready to come up.

My objective is to ice the most irritating, dirty, and hated players we can possibly find.
- nbartley9

Carcillo is useless. I'd take Downie and Michalek though

Too bad Callahan wants too much $$, he would be an awesome fit on this team!

I do see these guys as potentially good fits (noting Goc is a resign)
F: Setoguchi, Downie, Kulemin, Goc, Carcillo, Michalek,
D: Matt Greene, Chris Butler,

Personally, I'd try:
1. Letang + Niskanen rights <-> EDM: Yakupov + 1st
2. Neal + Despres <-> PHO: Yandle + 2nd round pick

13.45: Kunitz (3.85) - Crosby (8.7) - Bennett (0.9)
14.425: Yakupov (0.925) - Malkin (9.5) - Michalek (4)
8.75: Dupuis (3.75) - Sutter (2.5) - Kulemin (2.5)
4.5: Megna (1) - Goc (1.5) - Carcillo/Downie (2)
0.7: Adams (0.7)

10.25: Martin (5) - Yandle (5.25)
3.4: Butler (2.5) - Maatta (0.9)
4.425: Scuderi (3.375)- Demoulin/Harrington (0.85)
0.6: Bortuzzo (0.6)

5.6: Fleury (5), Ztakoff (0.6)

Total: ~66mil cap hit.
- mventres

Your roster would miss the playoff. Butler sucks!