Bennet's not that expendable. The point of trading for Kane would be to add a top 6 forward to our minuscule pool of top six forwards. Sending Bennett in the package would leave us with the same hole in the top six that we had before. Not saying it'd be a side ways move, we'd definitely improve, but a top six of

Kane-Crosby-Hornqvist
Kunitz-Malkin-Bennett

looks a hell of a lot better than

Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis
Kane-Malkin-Hornqvist

Ideal trade would be Sutter, two D prospects (one blue chip and one not so much), and a first.
- Victoro311

JR traded away one top 6 winger who had baggage. I am hard pressed to believe he trades for another top 6 winger with arguable more issues. He also has a higher salary (albeit only $250,000 more) more than Neal so at which point I would of just kept Neal.

Not that Kane is a bad hockey player, I just believe we can find an alternative solution from a team that won't be asking for a kings ransom in return. Ex) Target an older player, Marleau comes to mind depending on the the Sharks demands.

Kopitar embodies team concept. You can't argue with two cups and a WCF in 3 years as one of the captains. His 200 ft game is pretty much unmatched. I won't argue with success.
- arh777

no one is (or should be) arguing that kopitar isnt a top 5-7 player in the league. but knowing what i know today, if i could go back and pick between crosbys career and kopitars career, im taking sid 10 out of 10 times. its not a knock on anze at all; i happen to like the kings and not in love with the pens but the facts are facts.

2 cups and 1 WCF are nice and kopitar is certainly responsible for a lot of it but that is no indicated that he is better than crosby.

dan marino, barry sanders, ladianian tomlinson never won the superbowl. tony gwyn, ken griffey jr, ted williams never won a world series. karl malone, john stockton, reggie miller never won a title.

Ah yes. The unavoidable Martin as part of the package comment that comes in every Kane to Pittsburgh conversation. At this point in the story someone will inevitably point out that Martin has a NTC that he won't waive for Winnipeg, at which point everyone will agree that the roster player going is Sutter, at which point someone will mention Winnipeg's win now mentality that makes this deal implausible.

This pipe dream is circular.
- Victoro311

Paul Martin, NTC or no, is more valuable to the Penguins as a roster player than as part of a trade package.

Crosby >> Kopitar
Malkin > Kopitar
- Orpik44

this i disagree with...

Does it though? I dunno, Bennett hasn't proved a damn thing, I actually think the 2nd top 6 looks way better than the 1st.
- j.boyd919

Duper was a serviceable winger for Crosby, but he is a third liner and can definitely be improved on, and that was before a SERIOUS injury. As someone mentioned before, whoever doesn't have reservations about Dupuis returning from that injury to the top line is delusional. While Bennett hasn't proven that he can even stay healthy, let alone skate with the top 6, he's shown flashes, so if he can stay healthy and consistant, he'd be a definite upgrade over Duper. And if it doesn't work, we still have Duper who can come back to his old spot no problem.

@jmachett: I like that trade a lot. We have Letang locked up. Pouliot is a lot more expendable than people think.

Dude, I wasn't arguing with you, in general. There's a handful of players I'd take over Malkin, and Kopitar is one of them. However, if someone asked you to pick 1 center to start a team with, and you DON'T take Crosby, that's just fanatical homerism.
- jmatchett383

Sorry, quoted the wrong post. that's fine, take Crosby. It takes more then just plain skill to build a team after. There's intangibles that lead me to take Kopitar. Don't get so personal.

Ah yes. The unavoidable Martin as part of the package comment that comes in every Kane to Pittsburgh conversation. At this point in the story someone will inevitably point out that Martin has a NTC that he won't waive for Winnipeg, at which point everyone will agree that the roster player going is Sutter, at which point someone will mention Winnipeg's win now mentality that makes this deal implausible.

This pipe dream is circular.
- Victoro311

Ha..I was kidding. But yes. That is the cycle.

