Ryan Wilson: Penguins reportedly have a new assistant coach Penguins reportedly have a new assistant coach

I didn't want him exposed (truthfully I wanted Carter as well), but just going off the narrative. If Hex was going to be a bad guy that would be the ultimate hated move.

-123Kid

Ahhh gotchya. Sorry that I assumed differently and went with it.

I saw this assistant coach hiring a mile away, like most of us. I have no expectations for him.


Random thought— Graves was so bad that if he makes the roster out of camp, he could get comeback player of the year. Such a terrible contract.

I didn't want him exposed (truthfully I wanted Carter as well), but just going off the narrative. If Hex was going to be a bad guy that would be the ultimate hated move.
- 123Kid

Couldn't do it, he had a NMC

I saw this assistant coach hiring a mile away, like most of us. I have no expectations for him.


Random thought— Graves was so bad that if he makes the roster out of camp, he could get comeback player of the year. Such a terrible contract.
- Brownsoldier

Graves wasn't THAT bad lol

Graves wasn't THAT bad lol
- j.boyd919

Man, I watched pretty much every game with him in it and there weren't very many good moments amongst the very many bad. He looked shakey and scared of the puck. He gaffed a lot of passes. He was out muscled and outworked constantly. Is this a case of the other very good 5 on 5 players around him helping his metrics?

One thing I know for sure is that he cant be trusted to be a D partner to someone like EK. He could be better suited for a more sheltered role on 3rd pair. Its a high cap hit for a 3rd pair but if other d-men on the roster are making close to league minimum thats somewhat of a whatever to me. I respect that the cap money could be used much better but at the end of the day it doesnt sting near as much, if so.

If Quinn can be our Karlsson and PP whisperer then we should all be very happy! Potentially why Dubas waited until the offseason before letting go Reirdon?

Man, I watched pretty much every game with him in it and there weren't very many good moments amongst the very many bad. He looked shakey and scared of the puck. He gaffed a lot of passes. He was out muscled and outworked constantly. Is this a case of the other very good 5 on 5 players around him helping his metrics?

One thing I know for sure is that he cant be trusted to be a D partner to someone like EK. He could be better suited for a more sheltered role on 3rd pair. Its a high cap hit for a 3rd pair but if other d-men on the roster are making close to league minimum thats somewhat of a whatever to me. I respect that the cap money could be used much better but at the end of the day it doesnt sting near as much, if so.
- MattStrat

He had some good games. He also had some dumpster fire games too lol. The biggest thing I noticed was getting out-muscled all the time. I thought Dubas made some comments about his conditioning....not sure I'm remembering that right.

Hoping he heard the critics and comes into camp with an edge.

He had some good games. He also had some dumpster fire games too lol. The biggest thing I noticed was getting out-muscled all the time. I thought Dubas made some comments about his conditioning....not sure I'm remembering that right.

Hoping he heard the critics and comes into camp with an edge.
- madmike71

There was a period of time it did seem like he was turning the corner, I will give him that...then he was injured for the season not long after.

Man, I watched pretty much every game with him in it and there weren't very many good moments amongst the very many bad. He looked shakey and scared of the puck. He gaffed a lot of passes. He was out muscled and outworked constantly. Is this a case of the other very good 5 on 5 players around him helping his metrics?

One thing I know for sure is that he cant be trusted to be a D partner to someone like EK. He could be better suited for a more sheltered role on 3rd pair. Its a high cap hit for a 3rd pair but if other d-men on the roster are making close to league minimum thats somewhat of a whatever to me. I respect that the cap money could be used much better but at the end of the day it doesnt sting near as much, if so.
- MattStrat

My biggest issues with him are his gap control and how he tends to leave his position to chase guys with the puck but out of 138 Dmen with 1,000 5v5 minutes he was 16th in GA/60.

That's not really that bad. There were definitely moments where he got walked or burned, and I think that really sticks out in peoples minds much like when EK pinches and it leads to an odd man rush.

