I recall quite clearly that around mid season quite a few of you here thought next season had more potential than this one...why was that?
- MattStrat

I think it takes a new FO about a year to really settle in, evaluate, and figure out what he wants to do to make an impact on the roster. With Matheson having a really good season, we really don't have any extremely scary contracts and there will be a chance to dump at least one of our bigger money contracts in the Seattle draft.

Maybe Hextall takes this team in an awful direction and it sucks. But maybe he makes some good moves this offseason, and he'll have the opportunity to do that in a way that I don't think Rutherford really did last off season. Ruth's only avenue for making an impact roster move without blowing it all up was to dump Hornqvist for minimal cap return which he either couldn't or didn't want to do because he really loved Matheson (which I guess was the impact move). This year Hextall can move Zuker, Matheson, and/or Pettersson and have cap space to do stuff, or get players back he sees as contributors for them. It'll be interesting to see what we do.

Malkin for Doughty.
- Blackstrom2

Only if you can free up a spot for him by sending Letang to the Flames for Lucic.

I think it takes a new FO about a year to really settle in, evaluate, and figure out what he wants to do to make an impact on the roster. With Matheson having a really good season, we really don't have any extremely scary contracts and there will be a chance to dump at least one of our bigger money contracts in the Seattle draft.

Maybe Hextall takes this team in an awful direction and it sucks. But maybe he makes some good moves this offseason, and he'll have the opportunity to do that in a way that I don't think Rutherford really did last off season. Ruth's only avenue for making an impact roster move without blowing it all up was to dump Hornqvist for minimal cap return which he either couldn't or didn't want to do because he really loved Matheson (which I guess was the impact move). This year Hextall can move Zuker, Matheson, and/or Pettersson and have cap space to do stuff, or get players back he sees as contributors for them. It'll be interesting to see what we do.
- Victoro311

Yeah I'm excited to see what unfolds this offseason. Goaltending has to be addressed. Its been a major, major factor, albeit not the only one just the biggest, the past 4 seasons. You really should win playoff games if you score 3 goals IMO.

Sid is getting sh!t on a bit because of those glaring two gaffes last night, which really stand out for him, but his underlyings were pretty damn good this series. Remember that fluky toe save Sorokin made on the deflect in game 1? That crossbar in the opening of the 3rd last night? Those go in and who knows what we're talking about today.

Geno got his conditioning and prowess back right before that injury. I dont think he had enough time to get it back in this series. I felt the longer the Pens stayed in playoffs, the better he'd get.

Letang was one of the best D-men in the league this year.

Yes, these 3 will be another year older (actually only 4ish months older in October) next season but I dont see an astronomical drop in their play this coming season, especially if they get a proper training camp and offseason.

I think if you're not going to be against it you need to really understand what it is you're ok with doing. In the three year sample between Guentzel's first full season in 2017-2018 and last season, Guentzel's been the 5th highest wing in 5v5 pts/60, and the 10th highest wing in 5v5 goals/60 after filtering out for players that played less than 1000 minutes over that time frame. For those three years, he was literally a top 10 offensive winger in terms of production on an eventual $5.5 mil contract.

This season, Guentzel dropped to the 58th wing in 5v5 pts/60 after filtering out for players with less than 400 minutes TOI and lower than that for goal scoring which I don't feel like manually counting out.

This season is a huge outlier in terms of production for Guentzel. Not only that, but pretty much all of his underlying numbers tanked as well. Both in raw percentages and relative to teammates. So that's the context: a pretty bad age 26 season by his standards where he was still pretty much earning his keep at $5.5 mil. If you're considering trading Guentzel, it's basically because you're betting that the aging curve has already started to hit him at age 26, and it hit HARD. Like disproportionately hard to what we should be seeing at age 26. Sure, 27 is at the end of the scoring prime, so it's pretty reasonable to predict that Guentzel will never be a top 10 offensive wing again, but at $5.5 he doesn't have to be. Any kind of regression to the mean, even a moderate one, makes him a huge bargain. That's not the player you trade to change the team dynamic. But if you're positive that this season is indicative of Guentzel's play moving forward and he's just an average top 6 forward now making about market value, then being ok with moving him for a change of identity is more understandable.
- Victoro311

I think you're digging too deep into my statement. I'm really just saying to be open to the idea if there is a move or series of moves that makes sense. If there isn't, then you don't it. I'm not saying it's easy. Just saying it's something you look at.

Most of your opinions are brutal. It’s well known around here.
- j.boyd919

I mean, at least you know where I stand. You just come through here like an angry teenager/hipster who poop talks everyone but never has anything productive to say. That is also well known around here.

