Listen, to be hard to play against we don't need to be bruisers that beat the poop out other teams. That's certainly one way to be hard to play against, but it's not realistic to get there with our current roster and our stars aren't really build to play bully puck. But the other way to be tough to play against is to be (frank)ing dogs. Dogs that scrap and wear you down on the fore and back check. That grind out the cycle and win puck battles. In 2015-2016, we were dogs.

I think people missed the forest for the trees when this board started talking about speed vs. grit. These aren't flip sides to the same coin and aren't mutually exclusive. You can have guys that can skate but aren't dogs at all like Rodrigues, Mathesson, Lafferty, Jankowski, etc... And you can have guys with "gritty" aspects to their game that don't make the team any harder to play against. Johnson, Gudbranson, Bjugstad. On the other hand, Hornqvist wasn't fast, but he was a dog, and Hagelin wasn't gritty but he was a dog.

This team, above all, needs more (frank)ing dogs. I prefer them to be fast. I like the Kapanen/Tanev/Rust mold. I think you can win with a team of Kapanens, Tanevs, and Rusts provided that you have enough finishers who can actually put the puck in the net to complement them. But I'd much prefer to have guys that don't skate very will but go hard on the cycle than the collection of Nilla Waifers we currently have as bit pieces like Rodrigues, Lafferty, and Jankowski. Speed without skill or battle is utterly useless.

First and foremost our stars have to be stars. Malkin and Letang need to turn their seasons around or we're going nowhere. But if that happens, something as simple as replacing Rodrigues, Jankowski, and Lafferty with three dogs I think would go a long way.
- Victoro311

100% agree! Thats pretty much exactly why I said that trade to start with! Id love to see what Bennett can do with us and hes always good in playoffs. Kylington I think is better then what is happening to him now but hes more of a depth/ insurance/ possible upside play as he was scouted to be a Pettersson type but better. Robinson always posts good-decent numbers in the AHL and loves to be in the corners and around the net. Big body right shot 4th liner that works his a$$ off, skates well enough and can hold his own in a fight.

Biggest thing for me was not losing our 1st, Poulin and to a lesser extent Legare because if Malkin and Letang cant turn it around we are hooped anyways.

A Jack Russel Terrier. Kind of a poopty little dog, but has a lot of spunk.
- Victoro311

Jack Russel Terrier's as players would be (frank)ing annoying as hell to play against lol

#2 leads team in penalty minutes , this guy blows. Why do i keep reading that this guy is serviceable? I bet you he doesn’t have 5 hits and i don’t care about his CORSI crap he stinks. He has no upside Weber is a better defensemen and least when he is on the ice he attempts to skate with the puck. #2 turns his back and shuffles the puck into open space. He is getting in the way of some of our younger guys. Put him in the press box!

HCMS NEEDS TO GO!
- Malkin

Pretty funny to see someone say a player Grinder thinks is pretty good is not gritty enough.

#2 leads team in penalty minutes , this guy blows. Why do i keep reading that this guy is serviceable? I bet you he doesn’t have 5 hits and i don’t care about his CORSI crap he stinks. He has no upside Weber is a better defensemen and least when he is on the ice he attempts to skate with the puck. #2 turns his back and shuffles the puck into open space. He is getting in the way of some of our younger guys. Put him in the press box!

HCMS NEEDS TO GO!
- Malkin

What right handed young guys? POJ is really it as young dmen that are ready. Ruh is only playing right now because of the injuries anyways. But I will agree with HCMS needing to go.

100% agree! Thats pretty much exactly why I said that trade to start with! Id love to see what Bennett can do with us and hes always good in playoffs. Kylington I think is better then what is happening to him now but hes more of a depth/ insurance/ possible upside play as he was scouted to be a Pettersson type but better. Robinson always posts good-decent numbers in the AHL and loves to be in the corners and around the net. Big body right shot 4th liner that works his a$$ off, skates well enough and can hold his own in a fight.

Biggest thing for me was not losing our 1st, Poulin and to a lesser extent Legare because if Malkin and Letang cant turn it around we are hooped anyways.
- pens4life-66

Bennett would be a nice fish to add, or wait is he a dog? We've been talking fish and dogs too much 🤣

Right now we have no choice but to play #2, my point is he has been with the organization for a few years and they know his upside. For some reason the guy was content sitting in the press box getting paid and reading the news clips that “we are lucky to have a guy like this.” Brutal!

There is also a notion out there that a defensemen needs more time to develop which I believe is true but when they have no upside on the offensive end, are not physical , they are a dime a dozen. #2

Right now we have no choice but to play #2, my point is he has been with the organization for a few years and they know his upside. For some reason the guy was content sitting in the press box getting paid and reading the news clips that “we are lucky to have a guy like this.” Brutal!

There is also a notion out there that a defensemen needs more time to develop which I believe is true but when they have no upside on the offensive end, are not physical , they are a dime a dozen. #2
- Malkin

We're not paying Ruh big money here. And he's the perfect #7-8 dman. He can sit for long stretches and come in when injures hit and play a solid game. If he isn't here someone else would be. Idk where you are going with this. Obviously the team has to talk him up like that. What? Are they supposed to bash him and then say "get in their and play you piece of trash". Lol

Correct me if im wrong. i just read one of the front runners for the gm position is none other than kevin weekes. If this was already posted i apologize. I really like weeksy and he would bring in some fresh blood

Correct me if im wrong. i just read one of the front runners for the gm position is none other than kevin weekes. If this was already posted i apologize. I really like weeksy and he would bring in some fresh blood
- bigdaddywaite

I did not hear that he was a front-runner. I heard Mcfarland, Hextall and to a lesser extent Fitzgerald because the devils won't give him permission. I really want new blood in here so I'd pass on Fitz.

