However to answer your first question... Yes, Pouliot was and is playing well. I believe he is down for Shultz, because Shultz is getting a trial by fire treatment here, and is doing well. He is an improvment over Pouliot, ESPECIALLY on the powerplay with Malkin out. Had he been bad, oh well, we wasted a 3rd round pick. Thats less than our usual trade deadline spending.

I have said this a few times, but I 100% believe Shultz is a backup plan way to cut salary slighty from Daley (again, depending on Shultz staying good/improving more this season), should the cap not go up to the alleged 74 mil.
- Guile

Yeah no reason to sit Schultz... gotta see what we have in him if we were gonna give up a third. Pouliot is under our control for a few years, so no "rush" to get him in the lineup, although that would be nice.

That would be interesting to use Schultz as a backup to Daley. Gotta imagine Daley's value is pretty good again now that he's out of CHI. I'd say we could at least get a 2nd for him.

Yeah no reason to sit Schultz... gotta see what we have in him if we were gonna give up a third. Pouliot is under our control for a few years, so no "rush" to get him in the lineup, although that would be nice.

That would be interesting to use Schultz as a backup to Daley. Gotta imagine Daley's value is pretty good again now that he's out of CHI. I'd say we could at least get a 2nd for him.
- Pens_Burgh

That had to be the reasoning in obtaining him. That or a HUGE fear of Pouliot in the postseason, which I havn't seen anything to hint at after last year (the 2nd time he was brought up, first time he was damn shakey) or when up this year.

All you guys worried about the expansion draft, don't forget all the other teams will lose a player as well, and many of their young players are rated more highly than various people the Pens have. Nothing that can be done about it anyways while there is a playoff race going on.

Can a team take Kessel in the expansion draft?

Still don't know why the NHL is expanding, there isn't even enough talent to fill all the rosters as it is.

Still don't know why the NHL is expanding, there isn't even enough talent to fill all the rosters as it is.
- sammy87

$$$$$$$ dollar signs- no other reason. If some moron is going to pay the 500 million expansion fee, old Uncle Gary is going to let them. But I totally agree, I'd rather see them retract to 26-28 teams.

Still don't know why the NHL is expanding, there isn't even enough talent to fill all the rosters as it is.
- sammy87

Wait!!!! I just had this thought. So if they have an expansion draft and the teams select there players. I would assume the nhl draft is after that? Does these teams in question also get the 1 and 2 pick ??!!

$$$$$$$ dollar signs- no other reason. If some moron is going to pay the 500 million expansion fee, old Uncle Gary is going to let them. But I totally agree, I'd rather see them retract to 26-28 teams.
- Willaged

Yeah I get that, but its going to be like Baseball. 4-5 good teams and a bunch of crap.

Wait!!!! I just had this thought. So if they have an expansion draft and the teams select there players. I would assume the nhl draft is after that? Does these teams in question also get the 1 and 2 pick ??!!
- jmdodgeser4

They will still find a way to give Edmonton the #1 pick again

They will still find a way to give Edmonton the #1 pick again
- Guile

lolol.. yah so true!!

Yeah I get that, but its going to be like Baseball. 4-5 good teams and a bunch of crap.
- sammy87

You honestly think theres only 4 or 5 good teams in the NHL? Simply not true. League parity is extremely high now due to the cap being in place so long....baseball doesn't have a cap that I'm aware of.

You honestly think theres only 4 or 5 good teams in the NHL? Simply not true. League parity is extremely high now due to the cap being in place so long....baseball doesn't have a cap that I'm aware of.
- MattStrat

They have a luxery tax. Must be nice to play with monpoly money

They have a luxery tax. Must be nice to play with monpoly money
- jmdodgeser4

Yeah...it doesn't even out the league though.

You honestly think theres only 4 or 5 good teams in the NHL? Simply not true. League parity is extremely high now due to the cap being in place so long....baseball doesn't have a cap that I'm aware of.
- MattStrat

No the word "being" meaning future tense.

A lot of NHL teams are already in the Red and spend to the floor. There just isn't enough talent in the league now. I don't see how this enhances the product.

