I realize it’s awfully early to ponder our chances for next season. Heck, the sheen’s barely been smudged from the glittering silver surface of the newly captured Cup. However, since so many folks seem to be talking about it, I thought I’d risk appearing presumptuous and toss my two cents in.
Can the Penguins accomplish something that no black-and-gold team—not even the great champions of the early ‘90s—has achieved? Namely, three-peat?
In my humble opinion, it’s highly unlikely but not impossible. In fact, there are ample reasons to believe our guys have a shot.
First, a look at our roster.
Forwards
Talent-wise, the Pens are loaded—at least up front. It wasn’t by accident that the four top point-getters in the postseason—Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, Phil Kessel and Jake Guentzel—wore the black and gold. Add in second-tier scorers like Patric Hornqvist, Bryan Rust and restricted free agent Conor Sheary? The Pens won’t be hurtin’ for offense.
I didn’t even mention right wing Daniel Sprong, who tallied 32 goals in 31 regular-season games for his junior team and nine more in a dozen postseason contests. By all accounts, the quicksilver sniper’s NHL ready.
There will be some attrition among the forwards, mostly among the supporting cast. Nick Bonino, Matt Cullen and Chris Kunitz are eligible for free agency. Cullen, remarkably effective for a 40-year-old, may opt to retire. The gritty, shot-blocking Bonino may prove too pricey to retain. Given the locals’ comparative lack of depth on the left side, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Kunitz sign for another year at a bargain rate.
Look for Tom Kuhnhackl and Carter Rowney to plug the gaps—and possibly rugged Zach Aston-Reese. Provided they re-sign with the Pens, restricted free agents Josh Archibald and Oskar Sundqvist could be in the mix as well.
Defense
Here’s where our situation gets dicey…and could potentially unravel. Ian Cole, Kris Letang and Olli Maatta are the only present Pens defensemen under contract for next season. We’re not even sure if “Tanger”—recovering from delicate neck surgery—will be fit to play.
Veterans Trevor Daley, Ron Hainsey and Mark Streit are unrestricted free agents, along with depth defenders Cameron Gaunce, Chad Ruhwedel and David Warsofsky.
In addition, Brian Dumoulin, Justin Schultz and late-season pickup Frank Corrado are restricted free agents and eligible for arbitration. Given their stellar overall performance, Dumoulin and Schultz no doubt are in line for a significant boost in pay.
Perennial prospect Derrick Pouliot, an all-but-forgotten man, also is a restricted free agent, albeit non-arbitration eligible. Aside from not-ready-for-prime-time players such as Lukas Bengtsson and Ethan Prow, the rest of the organizational pickins’ are slim.
Needless to say, GM Jim Rutherford’s got his work cut out.
Goaltending
The future rests with Matt Murray. The kid was lights out during the recent postseason, leading all qualifying playoff goalies with a .937 save percentage, three shutouts and a microscopic 1.70 goals against average. He’s obviously coach Mike Sullivan’s guy.
With the handwriting clearly on the wall, former franchise goalie Marc-Andre Fleury waived elements of his non-movement clause, which all but assures that he’ll be left unprotected in the upcoming expansion draft. Whether or not he’s claimed by Las Vegas remains to be seen, but it’s a safe bet “Flower” will be tending another team’s net this fall.
Rutherford may seek to sign a veteran backup or promote talented but green prospect Tristan Jarry. One thing that might work in Jarry’s favor? I’d expect the Pens’ goalies to share the workload on roughly a 50/30-game split, which means Jarry wouldn’t be tethered to the bench for prolonged periods of time.
Competition
When evaluating our Cup chances, it’s easy to get tunnel vision. However, there are rival clubs to contend with. Some very good, and on the rise.
While the veteran-laden Capitals figure to fade from prominence, the bristling Blue Jackets have the look of a team that could go places. Powered by super rookie Auston Matthews and a passel of talented kids, Mike Babcock’s Maple Leafs gave the Caps a first-round scare and should continue to improve.
Out west, the sky’s literally the limit for Edmonton and wunderkind scoring champ Connor McDavid. Don’t dismiss Nashville, either, especially if stud center Ryan Johansen’s 100 percent healthy upon his return.
Call it the NHL version of keeping up with the Jones’s. The Pens will need to stay a step or two ahead.
Attrition
Depending upon how well Rutherford retools the defense, the Pens certainly possess the talent to three-peat. However, there’s one factor that’s all too easy to overlook—attrition.
Beginning with the 2015-16 exhibition slate, the Pens played more games (227 to be exact) that any team in NHL history over a similar span. That’s not even counting last summer’s World Cup.
Although warriors they undoubtedly are, can the Pens withstand the brutal physical, mental and emotional grind of another punishing Cup run?
Based on how beat-up they looked this spring, I’d say the answer is no.
However, there’s one thing this super resilient bunch of champions has taught me. Never, ever count them out.
Hey Coach, Rick
FYI
Just saw that Phili sent center Nick Cousins and prospect Goalie Merrick Madsen to Arizona for Left Wing Prospect Brendan Warren and a 5 th pick.
