It was really nice of Kris Letting to offer Bunting #58 after all those years of MB wearing it.

Yeah all those guys fill in gaps where the pens are hurting.

He’s not in the HOF for nothing. How quickly did VAN turn around?
- sammy87

That's what makes me think "What if"?

GMJR was leaning towards moving trading Malkin/Letang? - Maybe

Lets say he did and he got great offers. We'd be 2 years into a youth movement "rebuilding around Sid"

Maybe we still have Tanev, McCann, Marino, Matheson. If we were competitive, we resign Jake, Maybe even replaced Malkin with a Free Agent like Trocheck

I can say the last 3 years probably wouldn't be as bad as it is now

I give Dubas a B- on his deadline. I think it's sus that they didn't move Ned or Smith.

Off-season moves: Dubas is going to trade Graves, Smith and Eller. Then re-sign Guentzel as well as sign Lindholm and Debrusk.

Guentzel-Sid-Rust
Bunting-Malkin-Rakell
O’Connor -Lindholm-Debrusk

And when that inevitably fails, trade Guentzel again…

That's what makes me think "What if"?

GMJR was leaning towards moving trading Malkin/Letang? - Maybe

Lets say he did and he got great offers. We'd be 2 years into a youth movement "rebuilding around Sid"

Maybe we still have Tanev, McCann, Marino, Matheson. If we were competitive, we resign Jake, Maybe even replaced Malkin with a Free Agent like Trocheck

I can say the last 3 years probably wouldn't be as bad as it is now
- RoloTahmasee

Yeah would have been the smart play. Could have had a chance to get a run with Sid. Not so much now. I see Crosby going for another run elsewhere. Someone like that doesn’t want to lose their last game or end in a rebuild with a bunch of kids.

I give Dubas a B- on his deadline. I think it's sus that they didn't move Ned or Smith.
- Aaron_85

In seemed like in his presser he felt like he could get a better deal in the offseason.

If that’s the case, Smith needs to be stapled on Sid’s line and the 1st PP to try to boost his stats as much as he can

In seemed like in his presser he felt like he could get a better deal in the offseason.

If that’s the case, Smith needs to be stapled on Sid’s line and the 1st PP to try to boost his stats as much as he can
- drummer829

I figured that would be the thing which still gives it a B-. That can go up or down depending on how some of these prospects in the Jake deal do.

Smith might want to be in Vegas but they got Hertl and easier to move him when a team like Buffalo or the Isle or someone wants a top 6 winger for a full year.

In seemed like in his presser he felt like he could get a better deal in the offseason.

If that’s the case, Smith needs to be stapled on Sid’s line and the 1st PP to try to boost his stats as much as he can
- drummer829

Right. He might want to try a little harder if he wants out. Another team needs to want him. It was rumored the Pens were willing to move him earlier in the season, but didn't have any takers.

- MattStrat

It has now become a meme across the league, I wish all teams would play this video on the Jumbotron when Vegas is in town.

This is getting ridiculous ... if the league won't do anything then the fans should at least have some fun with it.

I give Dubas a B- on his deadline. I think it's sus that they didn't move Ned or Smith.
- Aaron_85

We need both Ned and Jarry for the stretch run, since one will have to relieve the other every game after the starter gives up 5 goals on 50 shots through 2 periods.

So you believe that in this cut throat league… only Vegas and Tampa have sunk low enough to use this on purpose? Pretty naive. If it was that simple every playoff contender would be doing it. Are they just morally superior ? Please. This is becoming some serious conspiracy theory stuff. Are they poisoning their players in those cities? It wouldn’t leave those players to go to other teams cause they are all also against the cap. Unless they also started Tonya Harding their own guys.
- ChrisMS

Not sure what most of this has to do with the cap. At least 3 of the past 9 Cup champs have abused the no cap in the playoffs rule (CHI, TB, LV). For both CHI and TB it was obvious Kane and Kuch were healthy and could've played in the regular season.

The 2 things with the cap that are dumb are no cap in the playoffs and the fact that teams can accure cap space during the year if they don't use it. Having a base rule of sum of AAVs of your 20 players below X in all games, including playoffs, is a good start, but you'd run into problems with having to prevent teams from stashing players on their scratched list indefinitely. There would need to be some thought put into how to deal with that.

The fact that the owners don't view this as problem is irrelevant, since they just care about making money; they don't care if fans enjoy the product beyond whether we're willing to spend on it.

If the Cap is 84 Million you can ice 84 million worth of players based on their Cap hit

It wouldn't be that hard
- RoloTahmasee

That's true, it wouldn't be hard, but it still wouldn't necessarily be fair would it? If a team grabbed 15m worth of players at the TDL because they have LTIR room, then they'd essentially be able to rotate rested star players in and out between games to keep the team fresh through the playoffs while still keeping the salary cap in check.

I say this as someone that is not complaining about Vegas because they're just using the system as it has been made.

