This morning when I entered Wright’s Gym for my workout, Other Rick and I struck up a conversation about the Penguins as we often do. At times my esteemed colleague and I don’t agree, and our discussion became quite passionate, with each of us airing our opinion.
Our exchange planted the seeds for this article.
A couple of months ago I suggested that perhaps it was time for General Manager Ron Hextall to initiate a rebuild. We were coming off a three-game losing streak and hovering on the fringe of the wild-card chase. I opined that our fortunes weren’t going to improve. (Time to get a new crystal ball…lol).
I also suggested that Hextall consider parlaying core players Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Bryan Rust into whatever assets the market would bear. I may have mentioned something about replacing coach Mike Sullivan, too. I’ll plead the fifth on that one.
Amazing what winning 17 out of 19 games can do.
Needless to say, I’ve changed my tune. This team deserves to be kept together for another run at the Cup. Whether they go all the way or fall splat again in the first round, they’ve earned the right to stand or fall together thanks to their extraordinary play.
Our core continues to amaze. After a sluggish start following off-season wrist surgery, Sidney Crosby is playing the Kid of old. He’s tallied 10 points in his last six games, including six goals. So much for my worries that the surgery had robbed him of his shot.
And dear Lord, what about his linemates? Jake Guentzel’s been superb all season long. A team-high 21 goals and 40 points. He’s tallied points in 30 of 36 games. Rust has been smoking hot since his return from a lower-body injury (eight goals and 18 points in eight games).
With three goals and six assists in eight games, Malkin’s looked remarkably strong and rust-free, especially considering he’s 35 years old and coming off major knee surgery and a lengthy rehab. In addition, he’s once again helped stabilize talented but uber-streaky Kasperi Kapanen.
Letang? Truly, I could devote an entire article to singing his praises. Perhaps being in the final year of his contract has provided extra motivation for the quicksilver defender. Whatever the reason, with 37 points in 38 games Tanger, simply put, has been brilliant. He’s cut way down on the mistakes and lapses in judgment that were woven into the fabric of his play like a scarlet chord. His puck distribution…particularly on the power play…has been wonderful in its simplicity. It seems he’s finally learned to take what the game’s giving him instead of trying to force the issue.
Tristan Jarry’s been a veritable fortress in goal. My word, what a turnaround since last spring’s playoffs! He’s reading plays and reacting with almost machine-like precision. And how big…literally…has Jeff Carter been? Twelve goals this season…21 in his 50 games wearing the black-and-gold. What a pickup by Hextall. (Note: the Pens extended “Carts” for two more seasons at $3.125 million/year.)
The list of exemplary performers and performances goes on and on. Some expected. Some not. Evan Rodrigues, Brock McGinn, Brian Dumoulin, Mike Matheson…I could literally name everyone on the team.
That includes Sullivan and the coaching staff. What a job they’ve done melding what looked like rag-tag group into a contender.
I also sense a hunger with this bunch. Like they know they underachieved last spring and are eager for a chance at redemption. Barring a total meltdown, they’ll get that chance come April.
The only glaring need to my eye? An established backup goaltender and perhaps an accomplished right-shot defenseman with some size and sand, although Chad Ruhwedel’s been sound as a pound and a surprisingly solid partner for Matheson.
Whether this group has enough grind in its game to succeed in the postseason remains to be seen. In particular, our defense seems susceptible at times to a heavy forecheck. But they’ve earned the right to try.
Allvin Joins JR
In a move that was rumored if not downright expected, Pens assistant GM Patrik Allvin was hired as general manager of the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday.
The Swedish-born Allvin spent the past 16 seasons with the Pens while rising through the scouting and management ranks. He briefly served as our interim GM and was a candidate for the full-time job prior to Hextall’s hiring last February.
Allvin becomes the fourth assistant or associate Pens GM to land a GM spot since 2017, Jason Botterill (Buffalo), Tom Fitzgerald (New Jersey) and Bill Guerin (Minnesota) being the others. He’ll report to his new/old boss, Jim Rutherford.
Hey Mike,
If Letang is really asking for $8 million for 5 years, then Carter’s signing is aloha Kris.
Malkin, he has been quoted as saying he has enough money, wife willing, he may take a team friendly. If his wife won’t let him take a team friendly and he caves, (I personally prefer to see him retire a Penguin) then trade him now to Fla for Anton Lundell.
