Hey Mr. Tanner,

I recall how upset (and ugly) you were awhile back when Mr. Tocchet was named head coach of the Yotes... and I believe your disdain was based in your absolute love and devotion of the Pens, LOL.

Are you a believer yet?

I’m pretty sure Gudbranson shed the tough guy thing coming to Pittsburgh. Will he fight? Sure sometimes, it’s not like tackling Tom Wilson before he’s making aB line to Guentzel is a bad thing. Mostly I think he concentrated on play hockey in his time here. Really don’t see a problem with he and Pettersson being the bottom pair. To point to him and JJ as the sole problem of this team is lazy and stupid.

"give[n] their four game sweep at the hands of Robin Lehner"

Way to stick with the narrative. I'm assuming you didn't catch most of the games and are just basing this on numbers....

Vampire Weekend sucks. They had one good album.

That is all.

No to trade Crosby or Malkin. I’d consider trading Letang or Kessel if the return is awesome but it won’t happen.

Yes to trading Hörnqvist, Jacko or Guds contract.
- Barnaby36

Well, you're not the GM.

I’m pretty sure Gudbranson she’s the tough guy thing coming to Pittsburgh. Will he fight? Sure sometimes, it’s not like tackling Tom Wilson before he’s making aB line to Guentzel is a bad thing. Mostly I think he concentrated on play hockey in his time here. Really don’t see a problem with he and Pettersson being the bottom pair. To point to him and JJ as the sole problem of this team is lazy and stupid.
- Grinder47

Agreed, as I've been trying to drive home with lots of folks here. The Pens' issues go FAR deeper than your lower pairing Dmen.

I thought this was written by RW. Got done reading and was confused by the lack of depth and/or point of this article. I figured I’d post a clever comment to to mock said deficiencies. I then saw JT at the top of the comment board and went, “ohhh...ok, I get it.”
- Le_Magnifique

This 100%

Vampire Weekend sucks. They had one good album.

That is all.
- Good On Paper

I tried to listen to the song posted. It's so (frank)ing bad, as is every vampire weekend song I've ever heard. this is the pinnacle of modern music?

Odd as it sounds, I could see it. I think Pens fans care more about him finishing his career a Pen than he does. Maybe he really does want to "be the man" somewhere?
- MacPatty

Yeah I agree. I am not sure players care that much about where they end up unless its somewhere really awful. I couldn't imagine being highly paid in my 20's in EDM or Peg. I dont even think the Flyers/Rivalry really even exists to this point anymore. Its just another game. I really dont think Jagr or Gretzky gave a poop where they ended their careers.

That said I could see a Malkin/Kessel trade with either Maata or JJ going to AZ or FLA for something like OEL or Ekblad+1st+NHL ready prospect.

I tried to listen to the song posted. It's so (frank)ing bad, as is every vampire weekend song I've ever heard. this is the pinnacle of modern music?
- Blackstrom2

You're just not hip and "with it" enough to love terrible music like indie hipsters.

Johnson yes, Hornquist not a chance.

Hornquist is maybe overpaid by a Mil but his impact is massively underrated. Rough year with concussions but I want him to retire a Penguin.
- MacPatty

As we’ve all seen time and time again, your impact is limited by your coach. If we’re not going to use him in the top 6 and we need his cap space then it likely makes the most sense to trade him. I was ok with trading him as a rental before and I’m ok with trading him now it just depends on how it unfolds. I don’t want to be Chicago where we dump off cap space (Hossa) with young players (more space) and then never use that space. JR won’t have that issue. Players going out will be replaced

Yeah I agree. I am not sure players care that much about where they end up unless its somewhere really awful. I couldn't imagine being highly paid in my 20's in EDM or Peg. I dont even think the Flyers/Rivalry really even exists to this point anymore. Its just another game. I really dont think Jagr or Gretzky gave a poop where they ended their careers.

That said I could see a Malkin/Kessel trade with either Maata or JJ going to AZ or FLA for something like OEL or Ekblad+1st+NHL ready prospect.
- sammy87

From a business standpoint I’m ok trading OEL. It’s not going to happen though. They have plenty of other assets they can move to improve and moving OEL 1) creates a hole but 2) you aren’t going to replace what this guy means to the community. He sells tickets, he sells jerseys, they’ve seen him rise up here under Doaner and they want to continue down that path.

I don’t think Chayka is going to mix up his centers. He has Schmaltz, Dvorak (who has chemistry with Keller), Stepan, and Richardson with Hayton in the wings. I think he’s going to go after one too 6 player and trade away a defender. Then the team will see what they have to start the season just like GMJR did years past in his search for a 3C

This team was good defensively last year and with a full year of Schmaltz and maybe Zuccarello they’ll see a much improved PP. the D are set. The PK should still be solid. Maybe if he also upgrades at the deadline they even make a playoff push, who knows

"give
- doublechili[n] their four game sweep at the hands of the Islanders 4th line.

Way to stick with the narrative. I'm assuming you didn't catch most of the games and are just basing this on numbers....

Fixed. No stats junkie wants to give that line credit.

Would you know if there was any truth in the rumor that kessel had waived his no trade last year to go to AZ? If AZ took on kessel, thats a good contract for them. 92 points last year, 83 this year for $6.8M? thats a bargain. I hope the pens dont do that but since JR at least twice made crappy comments, its a possibility.

