How Will the Expansion Draft Affect the Penguins?

1. Penguins went 4-4-1
   Crosby/Malkin/Kessel/Hornqvist
   Letang/Maatta/Dumoulin/Shultz
   Murray

   1. Thanks Phil…
      That makes sense especially if you believe the reports that Dumo and especially Schultz only want to play in Pittsburgh.
      Good signs for us.
      So if your Vegas…. What is the worst that can happen to us ?

      We lose MAF… No problem we have Murray.
      We lose Hagelin… No problem we now have Jake G. and Daniel Sprong to take up the slack…And save about 3.3 million in Cap hit to hire someone else.
      We lose Cole … I really like him. Hate to lose him. 2.1 million cap hit for one more year… All good stuff. BUT HE IS REPLACEABLE.
      We lose Bonino… But as you said in a previous post he is a UFA and he does not have to go to Vegas.He could stay right here in Pittsburgh so there is a risk for Vegas to draft him.
      Thanks again.

   2. Looking down all the teams unprotected lists Vegas could try and build their team without Fleury; Raanta, Condon, and Budaj were all left unprotected. I don’t think any of the three are in Fleury’s category, but I could see Vegas looking to go on the cheap in goal to spend more on Forwards. I really haven’t looked down the F list yet, so I may be wrong. There may not be enough scoring out there for them,

      Jim, I have to disagree with you over Rust. I do think that losing Rust could hurt the team. He isn’t elite like Crosby, Malkin, or Kessel, but he is a gamer. He seems to come up really big in really big games, scoring big goals. He also is one of the most tenascious forecheckers on the team with speed to burn, and he is cheap. I think that Maatta or Domoulin could be replaced with FA much more readily than Rust.

      1. He Coach,
         Rusty is a good player indeed. For his 670K apx. annual salary he
         is one of the best bargains we have. Like him a lot. I would keep him and he would play 4 th line right wing for me on my NHL team.
         Problem is most teams are protecting 5 forwards and 3 d. That leaves 7 unprotected forward roster players per team plus 1 or 2 others who make up the extra 3 players on the 23 man allowable regular season roster. That is a lot of talent available at forward. Playing with Malkin, Letang or a Crosby makes average talented players like Rust numbers even better than they would be playing some where else.
         The reality is he is 5’11,192 # and scored 15 goals this year playing on the best team in the NHL with their top centers. Almost every team in the NHL has players like Rust that would flourish even more if they were put in the same situation. The real question is how does he play on an inferior team with out a Crosby,Letang or Malkin to set him up ?
         Another example is Hagelin. We gets paid 3.667 million $ a year now for 2 more years.His cap hit is 4 million. Last year the HBK line made me believe he was a real keeper and was worth the high salary.
         Yet reports coming from the Ducks when we traded for him were saying they realized he was a great skater but he could not finish. Stone hands they said and they were really glad to get rid of him because of his 4 year, 16 million dollar contract. He came from the Rangers and the Ducks did a 4 year deal. Year 1 he was paid 500K and a signing bonus then years 2 to 4 was 3.667 milion a year for then 3 more years. Last year he was worth it.
         Fast forward today and the Carl Hagelin of 2017 was exactly like the reports out of California said he would be. What ever happened he was not the guy of 2016 and the mover and shaker of the famous HBK line that helped win the Cup in 2016.
         I am happy he scores the empty netter to give us the cushion in game 6 of the 2017 finals but he is not worth 3.667 million for 2 more years Coach based on his play this year.
         Just my opinion .

      2. Hey tOR, I’m probably going to have to side with Jim on this one. I have Rust in the same catagory as Sheary, & Wilson. He is very interchangeable and actually was used interchangeably. He is a step above a Kunackle or Rowney because he can occasionally put the biscuit in the basket, but that’s about it. With Jim I will state that he played on two world class lines and put up sub par numbers. Is he a spark plug? Maybe. He hasn’t proven to be much else and he’s 25 years old.

         Jim, 2016 Hagelin seemed to have no trouble finishing on those breakaways with Kessel. 2017 Hagelin seemed complacent or as I’ve been hoping, injured.

