You don't know any more than us why Kunitz was in the lineup. Maybe Toews lobbied for Sharp to be included?
They both ended up with the basically the same stats, further proving they are similar players. Both performed as well in the same tournament with the same quality of players.

GP G A P +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG S S%
Kunitz 6 1 0 1 2 6 0 0 0 8
Sharp 5 1 0 1 2 4 0 0 0 7
- lpstjg

Wilson's charts show similar production and a similar decrease in production last season. They are both aging wingers and YES i completely blanked on Kunitz making Team Canada last year. Yes, Sharp benefits from playing with Toews but Sid is the better playmaker/point producer. my primary point was that they play a COMPLETELy different game. Kunitz has netfront and physicality to his game while Sharp plays with speed and is effective on the rush.

Yes, yes take me to school for the error on Kunitz. I actually remember being outraged by Kunitz making the team over some other Canadians.... I apologize Chris and Penguins fans all over the Hockeybuzz world.

However, Rutherford gave Semin $7 mil/year, traded Despres for Lovejoy and has made several questionable moves in his recent years. Is he going senile? I could very easily see Rutherford give up a few assets for Sharp to make a push while Sid and Geno are still in their best years....

Wilson's charts show similar production and a similar decrease in production last season. They are both aging wingers and YES i completely blanked on Kunitz making Team Canada last year. Yes, Sharp benefits from playing with Toews but Sid is the better playmaker/point producer. my primary point was that they play a COMPLETELy different game. Kunitz has netfront and physicality to his game while Sharp plays with speed and is effective on the rush.

Yes, yes take me to school for the error on Kunitz. I actually remember being outraged by Kunitz making the team over some other Canadians.... I apologize Chris and Penguins fans all over the Hockeybuzz world.

However, Rutherford gave Semin $7 mil/year, traded Despres for Lovejoy and has made several questionable moves in his recent years. Is he going senile? I could very easily see Rutherford give up a few assets for Sharp to make a push while Sid and Geno are still in their best years....
- EnzoD

Cheaper and better long term options are out there... why are you so high on us getting Sharp?

- Guile

Wilson's charts show similar production and a similar decrease in production last season. They are both aging wingers and YES i completely blanked on Kunitz making Team Canada last year. Yes, Sharp benefits from playing with Toews but Sid is the better playmaker/point producer. my primary point was that they play a COMPLETELy different game. Kunitz has netfront and physicality to his game while Sharp plays with speed and is effective on the rush.

Yes, yes take me to school for the error on Kunitz. I actually remember being outraged by Kunitz making the team over some other Canadians.... I apologize Chris and Penguins fans all over the Hockeybuzz world.

However, Rutherford gave Semin $7 mil/year, traded Despres for Lovejoy and has made several questionable moves in his recent years. Is he going senile? I could very easily see Rutherford give up a few assets for Sharp to make a push while Sid and Geno are still in their best years....
- EnzoD

Yes, and every sensible Pens fan hopes that doesn't happen. Just like all Hawks fans hope Keith and/or Hossa don't retire before their contracts are up. Kunitz is $2.1m less per year and that is why everyone here would rather just keep Kunitz instead of take on Sharp.

Ryan Wilson- Your charts are pretty and paint the picture you want, but to compare Kunitz and Sharp as "the same player" or of equal skill/value to a team, ludicrous. SHARP WAS ON TEAM CANADA one year ago...Kunitz hasnt been on a Canadian tournament team since he was in junior hockey. Sharp still has wheels, a great shot and plays solid 2-way hockey. Kunitz could never skate well and is now SLOWWWW.

Kunitz is a totally different player than Sharp, regardless of ability. Sharp is a 2-way sniper while Kunitz is a power forward that padded his stat line on Crosby's wing. Am I saying I think Rutherford should trade for Sharp? IDK, if the price was right. He would be a lot better than David Perron, Beau Bennett, or Kunitz as a top 6 wing next to Crosby or Malkin.