It's ok though, I enjoy your keyboard warrior spirit! Keep on keeping on!

I mean, at least you know where I stand. You just come through here like an angry teenager/hipster who poop talks everyone but never has anything productive to say. That is also well known around here.

It's ok though, I enjoy your keyboard warrior spirit! Keep on keeping on!
- MacPatty

Yeah I know, I never, ever give my opinions on anything.

I mean, at least you know where I stand. You just come through here like an angry teenager/hipster who poop talks everyone but never has anything productive to say. That is also well known around here.

It's ok though, I enjoy your keyboard warrior spirit! Keep on keeping on!
- MacPatty

This isn't good sport material....

- HolyDiver83

The man, the myth, the legend...

The man, the myth, the legend...
- MattStrat

Just some random goalie

Hexy is going to be hard pressed to make meaningful change. We have no cap space, no draft picks and outside of Guentzel, McCann and maybe Zucker very little tradeable assets. I don't think you can get proper value for Guentzel.

Just some random goalie
- Feds91Stammer

hahaha

Hexy is going to be hard pressed to make meaningful change. We have no cap space, no draft picks and outside of Guentzel, McCann and maybe Zucker very little tradeable assets. I don't think you can get proper value for Guentzel.
- PittsPens

I think we have tons of tradable assets. Matheson is probably the only difficult contract to move.

Rust, Zucker, Kapenan, McCann, Blueger are all tradable.

On the backend, Pettersson and Marino could be traded for the right price but even with the poop contract Matheson has, he had a solid season and MIGHT be moveable but I doubt it.

The good thing about this off seasons is Hextall and Burke have no ties to these players having come in mid-season so we don't have to worry about any GMJR hard on-prove people wrong poop.

Yeah I know, I never, ever give my opinions on anything.
- j.boyd919

Tell me what the Pens should do this offseason to get in position to win the cup.

Can a player with a full no movement clause be made available to the expansion draft?

Hexy is going to be hard pressed to make meaningful change. We have no cap space, no draft picks and outside of Guentzel, McCann and maybe Zucker very little tradeable assets. I don't think you can get proper value for Guentzel.
- PittsPens

Zucker to Seattle.

Pettersson for Crouse and Fischer

McCann and Blueger to Calgary
Monahan to Detroit
Bertuzzi to Pittsburgh

Sign Saad

Can a player with a full no movement clause be made available to the expansion draft?
- NJPensfan

If they waive said NMC

Yeah over 11% of the cap dedicated to Malkin and coming back at age 35 isnt a good recipe for next year. When he did play this year he was trash. Carter is a better C than Malkin at this point.

They really need to go in a new direction.

Yeah over 11% of the cap dedicated to Malkin and coming back at age 35 isnt a good recipe for next year. When he did play this year he was trash. Carter is a better C than Malkin at this point.

They really need to go in a new direction.
- sammy87

hahaha right on que...

If they waive said NMC
- Feds91Stammer

I was wondering if expansion rules would override. What if every player on a team had NMC's? Hypothetically, that team would be exempt from the expansion draft.

Zucker to Seattle.

Pettersson for Crouse and Fischer

McCann and Blueger to Calgary
Monahan to Detroit
Bertuzzi to Pittsburgh

Sign Saad
- Feds91Stammer

I like this but 3 ways are rare and would the Flames really want to rid of Monahan?

hahaha right on que...
- MattStrat

Best part is Malkin hit 70 points last season. Carter last hit 70 points in 2008-09.

Yeah over 11% of the cap dedicated to Malkin and coming back at age 35 isnt a good recipe for next year. When he did play this year he was trash. Carter is a better C than Malkin at this point.

They really need to go in a new direction.
- sammy87

A GM can do some shopping with $10 million. Could get goalie, a power forward and a nice suit.

I was wondering if expansion rules would override. What if every player on a team had NMC's? Hypothetically, that team would be exempt from the expansion draft.
- NJPensfan

A GM would be fired long before they had a roster full of NMCs

Zucker to Seattle.

Pettersson for Crouse and Fischer

McCann and Blueger to Calgary
Monahan to Detroit
Bertuzzi to Pittsburgh

Sign Saad
- Feds91Stammer

I can't imagine the Flames doing it but even if they did, why wouldn't the Pens just take Monahan? Don't get me wrong, I like Bertuzzi too but I think I'd prefer Monahan over him.

I'm torn on Zucker. I think he is still a solid player who has some value, but then again with a surpressed FA market, what can you get for that free and clear $5.5M in space? To your point, Saad would be a good pickup... can we get him for less than $5.5M?