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Forums :: Blog World :: Ryan Wilson: Leadership issue is at the top, not on the ice
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Ryan Wilson
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: Rochester, NY
Joined: 06.13.2013

Jun 17 @ 11:57 AM ET
Ryan Wilson: Leadership issue is at the top, not on the ice Leadership issue is at the top, not on the ice
Rinosaur
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: Somewhere, NJ
Joined: 01.21.2016

Jun 17 @ 12:09 PM ET
I’ve pretty much reserved myself to the fact the Pens 3rd pairing will be Johnson-Gudbranson.

If Johnson is paired with Schultz I pretty much give up on this staff.

TIOPS is reporting something I said earlier and that’s the cap. It may only go up to $80.5M. I don’t know if this forces their hand on JJ or now makes it even harder.
RoloTahmasee
Joined: 07.24.2009

Jun 17 @ 12:21 PM ET
Leadership is what they need to get guys like Kessel and Malkin (and Letang) to play like the coach wants them to play, not freelance (Letang) and/or just straight up not listen (Kessel)

You can point to all the cup wins you want, but players who are respected and who are Leaders will call these guys out and show young players how to play a team game and listen to and respect the coaches - Leadership does not equate to Cap Hit and Point totals

Are you pointing to Kessels cup wins and suggesting that makes him a leader? When the coaches are working on the white board coaching strategy and Kessel is F'in around in the corner with pucks, who's job is it to address that? and how? Who (besides Crosby) should young players be looking up to?

Same goes for Letang and his horrible pinches and turnovers, and Malkin when he just gets all "Malkin" and lazy

You can't bench these guys and you can't trade them. So, what do you do?
j.boyd919
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: Tampa, FL
Joined: 06.14.2011

Jun 17 @ 12:27 PM ET
Leadership is what they need to get guys like Kessel and Malkin (and Letang) to play like the coach wants them to play, not freelance (Letang) and/or just straight up not listen (Kessel)

You can point to all the cup wins you want, but players who are respected and who are Leaders will call these guys out and show young players how to play a team game and listen to and respect the coaches - Leadership does not equate to Cap Hit and Point totals

Are you pointing to Kessels cup wins and suggesting that makes him a leader? When the coaches are working on the white board coaching strategy and Kessel is F'in around in the corner with pucks, who's job is it to address that? and how? Who (besides Crosby) should young players be looking up to?

Same goes for Letang and his horrible pinches and turnovers, and Malkin when he just gets all "Malkin" and lazy

You can't bench these guys and you can't trade them. So, what do you do?

- RoloTahmasee


Hahahahahahahaah that was a good laugh.
MattStrat
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: ...serial abuser...and misuser...of the ellipsis , NF
Joined: 12.12.2014

Jun 17 @ 12:35 PM ET
All of GMJR's words today have left a pretty bad taste in my mouth. Gross.
riceroni
Ottawa Senators
Location: e5, ON
Joined: 07.29.2009

Jun 17 @ 12:52 PM ET
JG Pageau would be a great "locker room guy" for you... For a 2nd in 2021
jmatchett383
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Newark, DE
Joined: 03.09.2010

Jun 17 @ 12:56 PM ET
Part of the reason we lost our way was because we just got content with our success"
- Ryan_Wilson


Way to gloss over this part of his quote, Ryan. I feel this could be true, at least to an extent.
i'mjustafan
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: United States, PA
Joined: 05.15.2007

Jun 17 @ 1:00 PM ET
I call BS on JRs statements. He keeps trying to pound that square peg in the round hole. He is still holding onto those phrases like "push back", "grit", "hard to play against" except his head coach has a speed game. the roster as its currently constructed doesnt mesh.

JR and MS need to get on the same page. Trading sunqvist and a 1st for reaves (for grit to combat the tom wilson noise) and then the coach plays him 4 min/night and for only 58 games is a very easy example of not being on the same page.
Victoro311
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: San Diego, CA
Joined: 06.17.2014

Jun 17 @ 1:04 PM ET
Keeping Dailey and/or Bonino would not have been good for the on ice product. Our core are all vets. Did we get stale because of lack of this mythical leadership, or did we get stale because the roster construction wasn’t dynamic enough because someone else got complacent and decided to run the exact same team back three times in a row?
MattStrat
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: ...serial abuser...and misuser...of the ellipsis , NF
Joined: 12.12.2014

Jun 17 @ 1:06 PM ET
Keeping Dailey and/or Bonino would not have been good for the on ice product. Our core are all vets. Did we get stale because of lack of this mythical leadership, or did we get stale because the roster construction wasn’t dynamic enough because someone else got complacent and decided to run the exact same team back three times in a row?
- Victoro311


The 2018 (and 2019) playoff team was a lot different than the 2016 and 2017 teams. 2016 and 2017's were almost identical.

