Let's be honest, this team is soft. I'm not saying Simmonds is the answer, but if he got back to his old form he'd be a great fit.
- nateca44

Sure. and if Mario came down from the owners box and was his old self we'd basically be guaranteed a Cup. Imagine having Sid play a shut down center role!

Because you are a Flyer dumbass. You probably watch you tube highlights of Penguin “assaults” and pretty much ignore what led to the retaliation.

Raffl was falling into Malkin with a two handed crosscheck and punched him in the back of his head (clearly unintentional) But what you saw was Malkin swing a stick and miss, then Raffl dive like the Flyer he is.

Go back to you tube, plenty more how crazy and over the line Sid and Malkin are.
- Sell My Monkey

So your reasoning is....youtube?

Interesting....

Geez... Hags playing in his first game as Cap wrecks Skinner's knee. Looks bad. Pretty obvious trip, but probably more the fault of skate getting caught in a rut as he twisted. Yikes.

Geez... Hags playing in his first game as Cap wrecks Skinner's knee. Looks bad. Pretty obvious trip, but probably more the fault of skate getting caught in a rut as he twisted. Yikes.
- madmike71

Thats what Skinner gets for kiboshing a trade here last summer

Good Job Hags

Karma B1tch!

Geez... Hags playing in his first game as Cap wrecks Skinner's knee. Looks bad. Pretty obvious trip, but probably more the fault of skate getting caught in a rut as he twisted. Yikes.
- madmike71

yea it definitely looks like his skate grabbed

yea it definitely looks like his skate grabbed
- nelson911

Think about the condition of the ice tonight.

Crosby and Malkin are the only untradeable guys for obvious reasons

We aren't winning any cups this year or next... so whats the point again on keeping guys like Kessel and Hornqvist on the downhill of their careers?

Trade them now while they still have actual value, Retools can happen quick

Where do you expect to find all this "depth" and "speed" that you say we need?

The draft when we are trading our 1sts while we "Go for it Now" ?

Free Agency, Where depth is overpriced and the "Bargains" are Matt Cullens, Old and Slow? PLUS - We have No Capspace anyways!

Wilkes Barrie - Who besides Blueger has shown any sign of being roster worthy besides playing on the 4th line?

You're being sold Hope by GMJR and you're slopping it up as fast as you can shovel it into your mouth

But please, lets hear YOUR plans to compete this year, next, and beyond

(and I don't mean compete for the playoffs, I mean compete for the cup, against the likes of the Lightning, Leafs, Bruins, Jets, Flames and Preds)
- RoloTahmasee

Crosby and Geno have maybe 2-3 good years left. The Pens have to be going all-in (reasonably) during this remaining time. Of course, I'm not a fan of whatever GMJR is smoking and selling, but I don't see Kessel as an issue and for his cap hit and productions, I stand by that. He's on the downslope but he's still an elite top six player.

Eventually the team will need to do a full-fledged rebuild but by trading someone like Kessel, the Pens are going further and further away from contention and pretty much guaranteeing they won't be competitive for the last of Sid/Geno's good years. So if we're trading kessel, we may as well begin the rebuild now and offload those guys too (hypothetical, I know they have NMC/NTC)

I'm open to other ideas of trying to salvage draft picks, moving guys like Horny/JJ, but not kessel

Think about the condition of the ice tonight.
- madmike71

im thinking of previous pens outdoors games... not looking good

Skinner back....good for him. I thought that looked much worse.

I doubt Vegas would move him but I’d take Engo back if it sat Johnson on the bench.

Geez... Hags playing in his first game as Cap wrecks Skinner's knee. Looks bad. Pretty obvious trip, but probably more the fault of skate getting caught in a rut as he twisted. Yikes.
- madmike71

https://twitter.com/i/status/1099386730740936704

2nd person I have seen blame Hagelin for Skinner's injury, honestly that's pretty weird. What's weird is how easy it is for people to post erroneous information without any evidence to backup their statement. "I saw it" is not valid evidence.

Toepick prior to any stick contact.

Reaves trade value has probably gone up, GMJR traded him on the cheap

He's gonna have 10 goals, 20ish points, only 75 PIMS this year (so, he's not running around like a goon) all with 4th line minutes (11 minutes per night)

Thats some pretty nice production for a guy on the 4th line with those intangibles
- RoloTahmasee

Stats guys act like he’s a slug. The guy can skate at an nhl level and does use his size very well. He’s a very serviceable fourth liner. Crosby would be next to useless with 4 minutes a night. Sullivan isn’t a very good coach, was saying it while we were winning cups.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1099386730740936704

2nd person I have seen blame Hagelin for Skinner's injury, honestly that's pretty weird. What's weird is how easy it is for people to post erroneous information without any evidence to backup their statement. "I saw it" is not valid evidence.

