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Forums :: Blog World :: Ryan Wilson: Catching lightning in a bottle leads to the Hockey Hall of Fame
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Ryan Wilson
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: Rochester, NY
Joined: 06.13.2013

Jun 26 @ 9:12 AM ET
Ryan Wilson: Catching lightning in a bottle leads to the Hockey Hall of Fame Catching lightning in a bottle leads to the Hockey Hall of Fame
MattStrat
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: ...serial abuser...and misuser...of the ellipsis , NF
Joined: 12.12.2014

Jun 26 @ 9:22 AM ET
RW with the early day blogs lately...I like it.
jchst22
Joined: 01.24.2013

Jun 26 @ 9:23 AM ET
A lot of GMs build a team that makes the playoffs and never win. JR won three times. I’d rather have a team with a losing record but 3 cups than just compete in the playoffs every year
MattStrat
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: ...serial abuser...and misuser...of the ellipsis , NF
Joined: 12.12.2014

Jun 26 @ 9:26 AM ET
The locker room concerns me this year. The look of unmotivated uninspired play the past season by most players a lot nights, the very beginning off-season comments by JR about trading or maybe trading some of the core and then the backtracking, the trying to trade Kessel and him denying the trade, Sullivan's brutal lineup choices, Sullivans lack of good adjustments and a feeling I get that the players kind of tuned him out....that all leads me to have concerns about the locker room.
jmatchett383
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Newark, DE
Joined: 03.09.2010

Jun 26 @ 9:33 AM ET
It's the Hockey Hall of Fame, not the Hockey Hall of General Managers That Continually Put Together a Contending Roster. GMs that put together rosters that don't win don't get remembered (i.e. become famous), only the GMs or Cup winners do.
MattStrat
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: ...serial abuser...and misuser...of the ellipsis , NF
Joined: 12.12.2014

Jun 26 @ 9:34 AM ET
It's the Hockey Hall of Fame, not the Hockey Hall of General Managers That Continually Put Together a Contending Roster. GMs that put together rosters that don't win don't get remembered (i.e. become famous), only the GMs or Cup winners do.
- jmatchett383


hahaha
j.boyd919
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: Tampa, FL
Joined: 06.14.2011

Jun 26 @ 9:37 AM ET
https://player.fm/series/...18-featuring-brooks-orpik

Here’s the Orpik Chiclets Epi if anyone’s bored today.
Dr Blob
Pittsburgh Penguins
Joined: 09.30.2018

Jun 26 @ 9:48 AM ET
Congrats to GMJR. Richly deserved but now isn’t the time to rest on your laurels. The Pens need a facelift. Let’s hope you can find a way to instill some new life into the organization before the Crosby window closes.
jmatchett383
Philadelphia Flyers
Location: Newark, DE
Joined: 03.09.2010

Jun 26 @ 9:50 AM ET
Congrats to GMJR. Richly deserved but now isn’t the time to rest on your laurels. The Pens need a facelift. Let’s hope you can find a way to instill some new life into the organization before the Crosby window closes.
- Dr Blob


But he just caught lightning in a bottle.

5 times.
mdub71
Pittsburgh Penguins
Joined: 02.20.2019

Jun 26 @ 9:54 AM ET
Ryan Wilson: Catching lightning in a bottle leads to the Hockey Hall of Fame
Catching lightning in a bottle leads to the Hockey Hall of Fame

- Ryan_Wilson


I'm sorry covering a very successful hockey team for a fan blog site is so painful for the writer. Thoughts and prayers.
Rinosaur
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: Somewhere, NJ
Joined: 01.21.2016

Jun 26 @ 9:57 AM ET
I feel like this blog is a back-handed compliment and quite unfair to JR. Yeah, he's definitely regressed this team the past two years and dug them into a hole. That being said, it's unfair to diminish his accomplishments and call it lightning in a bottle.

JR has been a very successful GM and deserves every bit of accolades. Not many GMs accomplish half of what he has. Ray Shero was a great GM for the Pens and eventually poop the bed and now you look at how he's set up NJ? He's a great GM and yet he's had his failures.

No GM is without bad decisions, even the best ones.
Rinosaur
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: Somewhere, NJ
Joined: 01.21.2016

Jun 26 @ 9:58 AM ET
I'm sorry covering a very successful hockey team for a fan blog site is so painful for the writer. Thoughts and prayers.
- mdub71


Yeah, he's a bit of a drama queen at times.
WSCTeton17
Joined: 07.29.2013

Jun 26 @ 10:10 AM ET
The list of players he’s shipped out/let go of is certainly a good one, but he also brought some of those guys in and look at the Murray extension vs the Fleury extension. We discussed it yesterday and I would agree that the bargain signings of Murray, Dumo, Guentzel, etc all offset Gudbranson and JJ.

