Buying out some of our own guys. Stressed he didnt have any names and no names were given but insinuated Kunitz...and logically, I would think Scuderi could be added to that list.

No problem with buying them out, but I hope we at least look to see if someone would give us a draft pick first.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

Kunitz could give us a pick, but honestly what are we going to replace him with? Joel Ward for the same price?

Does Kuni have any NMC? Perhaps he would like to go to Peg to finish out his career. I believe he is from that provence.

2 top 6 F's, a 3C, entire bottom 6 line and a mid level Dman are all needed next year. Guess where those replacements wont come from?
- sammy87

Free agency, the draft or our system.

Free agency, the draft or our system.
- znagle

They're not coming from the farm. Nothing there unless Kap and Sund can make the jump next year. After them, slim pickins.

So, yeah....if they lose Game 2, I say bring on the Kapanen.
- jmatchett383

Doesnt that burn his ELC?

Does Kuni have any NMC? Perhaps he would like to go to Peg to finish out his career. I believe he is from that provence.

2 top 6 F's, a 3C, entire bottom 6 line and a mid level Dman are all needed next year. Guess where those replacements wont come from?
- sammy87

I don't believe he has a NMC. Not sure if he wants to go anywhere or has any value whatsoever.

Kapanen, Sundqvist, Rust, Wilson, Pouliot, Dumoulin, and Harrington are all possibilities in the lineup next year. For all accounts and purposes, the Penguins prospect pool is average. Obviously, we'd all like it to be better, but it isn't completely void of potential either.

Doesnt that burn his ELC?
- thickman1178

Only if he plays 10+ games.

They're not coming from the farm. Nothing there unless Kap and Sund can make the jump next year. After them, slim pickins.
- sammy87

Exactly. I should have bolded your guess where they're not coming from comment.

Tampa is in a completely different phase of their roster construction as well, when the Penguins were in their position, they were competing in the Stanley Cup finals, and winning it the next year. They've been retooling their roster for years and are finally reaping the benefits of it. Whereas the Penguins retooling of their roster happened around 2006-2008... and led to a Stanley Cup. If you want to suffer through the Penguins sucking for 4 or 5 years again at the bottom of the Standings, I'm sure we would have a "competent and more balanced team" after those years.
- j.boyd919

So a team needs to suffer and suck for 4-5 years in order to be built correctly? Explain to me how the Rangers have been built since 2005. Yes, they haven't won the cup, but how are they constructed financially, talent wise, and overall how much success have they had in the past 10 years and how are they poised for the future? My point is, you don't have to bottom out, get top picks, then max out your cap to the point you can't hold a team together in order to be successful. You can maintain success for a long time with proper contract management, proper drafting, proper development keeping your team balanced in how it uses its cap space between good developing players, well managed producers in their prime, and just a few top heavy paid guys.

So a team needs to suffer and suck for 4-5 years in order to be built correctly? Explain to me how the Rangers have been built since 2005. Yes, they haven't won the cup, but how are they constructed financially, talent wise, and overall how much success have they had in the past 10 years and how are they poised for the future? My point is, you don't have to bottom out, get top picks, then max out your cap to the point you can't hold a team together in order to be successful. You can maintain success for a long time with proper contract management, proper drafting, proper development keeping your team balanced in how it uses its cap space between good developing players, well managed producers in their prime, and just a few top heavy paid guys.
- xcheckmajor

It also helps when a team gifts you an elite defenseman as a throw-in for a washed up, overpaid center and you have a goalie picked in the 6th round turns into a top-2 goalie in the league. That's some crazy luck.

It also helps when a team gifts you an elite defenseman as a throw-in for a washed up, overpaid center and you have a goalie picked in the 6th round turns into a top-2 goalie in the league. That's some crazy luck.
- jmatchett383

Are you saying Sather didn't know McDonagh and Hank were stars from day one!? How dare you!?

The rules are absolutely different in the 3rd. If you dont know refs manage to the score, then you dont watch hockey.
- thickman1178

I've been watching hockey for 30 years, and your right refs to sometimes manage to the score. What does that have to do with managing to the timeframe of the game, the 3rd period? (what the original conversation was about)

Are you saying Sather didn't know McDonagh and Hank were stars from day one!? How dare you!?
- SMSB

McDonagh was a high-potential prospect that Montreal had soured on. That trade was abysmal at the time and only looks worse now.