As for Carter himself, I can’t help but seeing him as a little younger more talented Cullen. I would have hated to lose him like JR threw Cullen out he door after letting Bonino walk too, destroying Center Depth for years.
For that was me Other Rick – I forgot to put my name on the reply.
Hello Rick,
Most respectfully I have to disagree with your post above my good friend. Is it not great that two good friends can have two different opinions and still be such dedicated and passionate fans.The old wise man said “Variety is the spice of life”. Meaning the world would be a dull and boring place if we all thought a like and all held the same opinions.
I have just 3 points for my rebuttal Rick.
1. The core deserves to stay together for one last try to win it all. The Core…Sid, Geno and Kris. The Core. What about Marc Andre Fleury ? Remember him..The first piece of the Core whom Mario drafted first over all as well . At the time he was drafted Mario told him he would be a Penguin as long as he owned the team. It Never happened ! Why ? Business happened and Mario had no choice but to ask MAF to accept a trade to Vegas for the good of the team.MAF could have said NO but he didn’t. That showed the true character of MAF who put the interests of Mario, Sid, Geno, Kris and all of us fans over his own. That is the mark of a true Champion in my books. Sid,Geno and Kris are no different than MAF .
If you can trade Wayne Gretzky in his prime, everyone is available for the RIGHT price my friend. That is just good business sense.
2. Timing.. If we kept all the team together until the play offs are finished you run terrible risks that must be taken into account. Injuries. Always an issue and especially with older players. If one gets seriously injured that will affect their future trade value and all three have issues with past injuries.That is a big risk to take.. Secondly if you wait until after the play offs are over, the teams that needed the help of our Core to let them advance further in the playoff rounds is over.Meaning you likely to get less of a return in June than you will in end of February..The Law of Diminishing returns.!!
3. What is best for the team ? That is what really matters, and not how the fans feel about keeping Sid,Geno and Kris happy. ( see point 1 above). The Fenway group paid approximately 200 million dollars more than the team was valued for, especially in this Covid depressed environment..What about their rights to insure the long term success of their investment ? If they can trade Kris to Ottawa for a 3rd over all pick (and a chance to get Shane Wright), and get two young prospect like 20 year old defense man 6’4″ 205# Tyler Kleven drafted 44th in 2020 and a forward prospect,like 19 year old, Finish left winger Roby Jarventie ,6’2″ 190#.,drafted 33rd in 2020. That would make sense from my frame of mind. Maybe send Bryan Rust and another bottom 6 player to Vancouver for their first round pick, which if the season ended today would be # 11 th. pick. That gives us 3 first round picks in 2022 and possibly more.
As far as Malkin goes. test the market and see what he could get you in return and if not satisfactory let him stay and see what happens. Crosby,Malkin, Carter and Teddy B. gives us a pretty deep center and ERod would take Rust’s spot on the line with Crosby.. With the 10.8 million dollars in salary cap savings i would try to rent 2 defense men with size and grit and or 1 defense man and 1 winger to beef up the team.
With my way of thinking we start the rebuild now. Not wait and have to many risks or unknowns.
I know many will agree with you Rick but this is my honest opinion for the short term and long term benefit for the team.
Cheers
Jim .
.
Hey Jim,
I take the same stance as you my friend and that is what prompted our buddy Rick B to write this article. I am sooooo tired of having this discussion over and over again across the previous 3 seasons and now this year. Expecting different results with the same plan that did okay in the regular season and totally laid an egg in the playoffs is far less than logical. It is like the gambler who thinks he is going to break the bank if he can get a stake for just one more hand. Kenny Rogers would be telling Rick B
“You’ve got to know when to hold ’em
Know when to fold ’em
Know when to walk away
And know when to run”
We should have folded them at least 2 years ago, Walked away at least a year ago, now we may even be past time to run.
1. About MAF – I have been holding on to this for a bit, but some people I know have been talking about a rumor of MAF going to the Caps in a 3 way deal. Can you imagine that. I have hated to give utterance to that rumor for fear of planting a seed that really wasn’t there yet (only a rumor at this point). However, you are spot on. MAF was one of the corner stones (the first of the superstars) to that long run. I am not arguing that exposing him to the draft was the right thing to do at the time, but if he can be dealt all can be dealt.
2. Timing? It is worse than just risking injury. Letang and Malkin are UFA at the end of the year. You don’t deal them now, you can’t trade them. Letang and Malkin walk with NO return. It will be NO Cup and NO future.