Plus Dion Phaneuf of Ottawa refused to wave his NTC clause so he had to submit a new 12 team list he would accept a trade to last night.
Ottawa is not too happy. They expect him to be moved today before the 3 pm et deadline. ( I thought it was 5 pm).
Interesting, particularly Phaneuf. I wonder if he would place any teams on that list that he knows really don’t want him to shrink that list to more like 3 or 4. Let’s face it, if he listed the Pens as a team he would accept a trade too, he surely must know even if the team may want him, they can’t afford him under the cap.
Hey Coach, Rick,
TSN national sports radio show on tonight from Toronto and MAF name comes up. They talk about him going to Vegas as one possibility. But they are also saying that JR is trying to TRADE him before the deadline. They were very honest in saying JR will trade MAF where HE wants to go. With out MAF the announcer said the Pen’s do mot win their second Cup.Period !!
Therefore MAF will control his own destiny. They mentioned Calgary, as we all know as a possible destination. The second destination mentioned was ARIZONA to replace Mike Smith. I think I am in heaven guys.
Arizona has so much great young talent to work with. Crazy depth on left wing, defense and center.
Center man 20 year old Dylan Strome.Taken behind Mc David and Eichei. He is 6’3″, 190 pounds. crazy offensive number in junior. Led the Canadians at the under 20 WJC. Was tournament MVP.
19 year old Left winger Lawson Crouse. 6’4″ 225#. Originally drafted by Florida and rated 5th by Central scouting. Left winger 20 year old Brendan Perlini ?? Drafted 10 th over all. 6’3″. Big body. Left wingers 21 year old, Anthony Duclair and 21 year old Max Domi. Domi had 38 points this year on a bad team.
On defense, 23 year old, 6’4″ 215# Connor Murphy and last years first round pick,19 year old 6’4″ Jake Chychrun. They have high expectations for him.
Plus many others and they draft 7 th over all as well.
MAF for any one of those 7 mentioned players would be a great deal.
or their 7 th pick over all…not to bad either.
So it appears the talk has started guys.
Okay Jim,
I would be okay with at least 2 of those deals; Vegas and Calgary. As I have outlined trades to both of those teams. At the moment I am wondering how the Pens D would look if they did pry Hamilton off of Calgary and then found a way to sign Girardi on the cheap since he will have all that money from the buyout. I am not saying it would work yet, I am just thinking about how that would workout with Letang, Hamilton, and Girardi on the Right side with Cole, Maatta or Domoulin (The Pens most likely would lose one of them in the draft) and a D TBN later Maybe Zadorov in another trade, or at worst Hainsey (Who really played well in the last couple of series.)
I am still not all that impressed with anyone from the Az roster. You may be right about some of those kids. It may just be a case of too many kids and not enough veteran leadership that made them so bad this year. Or it could be the distraction of their financial woes. In the end, I may want their pick as the centerpiece of the trade.
Hey JIm,
Did you see the report that JR told the UFAs that the PEns really would like to sign them but with cap considerations may not be able to and that they should test the open market and when they receive, he asked them to give the Pens a chance to match it before signing it.
The article then suggests that the Pens were going to do their level best to sign Schultz, Domoulin, and Sheary.
The article also went on to intimate that at least Bonino wants to stay.
I am sorry, but although I have been critical of Bonino at times for being one dimensional as a D center, I think he has more value to this team than Sheary. Don’t get me wrong, I like Sheary too, but if I had to pick one, I would keep Bonino. Guentzel appears to be the heir apparent to Crosby on LW and Sheary hasn’t shown the same chemistry with Malkin and his size makes him ill suited for bottom 6 work. That moves him to RW and with Kessel, Hornqvist, Rust, Kuhnhackl, Rowney, Sprong, Archibald, and maybe even Aston-Reese competing for RW positions, Sheary is more expendable than Bonino.
Also, I read an article that the Pens signed Gustavsson to an entry level contract but that the contract will not take affect until he comes to the US and they are asking him to play overseas 1 more year. Having said that, the article then states the obvious, that the Pens will probably look for a veteran back-up.
And another thing (wait that sounds like Mary Lou Retton)
Just under 24hrs before rosters freeze for the expansion draft.
Haha,
Hey Coach
I was waiting to hear something before I posted.
Have you heard anything on your end about MAF or Schultz.?
Checking Arizona and their big news is one owner named Barrows just bought out all his partners for 240 million using an LBO. ( using the value of the team to finance the purchase). Problem is no money left over for operating properly or building the new 500 million dollar rink they need. In Calgary there is nothing concrete either.
One bit of good news for me, two hours ago from Toronto was reports out of Pittsburgh saying that Schultz wants to stay in Pittsburgh and does not want to move!! Home town discount ??
Cullen too if he decides to play.
They still say JR is trying to move MAF before 5 pm tomorrow but I am getting worried. Maybe MAF does go to Vegas and we get nothing back. That is just crazy.
