Ryan Wilson: Fenway Sports Group ranked exactly where they should be Fenway Sports Group ranked exactly where they should be

I don't know if I trust FSG long term, but they insisted on keeping the core together to please the fans. They also spend to the cap. I haven't been to PPG in a few years, but I've heard they've made some nice improvements. The current plight of the non-playoff team was inevitable. They inherited a barren system with an aging core. 24 seems low all things considered.

Corporations hire representatives. Dubas is that man for FSG. Other than a few initial comments from Henry, I don't think FSG leadership has ever talked with the media. I think Dubas has been pretty clear since he got here. He wants to rebuild/retool quickly which is hard to do.

The next few years will be interesting because they're definitely losing money at the moment.

One more thing I was right about from the beginning.

The narrative that the Pens were hopeless when FSG and Dubas took over is weak. At that same time, Washington was in a WAY worse spot than the Pens roster... look at the difference in direction.

We needed a new vision and some really good moves, but we did have a flexible cap position and draft picks. We can talk all we want about how good of a job Dubas has done adding picks/prospects, but he gave up our 1st a year ago and our 2nd this year. He gave up a 1LW for a 2nd and some prospects. He has a horrific record of free agent signings.

There is no way you can convince me that the Pens wouldn't have been better off with JR or even Hextall than we are so far with Dubas. I wish we held onto JR and while I was ready to ditch Hextall, he at least didn't do the damage that Dubas has. The Pens have become markedly worse in all aspects since bringing on Dubas.

The narrative that the Pens were hopeless when FSG and Dubas took over is weak. At that same time, Washington was in a WAY worse spot than the Pens roster... look at the difference in direction.

We needed a new vision and some really good moves, but we did have a flexible cap position and draft picks. We can talk all we want about how good of a job Dubas has done adding picks/prospects, but he gave up our 1st a year ago and our 2nd this year. He gave up a 1LW for a 2nd and some prospects. He has a horrific record of free agent signings.

There is no way you can convince me that the Pens wouldn't have been better off with JR or even Hextall than we are so far with Dubas. I wish we held onto JR and while I was ready to ditch Hextall, he at least didn't do the damage that Dubas has. The Pens have become markedly worse in all aspects since bringing on Dubas.
- MacPatty

Hextall was a feckless pud.

Rutherford is rightly a hall of famer so I won’t argue there but I do think he needs to be running an organization with a lot of tradable assets to be effective and that just wasn’t us over the last couple of years. If he came in right now he’d probably be good, but he’s also part of the reason why we went barren in the first place. He started to seriously mismanage our futures and roster chasing highs over the last three or so years of his tenure.

MacPatty clearly doesn't remember the moves Hex made.

MacPatty clearly doesn't remember the moves Hex made.
- MickV

Hex built a loser on purpose just for the sake of losing. At least Dubas trades some of his roster for picks while he’s managing a loser.

The narrative that the Pens were hopeless when FSG and Dubas took over is weak. At that same time, Washington was in a WAY worse spot than the Pens roster... look at the difference in direction.

We needed a new vision and some really good moves, but we did have a flexible cap position and draft picks. We can talk all we want about how good of a job Dubas has done adding picks/prospects, but he gave up our 1st a year ago and our 2nd this year. He gave up a 1LW for a 2nd and some prospects. He has a horrific record of free agent signings.

There is no way you can convince me that the Pens wouldn't have been better off with JR or even Hextall than we are so far with Dubas. I wish we held onto JR and while I was ready to ditch Hextall, he at least didn't do the damage that Dubas has. The Pens have become markedly worse in all aspects since bringing on Dubas.
- MacPatty

Dubas over Hex for me....and I think at this stage of the franchise cycle probably Dubas over JR, as well. If we're both still posting here in a few years lets revisit this convo. I think it will take 2, or more, years to really judge Dubas, though admittedly I haven't been a fan of quite a few of his moves up until the past month haha.

I don't know how they find these ratings. For Pittsburgh fans in general, I think the Pens get unfairly lumped in with the Steelers. A lot of angst about not committing to a full rebuild and tearing it down and drafting low to get the next star. Nuanced Pens fans can see they waved the white flag by trading Guentzel and then throwing away this season.