3. What is best for the team? Honesty! Take a long, cold, objective, honest look at the team. This team really isn’t all that different from last season’s team. This team barely beat a Jets team that was coming into the arena on 19 hrs rest.and had to come from behind, not once, not twice, but three times against an Az team that is the 2nd worst team in the league. during Rick Bs vaunted 17 of 19 game W streak, the Capitals have the best Pnts% but they are only ranked 12th in the league in that dept, Vegas is next at at 13th, Dallas at 15th, and LAK 16th. Only 4 of the 19 teams in that phenomenal streak that some people are bragging about are actually in the top half of the league; 15 of 19 were non-playoff contenders. Those wins count in the regular season standings but don’t forecast playoff hockey at all – this is why I am unimpressed.
And this is the Crux of my frustration, the team is winning just enough to be slightly above average and condemn itself to a mediocre draft pick. Not only is Letang and one of my favorites, Malkin UFA, but so is Rust. Add to that Kapanen is RFA. There are a lot of potential personnel loses in the off season. What is worse is even if the team just stands pat at the trade dead line and doesn’t buy, at best the get a middling pick and miss out on some of the better kids that will be coming out for some time.
An honest, objective assessment says boot the team. drop down into the bottom half of the league for a season. Get a decent pick of our own. Trade Letang! his stock will never again be this high. ask for a 1st either this year (or next if you think the team will tank next season and we may get a shot at Bedard or Michkov) and a solid prospect.
If Malkin wants to take a team friendly, keep him. Give him the team friendly. We won’t be able to get a player of his calibre anywhere else right now. If he is hell bent on going to Fla, pull the trigger now for Lundell. But in any case have that conversation NOW!
I like Rust. I don’t want to see him go to another team, but again, he will never have as much value as he has now. We may be able to get a 1st rounder if we pull the trigger now. The only way the Pens will be able to afford him next season is if they can move Zucker, and with his surgery, that may never happen now.
Kapanen, I like him, (maybe because Sullivan hates him) but he could bring back something. If you keep Kapanen – you have to dump Sullivan. Kapanen will never really break out under Mr. Favoritism. If you keep Sullivan’s Smurf mentality, then get something in return.
It is well past time to fold this hand.
Hey Other Rick,
One last thought.
In 1964, heavyweight champion Sonny Liston gave a young Muhammad Ali (then Cassius Clay) a shot at the title. Most people think the much faster Ali laid a whupping on Liston, but that wasn’t true. The scorecards were even after six rounds.
Yet Liston quit after the sixth round, claiming a shoulder injury. Maybe the smart, prudent thing to do. But Liston was one of the hardest punchers in boxing history. If he continues the fight, maybe he lands a big left hook or overhand right and knocks Ali out.
We’ll never know, because he quit on his stool. Which, in my eyes, is akin to breaking up this Penguins team.
Rick
Hey Rick,
Maybe Liston comes back and wins, maybe not. If Liston was ahead on the scorecards, that doesn’t mean he still would have been ahead at the end of the fight. Probability suggests he didn’t have anything left in the tank to throw that big left hook. Probability leans toward the older Liston couldn’t keep up with the younger Ali/Clay would have lost on points or even be too tired to keep his own guard up and find himself on the canvas.
Beating up on the bottom half of the league to run a 17 out of 19 streak is not the same as earning those wins against the top half of the league. I as sorry, my friend, it is a bit delusional to think that beating Winnipeg IN A SHOOT OUT, when said Jets were coming in off 19 hours rest or having to come from behind 3 times and win in the 3rd period against the 2nd worst team in the league, has a legitimate shot at winning the Cup. The road to Lords Stanley’s Cup doesn’t run through Montreal, Arizona, Seattle and Buffalo this season.
The Pens did turn things around 2015 but Crosby and Malkin were 28 and 29 respectively, they are 34 and 35 now. That 2015 team had Murray before his troubles and MAF back stopping them; they were 2 deep in Goal. This team only has Jarry. That 2015 team had Ian Cole, Nick Bonino, Tom Kuhnhackl, and Eric Fehr to supply size and grit, this team has neither size nor grit. Cole killed a Penalty himself in the playoffs – all 2 minutes, ain’t no one on this roster capable of doing that.