On a more positive we just signed our top draft pick last year, the number 1 rated goalie in the entry draft. Swedish net minder Filip Gustavsson. He needs a lot of work before he can play in the NHL but he did play 1 game for Sweden at the WJC.
Let me know if you hear anything.
Cross your fingers and maybe we sign Schultz for 5 million or under for 6 years. With Tristan Jarry salary of about 670K a year, that means we would have about 1.48 million left to use to resign Dumo, making his potential salary 2.28 million, just from the MAF salary savings alone. So lets see my buddy….You may get your wish and Schultz stays here. Hope so.
Hey Jim,
The only things I have hear so far is what you have heard with the exception, that I also heard that Dumoulin wants to stay as well and that the Pens will have about $17 mil in cap space for signings.
I am mare nervous now than during game 6 as I wait for the shoe to drop. I check several web-sites roughly every hour, hoping to hear some-kind of news.
I am sorry, I also read an interesting comment hidden within the talk about Schultz and the priority of signing him. Despite all the talk during the playoffs of a complete recover for Letang, the article mentioned that the Pens need to sign Schultz because they aren’t sure he will recover.
If I do hear something I will post it hear as soon as I do.
Hey Coach,
How sure are you about the Letang report because that would be a DISASTER for us in more ways the one.
There was a report a few years ago out of Toronto talking about the financial concerns that all NHL teams have when resigning players with concussions or other non – insurable medical conditions.
They all take a big risks !!
As you know all NHL players contracts are now guaranteed by the league itself. So if a team declared bankruptcy the entire league would be liable for the balance of the players contracts. That was in the last and I think the previous CBA signed. So to protect itself, the league requires all NHL Teams to carry full insurance on each player’s contract to offset the financial liability.
Here is the problem…. Crosby and Letang were non insurable because of their pre existing concussions and other brain related issues they suffered. So when that occurs the Team has to pay the players contract in full itself but does not have the insurance coverage to off set the liability. In Letang’s case the Pen’s would put him on LTIR but still they would have to pay him out of operating profits. Not a good situation.
He has five more years at 7.25 million a year owed to him. 36.25 million dollars ! Ouch.
Crosby the other non insurable player we have has 7 years to go on his contract, and since it was heavily front loaded, a practice you can not do any more, he would get 54.5 million dollars over 7 years.His last 2 years are only 3 million a year but still will carry the 8.7 million dollar annual cap hit.
This is a serious problem coach if Letang can not play any more. The Pen’s will be in some financial trouble.
If Crosby and Letang both went down and had to retire, you would have to make the play offs and go deep just to break even ever year.
I bet that makes the owners happy .
Lets hope and pray he is okay to play.
cheers..
It wasn’t a report so much as an off hand comment. When I read it, I felt almost as if it was one of those side effects in a drug commercial that the Ad races through to satisfy the truth, acknowledging it, but hoping no one pays attention. It was also said in a way that suggested that his career wasn;t as in danger as was his true effectiveness. The way it was written seemed to me that the biggest concern would be that he may not as effective and that the Pens needed Schultz to be their O threat from the blue line.
Hey Coach
Talk about good timing. It even has a Penguins twist to it. Simon Despres, the big d man we traded to the Ducks was just put on Waivers to buy out his contract because he received a traumatic head injury that sadly ended his career. He received a concussion from an illegal hit by Colorado’s Tyson Barrie in March 2016. Get this Coach. The article states” Despres was just ONE game into his new 5 year contract extension before the Tyson Barrie incident. 1 game. !! Then he was on LTIR since then. Ouch..
It was his 3rd concussion of his hockey career.
He is owed 3.7 million a year for 4 more years until 2020-21 season.
But there is a system inside the new CBA where by the team can defer the financial liability of his contract over 8 years instead of the 4 years remaining and the Cap Hit is adjusted accordingly. It is a bit complicated, but TSN states ” The deal has 4 seasons remaining on a Cap Hit of 3.7 million per year. The buy out will leave the Ducks with a retained Cap hit of 1.26 million in 2017-18.The Ducks will get a Cap Credit of $ 337,500 for the next 2 seasons after, taking a cap hit of 962,500 into 2021 and then an amount annual Cap hit amount of $ 662,500 until 2025.”
Very sad to see.But obviously there are mechanisms to help defer the costs for the team.
No trade news up here…How about down there?
Hey JIm,
First think this morning I scrambled, hoping to hear something, but nothing.
It is sad news about Despres. I thought he could have been the Pens D man until he got traded. He was totally mishandled by the parade of less than adequate coaches before Sully got here.
When I read that about Despres my thought was that if I were Anaheim, I would now set the tone and sue Barrie, the officials who worked the game, and the league for at least value of Despres contract as well as the projected revenue of Stanley Cup finals over the course of those years would have meant to the team as Despres presence could have been a key component. Only actions like this will get the league particularly the player safety to take steps to limit such atrocities.
Hey Jim,
Drouin was just traded to Montreal. You will have to let me know what that does to their interest in Bonino. Yes Bonino is defensive but how much money will they have left to throw at bonino when they are done signing Drouin?
