Media conjecture is it's a foregone conclusion that he signs anywhere else but with the Rangers.
- Rinosaur

Is that before or after Stamkos signs with Toronto?

Wasn't the plan at the start of the season Dumo/Letang and Maatta/Schultz? That's a pretty decent top 4. Schultz got hurt 2 minutes into the season basically wrecking the plan. Very few teams can reach into their back pocket and pull out another good PMD. Obviously the JJ mess was awful, but let's not act like there were tons of options once Schultz went down.

As far as wingers go... Up until Guentzal came on the last two years, Malkin got the best snipers in the Crosby/Malkin era. Neal and Kessel (sans two months of Hossa).

If I had to guess why Geno is frustrated.... I think he's a bit of a hot head when things aren't going his way......that kind of sh!t will snowball on an emotional person. He's not the same player he was 10 years ago and he hasn't figured out how to adjust his game. Some of those dangles he got away with in the past isn't working these days.
- madmike71

Wait, Malkin can be a hot head when he's frustrated???

Wait, Malkin can be a hot head when he's frustrated???
- jmatchett383

Cat's out of the bag.

Cat's out of the bag.
- madmike71

Next you'll tell me that Kris Letang isn't a living bobble head.

Kessel & JJ for Brodin. Trade Maata for a pick. Sign Skinner with Cap savings.

Kessel for Chuchryn & Crouse. Trade Maata for a pick, sign Zucc.

Kessel for Trochek, trade Maata for Kovalchuk and a prospect.

Kessel for Nurse & Puljujarvi.

Kessel for Turris and a 1st.
- MacPatty

Pens aren’t better in any of these scenarios. Thanks for playing.

I can’t wait until next fall when we all get to play the “We shoulda gone for this guy card.” Just like we do now with skinner and Kane. We just do this more often. Can I get anyone a marg?

I can’t wait until next fall when we all get to play the “We shoulda gone for this guy card.” Just like we do now with skinner and Kane. We just do this more often. Can I get anyone a marg?
- WSCTeton17

Well it is Friday. Who am I to say no to a marg?

Kessel & JJ for Brodin. Trade Maata for a pick. Sign Skinner with Cap savings.

Kessel for Chuchryn & Crouse. Trade Maata for a pick, sign Zucc.

Kessel for Trochek, trade Maata for Kovalchuk and a prospect.

Kessel for Nurse & Puljujarvi.

Kessel for Turris and a 1st.
- MacPatty

Did you miss the part where I said “and do not get worse?”

I’ll give you credit that each of these (save Trocheck) do have a ring of plausibility to them. But in each scenario, the team getting Phil is making out like a bandit.

I can’t wait until next fall when we all get to play the “We shoulda gone for this guy card.” Just like we do now with skinner and Kane. We just do this more often. Can I get anyone a marg?
- WSCTeton17

My dude was da Haan. I wanted that dude on the Pens from the second he hit free agency. Skinner woulda been nice, especially with what was a low price for him. He woulda been sick with Sid or Geno.

Well it is Friday. Who am I to say no to a marg?
- Victoro311

Do you ever say no to booze?

Well it is Friday. Who am I to say no to a marg?
- Victoro311

You need help man.

You need help man.
- Feds91Stammer

Ain’t nothing wrong with a cocktail at 5pm on a Friday. And no, Boyd, not when it’s free.

Anyways, I was always a big Kane guy. Thought Sheahan was doing well enough and didn’t think we had the amo for Brassard. Still wonder what we’d look like with Kane instead of Brass. Wouldn’t have had the cap space to go after Johnson, too, if we had gotten Kane and extended him.

Ain’t nothing wrong with a cocktail at 5pm on a Friday. And no, Boyd, not when it’s free.

Anyways, I was always a big Kane guy. Thought Sheahan was doing well enough and didn’t think we had the amo for Brassard. Still wonder what we’d look like with Kane instead of Brass. Wouldn’t have had the cap space to go after Johnson, too, if we had gotten Kane and extended him.
- Victoro311

Yeah but its not always 5pm on a friday. Stop making excuses for your problem. I will not be an enabler.

Ain’t nothing wrong with a cocktail at 5pm on a Friday. And no, Boyd, not when it’s free.

Anyways, I was always a big Kane guy. Thought Sheahan was doing well enough and didn’t think we had the amo for Brassard. Still wonder what we’d look like with Kane instead of Brass. Wouldn’t have had the cap space to go after Johnson, too, if we had gotten Kane and extended him.
- Victoro311

Hahahaha

Not true. Bringing Kessel, Hornqvist and Hags here was all JR. Too much revisionist history going on these days. Botts traded two of his best players for lottery tickets and crap players.
- madmike71

I agree. F Botts.. Let's not forget this "cap genius" was there for the only allowed to dress 5 defencemen debacle because of cap restraints haha.