I did not hear that he was a front-runner. I heard Mcfarland, Hextall and to a lesser extent Fitzgerald because the devils won't give him permission. I really want new blood in here so I'd pass on Fitz.
- 668710

I just read that hes been named a frontrunner as per frank seravilli of TSN

I just read that hes been named a frontrunner as per frank seravilli of TSN
- bigdaddywaite

I really am starting to think if I applied I might of been a candidate at this point. Area of strength: round table hockey discussion on hockeybuzz.com.

Guentzel-Crosby-Rust

Zucker-Malkin-Kapanen

McCann-Blueger-Tanev

O'Connor-Jankowski-Lafferty (Sceviour rotated in)

Letang, Joseph and Ruhwedel rotated.

Matheson-Ceci

Czuczman-Weber

ZAR says he feels better than he has in a couple years due to a lingering shoulde issue. Surprised he wasn’t out there today.

I did not hear that he was a front-runner. I heard Mcfarland, Hextall and to a lesser extent Fitzgerald because the devils won't give him permission. I really want new blood in here so I'd pass on Fitz.
- 668710

100% on this. I want someone who isn't just going to come in an fall in line. I want someone who's going to have a fresh take.

100% on this. I want someone who isn't just going to come in an fall in line. I want someone who's going to have a fresh take.
- Rinosaur

Idk I think weekes has basically no FO experience whatsoever. Hockey player and analyst. I think you would want someone who has at least been an agm and maybe learnt some mistakes through his own merit or that of the gm. I mean I’ll take him over chia or Pierre but I think he’s be on the bottom of my list.

Guentzel-Crosby-Rust

Zucker-Malkin-Kapanen

McCann-Blueger-Tanev

O'Connor-Jankowski-Lafferty (Sceviour rotated in)

Letang, Joseph and Ruhwedel rotated.

Matheson-Ceci

Czuczman-Weber

ZAR says he feels better than he has in a couple years due to a lingering shoulde issue. Surprised he wasn’t out there today.
- 10inchTerror

Wait...Letang on his off side?

Idk I think weekes has basically no FO experience whatsoever. Hockey player and analyst. I think you would want someone who has at least been an agm and maybe learnt some mistakes through his own merit or that of the gm. I mean I’ll take him over chia or Pierre but I think he’s be on the bottom of my list.
- 10inchTerror

We're not talking about Weeks specifically. We don't want a former Penguin anything. So like Mcfarland or Hextall.

Bennett would be a nice fish to add, or wait is he a dog? We've been talking fish and dogs too much 🤣
- 668710

Dogfish!? Haha

Dogfish!? Haha
- pens4life-66

Lol 🤣. That brings back memories..or lack there of when drinking 120min lol

Listen, to be hard to play against we don't need to be bruisers that beat the poop out other teams. That's certainly one way to be hard to play against, but it's not realistic to get there with our current roster and our stars aren't really build to play bully puck. But the other way to be tough to play against is to be (frank)ing dogs. Dogs that scrap and wear you down on the fore and back check. That grind out the cycle and win puck battles. In 2015-2016, we were dogs.

I think people missed the forest for the trees when this board started talking about speed vs. grit. These aren't flip sides to the same coin and aren't mutually exclusive. You can have guys that can skate but aren't dogs at all like Rodrigues, Mathesson, Lafferty, Jankowski, etc... And you can have guys with "gritty" aspects to their game that don't make the team any harder to play against. Johnson, Gudbranson, Bjugstad. On the other hand, Hornqvist wasn't fast, but he was a dog, and Hagelin wasn't gritty but he was a dog.

This team, above all, needs more (frank)ing dogs. I prefer them to be fast. I like the Kapanen/Tanev/Rust mold. I think you can win with a team of Kapanens, Tanevs, and Rusts provided that you have enough finishers who can actually put the puck in the net to complement them. But I'd much prefer to have guys that don't skate very will but go hard on the cycle than the collection of Nilla Waifers we currently have as bit pieces like Rodrigues, Lafferty, and Jankowski. Speed without skill or battle is utterly useless.

First and foremost our stars have to be stars. Malkin and Letang need to turn their seasons around or we're going nowhere. But if that happens, something as simple as replacing Rodrigues, Jankowski, and Lafferty with three dogs I think would go a long way.
- Victoro311

Good post. Neither Sid or Geno have a 5v5 goal. I actually like this team, but it's not going anywhere if the guys with the biggest paychecks can't score.

Good post. Neither Sid or Geno have a 5v5 goal. I actually like this team, but it's not going anywhere if the guys with the biggest paychecks can't score.
- madmike71

Right, Sid definitely will. I'm concerned with Geno though. Love him but idk what's going on.

What is TIOPs saying about the GM search?

What is TIOPs saying about the GM search?
- 668710

Nothing significant. Just says "rising stars" are turning down the opportunity. Says Eddie O wants a FO job. Mentions Norm Mckiver might get an interview.

We're not talking about Weeks specifically. We don't want a former Penguin anything. So like Mcfarland or Hextall.
- 668710

Yup.

Nothing significant. Just says "rising stars" are turning down the opportunity. Says Eddie O wants a FO job. Mentions Norm Mckiver might get an interview.
- madmike71

Thanks for sharing. Eddie O seems weird. I thought he disliked the Pens after he was fired. Don't know who Mckiver is.

Wait...Letang on his off side?
- 668710

I think whoever typed the article just wrote him and Poj backwards.