Was hoping it would go quicker and didn’t bother to wake up to early. I’ve raised temp a bit and just wrapped it at the 10 hour mark. Next time I will plan more ahead of time and try to find a smaller pork butt.
- Feds91Stammer

12 hour minimum. That's why I am a big fan of the gas-assist now. Stumble out there early as (frank) and get it going, and go back to bed. Gotta make sure the coals/wood are right in a manual though.

Sceivour definitely seemed like an unnecessary add, especially considering we have ZAR, Simon and a bunch of guys in who are about nhl ready.

I just think this all has to elude to a bigger move that is being worked. I dont know if the Pens have the juice for it but the biggest possible move would be going for Laine. Would Petterson, Rust, a 1st and Legare get it done? Would that be too much?
- MacPatty

Every interpretation of JR's interview suggest he's not moving Pettersson or Dumo.

Sceivour definitely seemed like an unnecessary add, especially considering we have ZAR, Simon and a bunch of guys in who are about nhl ready.

I just think this all has to elude to a bigger move that is being worked. I dont know if the Pens have the juice for it but the biggest possible move would be going for Laine. Would Petterson, Rust, a 1st and Legare get it done? Would that be too much?
- MacPatty

Lol we’re not getting the best pure goal scorer under the age of 25.

Lol we’re not getting the best pure goal scorer under the age of 25.
- Victoro311

People probably said that before we got Kessel, too, and Laine might be even worse at defense, definitely a worse passer, and only 1 year of term with a big payday coming at the end of it. I think Laine is fool's gold. I actually hope NYR gets him.

The camp is unbearable. I love it.
- Victoro311

As much as I don't like to engage with non-hockey talk on a hockey board, I really tried to like that movie but I found it dated and boring. I appreciate the humor, but just could not get into it. I recently re-watched This Is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, and the Monty Python movies and had the same experience. I had always figured they would be in my permanent collection but I definitely don't feel the need to watch them again.

There are a lot of movies that fall into this category of "classic" but now seem dated, boring, and often cringe-worthy. Animal House, Airplane, Alien, Jaws, and a bunch more I can't think of right now.

12 hour minimum. That's why I am a big fan of the gas-assist now. Stumble out there early as (frank) and get it going, and go back to bed. Gotta make sure the coals/wood are right in a manual though.
- Blackstrom2

Unfortunately with the smoker box I’m running I had to add/replace wood chips every 30 mins or so. Wasn’t interested in waking up at 4am lol.

I guess you missed the boat. I said, did anyone read what the panthers fans were commenting about him? He's a solid NHL player. He's obviously very good at the pk and pretty decent at short handed goals. Meh...no point in the NHL having players like that huh? Might as well go acquire players like Sidney Crosby for every line 🤷‍♂️
- nateca44

If you want an honest answer, much of this board including myself are into analytics to measure defensive impact. Sceviour's were bad. His possession stats were bad and his relatives point towards him dragging them significantly backwards.

He played a lot on the PK. His numbers were worse than any of our PK guys, but that was true of his whole team. Point is, we didn't need a PK specialist because we have 5 or 6 guys who do that job well.

If we needed one, I could maybe see the point, but even then I'd try to find one who was at least neutral at possession. Putting a negative possession guy on a line that's used against elites is a bad idea, but where else would you put him?

Simon is probably as good as gone and I wouldn't count on ZAR for anything this year - he is a marginal NHLer coming off a major injury. I'm not sure why JR felt the need to give him 2 years instead of 1, but here we are.
- Hockey66

Cost certainty so if he had a good year, which at least defensively he did, you don't have to worry about a raise unless you see it over 2 years. Imagine where our off-season might be if they also had to give ZAR and Blueger raises.

At this point, I would look to trade Petts and somehow get rid of JJ - that's $7.3M right there. Use that to get a kick-ass 3C or top 6 winger. Stick Matheson at 2LD, Riikola at 3LD (or vice versa), POJ as 4LD and hope for the best.
- Hockey66

I'd be hesitant to move Pettersson until I knew Matheson could replace him, and I have serious doubts about that. Now if he comes in and surprises us and plays like the top 4 he was once projected to be, then I'd reconsider. Right now we have a lot of bodies behind Pettersson, but they're all questionable at 3rd pair let alone 2nd.