Everyone remembers the really really bad because it sticks out. Not saying he was great, or even good. His contract definitely sucks, but he was far from the Pens biggest issue. Graves has never been a big/hulking dman, and has never played that way, and that's the problem with fans that look at size/weight and expect poop, if you ever (not you, but fans in general) watched Graves play, you'd know that isn't his game at all lol

My biggest issues with him are his gap control and how he tends to leave his position to chase guys with the puck but out of 138 Dmen with 1,000 5v5 minutes he was 16th in GA/60.

That's not really that bad. There were definitely moments where he got walked or burned, and I think that really sticks out in peoples minds much like when EK pinches and it leads to an odd man rush.

Everyone remembers the really really bad because it sticks out. Not saying he was great, or even good. His contract definitely sucks, but he was far from the Pens biggest issue. Graves has never been a big/hulking dman, and has never played that way, and that's the problem with fans that look at size/weight and expect poop, if you ever (not you, but fans in general) watched Graves play, you'd know that isn't his game at all lol
- j.boyd919

I've been saying that here for years haha it's just i know there was a lot with him.

I agree about the gap control...and also, EK probably isn't an easy D partner to have.

I never ever thought he was physical just because he was tall but I know some were expecting him to be.

My biggest issues with him are his gap control and how he tends to leave his position to chase guys with the puck but out of 138 Dmen with 1,000 5v5 minutes he was 16th in GA/60.

That's not really that bad. There were definitely moments where he got walked or burned, and I think that really sticks out in peoples minds much like when EK pinches and it leads to an odd man rush.

Everyone remembers the really really bad because it sticks out. Not saying he was great, or even good. His contract definitely sucks, but he was far from the Pens biggest issue. Graves has never been a big/hulking dman, and has never played that way, and that's the problem with fans that look at size/weight and expect poop, if you ever (not you, but fans in general) watched Graves play, you'd know that isn't his game at all lol
- j.boyd919

The problem is that his flaws make him a particularly bad fit for either Letang or Karlsson. He can probably play the second pairing somewhere but he has no place on our blue line with that contract.

The problem is that his flaws make him a particularly bad fit for either Letang or Karlsson. He can probably play the second pairing somewhere but he has no place on our blue line with that contract.
- Victoro311

Totally agree. On the Pens blue line, 3rd pairing is his best fit, with someone more conservative but with that contract, it's a poop fit. And him playing with Letang or EK is a disaster. Ideally he'd fit with Letang but it hasn't worked out. My guess is they might revisit that and let Petts play with EK.

The problem is that his flaws make him a particularly bad fit for either Letang or Karlsson. He can probably play the second pairing somewhere but he has no place on our blue line with that contract.
- Victoro311

Exactly. The Pens didn't have one in-tact pairing from the previous year either. Probably not the easiest thing to adapt to players like Letang and EK.

My biggest issues with him are his gap control and how he tends to leave his position to chase guys with the puck but out of 138 Dmen with 1,000 5v5 minutes he was 16th in GA/60.

That's not really that bad. There were definitely moments where he got walked or burned, and I think that really sticks out in peoples minds much like when EK pinches and it leads to an odd man rush.

Everyone remembers the really really bad because it sticks out. Not saying he was great, or even good. His contract definitely sucks, but he was far from the Pens biggest issue. Graves has never been a big/hulking dman, and has never played that way, and that's the problem with fans that look at size/weight and expect poop, if you ever (not you, but fans in general) watched Graves play, you'd know that isn't his game at all lol
- j.boyd919

This is the right take on Graves. I think he was worse than his stats show but better than how he was perceived due to all of the big mistakes.

I've said in different posts that I am hopeful he just had a bad offseason after getting a great contract. And he should be watching 24/7 tape on Letang and hopefully getting on the ice with him during the offseason. It seems unlikely but its entirely possible he can bounce back and be a good partner for Letang. I think Pettersson would be way more successful with Karlsson than Graves.