Wow. Drouin..Who did they give up?
You scooped me brother,because I have been posting for the past 2 hours.
I will check into it. They still have to resign Radulov and that will not be cheap.
Thanks
Mikhail Sergachev And draft pick tradings.
Hey Coach,
FYI
Interesting stuff.
Drouin is RFA this year. So is their big 23 year old center / left winger Alex Galchenyuk,who they want to trade this year.
Of course the biggest fish is Radulov who they must resign as he is their best forward, when HE WANTS TO BE.
They have $ 22,5 to $ 24.5 million in Cap space, depending what happens to it, to sign 1 more d man, and 3 forwards for a 21 man roster. They are in good shape on d with 5 players on contracts and 2 goalies signed and 10 forwards under contract.( Either d men Nathan Beaulieu or Nikita Nesterov, plus Radulov, Drouin and Galchenyuk’s replacement needs to be signed.) Plus sources say the Montreal GM Marc Bergevin is planning to move some players to help strengthen the team defensively.
NEXT YEAR C. PRICE BECOMES A UFA ! Montreal wants to win this year coming before he becomes after 2018, the most highly paid goalie in the league and he will not be playing for Montreal. So the GM is under a lot of pressure to win now !
I just saw an unconfirmed report that Drouin signed for $5.5mil if true that leaves roughly $17 mil to sign 3 more players + attempt to get Bonino. so that would mean $4+ mil per player including Bonino. Hmm they could still steal him from us.
I do not think so Coach. I believe Bonino is safe from signing with them.
I am actually quite relieved going thru Montreal’s cap issues tonight.
They need to re sign Radulov and that guy has a very high opinion of himself.He makes Ovi look like a choir boy by comparison. But he does have Crosby like talent when he chooses to use it. He led the KHL in points and scoring for several years and was their main attraction.
So he will be an 8 million dollar a year man for sure because he can always go back to the KHL and take the special tax free salary deal offered to about 10 star players in the KHL by Putin himself. So he will not sign cheaply.But he likes Montreal. Good for us.
Secondly the replacement for Galchenyuk will cost more than 4 million a year.In my opinion closer to Drouin’s salary. In the 5.5 to 6 million dollar range.
So I do not think Bones will end up there. But they will talk for sure.
Never the less I like Bonino and unless something better comes along in free agency, he is a priority for me.
On another point, I think we should be trading MAF and a few others in a combination deal ASAP !!
The same with Justin Schultz. Make him an offer tomorrow and give until Monday to decide.
It is not rocket science.
Once he refuses you call up the 5 teams you have already been talking to and make a deal. The higher the draft pick the better.Surely we can get a top 5 pick for him.
Great times to be a hockey fan.
Hey Jim,
I think teams have only until Sat 5pm to work trades before rosters are frozen for the expansion draft. I would like to see Schultz and Domoulin inked before then and MAF traded. I will say it once again, I hate the idea of losing any player of MAF’s quality for absolutely nothing. Even if it means protecting the other players on the roster from being drafted.
MAFs value is greater than any player the Pens could lose in the draft.
I want to see the Pens ink Bonino too, but I think that signing him can wait until after the expansion draft. I may work out the details but hold off on signing him so that it would be easier to sneak him through the draft.
I must confess that the silence bothers me. I would have liked to have heard at least 1 FA signed by now, if not a trade.
Interesting Odds and Ends;
Sabers hired Housley and not Tocchet. Hmmmm
Don’t know whether to consider it a dis or a benefit.
Sens are reported to be looking to trade Phaneuf before expansion draft. Not saying I want him at all, just think it is interesting, as the scrambling begins. Looks like teams are looking to protect youth.
Hey Coach,
Another Sidney Crosby story !! He was 15 years old. Closer to 16 !
In Fredericton we have a local news paper and we also get the daily Provincial News paper. Owned by the same family.
I am reading a story now in the Provincial News Paper from Moncton about Sidney Crosby before he was drafted into the QHL. Melanson is the guys name telling the story.
He is a high school teacher, plus the boys School Hockey Coach and long time,Quebec Junior Hockey league player scout for the Rimouski Oceanic for Atlantic Canada. He tells the story of scouting Sidney Crosby and their various meetings.
At 15 he could tell he was special. The reporter asked in what ways was he special. Beyond his obvious athletic abilities, his incredible knowledge of the game and all it’s players was HIS commitment to be the BEST he could be.
At one dinner meeting he offered Sidney a large chocolate brownie with frosting on it. Sidney’s answer blew him away. ” I am so sorry MR. Melanson, I can not eat a chocolate brownie because I am in training to make the NHL”..
15 years old !!! Amazing…What a presence of mind… Just like Gretzky.
The article went on to say in all his years as a hockey scout he never saw a kid with that amount of determination, poise, and politeness. ” I had the pleasure to draft Sidney Crosby into the QHL and he deserves all the accolades he has received .” Melanson went on to say.
Now that is a cool story.
Sitting here relaxing, enjoying the championship, I am thinking how can our boys threebeat.