Ha..I was kidding. But yes. That is the cycle.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

It truly is tragic. I will be heartbroken when Kane inevitably ends up being traded to a team not called Pittsburgh.

no one is (or should be) arguing that kopitar isnt a top 5-7 player in the league. but knowing what i know today, if i could go back and pick between crosbys career and kopitars career, im taking sid 10 out of 10 times. its not a knock on anze at all; i happen to like the kings and not in love with the pens but the facts are facts.

2 cups and 1 WCF are nice and kopitar is certainly responsible for a lot of it but that is no indicated that he is better than crosby.

dan marino, barry sanders, ladianian tomlinson never won the superbowl. tony gwyn, ken griffey jr, ted williams never won a world series. karl malone, john stockton, reggie miller never won a title.
- LetsGoIsles

Read 3or 4 posts up...

http://penguins.nhl.com/c...898&cmpid=pit-fb-penguins

New Pens assistant coach Gary Agnew

Read 3or 4 posts up...
- arh777

read it...well agree to disagree.

Duper was a serviceable winger for Crosby, but he is a third liner and can definitely be improved on, and that was before a SERIOUS injury. As someone mentioned before, whoever doesn't have reservations about Dupuis returning from that injury to the top line is delusional. While Bennett hasn't proven that he can even stay healthy, let alone skate with the top 6, he's shown flashes, so if he can stay healthy and consistant, he'd be a definite upgrade over Duper. And if it doesn't work, we still have Duper who can come back to his old spot no problem.

@jmachett: I like that trade a lot. We have Letang locked up. Pouliot is a lot more expendable than people think.
- Victoro311

I think having Letang locked up is why Pouliot is NOT expendable.

JR traded away one top 6 winger who had baggage. I am hard pressed to believe he trades for another top 6 winger with arguable more issues. He also has a higher salary (albeit only $250,000 more) more than Neal so at which point I would of just kept Neal.

Not that Kane is a bad hockey player, I just believe we can find an alternative solution from a team that won't be asking for a kings ransom in return. Ex) Target an older player, Marleau comes to mind depending on the the Sharks demands.
- penguins-4-life

You make good points. Kane is the enigma because I would overpay for his talents and contract. Conversely, he should technically come at a discount because of "off-ice" issues. So no idea where to gauge it from a WPG side.

Neal and Kane are apples and oranges. Kane is a better player, imo. And, more importantly, Neal had many issues ON the ice whereas Kane has really overblown issues OFF the ice. I'd imagine JR would be ok with it but ownership may not.

I do also really like someone like Marleau or Sharp for a year or two as a fallback option if Kane didn't work out.

Duper was a serviceable winger for Crosby, but he is a third liner and can definitely be improved on, and that was before a SERIOUS injury. As someone mentioned before, whoever doesn't have reservations about Dupuis returning from that injury to the top line is delusional. While Bennett hasn't proven that he can even stay healthy, let alone skate with the top 6, he's shown flashes, so if he can stay healthy and consistant, he'd be a definite upgrade over Duper. And if it doesn't work, we still have Duper who can come back to his old spot no problem.

@jmachett: I like that trade a lot. We have Letang locked up. Pouliot is a lot more expendable than people think.
- Victoro311

Don't get me wrong, I'm all about Dupuis being on the 3rd line, I would love for that to be possible. But Dupuis has proven he can skate with Crosby and be successful at it.. Bennett has not. I would also love for Bennett to pan out and be as good as the scouts say he is supposed to be. But I still think right now, even after injury, Dupuis is a better compliment to Sid than Bennett is. I think a line of Bennett-Sutter-Downie could be a really solid 3rd line. Gives Sutter someone decent to play with, and somoene to give the other teams fits.

You make good points. Kane is the enigma because I would overpay for his talents and contract. Conversely, he should technically come at a discount because of "off-ice" issues. So no idea where to gauge it from a WPG side.

Neal and Kane are apples and oranges. Kane is a better player, imo. And, more importantly, Neal had many issues ON the ice whereas Kane has really overblown issues OFF the ice. I'd imagine JR would be ok with it but ownership may not.

I do also really like someone like Marleau or Sharp for a year or two as a fallback option if Kane didn't work out.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

But we don't get them for one or two years. We get Marleau for three and Sharp for even longer. Do we really want to trade young assets for aging wingers on large contracts that may end up being the next Scuderi like waste of space cap hits?