So a team needs to suffer and suck for 4-5 years in order to be built correctly? Explain to me how the Rangers have been built since 2005. Yes, they haven't won the cup, but how are they constructed financially, talent wise, and overall how much success have they had in the past 10 years and how are they poised for the future? My point is, you don't have to bottom out, get top picks, then max out your cap to the point you can't hold a team together in order to be successful. You can maintain success for a long time with proper contract management, proper drafting, proper development keeping your team balanced in how it uses its cap space between good developing players, well managed producers in their prime, and just a few top heavy paid guys.
- xcheckmajor

I didn't say you NEED to suffer, but in Tampa's case, they did suffer and Stevie Y stayed the course and trusted the process. Stammer - top pick, Hedman - top 5 pick, Drouin - top 5 pick, Connoly (who has been traded) - top 10 pick, Koekoek - top 10 pick. They are essentially taking the same route the Penguins did, the only difference is they are also hitting home runs with their later round picks/undrafted fa signings too. All I am saying is they are at a different phase in their roster construction, the Penguins were in the exact same phase around 2007-2010.

I've been watching hockey for 30 years, and your right refs to sometimes manage to the score. What does that have to do with managing to the timeframe of the game, the 3rd period? (what the original conversation was about)
- xcheckmajor

The original argument was that the Rangers committed more fouls in the 3rd but, because it was the 3rd as opposed to the 1st (where the Penguins committed their fouls), they weren't called. Something like that.

It also helps when a team gifts you an elite defenseman as a throw-in for a washed up, overpaid center and you have a goalie picked in the 6th round turns into a top-2 goalie in the league. That's some crazy luck.
- jmatchett383

You could call it luck or you could call it extremely good drafting and extremely good trading and the best goalie developer in the NHL. Or is Sather and Gorton and Allaire just the luckiest guys in the NHL.

Lundqvist drafted 6th rd
Stepan drafted 2nd rd
Girardi undrafted
Dubinsky 3rd rd & Co. --> Nash
Callahan 3rd rd --> St. Louis
Hagelin 6th rd
Zuccarello undrafted
etc.....

Just gotta admit, Sather and Gorton have run this organization the past 6 years just about as good as you can run a hockey club.

I didn't say you NEED to suffer, but in Tampa's case, they did suffer and Stevie Y stayed the course and trusted the process. Stammer - top pick, Hedman - top 5 pick, Drouin - top 5 pick, Connoly (who has been traded) - top 10 pick, Koekoek - top 10 pick. They are essentially taking the same route the Penguins did, the only difference is they are also hitting home runs with their later round picks/undrafted fa signings too. All I am saying is they are at a different phase in their roster construction, the Penguins were in the exact same phase around 2007-2010.
- j.boyd919

Well, the Pens are in a difficult phase thats for sure. They need to retool their core with balanced players at modest contracts. Trading Malkin could be a good start if you can get 1-2 young players that are already producing, and 1-2 decent prospects plus a draft pick. The problem is also top heavy, you need depth behind your top Dmen and Depth behind your top fowards but you don't have the young kids that can take meaningful roster spots and produce. Its a tough situation.

McDonagh was a high-potential prospect that Montreal had soured on. That trade was abysmal at the time and only looks worse now.
- jmatchett383

They say Montreal's head of scouting literally cried when he heard Gainey traded him.

You could call it luck or you could call it extremely good drafting and extremely good trading and the best goalie developer in the NHL. Or is Sather and Gorton and Allaire just the luckiest guys in the NHL.

Lundqvist drafted 6th rd
Stepan drafted 2nd rd
Girardi undrafted
Dubinsky 3rd rd & Co. --> Nash
Callahan 3rd rd --> St. Louis
Hagelin 6th rd
Zuccarello undrafted
etc.....

Just gotta admit, Sather and Gorton have run this organization the past 6 years just about as good as you can run a hockey club.
- xcheckmajor

Sather has done fine. They've been one of the better teams in the NHL, but the Rangers have one SC finals where they lost in 5 games. You're acting like they are the Bruins, Kings, or Blackhawks.

You could call it luck or you could call it extremely good drafting and extremely good trading and the best goalie developer in the NHL. Or is Sather and Gorton and Allaire just the luckiest guys in the NHL.

Lundqvist drafted 6th rd
Stepan drafted 2nd rd
Girardi undrafted
Dubinsky 3rd rd & Co. --> Nash
Callahan 3rd rd --> St. Louis
Hagelin 6th rd
Zuccarello undrafted
etc.....