Detroit of 2002, sorry, that team also is a poor comparison, just as was the 2015 Penguins roster. They Wings had Shanahan, Federov, Hull, Lindstrom, Robitaille, Yzerman, Larianov, Chelios, and Hasek on it; 9 Hall of Famers. This Pens team has Crosby, Malkin, and Maybe Letang as potential future Hall candidates. That 2002 Detroit team had a lot of grit on it as well (some listed above but others like McCarty. The fastest way off this Penguins team is to have size and show grit. You will find yourself in WBS, your luggage will be lost at the airport.
The only thing I agree about with your rebuttal to Jim is I doubt Ottawa or any of the bottom 5 will give up a pick, that is why it was so important for this team to have thought about the future sooner.
Barring injuries and/or other intervention conspiring against the rest of the league, this Penguin’s team will not win the Cup and only end up with a mediocre draft pick. The result of this lack of honesty and objectivity, years and years of cellar dwelling hockey. In a Cap era, no team can fix its problems with Free Agency. That route is far too expensive and only results in even more years of mediocrity, never bad enough to get an influx of really talented cheap kids.
Anyone truly thinking this team has a legitimate Cup run in it should call Gamblers anonymous, like today, this minute.
Hey Other Rick,
I respect your comments. But I’m going to throw another boxing analogy at you. In March 1980, Mike “Hercules” Weaver fought “Big John” Tate. Tate dominated Weaver for most of 15 rounds. Then Weaver caught Tate with a desperation left hook and knocked him out cold.
I’ll switch back to hockey. Did anyone predict the St. Louis Blues would win a Stanley Cup in 2019? I sure didn’t. Heck, I didn’t think they’d make it past the opening round. Same with Montreal last season. You just never know.
In my mind, any team that has a motivated core of Crosby, Malkin and Letang leading the way has a slugger’s chance.
I’ll close with one more boxing analogy. In 1935, former heavyweight champion Max Baer (Jethro’s dad) was getting hammered by up-and-coming Joe Louis. When Louis knocked him down in the fourth round Baer stayed down. Afterward, when asked if he could’ve gotten back up, Baer…himself a devastating puncher in his prime…said something to the effect of “Yeah, but it wouldn’t have done any good. And I wasn’t going to get myself killed.”
Two years later, Louis was performing a similar demo job on champion James J. Braddock (The Cinderella Man). When Braddock came back to his corner after the seventh round, his manager and close friend Joe Gould wanted to stop the fight. The bruised and bloodied Braddock replied, “If you do Joe I’ll never speak to you again.”
Braddock went out for the eight round and gave it his all. Then Louis caught him with a right. Braddock, who’d never been ko’d, was down on the canvas for several minutes.
Later, whenever they encountered each other at banquets and the like, Louis always greeted Braddock as “Champ.” He never greeted the other former champions he fought that way.
A long-winded way of saying that I think Crosby, Malkin and Letang deserve a chance to go out on their shields.
Win another Cup or fall again in the first round, a rebuild is coming. Nothing can change that. Yes, we’d be further along if we could parlay our core guys into assets. But no matter what road we take, it’s liable to result in a few lean years.
That being the case, I’d prefer to go out knowing that we gave it every shot we could …
Rick
Ok Rick,
Boxing can end in 1-Punch, 1-Punch, but to win a Stanley Cup, you have to win 4 best of 7 Series. If Braddock had to fight Louis best Lewis 16 times do you think he could have? If Hercules had to best Big John 16 of a possible 28, could he have done it? One lucky punch can win you a boxing match, 1 lucky Goal cannot win you a Stanley Cup. Furthermore, the one thing you seem to have forgotten about is that Sullivan doesn’t like fighters. It takes a fighter to stand up and return blows. Sullivan doesn’t permit fighters. He wants a team of punching bags not boxing gloves.
As for Montreal and St. Louis, there was a perceptible change in their respective teams. Neither team made it to the finals by trying the same olde thang and expecting different results and both teams answered the physical bell. Both of those qualities are in short supply on this team.
You can’t control your regular season schedule, all our Pens can do is say thank you and run with it. The problem comes when teams and fans ignore the softness of a part of the schedule and think that it means the team is actually good.
You talk about the Blues coming from nowhere to win the Cup. How about the Blue Jackets winning 16 in a row, recording 108 points, finishing 3rd in the Metro and getting bounced in the First Round -m 2016-2017 (our last Cup year). How about Sullivan’s Pens in 1028-2019 posting 100 points and getting swept by the Isles in the 1st Round. How about the Pens having a better Pnts% the next season and not even getting past the qualifying round, getting bounced by the 24th ranked Habs, and last season the Penguins actually having hte best Pnts% of the Sullivan era, finish first in the metro and getting dumped once again (4 Games to 2) against the Isles.