         Anyway, with the salary cap moving to $75-75.5 it would seem that if the Pens lose Fleury to the LVGK by my horrible math they could have $21 million to sign the RFA’s and UFA’s they need to keep the team together and maybe add some defense.

         I really think adding Sprong on offense will charge the team like Guentzel did. Sundquist is of no interest to me. I see him as a lesser skilled Beau Bennett. He has been given all the chances and hasn’t done a thing. He has done even less in the playoffs.

      3. I do understand what you guys are saying. If he doesn’t start the year out in the ‘burgh, before the year is out I have no doubt that Sprong will be with the big club and more than likely he will be skating on Crsoby’s RW and Guentzel his LW. I also don’t think he would be playing top 6 on many team. Even next year when Hornqvist is UFA and if the Pens decide to part ways with his Company, Aston-Reese may be the guy that takes his spot.

         On the plus side he has played LW and the Pens are desparately thin on LW, giving the team serious flexibilty when the injury bug hits, he scores big goals, even when he isn’t scoring he is always contributing, and he is a speed merchant on a team whose tactics and strategies demand players be able to fly (even though penguins are flightless birds).

         On the other hand both Domoulin and Maatta have had long stretches of bad play. Yes they saved some of there best hockey for the last 2 playoff series, but then again, the two toughest teams were CBJ and WAS so that really isn’t saying much.

         Also in Maatta’s case, Phil you mention Beau Bennett, Maatta fits the Bennett mold better than anyone on this team. I can say for sure, I haven’t counted, but it feels like he is the currently leader in man games lost to injury. Furthermore, Maatta is paid far more than Rust, in fact at this point, the last two PO series aside, I have to say he is the most over-paid player on the team. He also has appeared at times to be slow on a team that places a premium on speed. I have seen somewhat of what you have said regarding Maatta and Daley, but again 13 games of good play does not qualify him as indespensible for me.

         Domoulin is paid far less, but in both of their cases, although they are still young and therefore with potential and may grow into solid NHL d-men, they seem to be very replacable on the FA market, even on the cheap.

         In the end, I fear that losing a guy like Rust may hurt the team like when Anaheim grabbed Loney in that expansion draft, or when the Pens lost Tyler Kennedy. In both cases neither player was a top 6 forward and appeared an insignificant loss but the team fell on frustrating times after losing both. And when there are players like Maatta and Domoulin around there is no need to take the chance.

         1. Were talking about Rust who has 20 goals in the regular season lifetime in the NHL at age 25. A guy that had 6 goals last year and 7 goals this year in 46 playoff games on the top scoring team in the playoffs playing on a line with one of the best players in the world. He had two assists in 23 playoff games this year playing a large amount on Guentzel/Crosby’s line.

            For me, It would be a dream if LVGK took Rust and the Penguins could trade Fleury for something.

            I really hope your kidding about the rest of your stuff. Maatta has the best Penguins +/- since the day he became a Penguins player. He was Sullivan’s go to guy against the top lines of the top scoring teams in the NHL the first two series. He took the majority of the Penguins starting faceoffs in the defensive zone for a reason. He’s 22. Yes, he had blunders against the top scoring lines in the NHL. How many blunders did Nashville’s greatest defense in the world make against the Penguins?

            I was talking about Sundquist’s lack of scoring or physicality when referencing Bennett, not games missed. Since you brought it up, wouldn’t Letang fit Bennett’s mold better?

            Here’s a different way you may want to look back at the Penguins woes in the 1990’s. I had still had season tickets for those cups also. Under appreciated Penguins defenseman Paul Stanton who played the second most playoff games and minutes (other than Murphy) in the first two Stanley Cup years got injured first game of the 1992-1993 playoffs. Maybe you remember that year because the so called Penguins greatest team ever lost to the Islanders in a 7 games series which Loney played in, but not Stanton. Paul Stanton was traded to the Bruins the next year and you probably remember how the rest of the ’90’s went for the Penguins.

            The defense of Maatta & Dumoulin just won the Cup for the Penguins. Rust was demoted during the playoffs to third or forth line because of his inability to perform. Please, please, please LVGK take Rust instead of Fleury.

