Ryan Wilson: Penguins lose another player for year + Solving draft and playoff format Penguins lose another player for year + Solving draft and playoff format

Bjugstad is no loss, surprised he is still on a nhl roster

The fact remains the NHL usually goes down the more boring and more convoluted paths when given a chance.
- Ryan_Wilson

Yes, selecting balls at random is far more convoluted than keeping track of multiple standings points and making teams decide when they don't want to try to win the Cup.

And if you have a "generarional talent" like Crosby or McDavid coming up, what's to stop any team from declaring themselves eliminated on the first day of the season?

Also, I'm sure you hated the draft lottery in 2005.

Yes, selecting balls at random is far more convoluted than keeping track of multiple standings points and making teams decide when they don't want to try to win the Cup.

And if you have a "generarional talent" like Crosby or McDavid coming up, what's to stop any team from declaring themselves eliminated on the first day of the season?

Also, I'm sure you hated the draft lottery in 2005.
- jmatchett383

What's your venmo? I should probably pay the mortgage for living inside your head.

What's your venmo? I should probably pay the mortgage for living inside your head.
- Ryan_Wilson

Holy sh!t a RW response/comment! Amazing.

The world has certainly changed.

What's your venmo? I should probably pay the mortgage for living inside your head.
- Ryan_Wilson

Wow, amazed you lowered yourself to actually interact (sort of) with people whose responses keep you employed on this site.

But I understand. "Hockey Culture" is always wrong no matter what the issues is.

Wow, amazed you lowered yourself to actually interact (sort of) with people whose responses keep you employed on this site.

But I understand. "Hockey Culture" is always wrong no matter what the issues is.
- jmatchett383

issues are*....or....issue is*


Sorry, I had to because you grilled me for could of/could have before haha

This organization refuses to use buy outs so I wouldn’t hold my breath. If we didn’t use one on the rotting corpse of Rob Scuderi, we won’t use one on Jack Johnson who the organization seems to think has been rehabilitated.
- Victoro311

This gets brought up from time to time, but have they ever actually said this, or is it just that they haven't done it? GMJR just trades his way out of most of his problems including Scuderi.

Also a compliance buyout would be different if they have them. Regardless, this off-season will be different from normal so teams may ne forced to do something more drastic.

I think having the draft lottery with the 8 teams that lose the play-in is important. Otherwise teams like Montreal would probably say we don't want to be a part of it as we lose our chance of getting a top 15 pick, that could go to number 1, I know that is what I would do if I was the GM as their chance of winning the cup is small. The Draft Lottery is what it would be if the regular season played out.

They should re-seed and hearing that the players want this and the NHL is willing to do this, so that solves that problem.

This gets brought up from time to time, but have they ever actually said this, or is it just that they haven't done it? GMJR just trades his way out of most of his problems including Scuderi.

Also a compliance buyout would be different if they have them. Regardless, this off-season will be different from normal so teams may ne forced to do something more drastic.
- Tojo.

It has not come from Mario, Burkle, Shero, or Rutherford's mouths, but the beat has been pretty explicit for years that a buy out isn't a realistic option for this organization. That's beat speak for an unofficial policy being in place.

I think having the draft lottery with the 8 teams that lose the play-in is important. Otherwise teams like Montreal would probably say we don't want to be a part of it as we lose our chance of getting a top 15 pick, that could go to number 1, I know that is what I would do if I was the GM as their chance of winning the cup is small. The Draft Lottery is what it would be if the regular season played out.

They should re-seed and hearing that the players want this and the NHL is willing to do this, so that solves that problem.
- abcpens10

No a team wouldn't do that. In theory, there are times when tanking is 100% rational and what an organization should do, but that's not how athletes and coaches are wired. That's why to initiate a tank, one man at the top (GM) has to actively trade away all of his good players and ice the worst roster possible to make it work. Otherwise, they could just tell the team "Hey we're gonna tank now" and be able to have his personnel throw games and get good draft picks without having to trade away the good players. A team would absolutely mutiny if the captain of the ship did something like voluntarily vacate a playoff spot.

Pens have got to have one of the highest man games lost for the past decade or so.

It's a herniated disk for Bjugstad and it's minimum 8 weeks with an open ended return date. I guess it's not a sure thing he's not coming back.

