Ryan Wilson: Blues Forward That Penguins Could Potentially Target Blues Forward That Penguins Could Potentially Target

Great find Gunner. I was thinking Armia in Buffalo but he seems to be shrinking while this kid is booming. It certainly wouldn't hurt to deal from our depth to get him.
Same goes for the Blues. It is from their strength.

Great find Gunner. I was thinking Armia in Buffalo but he seems to be shrinking while this kid is booming. It certainly wouldn't hurt to deal from our depth to get him.
Same goes for the Blues. It is from their strength.
- usethe1-2-2

I saw Armia about a month ago, he looked good to me.

It's more realistic than most proposals we see around here because it wouldn't involve established roster players and it works from a cap standpoint, but Rattie won't help in the playoffs.

He's skinnier than Kapanen and not as strong on the puck.

Rattie would be a good target if Kapanen wasn't in the organization. Both small guys with good speed, shot, and can get open. with Kunitz and dupuis getting older, another Hornqvist type player is what is needed. Someone who will be hard on the forecheck, go to the front of the net, has speed, and shoots. This is why Im a fan of oshie, because he is similar to Hornqvist. Or if the blues are willing to trade a prospect, I would go after Barbashev.

Sounds like a tweener but a damn good one. That said I'd trade Dumoulin for Rattie since we have next to ZERO depth at forward in the AHL/Juniors.

I'm all for it, especially if it can be done without a Pouliot or Harrington involved.

Flipping an NHL-ready defensive prospect for an NHL-ready forward prospect is an ideal move.

I don't get the logic that since we have Kapanen, we don't need Rattie. We have too many promising forward prospects now? Rattie has a much better chance of contributing this year or next year than Kapanen.

I like the idea. Even if he isn't ready to shoulder the top 6 load in the NHL this year, you are trading a strength to address a weakness. Adding to our forward prospect depth (which is barely there to begin with) wouldn't be a bad idea. Plus, he is only 21.

I'm all for it, especially if it can be done without a Pouliot or Harrington involved.

Flipping an NHL-ready defensive prospect for an NHL-ready forward prospect is an ideal move.

I don't get the logic that since we have Kapanen, we don't need Rattie. We have too many promising forward prospects now? Rattie has a much better chance of contributing this year or next year than Kapanen.
- rival22

Agree with you on all accounts.

I never could quite grasp how much trade value Dumoulin has. Primary because hes one tier below Pouliot and Harrington. If he could get a guy like Rattie, I wouldn't hesitate. He's a bit on the small side, but like Kap, he's got some nice skill. I think we all want some power forward like Kane or Mantha, but it's just not realistic without giving up way too much. This would be a nice "hockey trade" even though its for prospects (both NHL ready). Only question mark is how badly the blues want a defenseman.

Great find Gunner. I was thinking Armia in Buffalo but he seems to be shrinking while this kid is booming. It certainly wouldn't hurt to deal from our depth to get him.
Same goes for the Blues. It is from their strength.
- usethe1-2-2

Not sure the Pens have anything of interest for the Sabres to part with him. Armia fits in our rebuild timeline

I'm all for it, especially if it can be done without a Pouliot or Harrington involved.

Flipping an NHL-ready defensive prospect for an NHL-ready forward prospect is an ideal move.

I don't get the logic that since we have Kapanen, we don't need Rattie. We have too many promising forward prospects now? Rattie has a much better chance of contributing this year or next year than Kapanen.
- rival22

So you expect sid to camp in front of the net? Putting rattie and Kapanen on the same line would be very very unlikely. You have a solid line of rattie-sid-horn, then Kapanen-malkin-???. You would have to insert a Hornqvist/Kunitz type player in that spot. Kuni could work for the next couple years, but with how young these kids are, they may not hit their full potential until Kunitz is gone or well past his prime. I mentioned barbashev because he is a little bigger and would be a much better compliment to malkin than Kapanen or rattie would be. And to be honest after seeing Kapanen play in camp, his chances are just as good as rattie's would be to come into Pitt and be a top 6 player by the end of the season

Not sure the Pens have anything of interest for the Sabres to part with him. Armia fits in our rebuild timeline
- sbroads24

It'd most likely be a d prospect and a little more sprinkled in

Just one other initial reaction, smaller guys that light it up in junior don't always translate to the NHL. But having MJ as his coach and any of our centers with him gives him a great opportunity to succeed. Plus depending where you look he's not too small, at least not Brian Gibbons small. Listed at 6'0" 178 pounds.


Pouliot, Harrington, Kapanen, Rattie, Sundqvist, Jarry, and Murray is a nice balanced group of prospects.

Edit -- Oh, and it would be nice if he was a left winger but beggars cant be choosers.

