I think everything in this post is spot on.

Even if you get a better LHD than Dumo, I still keep him with Letang.

However, they aren't getting a LHD. They're happier with Pettersson than many fans (I agree with them there) and they're much happier with JJ (don't agree at all there). And they're high on POJ who should see some time this year.

For the record, I think you can upgrade Pettersson and add either a more offensive defenseman or a more physical one, it just wouldn't be a priority for me
- Tojo.

Top 4 d should not be a priority at all.

Priority should be:

1. Shedding cap
2. Finding a real 3c
3. Finding a right handed playmaker for the pp

Don’t know if it’s feasible at all but the top target should be Ryan Strome imo. Or see if Geurin is willing to give you Kunin.

Top 4 d should not be a priority at all.

Priority should be:

1. Shedding cap
2. Finding a real 3c
3. Finding a right handed playmaker for the pp
- Feds91Stammer

I think given the choice I'd rather get someone who can retrieve pucks and has hands good enough to play on the top line. Rust was 12th in the league in goals per 60 on the PP (and 6 of the guys ahead of him played in Edmonton), they just only used him there when Crosby or Guentzel were out.

I won't say no to a great RH PP specialist, but if I can only get one that's my choice. Better coaching would improve the PP more than a new player.

The Penguins have signed college free agent defenseman Josh Maniscalco to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Rutherford on Maniscalco: “Josh is a solid puck-moving, offensive defenseman. He jumps into the rush and plays a style that is complementary to our group. We think highly of his character and are happy to add Josh to the organization.”

EDIT: right handy

The Penguins have signed college free agent defenseman Josh Maniscalco to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Rutherford on Maniscalco: “Josh is a solid puck-moving, offensive defenseman. He jumps into the rush and plays a style that is complementary to our group. We think highly of his character and are happy to add Josh to the organization.”

EDIT: right handy
- MattStrat

Please pull a Marino haha

Please pull a Marino haha
- 668710

hahah imagine that....but what are the chances...

Wouldnt it be awesome if he and POJ stuck for the 3rd pair in training camp and there was no more JJ...talk about cap savings and an upgraded 3rd pair all at once.

Top 4 d should not be a priority at all.

Priority should be:

1. Shedding cap
2. Finding a real 3c
3. Finding a right handed playmaker for the pp
- Feds91Stammer

I'll agree that those others may be more pressing but the Pens really need to be improving everywhere and sometimes different players and deals come about with non competing assets.

hahah imagine that....but what are the chances...

Wouldnt it be awesome if he and POJ stuck for the 3rd pair in training camp and there was no more JJ...talk about cap savings and an upgraded 3rd pair all at once.
- MattStrat

Honestly he doesn't even have to Pull a Marino just be good enough for 3 RD haha.

Edit: I guess he plays with an edge too, 38PIM in 36 games.

Top 4 d should not be a priority at all.

Priority should be:

1. Shedding cap
2. Finding a real 3c
3. Finding a right handed playmaker for the pp
- Feds91Stammer

It would be nice if number 3 was a top 6 player. Or if the 3c could be righty and top PP, like you said with Gagne.

hahah it is...then he goes on to say he's a solid 3rd pair defenceman...how many fvcking 3rd pairing d-men are getting 3.25 mill per for 5 years??

Thats not what you thought of him when you signed him, Jim. You've always been wrong about him and still are...he's below replacement level, let alone 3rd pair.
- MattStrat

He didn’t just say that he’s a solid 3rd pair s man. He said that with the right partner he can be very good. Basically he admits that third pairings with Jack Johnson have blown but is assigning blame to the partner. Maatta, Schultz, whoever. Again this is well beyond publicly propping your guy up so that his value doesn’t tank (doesn’t matter it was already). This org actively throws other people under the bus when explaining away Johnson’s play which leads me to believe they’re sincere in saying they think Johnson is good. Why else dump on Schultz, or Maatta, or anyone else unless you truly think they’re the ones holding Johnson back?

Well hopefully this college UFA we just signed is first pairing caliber so the 3rd pairing is once again competent given that the only way Johnson can be a part of an NHL-caliber pairing is if his partner is so good that he can do the work of two d men at once. The only times Johnson’s on ice numbers weren’t below replacement level were when paired with Marino (top 4 quality in a sheltered bottom pairing role) or Letang (1D and the pairing was awful by first pairing standards).

