Is it Time the Penguins take away Sullivan’s Credit Card?

Disclaimer – Do not read any farther if you still believe in the tooth fairy, or any other childhood fantasies.

Let’s face it, in today’s day and age, there are a lot of Americans sinking under the weight of credit card debt. They walk into a market with plastic in hand and think that they need everything that they see. Never thinking about the end of the month when payment is due, they flash out their cards based on want and not need. Keeping up with the Smiths and Joneses, with delusions of grandeur these poor unfortunates become poorer each time they venture out to that bazaar.

The NHL’s trade deadline market is now open and all of the pundits are freely advising our Pittsburgh Penguins’ GM Ron Hextall as to whom the team should buy.

STOP already!

There isn’t much left in the team’s bank account (prospect pool) and the team’s chances of getting out if the first round let alone winning Cup isn’t that good.

	GP	W	L	OT	ROW	GF	GF/60	S%	GA	GA/60	SV%
Metro	6	2	2	2	2	8	1.61	6.84	11	2.21	0.890
Atlantic	9	6	2	1	5	21	2.96	9.01	14	1.98	0.940
West	10	2	5	3	2	18	2.12	6.55	25	2.94	0.910
Total	25	10	9	6	9	47	2.38		50	2.43

Looking at above Table, the Penguins splits against playoff bound teams, they only have won 2 out of 6 games played against divisional opponents. In playoff terms, that means our Pens lose the series 2 – 4.

It shouldn’t come as any surprise since Mike Sullivan’s team can’t score 5 on 5 against Metro playoff teams 5 on 5. The Pyrite Penguins are barely able to squeak out 1.61 markers per 60 minutes. Looking at the team’s GA/60, it is somewhat respectable, however, the team Sv% is abysmal against those Metro playoff teams; 0.890% (5 on 5).

Yes, looking at the numbers, should our Black and Pyrite make it out of the Metro, they are matching up well against the Atlantic Conference, but you can’t look ahead to the Conference finals. Sullivan will first have to beat the best of the Metro, a feat HIS team hasn’t shown it can do; at least not since big Mike put his mark on the team. The last time he was able to make it out of the Metro was when he was coaching the Dan Bylsma/Mike Johnston built team.

Assuming all the planets align helping the Pens to beat two Metro teams, then they stay true to form and feast upon the Atlantic champion, something Sullivan’s teams appear quite suited to do, they would still need to beat a Western playoff team. Well, our waddling waterfowl match up even worse against the Western playoff teams. Our Penguins really have struggled against those Pacific Teams; 2-5-3.

Yes, things can change. Perhaps a Christmas miracle will happen in July and injuries or some other divine event will occur to allow our Penguins to at least reach to the Conference Finals; the bench mark management said several years ago to break even, financially. However, all signs point to another first round flame out.

So, if Mr. Hextall plays Jim Rutherford and takes his credit card to the Trade Deadline Market, Pittsburgh is going back to the early 2000s in a flash. They don’t have the blue-chip assets to buy any rental player that will change their fortunes substantive enough to really challenge for the Cup. All Hextall will succeed in doing is continue to sink into credit card debt.

However, just like one can sell on e-bay as well as buy, our Penguins can sell as well as buy at the trade deadline. The reality is this, we are poised to lose Kris Letang, Bryan Rust, and maybe even Evgeni Malkin for absolutely nothing. Our Pens record, to date, indicates that there is a very good chance that they won’t even have a first-round victory to show to justify the loss of those three players for zero return.

If management is honest with itself. If the team looks at their own record versus playoff teams, particularly versus playoff teams from their own division, they can start the recovery process.

There are many kids in the organization that I would love to see become stars in the league, but the reality is most of them will not make it. Just like in sales, it becomes a numbers game. The more potential customers one gets in front of, the greater the chance of a sale. The more prospects the team can sort through, the better the chances of the team to find the gems. If Hextall has the strength to sell off Letang and Rust, he could get a couple more blue-chip prospects and improve the team’s chances of finding those gems.

If Hextall doesn’t have the intestinal fortitude to make the right move now, if he buys instead of sells, it will cost him what little the team has in prospects for a mediocre player, the team will still exit in the first round and reduce the odds the team has in finding a gem or two, prolonging any recovery.

Don’t expect an Easter Basket full of Chocolate Bunnies and other Easter treats this Spring. It is time Hextall takes away Sullivan’s credit card. It is time to go to the pawn shop or consignment center and recoup some assets or that Easter Basket won’t even have dyed eggs in it, only rotten ones.