I love the fact that Sully uttered those words. It sets the tone for next season now.
But as I muse over the up coming challenges the Pens will face; Expansion Draft, Free Agency, Fleury’s future, etc, I keep returning to a very specific idea, the biggest reason the Pens may have won the Cup is that they play as a team, in the traditional sense. They have become anachronistic. In an era of self important superstars they Pens sacrificed themselves for each other and their “team”. No one may have exemplified this more than Fleury. His sacrifices for the team trancended the ice. Handing the Cup to Murray and all the support he gave the kid. What a special person!
So to all of us arm chair GMs, as we throw out our suggestions, hoping JR is smart enough to listen to us, we may want to keep in mind the intangibles. These guys have a bond, they appear to be a “Band of Brothers” on skates. After two years of skating through the fire of the Stanley Cup Play-Offs together the have forged themselves into something more than the sum of their parts.
Some changes are inevitable and other changes may be required to repeat. However, any players the Pens bring in need to be willing to sacrifice both their bodies and their egos for the good of the team. So as attractive as the idea of Talking Schultz and Shattenkirk into contracts that allow the Pens to boast Letang, Shutlz and Shattenkrik as their right handed defensemen, the question becomes would Shattenkirk or any potential new Pen commit to the team as the guys who have given us these two Cups.
I know I have thrown out several trade ideas myself, but I have to wonder what the intagibles of the return players would be.
Why did I write this? I don’t know. Maybe to acknowledge that I recognized the special qualities of these guys and thank them.
Hey Coach,
Reading your post and watching the sun come up from my home office. Just finished an hour of watching the parade and all the speeches again for the third time. Very impressive site.650K people for one parade. My whole province has only 720K population and takes about 7 hours to drive across it. Puts things in proper perspective. Great job Pittsburgh !
It was a better celebration than last year.
I am still celebrating the fact that we made modern day history in winning back to back cups.19 years is a long time. Our team is indeed special and for that no one can ever take it away. Before I start my rant, I want you and all the others to know I want to three peat as much as anyone, so my words come as a warning and not a complaint.
Right now everyone thinks we are invincible.The best. Nothing to worry about. With Crosby and company we will win a third cup for sure. ????
We were lucky !! Nashville lost it’s big, fast,star forward in Ryan Johanson. That affected the play of his entire line. Take Crosby away from Jake G. and does he score 13 goals ? NO.. In Ottawa, arguably the second best player in the league, Erik Karelson played on a broken foot and bruised ribs and they still almost beat us.That series was not even supposed to go 6 games.
In Washington,their leader Ovechkin was regulated to the third line due to an injury he sustained in the Toronto series. He was not a factor in the series.Again a very close series. To be honest the 2016 Penguins were a much, much better team than the 2017 Penguins.
We won, yes but we were Lucky…Please let us all remember that.
To three peat is going to take change. Many changes.
On defense we could lose 5 of our d corps. Dumo and Schultz to free agency. Hansey and Streit to retirement and Cole in the expansion draft.
We would have Maatta and Letang, ( if his neck fully recovers and concussions do not finally end his career ).
At center Cullen will retire and Bonino is about to get a big raise.1.9 million dollars he was paid last year is a steal. He could double his salary easily on the open market. Our 2 defensive centers gone. Geno and Sid can not penalty kill.You want them blocking shots 3 or 4 times a game ? Getting roughed up by trying to clear the front of the net. Not a chance.
While the rest of the league is getting younger, bigger and faster our wingers are a collection of undersized talent.That will work playing in the regular season but come play off time you need size.We all have said that.
At net we can not afford the talent we have now.
In coaching and management we are also losing key people as previously noted.
So Coach, yes today we are 2 time champions for which I am very proud of our team and the adversity they over came. But tomorrow the new 2017-18 season starts.The Vegas draft,Entry Draft,Free Agency draft are all within the next 2-3 weeks. This team will never be the same.
With out major trades to replace some of our high priced veterans with entry level players with almost equal talent, but much smaller salary contracts, we will NOT three peat. That simple.
Plus we need a major defense make over.
That is the harsh reality Coach.
Do we have the courage to do this or do we just put a band aid on the problem and tell ourselves how great we WERE ?
jim
Hey Jim,
Forgive me if my post sounded like I thought the Pens should stand pat. I don’t I know some changes have to be made. I too am just warning, warning that the Pens need to look for players that are team players and not self-serving mercenaries that are only looking to pad their personal glory.
Change needs to come if for no other reason than the expansion draft, FA, and the aging of the players involved. As you noted Cullen may just retire, but even players like Crosby, Malkin, and Letang are all 1 yr older and in Letang’s case not only is he a year older but will have been fairly inactive for several months recovering from neck surgery.
However, when replacing/trading players like MAF, Letang, or any of the others, I am just suggesting that JR shuold look at the character of the player. The Caps may want to deal Ovie, but even if a deal could be worked out where Was would pay part of Ovie’s salary, Kessel, to make it financially viable, would Ovie help or hurt the team? If the Pens went after Shattenkirk, would he help or hurt the team? If the Pens could talk Girardi into taking a lower salary for a year or two, since he still will be getting money from NYR, just to be part of a team that could threepeat, will he embrace the “team” or try to tear it apart.