Moving JJ if possible and getting a forward should be extremely obvious, yet I still don't know if they'll even try.

Cost certainty so if he had a good year, which at least defensively he did, you don't have to worry about a raise unless you see it over 2 years. Imagine where our off-season might be if they also had to give ZAR and Blueger raises.
- Tojo.

I mean, how much could ZAR possibly command? $1.5M tops? I'll take that $500K gamble for 1 year vs 2.

People probably said that before we got Kessel, too, and Laine might be even worse at defense, definitely a worse passer, and only 1 year of term with a big payday coming at the end of it. I think Laine is fool's gold. I actually hope NYR gets him.
- Hockey66

They’re totally different situations. If there were an open bidding ware in a free and fare market, we probably wouldn’t have had the horses to get the Kessel deal done. But because of Phil’s NTC, the only teams that weren’t on his list that were contenders that would want him and had the cap capabilities to get him were us and the Bruins and the Bruins weren’t going to reacquire him (Leafs probably wouldn’t have traded for him either). Laine doesn’t have those restrictions. He’s young enough that any team would want him even if they’re a ways off of competing and he doesn’t have a NTC. If Peg wants to trade him, they can get a haul.

But the same could have been said for Taylor Hall and he went straight up for Adam Larsson so i guess anything is possible.

I'd be hesitant to move Pettersson until I knew Matheson could replace him, and I have serious doubts about that. Now if he comes in and surprises us and plays like the top 4 he was once projected to be, then I'd reconsider. Right now we have a lot of bodies behind Pettersson, but they're all questionable at 3rd pair let alone 2nd.

Moving JJ if possible and getting a forward should be extremely obvious, yet I still don't know if they'll even try.
- Tojo.

Yeah, it's a gamble for sure, but the benefit of a kick-ass 3C or top 6 winger outweighs it, IMO. It's not like Petts is anything more than an average 4D anyway. Maybe he improves, maybe not, but he is definitely tradeable at a position where we have way too many players. I just think we need the extra $4M to go up a class/tier in forward and he is the easiest to move. The overall difference between Petts and Matheson is probably not much. More offfense with Matheson, better defense with Petts.

They’re totally different situations. If there were an open bidding ware in a free and fare market, we probably wouldn’t have had the horses to get the Kessel deal done. But because of Phil’s NTC, the only teams that weren’t on his list that were contenders that would want him and had the cap capabilities to get him were us and the Bruins and the Bruins weren’t going to reacquire him (Leafs probably wouldn’t have traded for him either). Laine doesn’t have those restrictions. He’s young enough that any team would want him even if they’re a ways off of competing and he doesn’t have a NTC. If Peg wants to trade him, they can get a haul.

But the same could have been said for Taylor Hall and he went straight up for Adam Larsson so i guess anything is possible.
- Victoro311

Yeah, I know it's a bad comparison, but I have a reaction anytime someone says we can't do this or we can't do that. Some said Horny had an unmovable contract but we just moved it as the most recent example. Anything is possible.

On a side note, I agree with your assessment of Spielberg.

People probably said that before we got Kessel, too, and Laine might be even worse at defense, definitely a worse passer, and only 1 year of term with a big payday coming at the end of it. I think Laine is fool's gold. I actually hope NYR gets him.
- Hockey66

Very different players. Laine is everything the Pens are missing right now. That right handed shot that can just straight snipe. Kessel did great things for the Pens in his 30s. Having Laine through his prime would be another animal.

There are some situations like Minnesota or New York that might not be ideal for a guy like him but in most cases he is going to shine. I think the coaching in Winnipeg has been part of the problem.

Yeah, I know it's a bad comparison, but I have a reaction anytime someone says we can't do this or we can't do that. Some said Horny had an unmovable contract but we just moved it as the most recent example. Anything is possible.

On a side note, I agree with your assessment of Spielberg.
- Hockey66

Awesome. Have one person on my side!

Well what we got back for Hornqvist was worse than not moving him, so I’m not totally sure that disproved the point that his contract was a negative asset.

For the record I actually thought Hornqvist would have some modicum of value on the open market because he’s the kind of guy that old school GMs fall all over and that it was his NTC that would make him impossible to move. I was wrong on two accounts. His NTC was obviously not a real concern since he waved it for the hockey black hole that is the Florida Panthers and we ended up getting negative value for him. Never expected much for Hornqvist but damn I was not expecting that level of trade.