      4. One other point about Rust, on the NHL website, when headlining the list of available players for Vegas to pick, the site list 3; Fleury, Rust, and Neal, in that order. So it does seem to me that there are others out there that view Rust’s value to a team, even if it is only a bottom 6 or utility role as potentially very valuable.

2. Hey Guys
   2 trades just happened.

   2.04 pm Arizona sends long time starting goalie Mike Smith to Calgary for TBA…Future considerations.

   1.52 pm Buffalo acquires from Montreal 25 year old d man Nathan Bealieu ??
   for a 3rd round pick in 2017. That is cheap !!

   1. So if Az traded Smith do you think MAF is headed there?

      1. Hey Coach
         I anxiously waiting like your are.
         We will know in less than 20 minutes.
         On the Sports Net site they mentioned Smith had 2 more years to go on his contract at almost 6 million. So the numbers would work.
         Plus they can not announce it yet but Calgary is sending an unnamed prospect in return.

         I just do not know…JR likes doing deals at the last minute….Hope he continues.

         1. Hey Jim, I’m hearing crickets. Next up the protected list at 5pm.

         2. oops, not much:

            Devils acquire:
            Mirco Mueller
            2017 5th round pick

            Sharks acquire:
            2017 2nd round pick
            2017 4th round pick

            1. Hey Phil
               Nothing posted here either.
               Looks like JR stood Pat.
               One of my local buddies indicated the Vegas also was given some special considerations regarding the Salary Cap for the first year. I have not seen anything to clarify that but apparently they can go over the Cap of 73.4 million to 75 million, when it is finalized for a specific period of time while they adjust their rosters. It makes sense because they are going to pick 30 NHL contract players and all other NHL teams have 23 players under contract for the start of the regular season. That means they can make trades for draft picks with the other 7 players in order to get to the
               23 player limit.
               Following that logic they will take MAF and use him as trade bait..
               cheers

               1. They Could use him as trade bait, but he still has that limited no trade clause so trading partners are still limited. They may want to trade him, but not be able to. But in all honesty, I think Fleury is a good fit in Vegas, he gives that team legitimacy immediately. With Fleury, they may find a way to make the playoffs in their first season. He also is a good face for that team.

         3. How long does it take for the deals to process? Is it effectively over? And how long before protected lists become public?

            1. Hi coach,
               That trade Phil just mentioned was posted at 3.26 pm.
               Some times it can take up to 1 hour to clear. It is probably getting too late now.
               I will keep checking.

3. Okay as the time winds down before rosters are frozen I have read that CBJ has a deal in place where Vegas will only pick between Calvert, Karrlson, or Murray in exchange for CBJs 1st pick and a prospect. Does that mean their could be a deal where the Pens trade MAF for one of the Knights 2 first pick and an expanded protection list?

   Also I saw Enstrom waived his NMC to give the Jets some flexibility

   1. Hey Coach
      Just rushed home.Going to check the media sites.As of 2 hours ago no news.
      The answer to your question is yes if they chose to.
      But with less than 70 minutes away they could take him for free. Then they Trade him for a better player or picks. They can take 30 players and more than 2 goalies.
      The only way works for us is if we had someone to trade MAF to first and Vegas was afraid of losing him.
      I am shocked MAF has not been moved before this.

      We talk a lot today. I am sure. Still hoping for a trade.

   2. Ok, so I’m not even an tiny bit surprised the Pens haven’t moved Fleury. I’m sure they listened to offers. As I said before, unless the deal is insane for Fleury. I doubt they part with him mainly because they could lose someone very good because of the trade.

      Unless the Pens sign a defenseman they will protect

      Malkin, Crosby, Kessel, Hornqvist, Hagelin
      Letang, Maatta, Dumoulin
      Murray

      Rutherford is banking on Fleury being taken over Cole. Cole is only signed for one more year and is a 5-6 defenseman.

      LVGK will not take Shultz with their pick because they could possibly have to match a very high salary and lose him anyway.

      If by surprise the LVGK picks someone like Hagelin over Fleury, that would really change the landscape. Fleury’s value would be diminished but there would be a lot of cap room once Fleury was traded.

