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Forums :: Blog World :: Ryan Wilson: Shifting star power in Eastern Conference a growing concern for Penguins
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Ryan Wilson
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: Rochester, NY
Joined: 06.13.2013

Jul 6 @ 1:24 PM ET
Ryan Wilson: Shifting star power in Eastern Conference a growing concern for Penguins Shifting star power in Eastern Conference a growing concern for Penguins
sicknature71
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: Vadstena
Joined: 05.05.2016

Jul 6 @ 1:33 PM ET
First! Swedes are dominating everywhere!
jmatchett383
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Newark, DE
Joined: 03.09.2010

Jul 6 @ 1:36 PM ET
The only time playoff format comes into play is when you have conditional trades to be met.

Whether or not you play the "best" team in the 2nd or 3rd round doesn't matter, you still have to beat them.
Mino42
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: Philipsburg, PA
Joined: 08.10.2015

Jul 6 @ 1:41 PM ET
Oh just relax Doom and Gloom Wilson. Still have Sid, Geno, and Phil so all is not lost.
hardnosed
Pittsburgh Penguins
Joined: 06.23.2008

Jul 6 @ 1:42 PM ET
When did Rutherford say that he wasn't interested in or even didn't make an offer for Duclair and/or Ennis? For all we know he might have.

And it takes two to tango. Those guys want playing time that the Penguins can't guarantee them.
MacPatty
Pittsburgh Penguins
Joined: 05.21.2015

Jul 6 @ 1:42 PM ET
That was for sure a big win for the Leafs but they also lost JVR and Bozak.

Crosby> Tavares
Malkin > Matthews
Brassard = Kadri
Kessel > Marner
Jake > Nylander *** especially in the playoffs

Pens D >>>>> Leafs D

Murray = Anderson

The Leafs are definitely legit but lets not act like the Pens are losing an arms race.
Cape Breton Bruins
Boston Bruins
Location: long friend time friend, AB
Joined: 11.26.2008

Jul 6 @ 1:44 PM ET
That was for sure a big win for the Leafs but they also lost JVR and Bozak.

Crosby> Tavares
Malkin > Matthews
Brassard = Kadri
Kessel > Marner
Jake > Nylander *** especially in the playoffs

Pens D >>>>> Leafs D

Murray = Anderson

The Leafs are definitely legit but lets not act like the Pens are losing an arms race.

- MacPatty

Kadri > Brassard
Kessel = Marner
Nylander > Jake

Leafs Cap space > Pens Cap Space

Otherwise agr33d
jmatchett383
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Newark, DE
Joined: 03.09.2010

Jul 6 @ 1:50 PM ET
That was for sure a big win for the Leafs but they also lost JVR and Bozak.

Crosby> Tavares
Malkin > Matthews
Brassard = Kadri
Kessel > Marner
Jake > Nylander *** especially in the playoffs

Pens D >>>>> Leafs D

Murray = Anderson

The Leafs are definitely legit but lets not act like the Pens are losing an arms race.

- MacPatty


Whoaaaaa nelly
Victoro311
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: San Diego, CA
Joined: 06.17.2014

Jul 6 @ 1:56 PM ET
@MacPatty you underrate Marner and Nylander some, I think, but that's not really the point. The NHL has an insane amount of parity. Worse teams beat better teams on a regular basis. This makes increasing the gap between you and the next best team insanely valuable because every bit of edge in a league where no one can be counted out until they've been eliminated from the playoffs matters.

My issue with this offseason is that armed with cap space, the Penguins had a really good opportunity to increase their edge. We passed on it and Toronto and possibly TB depending on what happens with Karlsson made huge strides to close the gap. There was no real reason to pass on an opportunity to significantly improve an already great team, we just kind of did.

If we had had no cap space and Toronto went out and got Jonny T and TB got Karlsson, well that's just life. Nothing you can do about that, that's just other teams making good moves. But us not improving this offseason was 100% self-inflicted.
Mino42
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: Philipsburg, PA
Joined: 08.10.2015

Jul 6 @ 1:57 PM ET
Kadri > Brassard
Kessel = Marner
Nylander > Jake

Leafs Cap space > Pens Cap Space

Otherwise agr33d

- Cape Breton Bruins

Leafs will be worse off with the Cap a year from now.
Kessel's 92 points vs. Marner's 69 points so how are the equal?
acdc1206
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: Get the Cup back, PA
Joined: 06.13.2007

Jul 6 @ 2:00 PM ET
I'll take a 42 year old Cullen over the tiny Ennis anytime.
jmatchett383
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Newark, DE
Joined: 03.09.2010

Jul 6 @ 2:03 PM ET
Leafs will be worse off with the Cap a year from now.
Kessel's 92 points vs. Marner's 69 points so how are the equal?

- Mino42


Well, if you want to put it like that...

Marner has played 2 seasons, producing 61 and 69 points. At age 21, he only figures to get better from here on out.
Kessel has played 12 seasons. Prior to last season, he last topped 70 points 5 seasons ago. At age 30, he does not figure to get significantly better from here on out.

So was Kessel better last season than Marner from an offensive production standpoint? Sure. Does that figure to be the case from here on out? I'd argue that it won't.
Cape Breton Bruins
Boston Bruins
Location: long friend time friend, AB
Joined: 11.26.2008

Jul 6 @ 2:04 PM ET
Leafs will be worse off with the Cap a year from now.
Kessel's 92 points vs. Marner's 69 points so how are the equal?

- Mino42



Kessel = $73,913 per point

Marner = $12,958 per point

NO. FURTHER. QUESTIONS.
jmatchett383
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Newark, DE
Joined: 03.09.2010

Jul 6 @ 2:06 PM ET
Kessel = $73,913 per point

Marner = $12,958 per point

NO. FURTHER. QUESTIONS.