I still see Pens D men collapsing under heavy hitting. I still see Crosby pulling up and letting others flow past him, thinking pass first. Nothing has really changes.
Hello my friend. Yes, it certainly is good that we all have our opinions and that we can disagree. And thank you, for your extremely eloquent and well-thought response to my article. Of course I’m going to disagree back…lol.
If the Penguins were 10-27-5 or even 20-17-5, I might be inclined to agree to a sell off. But we’re not. We’re 27-10-5! We have the fifth highest point total in the league.
In all your years of following hockey, can you recall a contending team breaking itself apart at the trade deadline? I sure can’t.
While I realize we’re in a bit of a unique situation with a tight salary cap and Malkin, Letang and Rust slated to become UFAs, I don’t think you break apart a team that has a chance to make some noise in the postseason. To say nothing of the impact it would have on our fan base.
I’ll cite the Red Wings as an example. In 1997 and ’98 they won back-to-back Stanley Cups. Then they went out in the early rounds over the next three seasons. (Sound familiar?) The team was aging…they had nine guys 35 and older, including captain Steve Yzerman (36) and Igor Larinov (41).
Guess what. They came back and won the Cup in 2002.
Teams can and do bounce back. Remember how bad we were in ’15? Then we turned it around and won the next two seasons. I think this Pens team has the motivation and talent to go deeper into the playoffs.
You wrote that no player is untouchable and that even Wayne Gretzky was traded, which is true. So was Paul Coffey (to our Pens). Yet that Oilers team still had enough talent to win a Cup in ’90 without those guys. The same wouldn’t hold true for us if we dealt Geno, Tanger and Rust.
You specifically mention trading Letang to Ottawa. First off, Kris would have to approve such a deal. Maybe he would…and maybe he wouldn’t.
Now flip this scenario around from Ottawa’s point of view. The same reason a No. 3 overall pick would be attractive to us would make it attractive to them…especially since they’re still in search of a franchise player.
If you were them, would you really trade that pick (never mind prospects, too) for a 34-year-old defenseman with a bit of a checkered health history? Granted, an excellent 34-year-old defenseman. But still. I think if Ottawa were closer to turning the corner, they might think about it. But they’re not there yet.
From our standpoint, trade Letang and this team collapses. I’m serious. Our whole structure blows up without him. The transition game suffers, we get pinned in our own end more often…poison to us…and the power play suffers as well. Especially with Sid under contract for three more seasons, I try to retain Letang.
I’m not blind to the business reasons and common sense aspects of trading aging talent and stockpiling draft picks. But acquiring picks and prospects doesn’t guarantee success. Look at Alexis Lafrienere. A couple of years ago, everyone was salivating over this kid. He’s been a very ordinary pro. Do names like Nail Yakupov, Nico Hischier and Nolan Patrick ring a bell? Or for that matter, Derrick Pouliot?
The Oilers had four No. 1 picks over a six-season span and they’re still trying to put together a respectable team. It was the same for the Pens back in the mid-80s after they drafted Mario. It took years…and some astute trades…to finally bring the team around.
Sorry…I’ve completely gone on a ramble…lol.
I guess to bring this full circle, I just don’t think you abort this team’s chances because you’re concerned about the future. A very wise man who hailed from Nazareth once said, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Rather unexpectedly, this team has one more shot at the brass ring. I say, go for it.
Rick
Thanks Rick for the well drafted and well presented responses to my rebuttal. I guess it is like the old argument “is the glass half full of water or is it half empty ?”. In the end it still is a glass of water using 50% of it’s capacity.
Let’s say your right and we do nothing and we go to the playoffs and make it to the Second round losing in 7 games. i really can not see this team going any further than this. To accomplish this feat that means the Pen’s would have played between 12 to 14 games of SERIOUS PLAY OFF HOCKEY with targets on Crosby,Malkin and especially Letang back. We have NO push back to protect them. None !! Plus we have no money to buy any protection . Meaning large players with speed and skill. So then what do we do???? Do you then want us to resign Malkin and Letang because you have an emotional attachment ?
If Coach is right and we lose Malkin ,Letang, and Rust for nothing in return and we have a 25th pick in 2022 then Rick we ARE in real trouble !!!