Yes the Pens did get some lucky breaks along the way this past year, Karlsson was injured, but then again, the Pens didn’t even have Letang and the refs did their level best to compensate Ottawa for KArlsson’s injury by ignoring 3 or 4 blatant obstruciton penalties by Methot every game.
A more important factor for the Pens victory was their commitment to the “team” The Pens, Malkin in particular, had several legitimate goals waived off that shouldn’t have been, yet they overcame those penalties. When Nashville had one goal waived off, a goal that should have been a good goal, but one that the ref really did follow the rules, he blew the whistle when he lost sight of the puck, Nashville collapsed. Yes the game went on and was fought hard, but they fixated on it and kept coming back to it instead of moving on.
All I am trying to say (above) is that we (JR) look beyond what the paper/stats say when looking to girding the team for a threepeat.
I would think that Ian Cole, having played three years with Shattenkirk, has already been pulled into the GM’s office and questioned about his demeanor. Shattenkirk was gotten rid of by st. louis for money reasons. He could cost a fortune, therefore I doubt Pens can afford him & Letang.
Pens need to either sign Streit to a league minimum contract or sign Hainsey to a decent contract and hang either out in the expansion draft to save Cole & Maatta. Wait until after the draft and throw what you need to at Shultz & Dumoulin.
Bonino has been incredible but won’t be getting crazy money. He is probably just as interested in staying with the Penguins as they are in retaining him. Basically he will have hero status in Pittsburgh for a long time or go back to being a basic defensive center anywhere else. When you block shots like he does, it’s nice to be appreciated.
Hey Phil,
I only threw Shattenkirk’s name out there as an example. I was intrigued by the thought of him in a Pens uniform at the trade deadline but that thought has lost some luster. If the Pens could pull off a deal that would allow them to boast Letang, Schultz, and Shattenkirk as their R handed D, that may appear to be a coup but I am not that sure. Even if the Pens let Schultz go or trade Letang to make it work out, I am not all that sure of the change.
I would love to find a way to protect both Cole and Maatta, but I think Schultz trumps them both. Even though he is a RFA and may choose to jump, if he does jump the Pens get compensated. And as you mentioned, if Shattenkirk gets the really big $$$$, Schultz, if he jumps won’t be that far behind, so the Pens would stand to be compensated rather handsomely. As I wrote below, I think Maatta at $4 mil may be able to be snuck thru the draft, particularly with Shattenkirk and Girardi signable by Vegas.
I would think Domnoulin is more vulnerable than Maatta.
At the start of the play-offs, I was resigned to writing off Bonino, but I am now thinking similar to you, that the Pens and Bonino could come to reasonable terms and that his value to the Pens may have gone up a bit with the realitization that Cullen just may be gone (Retirement)
I can’t help but think that Hainsey resigning may not be a bad idea, depending on $$$. Like Maatta and Domoulin, he did appear that he picked his game up as the series wore on, so he could be a good insurance policy, depending other circumstances. (ie Girardi, if not signed by Vegas, at low price, since he still is being paid $$$$ by NYR and dangling a SC, and if he could fit the “team”)
Hey Phil
Good points. I agree on Domoulin. We need to keep him but at a price we can afford.
FYI, Regarding Bonino I also agree that in a normal situation he should be signed for well under 3 million dollars a year and a 3 year contract. But reports from Montreal, Vancouver, and now Edmonton to name just three state that they all want to see Bones on their team. Others as well.
In Edmonton the report states they would move Ryan Nugent Hopkins to wing because they need a defensive center who can contribute some offense. Move Jordan Emberle and his 6 million dollar contract.
Mc David and Draisaitl can not be exposed to the defensive side of the game and RNH, a former # 1 pick is not a defensive center either.
So I am hoping we can secure Bones at no more than 2.8 million for 3 years. We pay Hagelin, his winger 4 million a year for 3 more years and if I had to chose between the two I would dump Haggy and keep Bones.
There are some crazy GM’s out there and I worry about being stupid at this time of year.
Cheers Phil
* One heck of a crowd at the parade !! Imagine if we win a third one …..
Just an update;
The NHL website reports that the Kings hare going to buy out Mike Green and the Rangers are going to buy out Girardi.
If Vegas scoops them up, what does that do to their drafting process. If Vegas doesn’t sign them, hmm… How does that affect your thought process in what you arm chair GMs would do for the Pens next season? If at all?
Hey Other Rick,
Just a quick note. I’m 99.9 percent sure Sheary isn’t eligible to be selected in the expansion draft. Even though he started playing for the Baby Pens in 2014, he didn’t sign with the Pens until 2015.
A little confusing, I know.
However, I may have gotten the rules regarding UFAs wrong, so I pulled the write-up until I have a chance to do more research.
Rick
Thanks Rick,
I did see your reply before you removed the other page.