Just gotta admit, Sather and Gorton have run this organization the past 6 years just about as good as you can run a hockey club.
- xcheckmajor

Until they win a Cup, I don't have to admit anything.



You've been a fringe contender that has morphed into full fledge contender status this year (you made the Finals last year coming out of a poopy East). You don't win it all in the next 1-2 hears, Hank starts showing some age, your youthful core gets into their high earning year, it happens quick.

EDIT: Oh, and stop indicating Sather is some kind of genius. He's been with the Rags forever, had unlimited budgets pre-Cap, and still couldn't win anything. Yes he's had a nice run recently but I could just as easily attribute that to luck.

You could call it luck or you could call it extremely good drafting and extremely good trading and the best goalie developer in the NHL. Or is Sather and Gorton and Allaire just the luckiest guys in the NHL.

Lundqvist drafted 6th rd
Stepan drafted 2nd rd
Girardi undrafted
Dubinsky 3rd rd & Co. --> Nash
Callahan 3rd rd --> St. Louis
Hagelin 6th rd
Zuccarello undrafted
etc.....

Just gotta admit, Sather and Gorton have run this organization the past 6 years just about as good as you can run a hockey club.
- xcheckmajor

Lundqvist was drafted in the 7th round. Dubinsky 2nd, Cally 4th, fast 6th

The original argument was that the Rangers committed more fouls in the 3rd but, because it was the 3rd as opposed to the 1st (where the Penguins committed their fouls), they weren't called. Something like that.
- jmatchett383

the officiating sucked.

i do find it funny how i saw the possession argument trotted out, when thats been a justification for the pens for years and it was always just swept cleanly under the rug.

and calling it even doesnt mean the calls need to be 4 a side at the end. it just means that whats interference in period one for one side, should be interference for the other side in period 3. (not saying it was you that said this haha just finally responding again and dont have backreading in me)

all that being said. officiating isnt why the pens lost. the rangers are too good a team to beat with what the pens are currently putting out on the ice.

Until they win a Cup, I don't have to admit anything.



You've been a fringe contender that has morphed into full fledge contender status this year (you made the Finals last year coming out of a poopy East). You don't win it all in the next 1-2 hears, Hank starts showing some age, your youthful core gets into their high earning year, it happens quick.
- 87_71_11_29

Well until we win a Cup there's no point in bragging but to be fair we did finish 1st in the east 3 years ago with an ECF run, then made it to the 2nd round the following year, and the SCF last year. We've been in the mix for contender status since that ECF run imo outside the lockout year.

You could call it luck or you could call it extremely good drafting and extremely good trading and the best goalie developer in the NHL. Or is Sather and Gorton and Allaire just the luckiest guys in the NHL.

Lundqvist drafted 6th rd
Stepan drafted 2nd rd
Girardi undrafted
Dubinsky 3rd rd & Co. --> Nash
Callahan 3rd rd --> St. Louis
Hagelin 6th rd
Zuccarello undrafted

etc.....

Just gotta admit, Sather and Gorton have run this organization the past 6 years just about as good as you can run a hockey club.
- xcheckmajor

They have. That being said, having a 6th (7th?) rounder turn into a perennial Vezina finalist is quite a bit of luck, and I still can't figure out why Gainey made that horrible trade.

They have. That being said, having a 6th rounder turn into a perennial Vezina finalist is quite a bit of luck, and I still can't figure out why Gainey made that horrible trade.
- jmatchett383

Gainey made that trade because his deal for Lecavalier fell through and Montreal wanted a #1 center desperately.

Also, drafting a vezina goalie in the 7th round is pretty lucky. But the fact is you need to make that pick and that starts with having a 7th rounder to begin with and not dealing it for a guy like Winnik. Datsyuk was also a 7th round pick.

Gainey made that trade because his deal for Lecavalier fell through and Montreal wanted a #1 center desperately.

Also, drafting a vezina goalie in the 7th round is pretty lucky. But the fact is you need to make that pick and that starts with having a 7th rounder to begin with and not dealing it for a guy like Winnik. Datsyuk was also a 7th round pick.
- rangerdanger94

7th rounders being traded mean nothing. Why don't you go through every 7th round pick in the last 10 years and see how many work out.

EDIT: Datsyuk was in the 6th round BTW. Guess keeping those are crucial as well.