So you expect sid to camp in front of the net? Putting rattie and Kapanen on the same line would be very very unlikely. You have a solid line of rattie-sid-horn, then Kapanen-malkin-???. You would have to insert a Hornqvist/Kunitz type player in that spot. Kuni could work for the next couple years, but with how young these kids are, they may not hit their full potential until Kunitz is gone or well past his prime. I mentioned barbashev because he is a little bigger and would be a much better compliment to malkin than Kapanen or rattie would be. And to be honest after seeing Kapanen play in camp, his chances are just as good as rattie's would be to come into Pitt and be a top 6 player by the end of the season
- drummer829

I think this team could use an infusion of size at the forward position. It seems like every spring when things get really tight and the hooking and grabbing picks up, we have a tough time fighting through that.

It'd most likely be a d prospect and a little more sprinkled in
- drummer829

Yea I don't think it would make sense for us to do that.

Drew Stafford on the other hand could be a good rental for the Pens IMO. He's on pace for almost 50 points, which on the Sabres is like Crosby numbers.

So you expect sid to camp in front of the net? Putting rattie and Kapanen on the same line would be very very unlikely. You have a solid line of rattie-sid-horn, then Kapanen-malkin-???. You would have to insert a Hornqvist/Kunitz type player in that spot. Kuni could work for the next couple years, but with how young these kids are, they may not hit their full potential until Kunitz is gone or well past his prime. I mentioned barbashev because he is a little bigger and would be a much better compliment to malkin than Kapanen or rattie would be. And to be honest after seeing Kapanen play in camp, his chances are just as good as rattie's would be to come into Pitt and be a top 6 player by the end of the season
- drummer829

Next year:

Kunitz-Sid-Kapanen
Rattie-Malkin-Hornqvist
Dupuis-Sutter-Bennett
Comeau-Goc-Spaling

Would be a nice balanced attack...my understanding is that Rattie is primarily a RW however. If one of Rattie or Kapanen can play LW I really like that top 6. Bennett could stay with Sutter in theory. Maybe still go after a cheap rental with some size grit to sprinkle in.

Yea I don't think it would make sense for us to do that.

Drew Stafford on the other hand could be a good rental for the Pens IMO. He's on pace for almost 50 points, which on the Sabres is like Crosby numbers.
- sbroads24

Not arguing, but Stafford also costs $4M. Which is quite steep for a career underachiever.

Not arguing, but Stafford also costs $4M. Which is quite steep for a career underachiever.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

I think he's more of a one year overachiever than a career underachiever.

Over his career he's basically a 45-50 point 20 goal guy. The excpetion was the 30 goals in 60 game season

I saw Armia about a month ago, he looked good to me.
- Ryan_Wilson

Well that's good to hear. I guess it is just Buffalo writers frustration overall, but I haven't found much on him that would have been considered flattering.

Well that's good to hear. I guess it is just Buffalo writers frustration overall, but I haven't found much on him that would have been considered flattering.
- usethe1-2-2

The same ones that are wrong about almost everything. Grigorenko was written off at 19 years old

Armia was great in the AHL playoffs, and has been their best forward this season to start.

Rattie would be a good target if Kapanen wasn't in the organization. Both small guys with good speed, shot, and can get open. with Kunitz and dupuis getting older, another Hornqvist type player is what is needed. Someone who will be hard on the forecheck, go to the front of the net, has speed, and shoots. This is why Im a fan of oshie, because he is similar to Hornqvist. Or if the blues are willing to trade a prospect, I would go after Barbashev.
- drummer829

Oshie is soft. He isn't half of what Horqvist is.

Why not get Rattie when your forward depth is palpable at best? Take from a strength to build an area of need. It is team building 101.

So you expect sid to camp in front of the net? Putting rattie and Kapanen on the same line would be very very unlikely. You have a solid line of rattie-sid-horn, then Kapanen-malkin-???. You would have to insert a Hornqvist/Kunitz type player in that spot. Kuni could work for the next couple years, but with how young these kids are, they may not hit their full potential until Kunitz is gone or well past his prime. I mentioned barbashev because he is a little bigger and would be a much better compliment to malkin than Kapanen or rattie would be. And to be honest after seeing Kapanen play in camp, his chances are just as good as rattie's would be to come into Pitt and be a top 6 player by the end of the season
- drummer829

Barbarshev is a Hitchcock type player. Rattie isn't. So Rattie getting moved is very plausible. Barbashev getting moved is much less so.

Blues already have Petteri Lindbohm for Jackman's spot next year. Lindbohm probably deserves to be playing this year, he was great in camp and looked solid in the game he did get this year. So value might be fair in your proposal, but I think it's much more likely Blues would trade Rattie for a draft pick. Blues are likely more worried about replacing the first we gave to Buffalo, than trading for someone who will be needing NHL ice anytime soon.

The same ones that are wrong about almost everything. Grigorenko was written off at 19 years old

Armia was great in the AHL playoffs, and has been their best forward this season to start.
- sbroads24

That's really good to hear, I had the impression from the articles I read that he wasn't stepping up to the task at hand. He was a player I really wanted in that draft too.

That's really good to hear, I had the impression from the articles I read that he wasn't stepping up to the task at hand. He was a player I really wanted in that draft too.
- usethe1-2-2

He had a rough regular season. First in NA though

Why not just put Bennett on the top line already?

As for the trade yea I would do it to but I doubt the Blues would. Dumoulin will be dropping in those rankings real soon.