Yeah...it doesn't even out the league though.
- MattStrat

They also have revenue sharing. So there wasn't much incentive for the Pirates to build a good team for a long time. They still made money from the Yankees/RedSox.

Yeah I get that, but its going to be like Baseball. 4-5 good teams and a bunch of crap.
- sammy87

No because they're two completely different issues. Baseball doesn't have a cap so the teams with infinite budgets in the big markets can buy all of the good toys and leave the crappy sock-em-boppers and light brights for the rest of the teams to choose from. The only way the NHL comes close to that problem is if the NHL continues to expand to markets that can't spend to the cap. I don't think you'll run into that problem in a place like Vegas. All the teams might get a bit worse as a whole due to expansion, but it shouldn't necessarily decrease parody

They also have revenue sharing. So there wasn't much incentive for the Pirates to build a good team for a long time. They still made money from the Yankees/RedSox.
- sammy87

Ok...another irrelevant comment.

No the word "being" meaning future tense.

A lot of NHL teams are already in the Red and spend to the floor. There just isn't enough talent in the league now. I don't see how this enhances the product.
- sammy87

I thought being meant the state of existing...would "having been" been more acceptable Webster?

No because they're two completely different issues. Baseball doesn't have a cap so the teams with infinite budgets in the big markets can buy all of the good toys and leave the crappy sock-em-boppers and light brights for the rest of the teams to choose from. The only way the NHL comes close to that problem is if the NHL continues to expand to markets that can't spend to the cap. I don't think you'll run into that problem in a place like Vegas. All the teams might get a bit worse as a whole due to expansion, but it shouldn't necessarily decrease parody
- Victoro311

I remember light brights!

However to answer your first question... Yes, Pouliot was and is playing well. I believe he is down for Shultz, because Shultz is getting a trial by fire treatment here, and is doing well. He is an improvment over Pouliot, ESPECIALLY on the powerplay with Malkin out. Had he been bad, oh well, we wasted a 3rd round pick. Thats less than our usual trade deadline spending.

I have said this a few times, but I 100% believe Shultz is a backup plan way to cut salary slighty from Daley (again, depending on Shultz staying good/improving more this season), should the cap not go up to the alleged 74 mil.
- Guile

Valid point for people to take note of with that second graph of your's.

No the word "being" meaning future tense.

A lot of NHL teams are already in the Red and spend to the floor. There just isn't enough talent in the league now. I don't see how this enhances the product.
- sammy87

Why not just cut the teams losing money? A 12 team league would be great.

Why not just cut the teams losing money? A 12 team league would be great.
- Zac_O

Would a league that small be great? I don't think I agree with you.

Would a league that small be great? I don't think I agree with you.
- Victoro311

I'm joking to make fun of his idiotic statements on how many teams lose money. Since not long ago the pens were losing money hand over fist. This league is more suited to have 32 teams than 30. Soon there will be 31 and soon after 32. Its good for the league to have this. More teams brings in more fans. If it weren't for a USHL team near me I wouldn't care about hockey or have chosen the pens to follow. So that's proof alone that more teams creates more fans and that's not even the same league.

I'm joking to make fun of his idiotic statements on how many teams lose money. Since not long ago the pens were losing money hand over fist. This league is more suited to have 32 teams than 30. Soon there will be 31 and soon after 32. Its good for the league to have this. More teams brings in more fans. If it weren't for a USHL team near me I wouldn't care about hockey or have chosen the pens to follow. So that's proof alone that more teams creates more fans and that's not even the same league.
- Zac_O

Fans alone don't make a franchise survive. Quebec and Winnipeg has plenty of fans in the 90's. They were losing money. Corporate sponsorship is far more vital.

Fans alone don't make a franchise survive. Quebec and Winnipeg has plenty of fans in the 90's. They were losing money. Corporate sponsorship is far more vital.
- sammy87

And without a fan base corporations wouldn't sponsor them. It goes hand in hand. Don't talk business to me. You clearly know nothing about it. What is stopping Quebec city is small market even with the passion and bad Canadian currency.