Ryan Wilson: Wishful thinking may lead to a position change for Brassard Wishful thinking may lead to a position change for Brassard

Playing Brassard on wing may work in the regular season but is a very very bad idea in the playoffs. The team needs at least three solid lines in the playoffs and they will not get that with Brassard on wing and Sheahan as the third center. When they picked up Cullen I didn't think they would actually play him regularly as the fourth center. That is another bad idea.

I think Riley Sheahan is an effective, if not sexy 3C who's game is very suseptable to being elevated when flanked by two talented wingers. I also think this team is way better off with Brassard at 3C than wing. Why the hell did we even trade for him if he's not gonna play C?

Damn, Flower got paid......

Damn, Flower got paid......
- cap1681

???

???
- Rinosaur

3 years, $7M per year. wow. Good for him, though.

3 years, $7M per year. wow. Good for him, though.
- PghPens668771

Wow!

Wow!
- Rinosaur

Yeah good chance that one looks terrible in a year or two.

Yeah good chance that one looks terrible in a year or two.
- Feds91Stammer

Yeah. Especially when they want to start getting a younger goalie in there.

“That is one option that the coaching staff has talked about" doesn't mean it's imminent. It means it's a possibility.

Reality is that the Penguins were cruising with Guentzel/Sheahan/Kessel as the third line.

I honestly was not a fan of the trade to get brassard to begin with, and I understand he was playing hurt towards the end of the regular season and the playoffs but it just didn't make sense...now when combined with the idea of moving him to a wing is just insane.

So they're capitulating to a guy who has 1 year left on his deal, and will likely expect the moon for his next contract (and therefore they will lose), to give him more minutes.

So let me get this straight, Kessel can't play on the top 2 lines because they want to spread out onto 3-4 scoring lines, but this guy gets to move to a different position to increase his minutes?!

Looking back I would've preferred keeping Cole (maybe resigning him if he could make up with Sully) and keeping our 1st, and then gone after someone this offseason as a 4th C and keeping Sheahan at 3C. This is looking more and more like a bad move.

Yeah good chance that one looks terrible in a year or two.
- Feds91Stammer

Doubt it, they have 14M in cap space. I don't see them investing in anyother older stars. For there foreseeable future theyll will only be investing in youth on ELCs and stars without term. So i don't see it hurting them at all. Especially if he performslike he did this year.

Wow just realized Kapanen is the only 1st round pick PIT has had since GMJR took over.

Fleury. Only a 3 year extension.... I would have thought he could have held out for more term

Good for him

Doubt it, they have 14M in cap space. I don't see them investing in anyother older stars. For there foreseeable future theyll will only be investing in youth on ELCs and stars without term. So i don't see it hurting them at all. Especially if he performslike he did this year.
- joecool2931

W. Karlsson and Theodore need new deals now. Schmidt and Tuch need new deals next year.

Also MAF will not repeat the season he just had ever again.

Fleury. Only a 3 year extension.... I would have thought he could have held out for more term

Good for him
- RoloTahmasee

wut

I honestly was not a fan of the trade to get brassard to begin with, and I understand he was playing hurt towards the end of the regular season and the playoffs but it just didn't make sense...now when combined with the idea of moving him to a wing is just insane.

So they're capitulating to a guy who has 1 year left on his deal, and will likely expect the moon for his next contract (and therefore they will lose), to give him more minutes.

So let me get this straight, Kessel can't play on the top 2 lines because they want to spread out onto 3-4 scoring lines, but this guy gets to move to a different position to increase his minutes?!