I agree. F Botts.. Let's not forget this "cap genius" was there for the only allowed to dress 5 defencemen debacle because of cap restraints haha.
- MattStrat

Whelp... The 5 dman was all on JR.

He admitted it after the season. He said he knew he was taking a risk.

Yeah but its not always 5pm on a friday. Stop making excuses for your problem. I will not be an enabler.
- Feds91Stammer

I would have you know that my drinking and general fun having has greatly decreased after grad school due to a very strict budget. Starting at Chevron in a week or so, so maybe things will change soon.

Pens aren’t better in any of these scenarios. Thanks for playing.
- j.boyd919

Idk man, that chuchrin trade looks intriguing.

I would have you know that my drinking and general fun having has greatly decreased after grad school due to a very strict budget. Starting at Chevron in a week or so, so maybe things will change soon.
- Victoro311

Working at Chevron huh? I love the O&G industry it subsidizes my drinking problem!

Idk man, that chuchrin trade looks intriguing.
- nateca44

I don’t find it intriguing at all. You’re trading away 82 points last season for 45 points from two players. (I know Chyuch only played like 55 games or whatever.) but that’s almost 40 points you need to replace.

The problem isn’t the stars, so removing the stars for lesser players is a mistake because the bad players are still going to be on the roster.

Working at Chevron huh? I love the O&G industry it subsidizes my drinking problem!
- sammy87

Yeah lobbying for big oil is not at all what I wanted to do with my life but after a year of fruitless job searching if a company like Chevron shows interest you can’t say no. Too much potential for career and earning advancement

Whelp... The 5 dman was all on JR.

He admitted it after the season. He said he knew he was taking a risk.
- madmike71

Hahah well.. Still doesn't dismiss the fact the cap genius was assistent GM at the time. Ultimately JR has to take the blame.

Wasn't the plan at the start of the season Dumo/Letang and Maatta/Schultz? That's a pretty decent top 4. Schultz got hurt 2 minutes into the season basically wrecking the plan. Very few teams can reach into their back pocket and pull out another good PMD. Obviously the JJ mess was awful, but let's not act like there were tons of options once Schultz went down.

As far as wingers go... Up until Guentzal came on the last two years, Malkin got the best snipers in the Crosby/Malkin era. Neal and Kessel (sans two months of Hossa).

If I had to guess why Geno is frustrated.... I think he's a bit of a hot head when things aren't going his way......that kind of sh!t will snowball on an emotional person. He's not the same player he was 10 years ago and he hasn't figured out how to adjust his game. Some of those dangles he got away with in the past isn't working these days.
- madmike71

Really can't disagree with any of this 👍

Wasn't the plan at the start of the season Dumo/Letang and Maatta/Schultz? That's a pretty decent top 4. Schultz got hurt 2 minutes into the season basically wrecking the plan. Very few teams can reach into their back pocket and pull out another good PMD. Obviously the JJ mess was awful, but let's not act like there were tons of options once Schultz went down.

As far as wingers go... Up until Guentzal came on the last two years, Malkin got the best snipers in the Crosby/Malkin era. Neal and Kessel (sans two months of Hossa).

If I had to guess why Geno is frustrated.... I think he's a bit of a hot head when things aren't going his way......that kind of sh!t will snowball on an emotional person. He's not the same player he was 10 years ago and he hasn't figured out how to adjust his game. Some of those dangles he got away with in the past isn't working these days.
- madmike71

The issue with this Malkin having better winger malarky is just that, it's malarky.

What seems to be lost here is that all those wingers that worked with Geno were tried with Sid first and when they didn't work, Geno got them.

The issue with this Malkin having better winger malarky is just that, it's malarky.

What seems to be lost here is that all those wingers that worked with Geno were tried with Sid first and when they didn't work, Geno got them.
- Rinosaur

Point is Malkin still gets those wingers. I don't have a horse in this race. Geno complained about his wingers exactly once and it was when Blake Comeau was put on his flank long term. IMO that's a super valid reason to pout. But it's undeniable that we've been really bad at having a well rounded top 4 for a while now. We maybe put it together for fits and spurts, but then someone gets injured or a really bad roster decision is made. It's an issue, and a better strategy at approaching how we build our blue line depth aka get guys who are at least somewhat competent at facilitating offense rather than focusing on defensive defenseman and whatever the (frank) "pushback" can help mitigate the loss of one guy in the corps. Because in the set up that we have now, we lose one guy and the offense completely stalls. I'm under no delusion that you can just replace what Letang and Schultz do with a bottom pairing guy, but those depth guys need to be at least a little bit better in this regard so that they can at least help somewhat when called upon.