Firing the assistants was a weak limping-in move to shake things up. I feel like it was a move to say, "Hey, we're serious about a shakeup" to make up for the fact they won't be doing much.

I honestly think the only major move that will be made is moving Murray and that we will see 97% of the same team as this season.
- Rinosaur

97 seems a bit high as Murray, Marleau, Sheary, Schultz are definitely gone. Very highly that Bujgs is gone and I feel like Horny is gonna be gone too. They may find a way for JJ too. If they are serious about being 10mil under cap Bjugstad, Horny and JJ have to be gonners.

97 seems a bit high as Murray, Marleau, Sheary, Schultz are definitely gone. Very highly that Bujgs is gone and I feel like Horny is gonna be gone too. They may find a way for JJ too. If they are serious about being 10mil under cap Bjugstad, Horny and JJ have to be gonners.
- 668710

Keep dreaming.

Keep dreaming.

- Rinosaur

I'm gonna dream the hardest 🤣

97 seems a bit high as Murray, Marleau, Sheary, Schultz are definitely gone. Very highly that Bujgs is gone and I feel like Horny is gonna be gone too. They may find a way for JJ too. If they are serious about being 10mil under cap Bjugstad, Horny and JJ have to be gonners.
- 668710

Don't be so sure about Sheary. Also, they will have to give up assets to get rid of Bjugs and Horny, which they probably don't want to do. JJ is safe. They'll probably figure out a way to overpay to retain Murray. I'm not kidding about any of this.

Don't be so sure about Sheary. Also, they will have to give up assets to get rid of Bjugs and Horny, which they probably don't want to do. JJ is safe. They'll probably figure out a way to overpay to retain Murray. I'm not kidding about any of this.
- Hockey66

They don't have to get rid of an asset to move Bjugstad, but the return won't be great and probably only a little bit of savings. Horny they would for sure.

They don't have to get rid of an asset to move Bjugstad, but the return won't be great and probably only a little bit of savings. Horny they would for sure.
- Rinosaur

Bjug has negative trade value any way you slice it. I guess they can take back a garbage player on a longer but lower value contract. It will still cost the Pens something to move him.

Bjug has negative trade value any way you slice it. I guess they can take back a garbage player on a longer but lower value contract. It will still cost the Pens something to move him.
- Hockey66

I don't know this to be true.

Murray is very young for a goalie. It’s reasonable to expect he will play another 10 years. There is value there.

Toronto for instance will need a goalie after next year. Could swap him with Andersen if they throw in a sweetener. Maybe even get Kapanen back from them.

Detroit needs a goalie now and for the future, if we look for salary instead of picks they could be a good trading partner to unload bad contracts to. Could ship JJ and Bjuk along with Murray for a small return.

Edmonton needs a goalie, unfortunately Cirelli is no longer the GM so McDavid probably can’t be had but maybe Puljarvii?

There are options as long as people temper their expectations. Max value Murray was 2 years ago.
- stackthepads

Puljarvii is very interesting to me as that potential PP righty. We'd be taking a risk because they want a young player with similar promise back so I'm not sure there's a match, but we might be at that point.

I don't know this to be true.
- Rinosaur

If the cap went up like it does every year, you might have a case. This year with a flat cap? Nobody's going to want to pay $4.1M, even for just one year, for a guy who can't stay healthy, ever. 64 games last year. 13 games this year. Coming off major surgery that he apparently re-aggravated? No way.

In the last 5 years, he has only been healthy for one season and overall he has played an average of 56 games per year. If you extrapolate the cost for that amount of games played, it would make him a $6M player. Add him to the list of "we'll see" along with Murray and Sheary.

If the cap went up like it does every year, you might have a case. This year with a flat cap? Nobody's going to want to pay $4.1M, even for just one year, for a guy who can't stay healthy, ever. 64 games last year. 13 games this year. Coming off major surgery that he apparently re-aggravated? No way.

In the last 5 years, he has only been healthy for one season and overall he has played an average of 56 games per year. If you extrapolate the cost for that amount of games played, it would make him a $6M player. Add him to the list of "we'll see" along with Murray and Sheary.
- Hockey66

Someone will want him. Again, it won't be an impressive return, but the fact he's only got one year on his contract will make life easier. You can't view moving players like everything other team is in a place of strength. Every team has needs and situations with contracts, so it will just be about finding a team who needs a middle-six forward to fill out their lineup and needs to unload another contract.