Respectfully the key piece you over look is that there are many young defense men with great skills and they can make us a great team….But we refuse to look past our own back yard. Why ?
Because we are all scared that we can not find replacements. That is just wrong.
Remember when I posted many years ago that local media in Edmonton suggested they trade their first round pick for Malkin.? That would have given us Conner Mc David…. Who would you rather have right now?.
A 35 year old Malkin or a 24 year old Mc David. ???
That is the point. You need to be able to take calculated risks for the betterment of the team.
Thanks for letting me express my views.
Cheers
Jim
Hey Jim,
Just dropping my 2 cents.
I like Malkin. I would love to see him sign back with us. I want him to retire in Black and Gold. But I would not want the team to over pay him. If he like Letang’s want a 5 year $8 mil, I still will like him, but time to move on. Also, I do believe both player and management have a moral obligation to honor a contract. Malkin has a full blown no movement clause. I don’t shop him either. What I would have already done was have a sit down with Geno and have a talk about his future; where does he see himself next season. If he wants to go to Fla, I understand that Fla may want to see if he is healthy, but if wanted to go there, now that he has shown he is healthy again, I work that deal, and as I said for Anton Lundell. After all, they owe us for saddling us with Matheson’s contract.
Quite frankly, at this point, this Pens team hasn’t shown they can stand up under a heavy hitting team. Even teams as weak as Az wore this team down by hitting them early and often. I am not sure at this point they would even beat Az if it went past 4 or 5 games; definitely not a game 7. Sullivan’s Smurfs just don’t answer the bell.
Speaking of Edmonton, I was having a discussion with someone other than our friend Rick B. A guy who skates regularly with several players in the off-season or when they are here in the ‘burgh or when he is traveling in their cities. He directed my attention to how the media in Edm was treating Draisaitl after a recent loss and how frustrated Draisaitl was getting. The discussion turned to would you want Leon and what would you give up to get him. I am throwing that ball in your court.
Yours too Rick B and Mike or any of our other regulars. Chances are Edm isn’t ready to deal, but if they were, would you deal with them and who/how much would you give up. Remember, next year we could clear a ton of Cap with Kris, Rust, and Geno all potentially on the move.
Absolutely Coach…Can we trade tonight !!!
i get to watch a few Calgary and Edmonton games. and i really like Draisaitl !! He plays a tougher game than Mc David does . He has an 8.5 million dollar contract with 3 more seasons after this one. I would trade Malkin if he would go in a heart beat. I would even throw in Sullivan.
haha
Jim
I don’t know if Geno would want to go to Edm or if Edm would want him, but how about a 3 – team deal, Fla trades someone to Edm, Edm trades Draisaitl to Fla, then Penguins send Geno to Fla and gets Draisaitl in return? Just a thought.
Personally, as I have stated, the kid in me would love to see Malkin stay and we can get away with trading Letang and Rust in such a way as to get Draisaitl.
Maybe Edm might covet Price, so the Pens could trade Letang to Montreal for Price and then deal Price to Edm for Draisaitl, with Edm looking forward to Price between the pipes next season?
Then maybe some combo of Rust, Zucker, Kapanen, and POJ for Van for 1st pick Podokolzn, and whoever is this weeks player in Van dog house.
Just thinking out loud here.
Rick
Just saw that the Pens have agreed on a two year extension with Jeff Carter for around 3.1 million. I
think all of us are happy to have him remain a Penguin.
My question here is does this mean the end for either Letang, Malkin or both?
Hi Mike
Great question…
An excellent contract for the Team and Jeff Carter. Short term and a good deal for both parties. Carter even at his age brings a different dimension to his game that this team desperately needs..
With regards to Malkin and Letang if I were Hextall I would ONLY sign them to 2 year contracts max on my terms. In two years if they work out sign another 2 year deal if you think they warrant it. But to sign a 35-36 year old player to a 5 year contract for 6-8 million is not good business sense.
Even Crosby’s last 2 years of his contract he is only paid 2 million dollars. That was by design and the realization that his skills would be diminished as a 38 year old…even though his Cap Hit remains 8.7 million.Also if you wanted to trade an old Crosby to another team it would be much easier to do !
Cheers
Jim
Jim
Totally agree. I wouldn’t give them more than 2yr deals and the 2nd year would have to
be a team option. “Take it or leave it”.