      1. Hi Phil
         I hope your right !!!
         My hope was we moved MAF in a deal that returned us a NHL qualified 2nd goalie cheap and Vegas picks up Hagelin over Cole.

         We are fooling ourselves if you think they will take an Oscar Sundquvist or a 9 to 13 forward. They will take either MAF, Cole,
         Rust or Hagelin.
         I do like your thinking about Shultz but in order for us to sign him back we would have to give up a first and 3 rd round pick !
         Less than 8 minutes.
         Come on JR !!

4. Hey Rick,

   Sorry, I have been so worried about what may happen that I have just got to this post. I had been using a short cut to your previous post and it never alerted me that you had posted this.

   First, Although I like Sundqvist, the team doesn’t seem to appreciate him as much as I do and I doubt he will be protected. Especially after reading JRs comments about his commitment to resigning Sheary, Schultz, and Domoulin, I would think that Sheary will occupy that slot on the protected list. And from a gamblers perspective I understand that; Sundqvist, with his limited NHL experience is more likely to get passed on in the expansion draft.

   Honestly Rick, although I would protect Sheary too, not only for the above reasons but to either retain his rights to get compensated if he signs elsewhere and also for trade bait. With Guentzel the heir apparent to Crosby’s LW combined with Sheary’s lack of Chemistry with Malkin and his lack of size to be an effective bottom 6, as well as the depth the Pens have at RW, I would trade him. I don’t think the Pens would lose much if anything with Rust on Crosby’s RW, and I would think that Sprong could potentially be a major upgrade. Please don’t think I want to ride Sheary out of town on the rails, I just think the roster spot may be better used.

   As for Schultz and Domoulin, judging by what I read in the above article about JRs commitment to resigning Sheary, Schultz, and Domoulin, as well as a followup article that intimated that the team is unsure if Letang will truly recover from his surgery, that his effectiveness may be compromised, I would think that Schultz will definitely be protected and resigned. And as I wrote previously, I think Domoulin will also be protected for a couple of reasons, as an RFA he brings compensation if he signs elsewhere and he will more than likely be able to be resigned at a lower price than Maatta so he would be a more attractive puzzle piece when trying to build a team in Vegas.

   Another thing to consider when thinking about the expansion draft is that unless traded MAF will be the most valuable commodity in the draft so the likelihood of anyone else getting drafted off of the Pens roster becomes small. And should only MAF’s money clear off of the books at the moment, the Pens will have $17 – $18 mil to resign those RFA + UFA.

   1. Hey Other Rick,

      Good to hear from you, my friend.

      Just to be clear, Sheary doesn’t need to be on the protected list, at least according to the half-dozen or so sites I’ve referenced, including ESPN. Even though he’s in his third pro season, he’s only on the second season of his Penguins contract.

      To make sure I wasn’t hallucinating, I went back and double-checked Justin Schultz, too. Both Spotrac.com and Capfriendly.com list him as an arbitration-eligible RFA. I was initially under the impression that he was a UFA. Not sure how it’s possible for him to be an RFA, but I’ll take it.

      So much for details.

      Most sites seem to think the Pens will go the 8+1 route, perhaps to minimize the chance of losing a defenseman. Here’s what our Protection List would likely be under that option:

      Crosby, Kessel, Letang, Malkin, Dumoulin, Schultz, Cole or Maatta, Hornqvist or Rust + Murray

      Personally, I don’t like the idea of hanging Hornqvist or Rust out there. But most folks seem to think the Pens will choose this option.

      Again, this could all be a lot of fuss over nothin’ if Las Vegas takes Fleury as anticipated. But it does keep you on the edge of your seat, doesn’t it?

      Rick

      PS–I understand your thoughts behind trading Sheary. Lots of other folks seem to feel the same way.

      Rough postseason aside, I really like his chemistry with Crosby and Guentzel. I’m not sure if Rust or Sprong would be able to duplicate that. Still, I could see signing Sheary and then dealing him for a defenseman or a rugged forward.

      Re: Sundqvist, maybe it’s just me. But he seemed a bit awkward and out of sorts to my eye. Of course, it’s tough to establish yourself when you’re getting snippets of ice time in a cameo role.