No a team wouldn't do that. In theory, there are times when tanking is 100% rational and what an organization should do, but that's not how athletes and coaches are wired. That's why to initiate a tank, one man at the top (GM) has to actively trade away all of his good players and ice the worst roster possible to make it work. Otherwise, they could just tell the team "Hey we're gonna tank now" and be able to have his personnel throw games and get good draft picks without having to trade away the good players. A team would absolutely mutiny if the captain of the ship did something like voluntarily vacate a playoff spot.
- Victoro311

The thing is they are not vacating a playoff spot, they only are if they win. If I was a team like Montreal and I do the play-in and lose and have no chance at the playoff lottery then I would be pissed. That is what I am saying. The NHL did it right by having the 8 losers be a part of the Draft Lottery and I am disagreeing with Ryan on that it should only be the 7 teams.

Using Montreal as an example they would have had a 6% chance at the number 1 pick and a 19% chance of the top 3 if the regular season played out and they stayed at 24th overall. Not including the 8 teams that lose in the play-in in the Draft Lottery is dumb.

It's the flu, that's why Ryan responded

I could definitely see Bjugstad as a buyout candidate following this season if they give you one freebie. Wonder what the lines will be?

My guess would be
Guentzel - Crosby - Zucker
Marleau - Malkin - Rust
Sheary/Rodrigues - McCann - Hornqvist
ZAR - Blueger - Tanev


Dumoulin - Letang
Pettersson - Marino
JJ - Schultz

Pretty solid overall. I could see Sheary and Rodrigues being swapped by the coaching staff pending if they want to add a scorer or a more defensive minded player to the line up.

Bjugstad should take a good, hard look at retirement. You only get one back, and you don’t want to end up like Nathan Horton.

What would happen if a team declared themselves out of the playoffs and then ended up actually making the playoffs? Would they not be allowed to attend the playoffs then?

I don’t see zucker and jake on the same line. Pitt seems to be more of a spread out the talent type since they rarely ever put Sid and geno together.

It has not come from Mario, Burkle, Shero, or Rutherford's mouths, but the beat has been pretty explicit for years that a buy out isn't a realistic option for this organization. That's beat speak for an unofficial policy being in place.
- Victoro311

Thanks. I've really never gotten that impression myself, only that it gets ruled out each year.

I could definitely see Bjugstad as a buyout candidate following this season if they give you one freebie. Wonder what the lines will be?

My guess would be
Guentzel - Crosby - Zucker
Marleau - Malkin - Rust
Sheary/Rodrigues - McCann - Hornqvist
ZAR - Blueger - Tanev


Dumoulin - Letang
Pettersson - Marino
JJ - Schultz

Pretty solid overall. I could see Sheary and Rodrigues being swapped by the coaching staff pending if they want to add a scorer or a more defensive minded player to the line up.
- 123Kid

I'd pencil Simon in over Sheary and Rod. They like him and he has a cheap qualifier as opposed to Rod at over 2M and Sheary a UFA making 3M. Maybe they come back, but with a stagnant or decreasing cap, probably not at those salaries unless say Sheary has a great playoff.

To your main point though, doesn't seem like a need for Bjugstad. I like him and was hoping he'd prove valuable at some point, but couldn't get on the ice and they need to cut unnecessary salary.

Dumb idea. The play for points after elimination idea. Trade deadline becomes almost obsolete. Rentals become rare and expensive. And your asking players, particularly the bottom 6 and bottom pair to play harder for a chance to draft a guy more likely to jump in and take their roster spot.

Dumb idea. The play for points after elimination idea. Trade deadline becomes almost obsolete. Rentals become rare and expensive. And your asking players, particularly the bottom 6 and bottom pair to play harder for a chance to draft a guy more likely to jump in and take their roster spot.
- ChrisMS

Agree with all of the above.

What is so criminal about tanking? The NFL allows it and remains the most popular sport by far.

Dumb idea. The play for points after elimination idea. Trade deadline becomes almost obsolete. Rentals become rare and expensive. And your asking players, particularly the bottom 6 and bottom pair to play harder for a chance to draft a guy more likely to jump in and take their roster spot.
- ChrisMS

As to you last point, it's actually been stated many times that players do not change the way they are playing. Coaches and GMs can shake personnel, but that's about it. Players don't actively tank. Bottom 6 and fringe pairing guys are going to play the best they can anyway for their next contract.

It would probably kill the deadline though.

Bjugstad should take a good, hard look at retirement. You only get one back, and you don’t want to end up like Nathan Horton.
- Za Warudo

His time here has pretty much been a disaster. Even worse than Brassard if that's possible.