Then they should fire JR for giving him that stupid contract just after being swept by a lower seeded team.

All of a sudden they are a budget team now? Why weren't they a budget team the last two years when JR gave JJ or Tanev way more than any other team would have?

I don't believe all of this budget crap. They are a successful pro sports team in a salary capped league. They can't get a loan or sell a share of the team to get up to the cap in order to be competitive? Just wait until fans start tuning out and see where their "budget" is then.

Also, if Sully gets re-hired, aren't they off the hook for the rest of his contract? Surely he'll latch on as an assistant somewhere.

This team is just one disappointment after another. I can't wait to see what senile fever dream idea JR cooks up next.
- Hockey66

I don't know if you got an Athletic subscription to read the article. It's long been said the Pens need to make the 2nd round to make their budget. So they lost some last year, but they (and every other team) lost a lot last year and probably will again.

Lemieux's pockets aren't that deep even if Burkle's are. Remember that before they won the Sid lottery, he was focused on selling and recovering his money. To their credit, they've spent for years to win, but I've always had my doubts they would continue to do so once the window closed.

Puljarvii is very interesting to me as that potential PP righty. We'd be taking a risk because they want a young player with similar promise back so I'm not sure there's a match, but we might be at that point.
- Tojo.

He's a huge risk. Drafted 4 years ago, 22 years old now, and hasn't done anything in the league. Now he's playing in Finland. I would rather see what our own prospects can do instead of giving something up for a guy who looks like a bust.

RW condescending arrogance toward JR is unbearable. Him dismissing all of the good JR has done is disingenuous and the fact he won back-to-back cups makes his tenure wildly successful regardless of what happens in the coming years. Look at other teams in this era, Caps took 13 years with Ovi to get past the second round and win a cup, the Lightning have still yet to win a cup, Sharks failed year after year. While the Blackhawks and Kings won their cups, they both are already in the midst of rebuilds/retools, whereas the Pens have remained contenders almost every year...The team is a new bottom pairing and improved 3rd line away from being serious contenders again, which is not a bad spot to be in all things considered

Abasin do you have a clue? Seriously? This isnt RW being condescending at all. Its just stating fact. JR's poor decisions since 2017 are why the team is closer to Detroit than to Say Boston or Philly. And you are correct in saying its a new bottom pair and better 3rd line away from being strong contender again. However, We arent getting a better 3rd pair on defense. JR fails to realize that Johnson is who lampooned Malkin and Kessel last year and Schultz both years. Instead of realizng that and moving on, hes doubling down on it. THATS why JR deserves every bit of criticism he is getting right now

I don't know if you got an Athletic subscription to read the article. It's long been said the Pens need to make the 2nd round to make their budget. So they lost some last year, but they (and every other team) lost a lot last year and probably will again.

Lemieux's pockets aren't that deep even if Burkle's are. Remember that before they won the Sid lottery, he was focused on selling and recovering his money. To their credit, they've spent for years to win, but I've always had my doubts they would continue to do so once the window closed.
- Tojo.

In that case, they should either take out a loan / sell a stake in the team for this season, or start the rebuild. Going in halfway is not only bad hockey management, but it's also bad business.

Someone will want him. Again, it won't be an impressive return, but the fact he's only got one year on his contract will make life easier. You can't view moving players like everything other team is in a place of strength. Every team has needs and situations with contracts, so it will just be about finding a team who needs a middle-six forward to fill out their lineup and needs to unload another contract.
- Rinosaur

Ok, but taking on a bad player on a bad contract still means Bjug has negative trade value.

Ok, but taking on a bad player on a bad contract still means Bjug has negative trade value.
- Hockey66

You are bit too myopic sometimes. I never said a bad contract. I said a contract they also need to unload. That player may fill a complimentary need for the Penguins. He doesn't have negative value, you're just wrong about that. Sometimes finding a trade partner is one that has complimentary needs.

From Yohe:

Nick Bjugstad — Rutherford will probably find a way to trade him. He doesn’t fit with how the Penguins play, and he makes $4.1 million for one more season, which is simply too much for the Penguins given the salary-cap situation. The guy has talent. Someone is likely to take him, but I wouldn’t expect the return to be significant.

He's a huge risk. Drafted 4 years ago, 22 years old now, and hasn't done anything in the league. Now he's playing in Finland. I would rather see what our own prospects can do instead of giving something up for a guy who looks like a bust.
- Hockey66

Definite big risk. You'd basically be banking on the Oilers screwed up. But these might be desperate times and if he puts it together here (and he was great this past year) there's a big potential reward.