      1. Sorry Rick, I keep forgetting that Sheary is exempt. but I still don’t see the Pens protect Sundqvist.

         I do think Sheary has an upside but I don’t think that upside is that much greater than Rust and not at all better than Sprong.

         As much as I like Sundqvist I have give up hope on seeing him really playing in the ‘burg

      2. Hi Rick
         As I said last September when JR resigned Justin to a regular 1 year NHL players contract he became an RFA.
         It was his first NHL contract. Before he was signed on a
         multi year College contract by Edmonton. He was not drafted. One of the few.
         If he gets paid up to 5.888 million a year we will be eligible for a 1 st and a 3rd pick in compensation.
         Over that we get 1.2.3.round picks as compensation.
         What is really good for us is that media reports say he will not play for anyone but the Pen’s. I bet his agent was happy about those comments.

5. After wining the cup!! this is my Fav time of year..
   How about this. To Calgary-MAf and Pouliot
   To Pitt- Jyrki Jokipakka and 1st rounder + a prospect
   Jyrki is big and keeps it simple in his own end . JR can’t let Marc go for nothing.

   Just to throw my two cents in.. I have also said for years we need someone to “protect” our stars and play physical in the playoffs, I say we keep Big Tom and let him play with Sid for a couple of games.
   What do you guys think about UFA Thomas Vanek for 1 year??

   1. Hi p4e
      Vanek in his prime was an excellent player.He has the size at 6’2″ and 220#.
      I think he is 33 or 34 years old so if we were to sign him it would have to be cheap.He did get 48 points last year, but I do not think he has the physical presence we are looking for. Plus how is his skating now.?
      In Calgary, I would like to send Letang and MAF for Dougie Hamilton and their 1st round pick. Then it becomes a 23 year old Pouliot for 25 year old,6’3″ 215# defensive d man Jokipakka. I would do that trade.
      I think we need an upgrade over big Tom myself.
      It is a great time to be an arm chair gm. I am disappointed that nothing has been announced yet regarding MAF so far.Schultz either.
      cheers

   2. Hey Pen’s 4ever,

      I wasn’t aware of this, either, until I looked it up, but Jokipakka was dealt to Ottawa at the trade deadline. From what I read, he sounds like a solid, third-pairing defenseman with some size (6’3″ 215).

      I hear ya’ about Fleury. The tricky part of dealing Flower before the Expansion Draft? We’d surely have to get a goalie in return as part of the trade (to leave unprotected in the draft), perhaps diluting our return a bit. And we’d almost certainly lose whichever contracted defenseman (Cole or Maatta) we’re required to leave unprotected in the draft.

      While you can never discount Rutherford’s ability to pull off a blockbuster (maybe even one involving multiple teams), I think he’s okay with letting Las Vegas claim Fleury. It would free up $5 million in cap space, which could go toward re-signing some guys on ‘d.’ Don’t forget, we’ve got Dumoulin and Schultz floating around, both due hefty raises.

      I like Sestito, too, and would not be averse to re-signing him. Problem is, big Tom probably would only play against ultra-physical teams like Columbus and Winnipeg, kind of like he did last season.

      I personally would like us to target someone Sullivan’s comfortable playing on a nightly basis. Not easy to find…those guys are at a premium.

      Regarding Vanek, he’s got size, touch and great hands, especially around the net. But he’s not an especially good skater and he’s not real consistent, effort-wise.

      I’ll pass.

      Great suggestions, though. I sure don’t have any better ideas.

      Rick

      1. Hey Rick,

         Let’s not forget that JR could actually deal MAF to Vegas before the draft, get their first pick and get what amounts to an unofficial extended protected list. As I said before, Calgary could still be in the Market for a goalie and JR could use that as wedge to create an urge in Vegas to deal their first pick to secure a true No 1 goalie.

      2. I did not know that!!! Sorry.
         Just a thought on Vanek, but he might be a good for one year for a real contender and he is a goal scorer. I know his prime is behind him, like I said a thought!!