Just a thought; “What are the chances that at least one deal has already been made but the announcement is being held until after the Cup parade/a better time for the announcement. At least according to what I read, MAFs waiver was okayed back in Feb and they only now announced it. Any thoughts?
I think you are right Coach that some ” deals have been made” and they are waiting until the Celebration tomorrow is over and locker clean out day is done. Kunitz should be an easy one and should be done by now and not announced yet.
Maybe Bonino as well.Media says he likes Pittsburgh and wants to stay.
Let us hope they are right.
We have to believe that Buffalo and the Pen’s will do some kind of trade.Even a minor one because of the personnel involved.
See tomorrow in the parade who looks like he is just trying to get the day over with and wants to move on. Another way to tell is see who has put his house up for sale..haha..Watch the real estate listings.
This is the sad part of the game of Hockey. The game played off the ice.
In the case of Bonino and Kunitz, I am hoping that the Pens can talk Kunitz into a Cullenesque deal, 1-yr for about $1 mil. But during the season only plan on playing him 60 games or so, so that he can be strong for the playoffs and some kids can start breaking themselves into the league.
For Bonino, again, with the arrow pointing toward retirement for Cullen, Bonino’s value does go up, but his regular season lack of scoring limits how much I would be willing to spend.
If I am the Pens and there is a deal in the works with Buf, I would want to get Lehner off of them. Not because I think he is a must have goalie, he just seems to come up big against the Pens and if the Pens do deal MAF they will need a goalie to expose. I would rather only have to play Lehner 1 or 2 a year against Vegas than all of those Buf games.
Any thoughts on the Pens having to leave either Cole or Maatta unprotected because they are the Pens only two defensemen signed that meet the expansion criteria on the Penguins? That would leave the Pens two signed defensemen for next year. Letang and Cole or Maatta.
Also, just throwing this out there, that Cup sheen has been way more than smudged!
The real big factor here would be who all is left unprotected. Like I wrote a little bit ago, it would be cool if the Pens could look down other teams protected lists to see who was left unprotected, that way they could be more strategic with who they protect and maybe steer Vegas toward an area were the Pens could absorb a loss better.
I lean toward protecting Cole over Maatta. Maatta did pick up his game over the last two play-off series but Cole’s ruggedness and Maatta’s salary, I think the Pens have a better chance sneaking Maatta through the draft.
Hey all,
I’ve been admittedly behind the curve regarding the upcoming expansion draft, so I spent the afternoon trying to bring myself up to speed.
Much to my considerable consternation, it does appear we’ll have to expose either Ian Cole or Olli Maatta in the draft. I think someone suggested that Rutherford sign say, Ron Hainsey, and place him on the unprotected list. Don’t know how that works, cap-wise, but if it’s feasible it might be the way to go.
Given our current chaotic state on defense, losing either Cole or Maatta would be a real blow.
It appears, barring a trade, Fleury will be our unprotected goalie and that Hagelin and, perhaps, Kuhnhackl the two unprotected forwards under contract for 2017-18.
In terms of possible deals, again I’m way behind you guys in terms of identifying possible trade partners and acquisitions. Nor am I plugged into any insider scoop.
Rutherford was rumored to be talking to Calgary at the deadline about Fleury. I heard the Flames were offering Dennis Wideman in return, a deal JR wisely nixed.
Flower’s trade value is likely at an all-time high following his stirring postseason performance. Still, it’s hard for me to imagine the Flames being too anxious to part with either Doug Hamilton or Matthew Tkachuk.
Nor do I think Kris Letang–terrific when he’s sound–would fetch a high-yield return due to his contract, recent surgery and overall track record, health-wise.
Then again, I don’t profess to be a prospective GM … 🙂
It’ll be interesting to see if JR makes any moves.
Rick
Hey Rick,
A lot of things have changed since the trade deadline. Fleury was still a question mark in many peoples minds. Johnson and Elliot were playing a little better. Calgary was in the play-off hunt. Shattenkirk wasn’t a free agent. Now, MAF proved himself a bona fide play-off goalie. Johnson and Elliot failed in the play-offs. And even if Calgary deals Hamilton, they could make a run at Shattenkirk. There are a lot of possibilities.
Furthermore, I would rather risk losing Maatta than Schultz. Even if the Pens don’t sign Schultz they could get a fairly decent compensation for him since he is RFA and let’s face it although Maatta picked his game up at the end of the season and had a fairly good playoff, he is not a Norris Candidate so the Pens could possibly replace him with a trade or FA. And ll though Vegas has a minumum Cap value they have to hit so that they don’t just strip teams of their young talent, at a little over $4 mil Maatta is over-priced considering his track record. He really has not had a consistent season since his rookie year and has had several injuries. Maatta’s value may appear a little larger to Pens fans.
I do not want to appear to say he is horrible, but depending on who else is left unprotected, (regardless of Position) if I am Vegas, I think I would spend my money (cap) elsewhere. I think I could get equal talent at a lower price.
If I am JR I think this may be a good gamble here.