From a business standpoint I’m ok trading OEL. It’s not going to happen though. They have plenty of other assets they can move to improve and moving OEL 1) creates a hole but 2) you aren’t going to replace what this guy means to the community. He sells tickets, he sells jerseys, they’ve seen him rise up here under Doaner and they want to continue down that path.

I don’t think Chayka is going to mix up his centers. He has Schmaltz, Dvorak (who has chemistry with Keller), Stepan, and Richardson with Hayton in the wings. I think he’s going to go after one too 6 player and trade away a defender. Then the team will see what they have to start the season just like GMJR did years past in his search for a 3C

This team was good defensively last year and with a full year of Schmaltz and maybe Zuccarello they’ll see a much improved PP. the D are set. The PK should still be solid. Maybe if he also upgrades at the deadline they even make a playoff push, who knows
- WSCTeton17

Outside of OEL i really dont know anyone on the AZ roster. I can't follow the NHL as much as I use to but if Malkin were moved thats what a deal would look like. Im not sure it makes much sense to either team TBH.

Vampire Weekend sucks. They had one good album.

That is all.
- Good On Paper

They didn't even have that

Vampire Weekend sucks. They had one good album.

That is all.
- Good On Paper

And Hemingway had only one good book.

And Hemingway had only one good book.
- James_Tanner

Hemmingway was monstrously overrated.

There is simply no way a Crosby nor Malkin trade would ever happen nor should happen. Keep in mind that both have a full NMC. I don't think JR is insane enough to even ask them to waive it and to even float any possibilities to other GM's of trading either of these two.

There is a possibility that Malkin might go back to Russia at some point, though. He looked rather frustrated all season and for some reason the NHL refs seem to have a bone to pick with him and really target him - either by calling every little infraction that he does or by allowing other players to do whatever they want to him without calling it. I don't know what is going on there but it really seems like the NHL has him as a "marked man" and has some kind of issue with him.

Both Kessel and Letang have a limited NMC, with Kessel's being 8 teams and Letang's being 18 teams. It is a safe bet that neither have Arizona on their lists. Both are incredibly frustrating players who are essentially "double-edged swords" who both help and hurt the team. Kessel is paid for his scoring ability but yet constantly tried to make bad passes all season, while passing up perfect scoring chances. Letang constantly pinches, leading to frequent odd-man breaks against. He was the #1 reason the Pens got swept in the Islanders series. Trotz's system exploited him mercilessly. Sorry Letang, the forwards typically can't play defense as well as a defenseman and expecting them to do this pretty much constantly all game is not reasonable. He is also the mouthiest player on the team and has taken some bad unsportsmanlike conduct penalties in the past, although he seems to have dialed that back this past season. Nevertheless, he is still the team's best defenseman and still one the best defenseman in the league.

Of the four the only one I would consider trading is Kessel but I doubt it would be possible to get a fair return from the 8 teams on his limited NMC. The best we can hope for is that the "smarter versions" of him and Letang decide to show up for next season.

My biggest concern is that JR will trade Hornqvist and the team will loose what little net-front presence it has.

imagine Malkin waiving his NMC to go to Arizona
- jimbro83

I can’t

Agreed, as I've been trying to drive home with lots of folks here. The Pens' issues go FAR deeper than your lower pairing Dmen.
- Cousinskrid

Not really.

First, JJ isn’t a “lower pairing dman” considering he played top 2nd pairing minutes all year.

Second, mentioning Guddy isn’t about the individual. It’s about the overall direction and makeup of the team. Guddy played well while he was here. I agree with most on that but he still isn’t the type of defenseman that helps push the pace like guys like Letang, Schultz, Daley, Maatta, etc. (guys who can move the puck).

Third, the team suffered from an identity crisis. The best players on this team play hockey a certain way. The worst players on this team do not accentuate the way that they play. It was a horrible mismatch of players that don’t work well together.

It starts with the GM. He acquired poor fits for the team. He saw how the Pens won their second cup and thought that was a good model to base the team off of, while anyone who’s anything realized that trying to model a team about the second cup is a recipe for unsustainable success. Meanwhile the rest of the NHL looked at what made the buzz saw penguins of the first cup successful and replicated that model. The Pens own GM missed what made them successful. That’s where the problem is. The GM made stupid decisions.

I can’t
- 2Real

me neither

Tanner, like you're blogs. Some are going to be better than others. Duh.

Actually, I do think you and Ryan Wilson should get together and talk about how the Penguins and Coytoes would go about trades. Why not when everyone's golfing? Talk about Tocchet's desires. Talk about GMJR's fallacies. Talk about contract limitations. Eating a bad contract in exchange for keeping draft picks.

Go for it. A decent amount of us read and enjoy.

Hemmingway was monstrously overrated.
- BINGO!

Yeah, just like Shakespeare and Brian Wilson. I've read a lot of crazy things on this board over the years, but Hemingway being overrated probably takes the cake.

I take it you don't read much, if at all.

Yeah, just like Shakespeare and Brian Wilson. I've read a lot of crazy things on this board over the years, but Hemingway being overrated probably takes the cake.

I take it you don't read much, if at all.
- James_Tanner

Well that's a bold assumption.

He's a good writer, James, but he spent way too much time just jerking off onto the page.