Roster construction wasn't dynamic. That's where I'd place my money.
Dr Blob
Pittsburgh Penguins
Joined: 09.30.2018

Jun 17 @ 1:07 PM ET
So, who tells Phil to stop goofing around or Geno and Tanger to play smarter? Sid doesn’t seem like the guy. Sully probably did but was tuned out. What options are left? Yeah, you can bench them and hope they wake up or trade them and get less than their value in return. GMJR is stuck between a rock and a hard spot with little hope to improve the on ice product. I fear all the trades for bottom six wingers or bottom pairing dmen won’t help. Looks like more of the same for next year.
Victoro311
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: San Diego, CA
Joined: 06.17.2014

Jun 17 @ 1:09 PM ET
The 2018 (and 2019) playoff team was a lot different than the 2016 and 2017 teams.
- MattStrat

That’s true but I think that’s because guys left and weren’t replaced rather than actual changes being made. I don’t think there was a serious effort to change up the roster until this past season with the Jack Johnson signing, Hagelin trade, Florida trade, and now Maatta trade. You had the Brassard trade last year but that’s really the only major affirmative move Rutherford made since 2015 in an effort to add something major to the roster
madmike71
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Joined: 12.21.2006

Jun 17 @ 1:23 PM ET
Way to gloss over this part of his quote, Ryan. I feel this could be true, at least to an extent.
- jmatchett383


Me too. I think Rutherford feels several players weren't hungry enough. I definitely think it played a part. I think JR considers "hunger" and "leadership" as somewhat synonymous.
Tojo.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: Aliquippa, PA
Joined: 11.11.2014

Jun 17 @ 1:27 PM ET
I buy the complacency argument. But that ties in with the idea of a stale roster. Up until 2 days ago, the team still had arguably it's top 6 forwards, top 4 defenseman, and goalie from it's last 2 Cup teams.

They shuffled around alot of the supporting pieces and maybe didn't adequately address losing guys like Bonino, Hagelin, Sheary, Dailey, Cole, Hainsey, Fleury, and Cullen. (Some of them stink now but were big contributors to at least one Cup run).

I like some of the new pieces Rutherford brought in over the last year: Bjugstad, McCann, Kahun, Pettersson, maybe Gudbranson, so I think he's on the right track. But he hasn't really changed up any core pieces.
Victoro311
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: San Diego, CA
Joined: 06.17.2014

Jun 17 @ 1:34 PM ET
I buy the complacency argument. But that ties in with the idea of a stale roster. Up until 2 days ago, the team still had arguably it's top 6 forwards, top 4 defenseman, and goalie from it's last 2 Cup teams.

They shuffled around alot of the supporting pieces and maybe didn't adequately address losing guys like Bonino, Hagelin, Sheary, Dailey, Cole, Hainsey, Fleury, and Cullen. (Some of them stink now but were big contributors to at least one Cup run).

I like some of the new pieces Rutherford brought in over the last year: Bjugstad, McCann, Kahun, Pettersson, maybe Gudbranson, so I think he's on the right track. But he hasn't really changed up any core pieces.

- Tojo.

The core doesn’t need to be changed though. There just needs to be more of an effort to improve the supporting cast. At some point last season it clicked with him that things needed to get better but he still needs to do more.
chimpira
Pittsburgh Penguins
Joined: 02.18.2015

Jun 17 @ 1:39 PM ET
https://www.espn.com/nhl/...ed-trade-not-shopping-him

"In Phil's situation, he was just part of a decision ... where we were trying to retool and we had a chance to get a good player, but it doesn't necessarily mean he has to be traded," Rutherford told 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh. "He's been a really good player for us, We wouldn't have won the Cups without him. He's an impact player; he will be for a few more years. So we'll see how that plays out."

...

"I'm not actively pushing to trade him at this point. If someone comes along with a deal that makes sense, we'll take a look at it, just like most of the other players."
madmike71
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Joined: 12.21.2006

Jun 17 @ 1:43 PM ET
I buy the complacency argument. But that ties in with the idea of a stale roster. Up until 2 days ago, the team still had arguably it's top 6 forwards, top 4 defenseman, and goalie from it's last 2 Cup teams.

They shuffled around alot of the supporting pieces and maybe didn't adequately address losing guys like Bonino, Hagelin, Sheary, Dailey, Cole, Hainsey, Fleury, and Cullen. (Some of them stink now but were big contributors to at least one Cup run).

I like some of the new pieces Rutherford brought in over the last year: Bjugstad, McCann, Kahun, Pettersson, maybe Gudbranson, so I think he's on the right track. But he hasn't really changed up any core pieces.

- Tojo.


I'm fine with the new pieces too...with the exception of JJ of course. Out of the old group you've mentioned above, the only guy we should really want back is Cole.
Tojo.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: Aliquippa, PA
Joined: 11.11.2014

Jun 17 @ 2:07 PM ET
The core doesn’t need to be changed though. There just needs to be more of an effort to improve the supporting cast. At some point last season it clicked with him that things needed to get better but he still needs to do more.
- Victoro311

What are you considering core though? I'd include Hornqvist and Schultz as part of the core and I don't think you'd mind moving either. (Along with Sid, Geno, Kessel, Guentzel, Letang, Dumoulin, and Murray).

