Michael Pachla: NHL starts up again. Mittelstadt impressive. Trade freeze ends at midnight

If ya aint first, you're last

Good read.

No to Letang, plz

No Letang, he's one hit away from the press box permanently and his contract is horrible.

If ya aint first, you're last

Good read.

No to Letang, plz
- jcragcrumple

here's a kicker on letang in Richardson's rumor mill:

"If the Pens shop Letang, Elliotte Friedman believes they’ll want two forwards, a center and a winger, in return."

No Letang, he's one hit away from the press box permanently and his contract is horrible.
- SABRES 89

I don't get it either

here's a kicker on letang in Richardson's rumor mill:

"If the Pens shop Letang, Elliotte Friedman believes they’ll want two forwards, a center and a winger, in return."
- Michael Pachla

Eesh, i mean maybe someone will bite, but his value must have taken a hit when they basically won the cup without him. Like you said, that salary is an albatross, and i've always been of the opinion that if he ever was elite, he certainly hasn't been for a while.

Maybe that rumor was created by penguins brass to make him seem unobtainable. "No way, we would never shop him, but if we were, the price would be too high for you."

and then get a couple mediocre players back for cap relief

I don't get it either
- Michael Pachla

Get rid of bad contracts and players, don't take one on in a trade.

here's a kicker on letang in Richardson's rumor mill:

"If the Pens shop Letang, Elliotte Friedman believes they’ll want two forwards, a center and a winger, in return."
- Michael Pachla

They can get that from someone else... NOT us. As far as I'm concerned they would have to give us that to take Letang off their hands.... and the answer is still no.

Kane for Letang..... LOL if that happens Botts should be fired, as in before the paperwork spits out of the Fax machine at the NHL office.

Eesh, i mean maybe someone will bite, but his value must have taken a hit when they basically won the cup without him. Like you said, that salary is an albatross, and i've always been of the opinion that if he ever was elite, he certainly hasn't been for a while.

Maybe that rumor was created by penguins brass to make him seem unobtainable. "No way, we would never shop him, but if we were, the price would be too high for you."

and then get a couple mediocre players back for cap relief
- jcragcrumple

he's a very old 30

Get rid of bad contracts and players, don't take one on in a trade.
- SABRES 89

the polar vortex must be messing with peoples brains

They can get that from someone else... NOT us. As far as I'm concerned they would have to give us that to take Letang off their hands.... and the answer is still no.

Kane for Letang..... LOL if that happens Botts should be fired, as in before the paperwork spits out of the Fax machine at the NHL office.
- gordong

you're right...it would be a huge favor to the Pens...and for that, they should pay dearly

update on the lines and pairings:


Girgensons-Eichel-Reinhart
Kane-O'Reilly-Okposo
Pouliot-Rodrigues-Pominville
Larsson-Josefson-Nolan

Wilson extra

Scandella-Ristolainen
McCabe-Bogosian
Beaulieu-Falk

Gorges-Antipin


I actually like the lines and feel it might be the best combinations yet...the d-pairings are what they are and I still don't see the infatuation with Beaulieu

the polar vortex must be messing with peoples brains
- Michael Pachla

Nobody but Eichel making big money should be left on this team, not as of now. I'm sure it will be very difficult to move these big contracts out but they will try. The value is there for ROR and maybe not now but maybe next year if a " star " player goes down or a team just in need then Okposo may be a value as well.

update on the lines and pairings:


Girgensons-Eichel-Reinhart
Kane-O'Reilly-Okposo
Pouliot-Rodrigues-Pominville
Larsson-Josefson-Nolan

Wilson extra

Scandella-Ristolainen
McCabe-Bogosian
Beaulieu-Falk

Gorges-Antipin


I actually like the lines and feel it might be the best combinations yet...the d-pairings are what they are and I still don't see the infatuation with Beaulieu
- Michael Pachla

Girgensons on the first line just makes me laugh as does Larson being here at all.

update on the lines and pairings:


Girgensons-Eichel-Reinhart
Kane-O'Reilly-Okposo
Pouliot-Rodrigues-Pominville
Larsson-Josefson-Nolan

Wilson extra

Scandella-Ristolainen
McCabe-Bogosian
Beaulieu-Falk

Gorges-Antipin


I actually like the lines and feel it might be the best combinations yet...the d-pairings are what they are and I still don't see the infatuation with Beaulieu
- Michael Pachla

I would move Pouliot up with Eichel and play Antipin as 4RW and scratch Nolan or larsson

Nobody but Eichel making big money should be left on this team, not as of now. I'm sure it will be very difficult to move these big contracts out but they will try. The value is there for ROR and maybe not now but maybe next year if a " star " player goes down or a team just in need then Okposo may be a value as well.
- SABRES 89

am of the opinion that ror is needed for a little while...we witnessed that against the 'canes the last game

Girgensons on the first line just makes me laugh as does Larson being here at all.
- SABRES 89

we know he's not a first-line player, and one could assume that Housley knows that as well...but at least he'll work his ass off on that line

we know he's not a first-line player, and one could assume that Housley knows that as well...but at least he'll work his ass off on that line
- Michael Pachla

To quote Christmas Vacation:

"He worked really hard on that, dad"

"So do washing machines"

am of the opinion that ror is needed for a little while...we witnessed that against the 'canes the last game
- Michael Pachla

We really have no use for ROR and I know that sounds really bad but, this team is going back to the drawing board so to speak, so why pay him when we aren't even a playoff team STILL. ( Can't believe we aren't).

To quote Christmas Vacation:

"He worked really hard on that, dad"

"So do washing machines"
- jcragcrumple

" That boy has a lot of quit in him" .

Yo Samady Sam

We really have no use for ROR and I know that sounds really bad but, this team is going back to the drawing board so to speak, so why pay him when we aren't even a playoff team STILL. ( Can't believe we aren't).
- SABRES 89

point taken, but without him you'll be throwing a player like Mittelstadt into the fire...he probably won't be ready for at least another year...if you move o'reilly, you have what we saw against Carolina and it was pretty ugly

The only way I could see Botts being interested in Letang would be if he was a piece of a bigger trade. Would you consider a package with Letang and Kessel for Kane, Bogo and someone like Larsson? If Letang gets injured so be it, Toronto has over $10m in LTIR and will have at least two more years over $5m with Hortons contract. Chicago has Hossa for four more years over $5m LTIR because he has a rash. Would be getting rid of Bogo and having Kessel signed for 4 more years be worth it? Or, would you just offer Kane the same $6.8m that Kessel is signed for?


Edit: his cap hit with them is $6.8, but he also gets $1.2 from Toronto, so I guess $8m would be offering the same salary.

" That boy has a lot of quit in him" .

Yo Samady Sam
- SABRES 89

Are you under the impression I'm advocating for keeping Reinhart, or defending him? He's been terrible

To quote Christmas Vacation:

"He worked really hard on that, dad"

"So do washing machines"
- jcragcrumple

yeah, but do they have their own song?

Letang provides more value in 20 games, than Bogo does in the 56 he plays