The ONLY reason why I liked the Hornqvist extension when it was first signed was because I thought he would continue to be a tradeable asset. Obviously not once the NTC it was announced. I was a much bigger advocate of bringing in Evander Kane and shipping 72 elsewhere. We also should’ve kept Cole (which is on Sully!) and Oleksiak (also on Sully)

Dumo-Letang
Cole-Schultz
Petts-Oleksiak
Ruhwedel

Man this would’ve been nice 😒🔫 (calm tf down, issa squirt gun). Maatta could’ve been moved in the Kane deal instead of shipping out Cole+ to get Brass 🤮
WSCTeton17
Joined: 07.29.2013

Jun 26 @ 10:12 AM ET
The locker room concerns me this year. The look of unmotivated uninspired play the past season by most players a lot nights, the very beginning off-season comments by JR about trading or maybe trading some of the core and then the backtracking, the trying to trade Kessel and him denying the trade, Sullivan's brutal lineup choices, Sullivans lack of good adjustments and a feeling I get that the players kind of tuned him out....that all leads me to have concerns about the locker room.
- MattStrat

I think a huge part of Malkin’s frustrations is who he’s playing with. These guys aren’t dumb, they know when they play with sh itty players. My guess is he 100% wants JJ gone but can’t say it because he’s buds with Sid and there’s conflicting reports that he does and then doesn’t want to play with Phil. I really hope Kahun is a fit in the top 6 and Geno gets his wingers set
Doogs
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: Pittsburgh , PA
Joined: 09.16.2005

Jun 26 @ 10:12 AM ET
This!!!

Good Lord RW, can’t find it to Congratulate the man? Just gotta keep running with the blase gloom and doom?
MattStrat
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: ...serial abuser...and misuser...of the ellipsis , NF
Joined: 12.12.2014

Jun 26 @ 10:13 AM ET
The list of players he’s shipped out/let go of is certainly a good one, but he also brought some of those guys in and look at the Murray extension vs the Fleury extension. We discussed it yesterday and I would agree that the bargain signings of Murray, Dumo, Guentzel, etc all offset Gudbranson and JJ.

The ONLY reason why I liked the Hornqvist extension when it was first signed was because I thought he would continue to be a tradeable asset. Obviously not once the NTC it was announced. I was a much bigger advocate of bringing in Evander Kane and shipping 72 elsewhere. We also should’ve kept Cole (which is on Sully!) and Oleksiak (also on Sully)

Dumo-Letang
Cole-Schultz
Petts-Oleksiak
Ruhwedel

Man this would’ve been nice 😒🔫 (calm tf down, issa squirt gun). Maatta could’ve been moved in the Kane deal instead of shipping out Cole+ to get Brass 🤮

- WSCTeton17


hahaha

I agree with all of that though I will say the Brass move seemed very good at the time. Most here, including myself, thought acquiring him was great. Most people around the league and analysts thought so too. No one could foresee how much Brass would sh!t the bed with the Pens.
MattStrat
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: ...serial abuser...and misuser...of the ellipsis , NF
Joined: 12.12.2014

Jun 26 @ 10:13 AM ET
I think a huge part of Malkin’s frustrations is who he’s playing with. These guys aren’t dumb, they know when they play with sh itty players. My guess is he 100% wants JJ gone but can’t say it because he’s buds with Sid and there’s conflicting reports that he does and then doesn’t want to play with Phil. I really hope Kahun is a fit in the top 6 and Geno gets his wingers set
- WSCTeton17



100%
Cousinskrid
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: the BURGH, PA
Joined: 03.08.2018

Jun 26 @ 10:14 AM ET
The locker room concerns me this year. The look of unmotivated uninspired play the past season by most players a lot nights, the very beginning off-season comments by JR about trading or maybe trading some of the core and then the backtracking, the trying to trade Kessel and him denying the trade, Sullivan's brutal lineup choices, Sullivans lack of good adjustments and a feeling I get that the players kind of tuned him out....that all leads me to have concerns about the locker room.
- MattStrat


Couldn't agree more... unfortunately.
Cousinskrid
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: the BURGH, PA
Joined: 03.08.2018

Jun 26 @ 10:19 AM ET
I feel like this blog is a back-handed compliment and quite unfair to JR. Yeah, he's definitely regressed this team the past two years and dug them into a hole. That being said, it's unfair to diminish his accomplishments and call it lightning in a bottle.

JR has been a very successful GM and deserves every bit of accolades. Not many GMs accomplish half of what he has. Ray Shero was a great GM for the Pens and eventually poop the bed and now you look at how he's set up NJ? He's a great GM and yet he's had his failures.

No GM is without bad decisions, even the best ones.