6. Hey Guys,
   i just read the article below in the Trib that says JR is going to ADD one or two players with grit and size to protect our star players. Article also says we had the 2nd fewest fight in the league with only 12.
   In 82 games plus 5 exhibition games. ONLY TWELVE FIGHTS !!
   Carolina had 6 fights. Sestito had 3 alone in the 13 games he played.
   You know who our enforcer was with a team leading 77 penalty minutes.
   The highest paid guy on the team. He gets paid 9.5 million Cap hit a year and his salary is actually 12 million this year. Geno !!!
   Am I the only one who thinks this is crazy. It took you all year to realize this Mario and company ! We have been complaining all season about this.
   12 fights… There is more fights on a WNBA team in a regular season.
   No wonder we are walking wounded.
   Maybe we can get some big guys in a trade with Arizona.
   Plus I guess some of our ” smurfs ” are now going to get traded.

   1. Hey guys,
      I was so upset at the comment below I just told my wife. In fairness to her we have been together almost 15 years and she was originally born in South Korea. So Soccer and Base Ball are her games. She tries but she really does not fully understand all the different levels of the game within the game of hockey being played.
      But she made a great point tonight. “You pay a guy 12 million dollars a year and you do not protect him”. I said “no dear, we actually pay TWO guys 12 million a year and the third gets 10 million a year, but that one is a little complicated and we do not protect them.”
      She said “Obviously these 3 guys went to the owners and said fix the problem or we demand to be traded else where.” Smart lady.
      That thought never crossed my mind. I remember my local Halifax sources saying that Crosby family members were deeply concerned about Sidney’s last concussion he had.Given all the recent media exposure in Canada and the NHL trying to cover it up…they were rightfully concerned.
      So there may be some truth in that statement of hers. What ever the reason guys, the Sheary’s, Archibald’s,Wilson’s and smallish d men may be gone.
      The team is going bigger and badder, and that is a GOOD thing !
      That Columbus series was brutal to watch.
      Cheers

   2. Hey Jim,

      I just read the article, too, and it’s music to my ears.

      As you know, I’ve posted several impassioned features on PenguinPoop over the past few years regarding our need for a bona fide physical presence. I’ve made no secret of my envy for teams like Columbus, which boasts a small army of bruising forwards and d-men.

      Most, if not all, of our faithful PP readers have agreed.

      It really has nothing to do with our players not being tough. To the contrary, Sid and Geno and the guys have to be ultra-tough to run the gauntlet the way they do on a nightly basis. Opposing thugs, Washington’s Tom Wilson in particular, know they’ll get away with murder because the refs can’t/won’t call everything and we have nobody in the lineup on a regular basis to dissuade them.

      Although I like Tom Sestito and the way he went about his business on the rare occasions he played, I’m not sure he’s what we need. Ultimately, along with the skill guys, the Pens need to cultivate players like the Blue Jackets’ Boone Jenner, who has size (216 lbs), ability (18 goals), and can bang and drop the mitts when the situation calls for it.

      While I applaud Rutherford and the Pens for trying to play the game the right way, the sad reality is as long as the old guard still influences the decision making, you must have a physical element to protect your players from undue abuse.

      Rick

      1. 100 % …
         Who gets traded today or tomorrow before the roster freeze?
         Any thoughts.?
         MAF, defense men, and big wingers ?

         1. Good question, Jim. I sure don’t have any answers.

            I can understand why GMs have such a tough time retooling or rebuilding following championships. Each one of these players, in his own way, is a contributor. Each one brings something to the mix. Not to sound corny, but it’s what makes a team a team.

            I’m probably squarely in the minority, but I don’t feel a pressing need to swing a deal within the next day or two.

            Assuming Fleury’s going to be picked by Las Vegas, the only player I might be interested in moving is Carl Hagelin, mostly due to his contract and lagging production. Then again, if “Hags” can return to his more traditional form, he’s a keeper.

            Not to repeat an oft-used cliché, but sometimes the best moves are the ones you don’t make … at least in haste …

            Rick

7. Hey all,

   Just read an article in the Trib where Marc-Andre Fleury said goodbye to the Pittsburgh media.