It's funny that it's assumed EK will be happy about being reunited with Quinn. After all he did request a trade after his one season with him. (Yes, it's probably more the team, just an observation that he may not love the guy.)

It's funny that it's assumed EK will be happy about being reunited with Quinn. After all he did request a trade after his one season with him. (Yes, it's probably more the team, just an observation that he may not love the guy.)
- Tojo.

A fair point and Quinn is a bad HC but I think EK’s trade request was mostly about not wanting to play for a bottom feeder for the rest of his career and less about the coaching staff. The Sharks have an incredibly bad roster. Who’s the bench boss over there isn’t changing anything

Found this quote from Firedman on the CapFriendly sale to the Caps:

One of the things people are talking about here is what a huge blow, a disaster in particular, this is going to be for some teams if they don’t have their own setup. I don’t think this is necessarily everybody, but here are the teams I know of that have something, where they can say ‘Ok, we’ve got a backup plan here for when this goes offline’: Seattle. . . New Jersey, Carolina, I heard Chicago, Islanders. . . Toronto. . . Columbus, and Pittsburgh.

Crazy that actual GMs are using the CapFirendly arm-chair GM tool.

Found this quote from Firedman on the CapFriendly sale to the Caps:

One of the things people are talking about here is what a huge blow, a disaster in particular, this is going to be for some teams if they don’t have their own setup. I don’t think this is necessarily everybody, but here are the teams I know of that have something, where they can say ‘Ok, we’ve got a backup plan here for when this goes offline’: Seattle. . . New Jersey, Carolina, I heard Chicago, Islanders. . . Toronto. . . Columbus, and Pittsburgh.

Crazy that actual GMs are using the CapFirendly arm-chair GM tool.
- MickV

hahaha it really is nuts!

When is the date of Capfriendly being shut down, anyway? Now that I know the Pens have an internal setup for this I wouldn't mind it being shut down real soon to F with other teams with the draft and FA season rapidly approaching hahaha. I mean, ultimately I'd like it stay open as I enjoy going there but if its gotta go, then go now haha.

Just using CF while I can here...theres quite a few interesting UFA forwards under 30 years old....Domi, Bertuzzi, Mantha, Duclair, Lindholm, Druin, Reinhart, Vrana, Joshua, Debrusk, Roslovic, Beauvillie.....obviously some of those guys are going to be very pricey, too much, but I think most of those would add some scoring/finishing touch depth.

Just using CF while I can here...theres quite a few interesting UFA forwards under 30 years old....Domi, Bertuzzi, Mantha, Duclair, Lindholm, Druin, Reinhart, Vrana, Joshua, Debrusk, Roslovic, Beauvillie.....obviously some of those guys are going to be very pricey, too much, but I think most of those would add some scoring/finishing touch depth.
- MattStrat

Tatar - Eller - Mantha would be an elite 3rd line.

Tatar - Eller - Mantha would be an elite 3rd line.
- Feds91Stammer

hahaha I'm down with it.

Graves wasn't THAT bad lol
- j.boyd919

Dude I LOLd after rereading my comment which was after a couple whiskeys. I also stand by it lol
.

Found this quote from Firedman on the CapFriendly sale to the Caps:

One of the things people are talking about here is what a huge blow, a disaster in particular, this is going to be for some teams if they don’t have their own setup. I don’t think this is necessarily everybody, but here are the teams I know of that have something, where they can say ‘Ok, we’ve got a backup plan here for when this goes offline’: Seattle. . . New Jersey, Carolina, I heard Chicago, Islanders. . . Toronto. . . Columbus, and Pittsburgh.

Crazy that actual GMs are using the CapFirendly arm-chair GM tool.
- MickV

It should be stunning, but it's not lol. The NHL is a billion dollar business that doesn't provide it's franchises with a basic tool to manage their operations. Teams relying on a fan web site for crucial data is surreal.