Ownership spends and I believe wants to win. All I can ask on that end. I don't know if they can pull off this quick retool, but that's as much on Dubas and the reality of where they are at.

I don't know how they find these ratings. For Pittsburgh fans in general, I think the Pens get unfairly lumped in with the Steelers. A lot of angst about not committing to a full rebuild and tearing it down and drafting low to get the next star. Nuanced Pens fans can see they waved the white flag by trading Guentzel and then throwing away this season.

Ownership spends and I believe wants to win. All I can ask on that end. I don't know if they can pull off this quick retool, but that's as much on Dubas and the reality of where they are at.
- Tojo.

The Steelers organization has a whole host of issues that have nothing to do with anything the Penguins are currently experiencing. Art II has a dinosaur mindset that refuses to bring the org into the modern era. Pens just have aging stars. Org seems healthy

The Steelers organization has a whole host of issues that have nothing to do with anything the Penguins are currently experiencing. Art II has a dinosaur mindset that refuses to bring the org into the modern era. Pens just have aging stars. Org seems healthy
- Victoro311

As far as being fan/customer oriented... The Pens historically have given their fans far superior treatment. The Steelers have always had the "take it or leave it" mentality that comes with a waiting list for season tickets. That's changed the last few years because those tickets aren't as hard to get as they used to be.

Both teams try/spend to win. That's all I care about. I think most Pittsburghers understand the ups and downs because we have the Pirates as a stark contrast.

I don't know how they find these ratings. For Pittsburgh fans in general, I think the Pens get unfairly lumped in with the Steelers. A lot of angst about not committing to a full rebuild and tearing it down and drafting low to get the next star. Nuanced Pens fans can see they waved the white flag by trading Guentzel and then throwing away this season.

Ownership spends and I believe wants to win. All I can ask on that end. I don't know if they can pull off this quick retool, but that's as much on Dubas and the reality of where they are at.
- Tojo.

Most Pens fans are just Steelers fans that watch hockey when football season is over. So your theory checks out. FSG has no relationship with Mario, which is all you need to know about them as an ownership group.

Most Pens fans are just Steelers fans that watch hockey when football season is over. So your theory checks out. FSG has no relationship with Mario, which is all you need to know about them as an ownership group.
- Grinder47

It’s actually remarkable the franchise has stayed above water all these years given the Pens only have one actual fan: Grinder47.

It’s actually remarkable the franchise has stayed above water all these years given the Pens only have one actual fan: Grinder47.
- Victoro311

Especially given the fact that I rarely go to games because the general public disgusts me and I only own jersey’s because they’ve been given as gifts. Actually I did buy my Adams jersey.

The Steelers organization has a whole host of issues that have nothing to do with anything the Penguins are currently experiencing. Art II has a dinosaur mindset that refuses to bring the org into the modern era. Pens just have aging stars. Org seems healthy
- Victoro311

Agree. Simply Pittsburgh fans take their Steeler frustrations out on the Pens. Also Pittsburgh fans don't know how to build a team aside from winning the lottery. Not as necessary in hockey as a QB is in football.

When you review the past 5 or 6 years and can't get that correct it doesn't give a whole lot of cred when you dis what's going on today.

Where's the comments on Ville Kolvunen? His first season on this side of the ocean and is playing at almost a point a game. How about Broz, Murashov, Pickering, St. Ivany, and does anyone know anything about Avery Hayes? I can't recall - possibly someone said something. Nice things are happening in WB/S under the direction of Spezza. [thus under Dubas and FSG]

Those kids down there aren't all going to make it, but it looks better now than combining the last 5 years. Add that to the team with the most Stanley CUPS since 1990 and (I guess) some of the comments about it just looks comical.

Success at the AHL level doesn’t guarantee NHL success… but it is looking better than a long time there. Can SILKY handle it? That's still another story.