Sharp for Pittsburg 2015 1st +2016 2nd?
- EnzoD

1st and a 2nd? I want some of the bud you guys are smoking in Chicago man.

- cap1681

1st and a 2nd? I want some of the bud you guys are smoking in Chicago man.
- BourbonCounty

hahah that bud is why i forgot Kunitz was on Team Canada!! that and I havent gotten enough caffeine this morning. Imagine being able to bump down Kunitz to the 3rd line though...

Perron-Sid-Hornquist
Sharp-Geno-Bennett
Kunitz-(not sutter )-comeau


that is one heck of a Top 9....

Cheaper and better long term options are out there... why are you so high on us getting Sharp?
- Guile

Such as?

Schedule just got released.

Crazy that the Pens don't play the Rangers, Islanders, or Flyers until after January 1st.

Such as?
- EnzoD

Trying reading through the comments of the last 10 blogs here. Since you came in knowing nothing and spouting out nonsense, you can educate yourself.

To EnzoD :

Both Sharp and Kunitz have been to the same 2 Team Canada tournament :

The World Championship of 2007-2008 and the Olympics last year. So, you don'get any points for that.

Also, looking at their stats page on the NHL, it proves that both players have had a pretty similar career so far. They might not be the same type of player in style, but that's pretty much where the difference ends. As far as productions goes, they both have some pretty similar number so both are playing their style as effectively.

GP G A P +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG S S%
Sharp 745 249 277 526 80 464 66 16 42 2,191 11.4
Kunitz 733 224 287 511 154 611 75 5 39 1,729 13

Those are regular season numbers BTW (larger sample size). Both have played about the same # of games, suggesting they have stayed healthy at about the same level to be able to appear in as many games. As far as points go, pretty similar if you ask me. I wouldn't pay 2M extra for 15 pts. For a supposed great 2 way sniper, the +/- seems to heavily favors Kunitz (almost double) so that notion goes out the window. As for the sniper part, the % percentage also favors Kunitz so I'm not too worried about that either.

It does get a bit better for Sharp in the playoffs but still, not much better that would justify paying an extra 2M for him over Kunitz or sending assets your way to acquire him. Also, it's not like you are going to take Kunitz of our hands so why have 2 of the almost exact player and carry both cap hit.

1st and a 2nd? I want some of the bud you guys are smoking in Chicago man.
- BourbonCounty

The funny thing is that the pens don't have a 2015 1st or a 2016 2nd

From experience living in Chicago, 90% of Hawks fans think their players poop gold and are the greatest players on the earth.

hahah that bud is why i forgot Kunitz was on Team Canada!! that and I havent gotten enough caffeine this morning. Imagine being able to bump down Kunitz to the 3rd line though...

Perron-Sid-Hornquist
Sharp-Geno-Bennett
Kunitz-(not sutter )-comeau


that is one heck of a Top 9....
- EnzoD

Next time I'm in Chicago I'll hit you up if we don't bring any

But Sharp and Kessel would ruin our team. Yeah we would have a sick team for a year, maybe 2 but I don't want to even think about after that. The point RW was making was that Kunitz is a small step below Sharp, but also 2 million cheaper. That 2 million difference is not worth giving up our future for.

Schedule just got released.

Crazy that the Pens don't play the Rangers, Islanders, or Flyers until after January 1st.
- cap1681

They have like a dozen afternoon games too. That's worse

Such as?
- EnzoD

For a 1st and 2nd round pick, yes there are a crap load of younger/better players out there

Trying reading through the comments of the last 10 blogs here. Since you came in knowing nothing and spouting out nonsense, you can educate yourself.
- Guile

Ya ya Kunitz made team Canada over Giroux, Thornton, James Neal, Taylor Hall, and Tyler Seguin....playing with Crosby had ZERO impact on that decision....

Next time I'm in Chicago I'll hit you up if we don't bring any

But Sharp and Kessel would ruin our team. Yeah we would have a sick team for a year, maybe 2 but I don't want to even think about after that. The point RW was making was that Kunitz is a small step below Sharp, but also 2 million cheaper. That 2 million difference is not worth giving up our future for.
- BourbonCounty

I would be saying the same thing as Pens fan, but does Rutherfod feel the same way??