The Penguins have signed college free agent defenseman Josh Maniscalco to a three-year, entry-level contract.

Rutherford on Maniscalco: “Josh is a solid puck-moving, offensive defenseman. He jumps into the rush and plays a style that is complementary to our group. We think highly of his character and are happy to add Josh to the organization.”

EDIT: right handy
- MattStrat

Awesome! Read about him the other day and was hoping we'd sign him. Honestly I think we're doing a pretty nice job signing people.

Maniscalco - its a crapshoot but he seems to have all the tools
Robert - tiny but put up huge points in the Q
Stevens - not much upside but probably could supplant ZAR in the bottom 6
O'Connor - could be a real steal, top 6 power forward potential
Zohorna - this guy is huge... 6'6" 233 pounds... projected to be ready for NHL bottom six by this season (I dont see him beating out enough ppl to keep a roster spot)

Thats like a whole draft worth of players, so I'd guess one or two could become impact/role players with the Pens.

Awesome! Read about him the other day and was hoping we'd sign him. Honestly I think we're doing a pretty nice job signing people.

Maniscalco - its a crapshoot but he seems to have all the tools
Robert - tiny but put up huge points in the Q
Stevens - not much upside but probably could supplant ZAR in the bottom 6
O'Connor - could be a real steal, top 6 power forward potential
Zohorna - this guy is huge... 6'6" 233 pounds... projected to be ready for NHL bottom six by this season (I dont see him beating out enough ppl to keep a roster spot)

Thats like a whole draft worth of players, so I'd guess one or two could become impact/role players with the Pens.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

Closest eye on Maniscalco and O'Conner, see how they look. If O'Conner is reported top 6 potential he could make the bottom 6. The other guys mehh, maybe Robert as a winger after a year in the AHL but we'll see....

From the ASU coach on Maniscalco

“He’s got everything you want,” Powers said. “He’s got poise and he can break it out better than anybody you will see, and now he’s starting to produce offensively.”

Decent size for a Pens prospect too. In fact quite a few of the Pens recent picks are bigger guys.

A bit more from the article

However, it’s not his scoring touch that matters most. Rather, Maniscalco has displayed an uncanny ability to break the puck out of the defensive zone, and he seems to always activate on the rush at just the right time.

Awesome! Read about him the other day and was hoping we'd sign him. Honestly I think we're doing a pretty nice job signing people.

Maniscalco - its a crapshoot but he seems to have all the tools
Robert - tiny but put up huge points in the Q
Stevens - not much upside but probably could supplant ZAR in the bottom 6
O'Connor - could be a real steal, top 6 power forward potential
Zohorna - this guy is huge... 6'6" 233 pounds... projected to be ready for NHL bottom six by this season (I dont see him beating out enough ppl to keep a roster spot)

Thats like a whole draft worth of players, so I'd guess one or two could become impact/role players with the Pens.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

Awesome! Maniscalo like O'Connor is an actual prospect. I agree, Pens have done a good job in the undrafted UFA market.

Robert and Stevens, who knows but both have at least some potential so at AHL deals it's worth a shot. Zohorna like most European UFAs is a wild card. With ZAR out, perhaps that opens the door a little for a bottom 6 with size if he can play.

Per Seravelli, Lemieux called Maniscalo himself to pitch him on the Pens. (Austin was his teammate so I'm assuming Mario watched all his games.)

Awesome! Maniscalo like O'Connor is an actual prospect. I agree, Pens have done a good job in the underrated UFA market.

Robert and Stevens, who knows but both have at least some potential so at AHL deals it's worth a shot. Zohorna like most European UFAs is a wild card. With ZAR out, perhaps that opens the door a little for a bottom 6 with size if he can play.

Per Seravelli, Lemieux called Maniscalo himself to pitch him on the Pens. (Austin was his teammate so I'm assuming Mario watched all his games.)
- Tojo.

I agree, Maniscalo and O'Conner are the ones too look out for!

I just looked up Legare he's bigger than I thought.

I just looked up Legare he's bigger than I thought.
- 668710

Both he and Poulin are bigger bodies.

Won't help if they can't skate but I think the knocks on both of their skating ability has been a bit overblown. Especially Poulin.

Both he and Poulin are bigger bodies.