I don't know if you got an Athletic subscription to read the article. It's long been said the Pens need to make the 2nd round to make their budget. So they lost some last year, but they (and every other team) lost a lot last year and probably will again.

Lemieux's pockets aren't that deep even if Burkle's are. Remember that before they won the Sid lottery, he was focused on selling and recovering his money. To their credit, they've spent for years to win, but I've always had my doubts they would continue to do so once the window closed.
- Tojo.

Don't forget they had the team up for sale a couple of years ago for the same purpose (to cash out Mario). Took them off the market when they didn't receive an offer to their liking.

Every team will take a hit if fans don't return. No fans, no games. Enjoy all this hockey 'cause we might not see hockey for some time if teams can't fill their arenas.

You are bit too myopic sometimes. I never said a bad contract. I said a contract they also need to unload. That player may fill a complimentary need for the Penguins. He doesn't have negative value, you're just wrong about that. Sometimes finding a trade partner is one that has complimentary needs.

From Yohe:
- Rinosaur

Ok, well, that's Yohe's opinion. I can't be wrong about something that isn't known yet. Yohe's opinion isn't gospel. Again, we'll see. And yeah, getting a Sheary type player back is negative value.

Bjugstad has value. He is a good player that struggles to stay healthy. The market for centers is so weak, someone will give a mid to late pick for him.

In that case, they should either take out a loan / sell a stake in the team for this season, or start the rebuild. Going in halfway is not only bad hockey management, but it's also bad business.
- Hockey66

Outside of what to do with 15 overall, there's not much difference in waiting a year.

And sorry, Lemieux isn't going to throw away his money. It wouldn't surprise me if he does look to sell soon, but not during the pandemic.

Ok, well, that's Yohe's opinion. I can't be wrong about something that isn't known yet. Yohe's opinion isn't gospel. Again, we'll see. And yeah, getting a Sheary type player back is negative value.
- Hockey66

You so often think you know things that nobody could know. You are a nobody in the world of sports, just like everyone else here. I trust that Yohe has a much better pulse than anyone here on the Pens and the NHL.

You're going to beat home the negative value thing, but you're wrong. Yeah, the Pens could make a bad trade, but they could do that with anyone. But hey, keep arguing something you literally have no knowledge of.

Definite big risk. You'd basically be banking on the Oilers screwed up. But these might be desperate times and if he puts it together here (and he was great this past year) there's a big potential reward.
- Tojo.

Do you mean he was great in Finland? I don't know anything about their league, specifically how good it is considered to be.

A lot of the reasons why I had reservations about keeping the 1st round pick this year have been discussed today:

-With Coronavirus, I figured a lot of teams wouldnt be spending to the cap. The Penguins ownership doesnt have deep pockets. Burkle's whole investment strategy is to take cheap and down assets like the Penguins were and then grow them. He has done that and has a nice return when he sells the team. I dont see him dumping millions into the team to "be a fan". When the team is winning, it is a good investent, when you have doubts about the direction of your team and next season, its easy to pull some of that money back.

-With the season in doubt, what happens if they dont play and then have a draft lottery similar to the 2005 lottery where every team has a shot at a top pick? You dont know what next season will look like. Putting your faith in this team plus the cirumstances to work out is risky.

-In our division, teams are getting better. The Hurricanes, Rangers, Islanders, and Flyers are all better than they were. Even the Blue Jackets are getting better. With the Capitals still at the top, nothing is promised in our division anymore.

Personally, I'm not bullish on this group. We have spent years spending the future away with bad trades wasting assets. Sooner or later, the future was going to show up. Minus a miracle prospect development, I dont see this team competing within our own division.

You so often think you know things that nobody could know. You are a nobody in the world of sports, just like everyone else here. I trust that Yohe has a much better pulse than anyone here on the Pens and the NHL.

You're going to beat home the negative value thing, but you're wrong. Yeah, the Pens could make a bad trade, but they could do that with anyone. But hey, keep arguing something you literally have no knowledge of.
- Rinosaur

Ok, we'll see.

I'll just cut and paste this response when you declare opinions about the unknowable "right" and "wrong."

It's not like Bjug DEFINITELY has trade value for this to be a hill you die on.

I'll remind you that you also think Sheary is a good hockey player who other teams value.