Toepick prior to any stick contact.


- Glak18

I'm not the New York Times dude. I'm only repeating what they said on the broadcast.

Crosby and Geno have maybe 2-3 good years left. The Pens have to be going all-in (reasonably) during this remaining time. Of course, I'm not a fan of whatever GMJR is smoking and selling, but I don't see Kessel as an issue and for his cap hit and productions, I stand by that. He's on the downslope but he's still an elite top six player.

Eventually the team will need to do a full-fledged rebuild but by trading someone like Kessel, the Pens are going further and further away from contention and pretty much guaranteeing they won't be competitive for the last of Sid/Geno's good years. So if we're trading kessel, we may as well begin the rebuild now and offload those guys too (hypothetical, I know they have NMC/NTC)

I'm open to other ideas of trying to salvage draft picks, moving guys like Horny/JJ, but not kessel
- DeflatedPucks

Yzerman won a cup at 36, The Wings were still a top team when Yzerman hung it up because of a bad knee. Fedorov wasn't the top player on that team anymore either

You can flush out the guys on the downswing now and retool the team with youth and speed and Crosby/Malkin can still be effective in their mid 30's assuming you rebuild around them

Just throwing the B level assets we have (late 1sts, meh prospects) and adding mid tier 3rd liners hoping to catch lighting in a bottle and make a cup run is foolish

JJ would cost you assets to move, and Horny might fetch a 2nd and a B prospect

It's about moving the money as much as its about getting assets in return, because before you know it, it's gonna cost you assets to move that money (See JJ)

If we aren't realistically winning the Cup this year or next, whats the point of keeping tradeable assets for the next 2 years

Here's the problem I see with the Pens...and any moves they would /could make...is this team 1 or 2 players away from being a legitimate Cup contender THIS YEAR?

I feel like the answer to that is NO.

They had a winning streak of 8 games a little while back and looked better but a lot of that was better goaltending. With goaltending back to normal/average, you see what they are. A playoff contender...not a Cup contender.

Some jelling has occurred with the 'new' guys brought on this year and they are deeper than they were...but this recent span of 10 games doesn't give me that - "a good rental will make them a cup contender" feeling. I don't think that works out very well most of the time anyway.

If they make another trade it should be for more than just this playoff run.
- icedog97

I would say they if they acquired 2 or 3 players that would replace the obvious bad players on the roster they this team absolutely would be a contender. But it comes down to if the players acquired would actually replace the players that need to be.

Yzerman won a cup at 36, The Wings were still a top team when Yzerman hung it up because of a bad knee. Fedorov wasn't the top player on that team anymore either

You can flush out the guys on the downswing now and retool the team with youth and speed and Crosby/Malkin can still be effective in their mid 30's assuming you rebuild around them

Just throwing the B level assets we have (late 1sts, meh prospects) and adding mid tier 3rd liners hoping to catch lighting in a bottle and make a cup run is foolish

JJ would cost you assets to move, and Horny might fetch a 2nd and a B prospect

It's about moving the money as much as its about getting assets in return, because before you know it, it's gonna cost you assets to move that money (See JJ)

If we aren't realistically winning the Cup this year or next, whats the point of keeping tradeable assets for the next 2 years
- RoloTahmasee

JJ's buyout is not prohibitive. 270k for next year. 1.3 for the following 2 years. 2mil in 22-23. No question this would be the best route to go. They basically save 3mil next year and 2 mil the following two years. It's a no brainer instead of giving up assets to dump him.

I would say they if they acquired 2 or 3 players that would replace the obvious bad players on the roster they this team absolutely would be a contender. But it comes down to if the players acquired would actually replace the players that need to be.
- j.boyd919

Yeah that’s really thing and why I think a trade would be pointless. We bring in a new defenseman and it’s probably Maatta getting scratched cus Johnson isn’t going to the bench. If it’s a new forward, Simon’s going to the press box.

Buffalo did us a solid today. Nice!