Ya ya Kunitz made team Canada over Giroux, Thornton, James Neal, Taylor Hall, and Tyler Seguin....playing with Crosby had ZERO impact on that decision....
- EnzoD

And you believe Sharp better than all of those? Playing with Towes had zero impact huh.

Pity that its a team sport, and coaches would actually consider grabbing Kunitz when he was near the top of the league in points and great synergy with the best player in the world. Yep, 100% had to lobby for a smart decision.

hahah that bud is why i forgot Kunitz was on Team Canada!! that and I havent gotten enough caffeine this morning. Imagine being able to bump down Kunitz to the 3rd line though...

Perron-Sid-Hornquist
Sharp-Geno-Bennett
Kunitz-(not sutter )-comeau


that is one heck of a Top 9....
- EnzoD

That's a team that gets super close to the cap. That's about 39 mil tied up and we don't even have a 3C. Tell me why it makes sense for us to give up our few remaining assets to get a super expensive declining player for a year when we have Plotkinov and possibly Tikhonov coming in on cheap contracts and who knows what Sutter brings back? We're bad trade partners. Go pester someone else.

The funny thing is that the pens don't have a 2015 1st or a 2016 2nd

From experience living in Chicago, 90% of Hawks fans think their players poop gold and are the greatest players on the earth.
- drummer829

Yeah man defintely agree. There's a puck slut CHI fan that lives here and she retweeted the Sharp to Pens rumor with what they were looking for from us (kap etc) and she was like NOOOOOOO! Such a (frank)ing idiot. I would jump at that deal instantly if I were a CHI fan.

I would be saying the same thing as Pens fan, but does Rutherfod feel the same way??
- EnzoD

Yeah I'm pretty confident he does. He's basically signed three younger (under 30) foreign players in Anderson, Plot and Tik. Those are free assets right there that add to depth and potentially top 6. Sutter is our main trade chip and he will be traded for a top 6, in a package or straight up. I think either Dumo, BB or Harrington will be moved out of our young guys if the right player becomes available (young, top 6, signed to a long term)

Ya ya Kunitz made team Canada over Giroux, Thornton, James Neal, Taylor Hall, and Tyler Seguin....playing with Crosby had ZERO impact on that decision....
- EnzoD

Hahaha and Sharp deserved it over those guys too? I'd take Neal, Hall, and Seguin over both in a heart beat without thinking about it. Come on man. Neither Sharp nor Kunitz deserved it. They only got in because of their chemistry with their centers and only contributed one goal each. Both were predictably underwhelming.

Hahaha and Sharp deserved it over those guys too? I'd take Neal, Hall, and Seguin over both in a heart beat without thinking about it. Come on man. Neither Sharp nor Kunitz deserved it. They only got in because of their chemistry with their centers and only contributed one goal each. Both were predictably underwhelming.
- Victoro311

Hold up... I think you are REALLY stretching it taking Neal over Sharp

I just don't feel comfortable committing to multi year deals to players like Soderberg, fehr, santorelli or cullen when next year's fa class shats on those guys. Put the guys i mentioned in next year's class and they would be paid accordingly, not what they're going to get this year, but good for them i guess.
- joescullz

I would have no problem with multi-year deals with two of the guys you mentioned (Soderberg and Fehr). The others, I would.

We have no idea what next year's class will look like. If I had my guess, it will be a lot like this year's class, which isn't great at all. Pittsburgh's best option to get better as an organization is to stop moving draft picks and prospects for rentals; scour the college ranks and the KHL/Sweden for free agents or underrated free agents and trades, not free agency.

Ya ya Kunitz made team Canada over Giroux, Thornton, James Neal, Taylor Hall, and Tyler Seguin....playing with Crosby had ZERO impact on that decision....
- EnzoD

Chicago fans are far too much.