   He was talking about how Pittsburgh feels like home and how much he’ll miss it, but that he knows it’s time to move on.

   How terribly sad.

   Maybe somewhere down the road when “Flower’s” winding down his career, he can return to the ‘Burgh as a backup. But he’s got a lot more pucks to stop…and perhaps Cups to win…before we get there.

   Thanks for the three Cups, and all the wonderful memories. And thanks for being such a classy guy and great teammate.

   We’ll really miss you …

   Rick

   1. A class act for sure. Best wishes Marc.
      Please do not get re traded to the Flyers. Max was bad enough.
      I could not take that again.

8. Hi Rick.
   To answer the exact question in my opinion is that we will lose one roster player as will all other 29 teams in the league.It will be either MAF, Ian Cole or 3rd line forward, if no moves are made in advance. Of course no one is mentioning our nice cheque we will get from our share of the 500 million dollar franchise fee from the league.This is not a complete loss for the Pen’s.
   Most of our damage will come from the fact that several of our players need to be resigned and many will get big raises. Due to the construction and make up of our team we have several players on big contracts and we do not have the cap space to resign every one else.
   That is the real damage being done to the Pen’s and not the Vegas draft itself.
   Case in point is the article below saying the Pen’s may not be able to resign Justin S. and keep everyone else. They are talking 5 million plus a year. Some other sources are saying it will be 6 million plus and they prefer him to Shattenkirk. I mentioned this last October in a post that this day would come. You can not keep Letang and give Schultz his big raise and now because of Dumoulin and his wonderful play off performance, he will get a major raise too.( 3 million plus.?? ) Plus you still need 2 more d men to fill your roster.
   Up front you need to get 2 new centers. Cullen retires and Bones is going to be a hot commodity, as I posted earlier. I remember coach saying last fall that not resigning Bones was one of the few mistakes JR has made and it may come back to haunt him. He was 100% right.
   So the Vegas draft will only cost us a 4-5 d man or a 7 th to 12 th forward or even a # 2 Goalie. But the real problem is self inflicted and now we have to now pay the price for success. Just like Chicago did !
   I am hoping that JR has the courage to trade some of the high priced, ageing veterans and get us some very high draft picks and second year players with promise.
   What do you think Rick ?

   1. Hey Jim,

      Excellent thoughts, my friend.

      Jim Rutherford did an exceptional job of turning a talented, but shopworn team into a two-time Cup champion. In particular, his work over the past couple of seasons was nothing short of brilliant.

      It would take a similarly masterful job to keep us positioned for a three-peat. In fact, I’m not sure if it’s practical…or prudent…to retool with an eye toward another Cup run next season. I think I’d set my eyes down the road a season or two, much like Stan Bowman did a couple of times with the Blackhawks.

      With our superstars and kids like Guentzel, Sheary and Sprong, I think we’ll still be in reasonably good shape up front, at least scoring-wise. But we stand to lose a ton of grit, savvy, faceoff skill and clutch two-way play if Cullen and Bonino depart.

      Rowney could possibly fill a fourth-line center role, although I like him better at wing where his board work is exceptional. Perhaps I’m being hard on him, but I wasn’t nearly as impressed with Sundqvist during last season’s cameo as I was the year before. To me, he’s still a question mark.

      I would like to see the Pens bring Kunitz back on a one-year deal. We’ll need his grit and leadership…especially if we lose Bonino and Cullen.

      As you noted, defense could be a real problem area…especially in the short run. Even if we’re somehow able to bring back Cole, Dumoulin, Maatta and Schultz…which may not be possible…we’d need a couple of other quality guys, especially with Letang’s injury history.

      To that end, I could live with bringing back Hainsey for another year at the right price. But it’s going to be really tough to maintain the status quo back there, let alone make any significant upgrades.

      Unless Pouliot makes like Lazarus and resurrects his career, there’s no immediate help in the organization, either.

      As much as I hate to suggest it, we might have to cough up one of our talented, kid forwards for a young stud defenseman.

      In terms of targeting players outside the organization for potential trades or signings you, Other Rick and Phil are way out ahead of me.

      Hopefully JR is, too … 🙂

      Rick

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