I'd consider getting Trouba and moving Schultz as a core move. What else would you like to do?
Victoro311
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: San Diego, CA
Joined: 06.17.2014

Jun 17 @ 2:09 PM ET
What are you considering core though? I'd include Hornqvist and Schultz as part of the core and I don't think you'd mind moving either. (Along with Sid, Geno, Kessel, Guentzel, Letang, Dumoulin, and Murray).

I'd consider getting Trouba and moving Schultz as a core move. What else would you like to do?

- Tojo.

What I consider the core are Crosby, Malkin, Kessel, Guentzel, and Letang. I don’t mind including Murray, I just think that goaltending is pretty replaceable. The rest are supporting cast.

What id do is irrelevant since the ship has sailed on a lot of it. We moved Maatta for a cheaper piece which I think was good. I would have wanted to do the same with Hornqvist but he has a full no trade clause so that’s out. We need to upgrade the blue line in some fashion and while I’d like to keep all of our remaining good d men and just add to them, I think upgrading Schultz is the most realistic rout. Our biggest problem last year was a blue line that couldn’t facilitate offense. We can bring in Panarin and Duchene right now and if we don’t address that issue a lot of our problems will still be there.
burgh4life87
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Joined: 04.22.2014

Jun 17 @ 2:14 PM ET
What are you considering core though? I'd include Hornqvist and Schultz as part of the core and I don't think you'd mind moving either. (Along with Sid, Geno, Kessel, Guentzel, Letang, Dumoulin, and Murray).

I'd consider getting Trouba and moving Schultz as a core move. What else would you like to do?

- Tojo.


Are you moving Schultz for Trouba? Or are those two separate moves? If they are separate I could really get behind moving Schultz and then taking Colin Miller of VGK hands, who have notably soured on the defender despite the fact that his numbers are perfect for a number 4 defender at a nice price.
WSCTeton17
Joined: 07.29.2013

Jun 17 @ 2:28 PM ET
The Cullen criticism is warranted.

Mistaking leadership for experience is absolutely laughable. Dude, RW, they’re not the same thing! I’m sure all of us know people who have a ton of experience and aren’t good leaders/managers. It’s like saying that great players will automatically be great coaches

When I read GMJRs quotes I immediately think of Sullivan. GMs are rarely in the room, we know this. So he has to be getting his information somewhere, makes perfect sense that it’s from the coach and maybe a couple of our leaders

Thinking that GMJR has this opinion without considering that Sullivan might share this opinion is pretty effin stupid. Right up there with RW having never heard of Kahun before despite blogging about the NHL - don’t kid yourself and say it’s just the Pens, he talks about the league a ton. I think more and more he’s becoming Tanner. He’s watching graphs more and games less
WSCTeton17
Joined: 07.29.2013

Jun 17 @ 2:36 PM ET
Rolling over from last blog on people not knowing who Dominik Kahun was/is: he played over 16 minutes against us last year and was tied with Svechnikov for 7th in rookie scoring. As we’ve all read already, he had a great rookie year for the role he was given and had I believe the second highest QoC of all Hawk forwards. Do you guys never look into rookie scoring? Boxscores? Highlight reels?
j.boyd919
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: Tampa, FL
Joined: 06.14.2011

Jun 17 @ 2:41 PM ET
What are you considering core though? I'd include Hornqvist and Schultz as part of the core and I don't think you'd mind moving either. (Along with Sid, Geno, Kessel, Guentzel, Letang, Dumoulin, and Murray).

I'd consider getting Trouba and moving Schultz as a core move. What else would you like to do?

- Tojo.


I don’t consider Horny or Schultz the core.

Sid, Geno, Jake, Phil, Letang, Dumo, and Murray are the core imo.
j.boyd919
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: Tampa, FL
Joined: 06.14.2011

Jun 17 @ 2:44 PM ET
Rolling over from last blog on people not knowing who Dominik Kahun was/is: he played over 16 minutes against us last year and was tied with Svechnikov for 7th in rookie scoring. As we’ve all read already, he had a great rookie year for the role he was given and had I believe the second highest QoC of all Hawk forwards. Do you guys never look into rookie scoring? Boxscores? Highlight reels?
- WSCTeton17


Nope.
Tojo.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: Aliquippa, PA
Joined: 11.11.2014

Jun 17 @ 2:44 PM ET
Are you moving Schultz for Trouba? Or are those two separate moves? If they are separate I could really get behind moving Schultz and then taking Colin Miller of VGK hands, who have notably soured on the defender despite the fact that his numbers are perfect for a number 4 defender at a nice price.
- burgh4life87

I can't see Schultz as part of this deal with just one year left. Maybe if Meyers signs elsewhere. But I read Schultz has a limited NTC and Winnipeg is on that list most often. I don't actually see how they get Trouba, but I never rule GMJR out.

I've thought about Miller. He'd be a great buy low candidate. Think they need a bigger fish, a true #3. If they could somehow jettison JJ, trade for Miller, and sign Gardiner, that would make a pretty good second pair.
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