McCann is a solid solid player. Canucks were stupid to trade him in the first place. Stupid Benning.

It has more to do with the team not seeing a future with him. He's always going to be a 3rd liner here. Does it make sense to pay him MORE if he'll likely never have an elevated role? I'll put it this way, had he knocked on Hexy's door and said, I'll take 5 years for my current salary, I bet they'd figure out a way to keep him, but since they knew he wasn't going to be a Pen beyond this year, it already got them thinking ahead

Once the decisions been made that he isn't part of your cores future there isn't any real need to keep the player any longer. It's a "get busy living or get busy dying" kinda thing. Just move on now and whatever you would have done next year, just do that this year

Rust may well, be viewed as part of the future, but even if he isn't, he fills a more valuable and harder to replace need right now. If an opportunity presented itself in Free Agency for a better long term fit and the only way to make it work was to ship out Rust for pucks, then you just do it regardless of the return and sign the new guy
- TheGame316

So to recap.

1) McCann makes 3M, you think the NHL values him at 5M, and you think it's a good idea they traded him because they can get a better value in unrestricted free agency then the 2M value you basically said his cap hit represents.

2) You would also trade Rust for peanuts if they could get a better long-term fit with his cap money.

3) I think it's misguided to trade guys who have good value this year for guys who will be around longer but offer less value this year.

4) I think you underestimate how hard it will be to replace McCann's offense in a limited role. He was actually 2nd on the team to Crosby in points/60 at 3.16. Rust for comparison's sake was 2.28 despite spending the year with Crosby and on the top PP.

Honestly, if DeSmith is that appealable to Seattle... the Penguins should expose him. If the big worry was Seattle grabbing one of your top 9 forwards, them picking your backup goalie would be a huge win.

And clearly Hextall is clearing room for John Gibson.

- SuperHenderson13

I think Hextall is counting on the open capspace a Zucker pick would create, I don't think it's a worry, I think it's part of reinventing the Top 9 to play some bigger hockey

Jake Sid LongPants
Longpants Geno Rust
LongPants Carter Kapanen
ZAR Blueger Tanev

Dumo Letang
Marino Ceci
LongPants Matheson

One of Legare/Poulin/Gaudreau probably get some time in one of those Longpants positions and POJ is probably given a chance to stick if we don't keep Ceci or move on from Matheson

It's possible that McCann could still end up in Seattle.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/...inute-trade-jared-mccann/

So to recap.

1) McCann makes 3M, you think the NHL values him at 5M, and you think it's a good idea they traded him because they can get a better value in unrestricted free agency then the 2M value you basically said his cap hit represents.

2) You would also trade Rust for peanuts if they could get a better long-term fit with his cap money.

3) I think it's misguided to trade guys who have good value this year for guys who will be around longer but offer less value this year.

4) I think you underestimate how hard it will be to replace McCann's offense in a limited role. He was actually 2nd on the team to Crosby in points/60 at 3.16. Rust for comparison's sake was 2.28 despite spending the year with Crosby and on the top PP.
- Tojo.

How hard will it be to replace McCanns offense in the playoffs? Because I guarantee you that's what Hexy and Burke were looking at

What a player is paid by a GM/what he is worth in arbitration has nothing to do with what I think a player is worth. An inconsistent limited 3rd line player is worth about 3 million, no more, preferably less. I don't think McCann has any kind of extreme value to the team for this upcoming season. He's a bit part that the team was going to move on from anyways. He is set to be overpaid by somebody next season if he is qualified and goes to arbitration. I think there is a reason 29 other GM's didn't beat the "nothing return" that we just got for this super stud of a value player whos production only rivals Crosby

At the end of free agency, if the Pens had 3 million in capspace left and Landeskog was willing to sign for an unexpected unbelievable deal of 3 years 6.5 million per (obvious hypothetical) and the only way to get the needed capspace was to move Rust quickly and for nothing, would you do it, and after signing Landeskog would you complain about the return we got for Rust?

It's possible that McCann could still end up in Seattle.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/...inute-trade-jared-mccann/
- Florida Penguin

I posted this somewhere that Toronto knew of Seattles interest in McCann and acquired him so the Kracken wouldn't take Dermott, who the Leafs really don't want to lose

So, in the end, assuming they unprotect McCann and Seattle takes him, They lose Hallender and a 7th instead of Dermott

Pittsburgh gets Hallender and a 7th and sheds both McCann's salary and potentially Zuckers salary in full with no takebacks, giving them max Free Agent $$ to retool the team

Hallander was a big part of why RW thought GMJR gave up way too much for Kapanen. Now he is "nothing".

If Seattle takes Matheson and we end up signing Saad, Coleman, Hyman, or Tatar....would we all be happy?

Hallander was a big part of why RW thought GMJR gave up way too much for Kapanen. Now he is "nothing".
- YouMeAndDupuis9

I was thinking the exact same thing. Eleven months ago a lot of people here wrote: "The Pens have few young assets, why are you trading one of them along with the first rounder and only get Kapanen in return?"

Wish people would make up their minds!

Easy to see why Sam Ventura is no longer employed by the Penguins.

I was thinking the exact same thing. Eleven months ago a lot of people here wrote: "The Pens have few young assets, why are you trading one of them along with the first rounder and only get Kapanen in return?"

Wish people would make up their minds!
- stevens87

Well, I said Hallander was no loss when we traded him too.