- Cape Breton Bruins


Yes, but that's going to change drastically going forward.
Cape Breton Bruins
Boston Bruins
Location: long friend time friend, AB
Joined: 11.26.2008

Jul 6 @ 2:07 PM ET
Yes, but that's going to change drastically going forward.
- jmatchett383

In one year, yes.
SimpleJack
Chicago Blackhawks
Location: Chicago , IL
Joined: 05.23.2013

Jul 6 @ 2:08 PM ET
Id still be more worried about Tampa than the Leafs

The 'ning aren't going anywhere anytime soon

MacPatty
Pittsburgh Penguins
Joined: 05.21.2015

Jul 6 @ 2:10 PM ET
Kadri > Brassard
Kessel = Marner
Nylander > Jake

Leafs Cap space > Pens Cap Space

Otherwise agr33d

- Cape Breton Bruins


Kadri and Marner are awesome. Marner isn't on Kessel's level yet but might be in a couple years.

Nylander on the other hand is massively overrated. He is fast, skilled and makes a lot of cute plays but he is one of the softest players in the league. Watching him in that Boston series was embarrassing... he was willing to hand the puck to Boston to avoid getting hit.

Guentzel had 21 points in 12 playoff games and is averaging over 1ppg in his playoff career. I would take him over Nylander every day of the week.

Toronto definitely has a cap advantage this year but they have 3 big contracts to dish out over the next year... that cap advantage doesn't exist beyond this year.
jmatchett383
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Newark, DE
Joined: 03.09.2010

Jul 6 @ 2:14 PM ET
Kadri and Marner are awesome. Marner isn't on Kessel's level yet but might be in a couple years.

Nylander on the other hand is massively overrated. He is fast, skilled and makes a lot of cute plays but he is one of the softest players in the league. Watching him in that Boston series was embarrassing... he was willing to hand the puck to Boston to avoid getting hit.

Guentzel on the other hand had 21 points in 12 playoff games and is averaging over 1ppg in his playoff career. I would take him over Nylander every day of the week.

Toronto definitely has a cap advantage this year but they have 3 big contracts to dish out over the next year... that cap advantage doesn't exist beyond this year.

- MacPatty


Yes, but Guentzel will probablt want about a 10x raise from his ELC, and they have to either resign or replace Brassard, Sheahan, and Hagelin, too. The Pens are gonna be just as up against it next summer as Toronto.
MacPatty
Pittsburgh Penguins
Joined: 05.21.2015

Jul 6 @ 2:15 PM ET
Kessel = $73,913 per point

Marner = $12,958 per point

NO. FURTHER. QUESTIONS.

- Cape Breton Bruins


It will be interesting to see what Matthews, Marner and Nylander's contracts look like. Kessel is locked in at $6.8M. Marner & Nylander will likely get $7-8M on their next deals long term. Matthews north of $10M.
MacPatty
Pittsburgh Penguins
Joined: 05.21.2015

Jul 6 @ 2:19 PM ET
Yes, but Guentzel will probablt want about a 10x raise from his ELC, and they have to either resign or replace Brassard, Sheahan, and Hagelin, too. The Pens are gonna be just as up against it next summer as Toronto.
- jmatchett383


Yes, for sure. Not arguing that the Pens are in tough shape against the cap. Just that next year the Leafs will also have it bad.
Mino42
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: Philipsburg, PA
Joined: 08.10.2015

Jul 6 @ 2:21 PM ET
Well, if you want to put it like that...

Marner has played 2 seasons, producing 61 and 69 points. At age 21, he only figures to get better from here on out.
Kessel has played 12 seasons. Prior to last season, he last topped 70 points 5 seasons ago. At age 30, he does not figure to get significantly better from here on out.

So was Kessel better last season than Marner from an offensive production standpoint? Sure. Does that figure to be the case from here on out? I'd argue that it won't.

- jmatchett383


By no means am I saying that Marner isn't going to get to Phil's level or beyond but right now I would take Phil. As far as the 70 Point argument, Marner hasn't gotten there yet and it might take awhile.
jmatchett383
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Newark, DE
Joined: 03.09.2010

Jul 6 @ 2:23 PM ET
By no means am I saying that Marner isn't going to get to Phil's level or beyond but right now I would take Phil. As far as the 70 Point argument, Marner hasn't gotten there yet and it might take awhile.
- Mino42


I think that Marner will have more points that Kessel next year. The reason I used 70 points was to show that Kessel's numbers (like Giroux's last year) were likely an abberation, not the norm.

Let me ask this: you can have either Marner or Kessel right now at the same cap hit. Who do you take?

If you don't say Marner, that's just blind homerism.
Mino42
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: Philipsburg, PA
Joined: 08.10.2015

Jul 6 @ 2:26 PM ET
Kessel = $73,913 per point

Marner = $12,958 per point

NO. FURTHER. QUESTIONS.

- Cape Breton Bruins


Yeah except that Phil's contract is great for the Pens at 6.8mil a year. I really enjoy the 1.2mil Toronto is paying and will be for another 4 seasons.
dcoms77
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: Chatham, ON
Joined: 12.26.2013

Jul 6 @ 2:27 PM ET
Toronto is really not that much better. They still have Ron Hainsy in their top 4.
jmatchett383
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Newark, DE
Joined: 03.09.2010

Jul 6 @ 2:27 PM ET
Yeah except that Phil's contract is great for the Pens at 6.8mil a year. I really enjoy the 1.2mil Toronto is paying and will be for another 4 seasons.
- Mino42


It's a great contract, no doubt, one of the better ones in the game.
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