Just looked up Karpat, our new guy Ville Koivunen is on the same team as fellow Penguins Emil Pieniniemi and Kasper Bjorkqvist.

Just some worthless information I found interesting.

Not sure what most of this has to do with the cap. At least 3 of the past 9 Cup champs have abused the no cap in the playoffs rule (CHI, TB, LV). For both CHI and TB it was obvious Kane and Kuch were healthy and could've played in the regular season.

The 2 things with the cap that are dumb are no cap in the playoffs and the fact that teams can accure cap space during the year if they don't use it. Having a base rule of sum of AAVs of your 20 players below X in all games, including playoffs, is a good start, but you'd run into problems with having to prevent teams from stashing players on their scratched list indefinitely. There would need to be some thought put into how to deal with that.

The fact that the owners don't view this as problem is irrelevant, since they just care about making money; they don't care if fans enjoy the product beyond whether we're willing to spend on it.
- MickV

Fans everywhere can see what Vegas is doing and no one will ever acknowledge their accomplishment if they win again this year.

Put an asterisk (Houston Astros style) for teams who have won a cup by abusing the LTIR cap rules and the spirit of fairplay.

Fans everywhere can see what Vegas is doing and no one will ever acknowledge their accomplishment if they win again this year.

Put an asterisk (Houston Astros style) for teams who have won a cup by abusing the LTIR cap rules and the spirit of fairplay.
- Garfield512

I am sure it might be talked about the next time these types of rules can be changed. Until then it's just par for the course.

The issue seemingly being, both Tampa and Vegas used this rule. Both spots Bettman and the league would definitely like to see cups goto, Vegas a new market and Tampa being a fair weather town because plenty of other things to do there then be in a cold rink.

Until enough owners make noise about it, or better yet, everyone abuse it, it won't matter.

Let's sit Crosby, Matthews, McDavid, McKinnon, Doughty, all until the playoffs.

I am sure it might be talked about the next time these types of rules can be changed. Until then it's just par for the course.

The issue seemingly being, both Tampa and Vegas used this rule. Both spots Bettman and the league would definitely like to see cups goto, Vegas a new market and Tampa being a fair weather town because plenty of other things to do there then be in a cold rink.

Until enough owners make noise about it, or better yet, everyone abuse it, it won't matter.

Let's sit Crosby, Matthews, McDavid, McKinnon, Doughty, all until the playoffs.
- Aaron_85

Let's change the name to the Stained Cup then.

Just looked up Karpat, our new guy Ville Koivunen is on the same team as fellow Penguins Emil Pieniniemi and Kasper Bjorkqvist.

Just some worthless information I found interesting.
- Thunderbolt

Dubas mentioned that. Said they watched Koivunen a lot because of that. Said something about him being better than people think.

Dubas mentioned that. Said they watched Koivunen a lot because of that. Said something about him being better than people think.
- madmike71

Just have to hope it's not like that time they were keeping tabs on Joe Morrow and decided they really needed to draft Pouliot.

Opinions, at least coming into the season, seemed to vary wildly on Koivunen. Be interesting to see where he is when all the lists go up next year.

- MattStrat

OMG..I finally got this. I thought stone played better in the playoffs and was rising to the occasion as the undertaker...I'm a homer man, Now it's fixed in my brain and I got this now. Man..My fault mattstrat. Now this is hysterical.

I read stone has a lacerated spleen? So this "might" be legit???

Just have to hope it's not like that time they were keeping tabs on Joe Morrow and decided they really needed to draft Pouliot.

Opinions, at least coming into the season, seemed to vary wildly on Koivunen. Be interesting to see where he is when all the lists go up next year.
- Tojo.

Koivunen second on the team in scoring with 21G and 34A, Bjorkqvist by comparison has 4G - 9A. Koivunen needs to fill out a bit more before he tries the NHL.

Lucius Clay leads Wisconsin in points and Vitaly Ponomarev is fourth with the Chicago Wolves. These two seem to be more playmakers than goal scorers though.

What I like is all three have spent the last couple years playing college (Luscios) or in Europe rather than wasting time in the Canadian juniors. To be exact, Ponomarev did play some in the juniors. When he turned 19 he went back to Russia to play for Spartek for a couple games before returning to America to play in the AHL. Apparently, that bypasses the junior rules somehow. They are used to playing against older competition, is what I'm trying to say.

Matinee game vs the Bruins, hey?.... I'm going with 5-1 Bruins. Obviously curious to see how Bunting looks with Sid...assuming that's where he goes

Matinee game vs the Bruins, hey?.... I'm going with 5-1 Bruins. Obviously curious to see how Bunting looks with Sid...assuming that's where he goes
- MattStrat

More like matinee beat down 😂

More like matinee beat down 😂
- 668710

Hahaha

For the ones who are glad Jake is gone... That they're changing it up....

Pretty excited to see Sid get to play with a guy who has some balls. Definitely a small step in the right direction.