JJ's buyout is not prohibitive. 270k for next year. 1.3 for the following 2 years. 2mil in 22-23. No question this would be the best route to go. They basically save 3mil next year and 2 mil the following two years. It's a no brainer instead of giving up assets to dump him.
- madmike71

If you bought out JJ this summer you'd have dead money for 8 years

https://www.capfriendly.c...r/jack-johnson/2019-06-15

If you bought out JJ this summer you'd have dead money for 8 years

https://www.capfriendly.c...r/jack-johnson/2019-06-15
- RoloTahmasee

They have 3.25mil of dead money for four more years now. Why not push some of that money down the road when it doesn't matter? Cap will rise and we don't have this guy suck for four more years. Keep the assets, cut this bum loose. Like I said.... No brainer.

Correction... dead player....

They have 3.25mil of dead money for four more years now. Why not push some of that money down the road when it doesn't matter? Cap will rise and we don't have this guy suck for four more years. Keep the assets, cut this bum loose. Like I said.... No brainer.

Correction... dead player....
- madmike71

You can also send him to the minors and have 2.25 dead and wait until the new CBA has a compliance buyout

lots of options, just saying a buyout does not only affect the team for 4 years

Yeah that’s really thing and why I think a trade would be pointless. We bring in a new defenseman and it’s probably Maatta getting scratched cus Johnson isn’t going to the bench. If it’s a new forward, Simon’s going to the press box.
- Victoro311

100% Agree. I'd rather them keep their first. There's really no single player that will put them over the top. Now, if the Pens were able to upgrade the 3rd RD I might sing a different tune. While JJ drags every partner down, if it were someone good enough to balance it out I'd do it.

Now, if they're going to trade their 1st and go for it? Then go balls to the wall. Go to DET and grab Nyquist and Green, not just Nyquist. Feds will HATE this trade, but I'd attempt sending a 1st, Hornqvist, Riikola and a prospect not named Hallander to DET.

Again my general point is if they're going to sell the future, make it worth it and make a trade good enough to off-set JJ being in the lineup.

No, I don't. Malkin doesn't have defensive deficiencies. Malkin is above average defensively for a forward of his caliber and style. He's just not Kopitar or Staal.

This bizarre notion that he is bad defensively this year has come from him simply playing sloppy hockey on both ends of the ice. Don't confuse the two.
- Rinosaur

Above average defensively? With respect to what part of his game? He doesn’t do a great job of covering his man in the D-zone, he has almost as many giveaways this year as he did last year and is on pace to blow up his past high in that regard. You’re saying above average for a star center, so who are all of these star centers who are worse defensively than Malkin? Grab a bottle and take a pull every time he makes a bad play with the puck or leaves his guy open tonight. Let me know how good you’re buzzing later

100% Agree. I'd rather them keep their first. There's really no single player that will put them over the top. Now, if the Pens were able to upgrade the 3rd RD I might sing a different tune. While JJ drags every partner down, if it were someone good enough to balance it out I'd do it.

Now, if they're going to trade their 1st and go for it? Then go balls to the wall. Go to DET and grab Nyquist and Green, not just Nyquist. Feds will HATE this trade, but I'd attempt sending a 1st, Hornqvist, Riikola and a prospect not named Hallander to DET.

Again my general point is if they're going to sell the future, make it worth it and make a trade good enough to off-set JJ being in the lineup.
- Rinosaur

Ya, if youre gonna go all in, Go ALL-IN

We just gotta get out of this stupid cycle

(2018 TDL) Trade the 2018 1st for a 3rd line rental
(2019 TDL) Trade the 2019 1st for a 3rd line rental
(2020 TDL) Trade the 2020 1st for a 3rd line rental

Then in 2021 we go "Hey, had we kept that 2018 1st, we'd have a player ready now with 3 years of ELC, and if we kept the 2019 we'd have a guy ready maybe this year and next" - Oh well, trade the 2022 1st for a 3rd line rental to fill that hole

100% Agree. I'd rather them keep their first. There's really no single player that will put them over the top. Now, if the Pens were able to upgrade the 3rd RD I might sing a different tune. While JJ drags every partner down, if it were someone good enough to balance it out I'd do it.

Now, if they're going to trade their 1st and go for it? Then go balls to the wall. Go to DET and grab Nyquist and Green, not just Nyquist. Feds will HATE this trade, but I'd attempt sending a 1st, Hornqvist, Riikola and a prospect not named Hallander to DET.

Again my general point is if they're going to sell the future, make it worth it and make a trade good enough to off-set JJ being in the lineup.
- Rinosaur

That's not enough cap going the other way. Also, a first , a top six forward with term, and a top end prospect.... and all you get is Green and Nyquist. No cranking way.
The biggest move they can make is bringing in one more legit top 6 LW to play with Geno. Pearson, ZAR, and Simon rotating wont cut it.