As fans, who saw MARIO come in and we still waited 5 seasons to get into the playoffs... maybe, maybe I have much more patience. During those days some fans wanted to trade him. They weren't idiots (most of them) they were just inpatient and wrong.

When you review the past 5 or 6 years and can't get that correct it doesn't give a whole lot of cred when you dis what's going on today.

Where's the comments on Ville Kolvunen? His first season on this side of the ocean and is playing at almost a point a game. How about Broz, Murashov, Pickering, St. Ivany, and does anyone know anything about Avery Hayes? I can't recall - possibly someone said something. Nice things are happening in WB/S under the direction of Spezza.
- sufi-judge[thus under Dubas and FSG]

Those kids down there aren't all going to make it, but it looks better now than combining the last 5 years. Add that to the team with the most Stanley CUPS since 1990 and (I guess) some of the comments about it just looks comical.

Success at the AHL level doesn’t guarantee NHL success… but it is looking better than a long time there. Can SILKY handle it? That's still another story.

As fans, who saw MARIO come in and we still waited 5 seasons to get into the playoffs... maybe, maybe I have much more patience. During those days some fans wanted to trade him. They weren't idiots (most of them) they were just inpatient and wrong.

Add in the fact that good players in the back half of their career that could and should be angling to get on a contender sooner rather than later are openly saying they don’t want to be traded and stay on a team that very well may not be competitive again during their contract and that all says something. The org seems pretty well lean as a whole right now

First shift first goal?
Nevermind 10th game

Add in the fact that good players in the back half of their career that could and should be angling to get on a contender sooner rather than later are openly saying they don’t want to be traded and stay on a team that very well may not be competitive again during their contract and that all says something. The org seems pretty well lean as a whole right now
- Victoro311

I didn’t read the blog but the title insinuated they were speaking of the ownership group which is poop. Not organization as a whole.

FSG can not be happy with the trend in attendance nbrs.

I didn’t read the blog but the title insinuated they were speaking of the ownership group which is poop. Not organization as a whole.
- Grinder47

I didn’t read the blog either but I think what we’re currently talking about is how Dubas is running the org as a whole because of MacPatty’s comment about rather having hextall

Maybe the Pens should petition the league to not have any games before March next year. They're a different team in March-April the past two seasons.

I didn’t read the blog either but I think what we’re currently talking about is how Dubas is running the org as a whole because of MacPatty’s comment about rather having hextall
- Victoro311

I thought Hextall was a terrible hire, but to be fair, I also think he got jobbed. He was told to break up the gang and start the rebuild. New ownership completely changed course and pulled the rug out from under him. Not only that, they gave Sully all the power with an extension.

Don't get me wrong... he was awful here lol.

I thought Hextall was a terrible hire, but to be fair, I also think he got jobbed. He was told to break up the gang and start the rebuild. New ownership completely changed course and pulled the rug out from under him. Not only that, they gave Sully all the power with an extension.

Don't get me wrong... he was awful here lol.
- madmike71

But if you look back he wasn’t even blowing it up well. At both deadlines he bought. Brought in Carter the first year and Rakell the next. He never sold any players for meaningful assets, so his grand plan to execute Burkle’s blow it up initiative was to see if he could piss off Malkin enough to get him to walk. He also could have easily have changed course when ownership changed given that he wasn’t trying super hard to tank but instead he was a Richard to everyone and basically cut coms with ownership and the coaching staff.

But if you look back he wasn’t even blowing it up well. At both deadlines he bought. Brought in Carter the first year and Rakell the next. He never sold any players for meaningful assets, so his grand plan to execute Burkle’s blow it up initiative was to see if he could piss off Malkin enough to get him to walk. He also could have easily have changed course when ownership changed given that he wasn’t trying super hard to tank but instead he was a Richard to everyone and basically cut coms with ownership and the coaching staff.
- Victoro311

Yeah.... He was an awful hire because he's a bad executive, but the previous ownership/Moorehouse told him to tear things down. He didn't get to the blow up phase. He had no plans to bring Malkin or Letang back. New ownership did a 180 and he wasn't prepared for it.

He drafted Pickering, Murashov and Broz. A couple of those might work out.