Looking back I would've preferred keeping Cole (maybe resigning him if he could make up with Sully) and keeping our 1st, and then gone after someone this offseason as a 4th C and keeping Sheahan at 3C. This is looking more and more like a bad move.
- iworkatinitech

I kinda agree with at the time not the happiest with the trade, but I was optimistic. I was hoping they made a push for Kane, Grabner or Vanek or a Defenseman. We were starting to click and play with life around the trade and then following the trade they seemed to hit the wall again (not suggesting that Brassard brought us down, but Sheahan and the team as a whole was playing well and were winning with Sheahan at the 3rd C spot). I hope it is not another Iginla situation where we play him out of position and he doesn't play as well. I think Sheahan can play the role well I think he is better suited for the 3rd line. I understand the thinking of him being dangerous in open space with his shot and Malkin should draw some D aware from him. Also if as someone had suggested in another forum putting a defensive forward on Sprongs line could help. A line with Brassard - Malkin - Sprong could be a pretty dangerous line if Brassard transitions successfully at wing.

The analytics community won't understand the Fleury signing but its a good business decision for Vegas. Fleury treated Vegas well and Vegas has rewarded Fleury.

Lets remember he had NMC and could have turned down vegas. Instead he's the face of the franchise they can market immediately and then he goes out and has the best year of his career. If theirs a guy who deserved to be over-paid and taken age-risks its a guy like him.

I also think Fleury might age well. He was always one of the most talented goalies in the league. He can lose some athleticism and still be a very good NHL goaltender if the rest of his game improves. Plus cap is going up and 7 is the new 5.75 we paid him.

The analytics community won't understand the Fleury signing but its a good business decision for Vegas. Fleury treated Vegas well and Vegas has rewarded Fleury.

Lets remember he had NMC and could have turned down vegas. Instead he's the face of the franchise they can market immediately and then he goes out and has the best year of his career. If theirs a guy who deserved to be over-paid and taken age-risks its a guy like him.

I also think Fleury might age well. He was always one of the most talented goalies in the league. He can lose some athleticism and still be a very good NHL goaltender if the rest of his game improves. Plus cap is going up and 7 is the new 5.75 we paid him.
- sditulli

I’m a Fleury fan, but you don’t pay a goalie his age that much money.

The analytics community won't understand the Fleury signing but its a good business decision for Vegas. Fleury treated Vegas well and Vegas has rewarded Fleury.

Lets remember he had NMC and could have turned down vegas. Instead he's the face of the franchise they can market immediately and then he goes out and has the best year of his career. If theirs a guy who deserved to be over-paid and taken age-risks its a guy like him.

I also think Fleury might age well. He was always one of the most talented goalies in the league. He can lose some athleticism and still be a very good NHL goaltender if the rest of his game improves. Plus cap is going up and 7 is the new 5.75 we paid him.
- sditulli

He was treated well because he and the team played well.

What happens when he doesn't perform well?

This is a business about winning not a charity.

That is a lot of money for Fleury but for what he brings to the locker room every single day and to the city of Las Vegas I believe he is worth every penny. He is a flopper but I love the guy and wish he was never traded. His personality alone is worth a couple mil, haha

He was treated well because he and the team played well.

What happens when he doesn't perform well?

This is a business about winning not a charity.
- Feds91Stammer

It is highly unlikely that his performance will go bad in three years. You never know but I have faith in GM George. Fleury has one of the best personalities in the nhl, will always be one of my fav goalies, very happy for him.

That is a lot of money for Fleury but for what he brings to the locker room every single day and to the city of Las Vegas I believe he is worth every penny. He is a flopper but I love the guy and wish he was never traded. His personality alone is worth a couple mil, haha
- joegreif17

Yep. A no-brainer for Vegas. Best first season by an expansion team ever, the team was embraced enthusiastically by a city getting its first taste of big-league sports, and Fleury predictably emerged as the face of the franchise.

Fleury. Only a 3 year extension.... I would have thought he could have held out for more term

Good for him
- RoloTahmasee

Probably not for the money he got. It’s a good deal for him. What a guy. Glad he’s in a situation that’s good for him and is getting compensated.

It is highly unlikely that his performance will go bad in three years. You never know but I have faith in GM George. Fleury has one of the best personalities in the nhl, will always be one of my fav goalies, very happy for him.
- joegreif17

And it's Vegas, not Toronto. Goalies age well, and Fluery should age incredibly well.