Hey Other Rick,
Interesting thoughts on the expansion draft predicament.
I’d really hate to lose Cole. He’s so tough and solid, and he’ll literally skate through a brick wall–as evidenced by him playing with a broken hand and two broken ribs since the Washington series.
I confess to being exasperated at times with Maatta, especially during the Ottawa series. Then he turned it around and played really well the last couple of games during the Final.
In particular, I was very impressed with his passing, vision and puckhandling.
Perhaps, as you suggest, he’d be viewed as slightly overrated at $4 million/season. But he’s young, under contract, and he’s won two Cups. He might be a valuable asset to a young team just starting out.
Another thought. If we have to protect Letang (no trade clause) and we’re likely to protect either Cole or Maatta, that means in all likelihood that either Dumoulin or Schultz could get exposed, unless we go with Option 2 (protecting 8 skaters regardless of whether they’re forwards or defensemen).
Not a happy thought.
Thank goodness Vegas only gets to pick one of our guys.
Rick
Hey Rick,
First Vegas does have the Pens as early favorites to threepeat. The odds were 17/2. Edmonton, Tampa and Washington are tied at 10/1.
Now I don’t know if you looked back on your previous post but Phil and I have been discussing a potential trade with Calgary. What do you think the odds would be if the Pens dealt Fleury before he could be grabbed by Vegas with say the rights for Schultz as well as maybe Kuhnhackl or Hagelin for Hamilton a throw away goalie to expose to the draft and Calgary’s first pick or Tkachuk? How confident would you be of a threepeat?
Hey Coach/ Rick/ Phil/…
If NJD keep their 1st pick, and we can not trade for # 2 pick because our best buddies across the state have that one, how about these options.
Dallas Stars who draft # 3 need d men and third line role players with experience. Maybe even a Goalie upgrade ?? They have traded with us before and it went well.So why not Letang,Pouliot and Sheary for their 3 rd pick.
At fourth is Colorado and depending what news source you talk to the entire team can be had for the right deal. Letang, Fleury for Gabriel Landeskog and their 4 th pick. Add a few throw ins.Plus Maatta for the big young Russian D man we both like so much. Zadorov ?? 6’5″ 230#.. and a real friendly disposition.
At fifth…nothing there.
At six position is Vegas. Make a deal for their pick as coach suggested.
At 7th is Arizona. I talked about Arizona in February. New ownership who want to make the play offs now !!
I like these guys a lot. They have tons of young talent and an aging Goalie and rumors they wanted to move Oliver- Ekman Larsson. Plus they want to build a new rink and they need money to do it.
Why not trade Letang for OEL, Olli Maatta for big two way d- man Connor Murphy, MAF and our 30 th pick for their 7 th pick, Derrick Pouliot and Sheary and Tommy K. for 19 year old, left wing, 6’4″,225# Lawson Crouse ,and a big check to help with their new rink. Toronto and New York used to use $$$ all the time to sweeten deals. If we draft 7 th, maybe I would change Crouse to 20 year old, 6’3″ 190# Center man Dylan Strome who was drafted 3rd behind McDavid and Jack Eikel. Great talent. My point is they have options to make a deal if they want to.
Try to resign Schultz and Dumo.Bones and Kunitz.
Drafting 8th is Buffalo. You can bet JR and JB have been talking !!
More later…
Hey Jim,
I know Dallas needs goalies but aren’t both of their goalies signed long term with NMCs? Although they may want MAF they would have to untangle their mess first. I really wouldn’t want to take on either of their Gs salaries. They aren’t worth it.
I keep looking at Colorado hoping that Col decides Varlamov can’t come back. I would love to deal with them. But let’s play what if. Assuming they decide to buyout Varlamov or place him on LTIR and trade with us, but want to hold on to Landeskog, but offer up say Duchene in exchange do you still deal? I would rather get Landeskog too, but what if they counter offer you, what is your next move?
As good as MAF is I think that I along with MAF for Vegas’ pick I would try and choose the player that they draft off of us in the deal. MAF is a bona fide winner and this draft isn’t that deep, by the time they draft the pick will not be that gaurentee of equal value. So I would try and make an unofficial protected list as part of the deal.
As for Az, That is a blockbuster and I would have to think about this one and get back to you on what I think. There are a lot of moving parts here.
Hey guys,
Great stuff. Again, you’re way out ahead of me in terms of potential deals and trade partners.
I do want to interject … Dallas acquired Ben Bishop’s rights from the Kings back in May and promptly signed him to a six-year deal.
Don’t know how wise a move that was, especially when you consider the Stars still have Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi under contract for another season.
Oy… 🙁
Rick
Worse than that Rick; Lehtonen has a NTC and Niemi has a modified no NTC. so they will have to buyout, trade or otherwise get them to waive their NTCs or lose Bishop
Yowser.
I’m guessing Dallas is either working with one (or both) of the incumbents to waive their no-trade clause a la Fleury, or they’re gambling that Bishop will be unattractive to Vegas due to his age (30), the length of his contact (6 yrs) and salary ($5 million/year).
Rick