Hallander was a big part of why RW thought GMJR gave up way too much for Kapanen. Now he is "nothing".
- YouMeAndDupuis9

RWs exact quote from about 10 ish months ago: "I view Kasperi Kapanen as a right handed Jared McCann. I don’t say that to compare their specific skill sets just that both are noticeable at moments, but overall they’re just depth guys who will be meh most of the time."

The fuuck is he so mad about losing a guy thats "overall they’re just depth guys who will be meh most of the time."

RWs exact quote from about 10 ish months ago: "I view Kasperi Kapanen as a right handed Jared McCann. I don’t say that to compare their specific skill sets just that both are noticeable at moments, but overall they’re just depth guys who will be meh most of the time."

The fuuck is he so mad about losing a guy thats "overall they’re just depth guys who will be meh most of the time."
- pens4life-66

RW is a douche that writes garbage only to get ppl arguing on here. Click bait extraordinaire. He is also likely one of the prominent posters in here too.

Would you be happy if Hextall was able to get rid of McCann, Zucker, and Pettersson's contracts. Then turns it into reasonable contracts for a RHD to replace Ceci, Hyman, and Hoffman?

Can someone with better knowledge of foreign hockey leagues let me know what level of production in the Swedish league is generally indicative of NHL potential?

Can someone with better knowledge of foreign hockey leagues let me know what level of production in the Swedish league is generally indicative of NHL potential?
- Victoro311

I have no knowledge but it appears his ceiling would be a 40 point guy? This might be generous as I'm not exactly sure either.

So, the Avs? What are their plans haha

Can someone with better knowledge of foreign hockey leagues let me know what level of production in the Swedish league is generally indicative of NHL potential?
- Victoro311

I read an article from The Atlantic, forget the author, I think he's from Pittsburgh. Hallander has a desire to be a net front guy.

After three moves by Hextall, he has added a shoot first forward (Carter), a young work in progress defenseman (Friedman) and a net front (Hallander).

I didn't follow his moves before he came here, so I can't say for sure what his tendencies are. What I can say is he is changing the dynamic of the forward position into more of a north-south team rather than an east-west team.

From the Athletic...

Corey Pronman: Filip Hallander, whom Penguins fans should be quite familiar with, had another good season in Lulea and made Sweden’s World Championship team. He’s a forward with a high skill level, good creativity and vision as a playmaker. Hallander is able to finish from range and in tight due to a strong frame and compete level. His main drawback is his subpar skating, which has held up at the SHL level, but may prevent him from putting up significant scoring totals in the NHL. I see Hallander as a long-term bottom-six winger in the NHL, who is close to playing that type of role for Pittsburgh, and he immediately becomes one of the Penguins’ very best prospects.

I read an article from The Atlantic, forget the author, I think he's from Pittsburgh. Hallander has a desire to be a net front guy.

After three moves by Hextall, he has added a shoot first forward (Carter), a young work in progress defenseman (Friedman) and a net front (Hallander).

I didn't follow his moves before he came here, so I can't say for sure what his tendencies are. What I can say is he is changing the dynamic of the forward position into more of a north-south team rather than an east-west team.
- Thunderbolt

Doesn’t really matter if he wants to be a net front guy if he can’t hack it in the NHL to begin with. I don’t care how many Kasper Bjorkquists we have in the organization, I only care about guys who will play meaningful hockey for the Pens at some point, which is why I asked my question of whether his 24 points in 51 games in the Swedish League at age 21 three years after being drafted is anything to be reasonably optimistic about. My assumption is no, but I have no idea how strong the Swedish League is so my assumption could be wrong.

Doesn’t really matter if he wants to be a net front guy if he can’t hack it in the NHL to begin with. I don’t care how many Kasper Bjorkquists we have in the organization, I only care about guys who will play meaningful hockey for the Pens at some point, which is why I asked my question of whether his 24 points in 51 games in the Swedish League at age 21 three years after being drafted is anything to be reasonably optimistic about. My assumption is no, but I have no idea how strong the Swedish League is so my assumption could be wrong.
- Victoro311

It's not bad. I think you want to see your top-6 forwards go a PPG by their +3 DY in the SEL though.

Doesn’t really matter if he wants to be a net front guy if he can’t hack it in the NHL to begin with. I don’t care how many Kasper Bjorkquists we have in the organization, I only care about guys who will play meaningful hockey for the Pens at some point, which is why I asked my question of whether his 24 points in 51 games in the Swedish League at age 21 three years after being drafted is anything to be reasonably optimistic about. My assumption is no, but I have no idea how strong the Swedish League is so my assumption could be wrong.
- Victoro311

The trade was simply a salary dump.

If Seattle takes Matheson and we end up signing Saad, Coleman, Hyman, or Tatar....would we all be happy?
- YouMeAndDupuis9

No...we will find something to complain about, ie 7th dmen is terrible, 13th forward only has 5 goals...etc

At this moment the biggest wildcard for me is Zohorna and whether he is ready for the big step forward. Was basically invisible until this year when he put up a PPG season with WBS and looked solid for the Pens and had 4 points in 8 games.

I'm not putting high hopes on Hallander but I do think there is a chance he turns into a decent player.

I don't like the deal... I get the concept of 'get something instead of lose for nothing'... but you are telling me there wasn't any teams willing to pay more?

Or just do the simple thing, that apparently Hextall refuses to do... Float a 2nd or 3rd round pick to Seattle to make them take Zucker.