Kane is young, locked up long term for an extremely reasonable contract considering the rising cap, and is a proven talent. I'm not sure you can overpay for a guy like that. Winnipeg will demand a king's ransom because they deserve it, and I'm inclined to give it.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all about Dupuis being on the 3rd line, I would love for that to be possible. But Dupuis has proven he can skate with Crosby and be successful at it.. Bennett has not. I would also love for Bennett to pan out and be as good as the scouts say he is supposed to be. But I still think right now, even after injury, Dupuis is a better compliment to Sid than Bennett is. I think a line of Bennett-Sutter-Downie could be a really solid 3rd line. Gives Sutter someone decent to play with, and somoene to give the other teams fits.
- j.boyd919

Yeah but why not give him a shot? Bennett will never turn into the top six winger he's suppose to be unless he gets top six minutes. Why go with the subpar option when can try something that is potentially much better. And like I said, if it doesn't work, moving Duper back up to the first is as easy as grabbing a policeman's butt on Canada Day.

But we don't get them for one or two years. We get Marleau for three and Sharp for even longer. Do we really want to trade young assets for aging wingers on large contracts that may end up being the next Scuderi like waste of space cap hits?

Kane is young, locked up long term for an extremely reasonable contract considering the rising cap, and is a proven talent. I'm not sure you can overpay for a guy like that. Winnipeg will demand a king's ransom because they deserve it, and I'm inclined to give it.
- Victoro311

I agree with you. Kane is the first option.

Then go after the older guys. And the older guys are a different package. We aren't giving up "young assets". Marleau would be for Martin + something. I still think he can play at a high level and don't you dare compare him to Scuderi !

Seriously I was a Penguins fan first back in the day. Everyone on the Islander blog knows that and I root for the Penguins all year except against the Islanders. So I am a fan still have my autographed Mario Lemieux jersey hanging up
- kasperrko

So both Islander fans know you also like the Penguins? Thanks for the clear up.

I agree with you. Kane is the first option.

Then go after the older guys. And the older guys are a different package. We aren't giving up "young assets". Marleau would be for Martin + something. I still think he can play at a high level and don't you dare compare him to Scuderi !
- YouMeAndDupuis9

While I'd be more than fine with having either Patrick for this coming season and even maybe the season after that, something about having Kunitz, Duper, and another aging winger all in our top six frightens me. At some point we need to get younger and faster.

So both Islander fans know you also like the Penguins? Thanks for the clear up.
- Dcoms

Too damn funny

I like how Cup wins is a measuring stat for how great a player is on a nightly basis. By that logic:

Kevin Lowe (6) is better than Ray Bourque (1) and Bobby Orr (2)
Craig Adams (2) is better than Sidney Crosby (1)
Marc-Andre Fleury (1) is better than Henrik Lundqvist (0) and Carey Price (0)

this i disagree with...
- LetsGoIsles

How about Kopitar > Tavares?

Sorry but I'd rather have Malkin. He looks like the best in the world when he's on his game...and it happens every year for at least 20 games.

How much $$$ is O'Reilly looking for? He would be a Nice player to target.

Who has more value right now, Kane or O'Reilly?

While I'd be more than fine with having either Patrick for this coming season and even maybe the season after that, something about having Kunitz, Duper, and another aging winger all in our top six frightens me. At some point we need to get younger and faster.
- Victoro311

Again I agree whole heartedly. We are just dealing from the hand Shero dealt us. We could always go after a "lesser" younger guy like Coyle/Nyquist/Tatar/Smith-Pelly/etc....but they come at a premium due to age/salary/upside. Kane is a little different because hes young and established.

How much $$$ is O'Reilly looking for? He would be a Nice player to target.

Who has more value right now, Kane or O'Reilly?
- Orpik44

Colorado is the type of team that could probably use Martin. Another player that would certainly look good in our top 6. ROR seems to be a headache with getting a deal done which means he would be quite expensive ($6M?). Martin + Sutter + pick might get him.