Won't help if they can't skate but I think the knocks on both of their skating ability has been a bit overblown. Especially Poulin.
- Thorny87

From what I've read, Poulin's skating improved this year to the point it's not a problem. In Legare's case, there's more concern that it's not just technique though I can't really clarify.

From what I've read, Poulin's skating improved this year to the point it's not a problem. In Legare's case, there's more concern that it's not just technique though I can't really clarify.
- Tojo.

Some guys just skate oddly. Giroux looks like he's got a fused spine.

If he's not the guy carrying the mail, but can retrieve and finish I'm fine with it. He just can't be a zone behind.

He didn’t just say that he’s a solid 3rd pair s man. He said that with the right partner he can be very good. Basically he admits that third pairings with Jack Johnson have blown but is assigning blame to the partner. Maatta, Schultz, whoever. Again this is well beyond publicly propping your guy up so that his value doesn’t tank (doesn’t matter it was already). This org actively throws other people under the bus when explaining away Johnson’s play which leads me to believe they’re sincere in saying they think Johnson is good. Why else dump on Schultz, or Maatta, or anyone else unless you truly think they’re the ones holding Johnson back?

Well hopefully this college UFA we just signed is first pairing caliber so the 3rd pairing is once again competent given that the only way Johnson can be a part of an NHL-caliber pairing is if his partner is so good that he can do the work of two d men at once. The only times Johnson’s on ice numbers weren’t below replacement level were when paired with Marino (top 4 quality in a sheltered bottom pairing role) or Letang (1D and the pairing was awful by first pairing standards).
- Victoro311

hahaha

Awesome! Read about him the other day and was hoping we'd sign him. Honestly I think we're doing a pretty nice job signing people.

Maniscalco - its a crapshoot but he seems to have all the tools
Robert - tiny but put up huge points in the Q
Stevens - not much upside but probably could supplant ZAR in the bottom 6
O'Connor - could be a real steal, top 6 power forward potential
Zohorna - this guy is huge... 6'6" 233 pounds... projected to be ready for NHL bottom six by this season (I dont see him beating out enough ppl to keep a roster spot)

Thats like a whole draft worth of players, so I'd guess one or two could become impact/role players with the Pens.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

Yeah man, its pretty good for a the Pens to do this when they trade away so many picks. If 1 or 2 of these guys become NHL regulars than the traded picks dont matter near as much, or at all haha

From the ASU coach on Maniscalco

“He’s got everything you want,” Powers said. “He’s got poise and he can break it out better than anybody you will see, and now he’s starting to produce offensively.”

Decent size for a Pens prospect too. In fact quite a few of the Pens recent picks are bigger guys.

A bit more from the article

However, it’s not his scoring touch that matters most. Rather, Maniscalco has displayed an uncanny ability to break the puck out of the defensive zone, and he seems to always activate on the rush at just the right time.
- Thorny87

Well this certainly upped my excitement for him in the system a bit more.

Some guys just skate oddly. Giroux looks like he's got a fused spine.

If he's not the guy carrying the mail, but can retrieve and finish I'm fine with it. He just can't be a zone behind.
- Thorny87

The retrieval part is questionable as is his hockey sense. The knock on him is his linemates need to carry him.

But he is an exceptional finisher who can one time or score around the net and a righty. And really big. We'll see how he works out. Could see him scoring 30 or never really sticking in the NHL.

The retrieval part is questionable as is his hockey sense. The knock on him is his linemates need to carry him.

But he is an exceptional finisher who can one time or score around the net and a righty. And really big. We'll see how he works out. Could see him scoring 30 or never really sticking in the NHL.
- Tojo.

If he could be our righty on the top PP that would be sick. Even if he has to play in the bottom 6

Rutherford is a stubborn ass. He's letting person feelings cloud his judgement. When a coach or GM is blind to the truth and willfully ignoring a blatant problem, it's time to send their ass packing. Thanks for memories and the (x2) Cups, Jim, but there's the door. And if Sullivan wants to continue his streak of being a stubborn poop and playing an absolute albatross of a defenceman, he should get that boot too. Two back-to-back 1st round exits are embarrassing enough for me. I don't care that they won a Cup as recently as 3 years ago. I want the Pens to continue winning year after year. I want my favorite team to succeed, and over the last 2 years Rutherford and Sullivan have put together a team that is very disappointing. I'm very ready for a change in leadership.