As much as I don't like to engage with non-hockey talk on a hockey board, I really tried to like that movie but I found it dated and boring. I appreciate the humor, but just could not get into it. I recently re-watched This Is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, and the Monty Python movies and had the same experience. I had always figured they would be in my permanent collection but I definitely don't feel the need to watch them again.

There are a lot of movies that fall into this category of "classic" but now seem dated, boring, and often cringe-worthy. Animal House, Airplane, Alien, Jaws, and a bunch more I can't think of right now.
- Hockey66

Yeah that level of camp isn’t for everyone. If you watched it when you were younger and thought it was a good movie for unironic reasons and came at it as an adult years later I can see how it would disappoint.

Yeah that level of camp isn’t for everyone. If you watched it when you were younger and thought it was a good movie for unironic reasons and came at it as an adult years later I can see how it would disappoint.
- Victoro311

Do you watch the show Supernatural?

Soooo..

Matheson ( ;
2023 1sr rounder
2024 1st rounder

Will get us Laine?

If you want an honest answer, much of this board including myself are into analytics to measure defensive impact. Sceviour's were bad. His possession stats were bad and his relatives point towards him dragging them significantly backwards.

He played a lot on the PK. His numbers were worse than any of our PK guys, but that was true of his whole team. Point is, we didn't need a PK specialist because we have 5 or 6 guys who do that job well.

If we needed one, I could maybe see the point, but even then I'd try to find one who was at least neutral at possession. Putting a negative possession guy on a line that's used against elites is a bad idea, but where else would you put him?
- Tojo.

Thank you. All I was looking for. If thats the case, why are so many penning him in on the 3rd line?

Just for fun I tried this out this out to see what it would look like.

https://www.capfriendly.c.../armchair-gm/team/1958243

At this point, I would look to trade Petts and somehow get rid of JJ - that's $7.3M right there. Use that to get a kick-ass 3C or top 6 winger. Stick Matheson at 2LD, Riikola at 3LD (or vice versa), POJ as 4LD and hope for the best.
- Hockey66

This is exactly what I’d aim for throughout the season

Are we re-signing Sheary and Simon? I keep thinking Guentz-Sid-Sheary on the 1st line and dropping Kapanen to the 3rd line with McCann and Simon.

For the bottom pairing so Matheson can get acquainted, I’d pair him with Riikola

Awesome. Have one person on my side!

Well what we got back for Hornqvist was worse than not moving him, so I’m not totally sure that disproved the point that his contract was a negative asset.

For the record I actually thought Hornqvist would have some modicum of value on the open market because he’s the kind of guy that old school GMs fall all over and that it was his NTC that would make him impossible to move. I was wrong on two accounts. His NTC was obviously not a real concern since he waved it for the hockey black hole that is the Florida Panthers and we ended up getting negative value for him. Never expected much for Hornqvist but damn I was not expecting that level of trade.
- Victoro311

Oh, I agree, but many said, "Horny isn't going anywhere. Period. He has a NTC and nobody is taking on that contract at his age." Etc. etc. I just get put off by such declarative statements. Almost anyone is moveable anytime and almost any player is available for the right price.

As for the trade itself, I'm a Horny fan but the way they were using him and in Sully's "system," it didn't make any sense to keep him anymore. Could we have gotten more? Maybe. I'm hoping for the best with the players we acquired but it definitely seemed like an unnecessary move.

I don't think McCann Tanev and Blueger have enough individual offense to produce anything

There just isn't enough finish on that line and there's no one guy who's going to command enough attention to open up space for the other 2
- TheGame316

Taking away the presumptive top six, there aren't any players better than them remaining. They are the guys who are going to have to step up.

Quite frankly there isn't any money or assets left to improve the offence either.

Yeah that level of camp isn’t for everyone. If you watched it when you were younger and thought it was a good movie for unironic reasons and came at it as an adult years later I can see how it would disappoint.
- Victoro311

Yeah, I like it when it's just a free-flowing story in the background and not hit-you-over-the-head, as in, ok here's a joke...and here's a joke. I usually utter a "heh" about 3 times per movie and that's it. But I find generally them tiresome and boring. I consider John Waters movies and Napoleon Dynamite camp, and I love those.