- Rinosaur


Agreed 100%. Even with all the advanced stats in tow (not claiming to know if GMJR uses them or not) any deal a GM is involved with can prove to be a crap shoot. And as for success... or lack of... all you have to do is look at Columbus from this past season, and all the moves they made, and how close they got, and how meaningless any final standing below The Cup ultimately is.
Rinosaur
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: Somewhere, NJ
Joined: 01.21.2016

Jun 26 @ 10:22 AM ET
The locker room concerns me this year. The look of unmotivated uninspired play the past season by most players a lot nights, the very beginning off-season comments by JR about trading or maybe trading some of the core and then the backtracking, the trying to trade Kessel and him denying the trade, Sullivan's brutal lineup choices, Sullivans lack of good adjustments and a feeling I get that the players kind of tuned him out....that all leads me to have concerns about the locker room.
- MattStrat


Sullivan hasn't been extended yet which should tell you something. I think they're letting this play out and we may see the ever famous mid-season coaching change.

JR has dug himself in a hole. My guess is his true preference is NOT to move Kessel, but because of the bad contracts he doled out to Hornqvist and JJ, and also picking up Gudbranson, Kessel is sadly his best option. So, I both feel bad and don't feel bad for JR.

I truly believe he wants to undo some things, but the old saying is "you made your bed, now you have to sleep in it." He has to backtrack because he's the GM and being the mouthpiece of the Pens is his job.
Kevin87
Pittsburgh Penguins
Joined: 06.26.2019

Jun 26 @ 10:22 AM ET
This article is ridiculous. Catching lightning in a bottle = getting lucky.

You don’t luck into 3 SC championships and 4 Stanley cup appearances overall. If you can luck your way into that, then every other GM in this league must really suck at their jobs.

Has JR made mistakes? Yes. Does every other GM in the league make mistake? Yep. Does JR know infinitely more about hockey than RW? I’d say his 3 rings proves that.
Rinosaur
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: Somewhere, NJ
Joined: 01.21.2016

Jun 26 @ 10:24 AM ET
Agreed 100%. Even with all the advanced stats in tow (not claiming to know if GMJR uses them or not) any deal a GM is involved with can prove to be a crap shoot. And as for success... or lack of... all you have to do is look at Columbus from this past season, and all the moves they made, and how close they got, and how meaningless any final standing below The Cup ultimately is.
- Cousinskrid


Yeah, and this lightning in a bottle bullpoop has irked me. The Pens are a major contender EVERY year; that's not lightning in a bottle. Yes, last year was the first sign of struggle, but they still made it.

The thing is, winning a Stanley Cup is catching lightning in bottle in the sense that it's generally a perfect storm of events for a team aside from being good enough to win.
WSCTeton17
Joined: 07.29.2013

Jun 26 @ 10:33 AM ET
hahaha

I agree with all of that though I will say the Brass move seemed very good at the time. Most here, including myself, thought acquiring him was great. Most people around the league and analysts thought so too. No one could foresee how much Brass would sh!t the bed with the Pens.

- MattStrat

I thought it was a worthy pickup as well because I assumed we were going to Phil the gap left by trading Cole. We did not and he was the exact type of player we were missing against the Caps/Aisles these past few seasons. Just a great character guy who is always doing whatever it takes to win and who had good second pairing chemistry. I remember people complaining he wasn’t good enough to remain with Schultz, well LOOK AT JJ NOW 😂
Cousinskrid
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: the BURGH, PA
Joined: 03.08.2018

Jun 26 @ 10:34 AM ET
This article is ridiculous. Catching lightning in a bottle = getting lucky.

You don’t luck into 3 SC championships and 4 Stanley cup appearances overall. If you can luck your way into that, then every other GM in this league must really suck at their jobs.

Has JR made mistakes? Yes. Does every other GM in the league make mistake? Yep. Does JR know infinitely more about hockey than RW? I’d say his 3 rings proves that.

- Kevin87


RW is no fan of GMJR, that is for certain. The other thing to look out for here: Jack Johnson is main reason behind the Penguins' failed season this past year.
burgh4life87
Pittsburgh Penguins
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Joined: 04.22.2014

Jun 26 @ 10:35 AM ET
The locker room concerns me this year. The look of unmotivated uninspired play the past season by most players a lot nights, the very beginning off-season comments by JR about trading or maybe trading some of the core and then the backtracking, the trying to trade Kessel and him denying the trade, Sullivan's brutal lineup choices, Sullivans lack of good adjustments and a feeling I get that the players kind of tuned him out....that all leads me to have concerns about the locker room.
- MattStrat

I actually think this is overplayed due to poor shooting down the stretch and the playoff exit. Frustration that the puck isn't going in looks like malaise or rebelling against a coach. Frankly, they played decent enough to win the first round if they played average goaltending, but they played against stellar goaltending and lost.

I don't think Sullivan lost the room, I think the Crosby line got buried in a match up they should have killed and the goaltending from Lehner was outstanding. I love the Kahun addition and moving another piece and bringing in another younger player on a prove it contract would be good. But I keep the top 4 of Sid, Geno, Phil and Letang intact for one more run.
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