It’s a hell of a lot smarter than thinking you can trade off a PPG asset now so that you can extend the Cup window into Sid and Malkin’s late 30s. There is no Cup window in a couple years regardless of any move we make.
- Victoro311

i'd rather use that two years of cap space on someone else. if there is no cup window why are you all thrilled about him being a ppg player?

they aren't firing Sullivan. they want to move on from guys that don't pay attention to the coach.

It was about 81% OZ starts and less than 100 minutes. So like you said it would mean using Sid differently, but might have been worth exploring although Sid hardly struggled without Kessel.
- Tojo.

Whatever I’m paying you, double it!

he's a dog dude
- Fountain-San

The Pens wouldnt of had the back to back cups without him. As for being a pro...he's a f'n elite talent in the highest level of hockey in the world. If you dont like his attitude, then cry somewhere else about it, but his teammates love him. This is a guy, an American, who took the cup back to TO in Canada to the children's hospital for his fans there even after how he was treated in TO. If thats not being a class act, then what is?

Kessel is a dog and you should want him gone.
- Fountain-San

What kind of anti dog psycho are you? I frickin love dogs

What kind of anti dog psycho are you? I frickin love dogs
- WSCTeton17

hahaha

it's why an elite talent like him is about to bounced to his 4th team in 12 years. every coach hates him because doesn't buy in and is lazy as poop.
- Fountain-San

Sounds like coaches are the issue.

I have no interest in doing what Detroit did and trying to rebuild while they’re aging stars kept them too competitive to do it properly. We should be going all in now until it’s clear beyond a shadow of a doubt that Crosby and Malkin don’t have it anymore and then they should have the option to retire in Pitt if they want to. Once they’re gone, then we can rebuild and start a new era.
- Victoro311

A position I cannot move away from with Detroit is how decimated they were by the players who either left with no return because it was unexpected, retired as Wings, or were forced to retire due to injury. The comparison to me isn’t close. Datsyuk, Lidstrom, Osgood, Franzen, Cleary, Holmstrom, and obviously the list just goes on and on for them

Sounds like coaches are the issue.
- MikeyKay

on every team he's been on

The Pens wouldnt of had the back to back cups without him. As for being a pro...he's a f'n elite talent in the highest level of hockey in the world. If you dont like his attitude, then cry somewhere else about it, but his teammates love him. This is a guy, an American, who took the cup back to TO in Canada to the children's hospital for his fans there even after how he was treated in TO. If thats not being a class act, then what is?
- MattStrat

i bet his teammates more put up with him than love him.

To Pitt: Boedker, Zucker, Crouse (Benn as FA)

To AZ: Kessel

To OTT: Maatta, Rask, one of ZAR/Simon, Hossa, AZ 2nd, Garland

To MN: Galchenyuk, Oesterle, one of ZAR/Simon, JJ

I’m ready for criticism

Keep Kessel and trade GMJR for a bag of pucks.

i bet his teammates more put up with him than love him.
- Fountain-San

You have nothing to base that on at all.

I'd say the Bruins would of taken the cup in the 2013 vs the Hawks if they had Phil. I mean geeze, two of the loses were by one goal, one in OT. Having a prolific offensive talent like him could, most likely would, of made a big difference.

He had the most points of any player in the playoffs for the Pens two back to backs....3 and 4 years after 2013...

There is zero evidence that Letang isn’t “buying in” besides him clapping back at reporters when they say he shouldn’t pinch as much (which is a clown move to begin with by the media). Rutherford and Sullivan have both said in the past that they don’t want Letang to change his game drastically and just wish he’d cut down on mistakes, which is a pretty standard thing to say. This is a weird narrative that you seem to have plucked out of the sky.
- Victoro311

I did say 'if'...

But yeah, it does seem to me he is free-wheeling it back there... ok, I'll say it... MANY times. If he is SO good at what he does, then maybe he should dial it back a bit so the rest of the team can keep up with his amazingness. Again, I'll point to the stretch in March when him and Geno were out of the lineup, and it appeared like the rest of the team was playing solidly in a system.
I don't necessarily WANT him and /or Geno to move on, but after all these years, they ought to know how to play together in a system. During the Isles series especially, they just looked like a bunch of guys who NEVER played a game together prior. They were THAT awful, and I think it was the icing on a disappointing season.

This is just not factual. Sullivan asks his dmen to pinch a ton. The problem this past season was the lack of coverage from the forwards.
- madmike71

I can't disagree with your point, but this went on ALL season... well, except for the stretch in March. THAT appeared to work great.

What kind of anti dog psycho are you? I frickin love dogs
- WSCTeton17

If I want my leg humped, my carpet pissed and poop on, my clothing ripped apart, my trash can spilled, and the need to go outside at 2 AM in the middle of February, then I'd love a dog.

If I want my leg humped, my carpet pissed and poop on, my clothing ripped apart, my trash can spilled, and the need to go outside at 2 AM in the middle of February, then I'd love a dog.
- jmatchett383

Aw, man... that's definitely NOT cool. I'm a cat guy, and I can tell you DOGS ARE COOL. They are loving, loyal to a fault, and ask for NOTHING in return, EVER.

'Man's best friend' just does not tell the whole story.

To Pitt: Boedker, Zucker, Crouse (Benn as FA)

To AZ: Kessel

To OTT: Maatta, Rask, one of ZAR/Simon, Hossa, AZ 2nd, Garland

To MN: Galchenyuk, Oesterle, one of ZAR/Simon, JJ

I’m ready for criticism
- WSCTeton17

... three way trades already exceedingly rare... and you have a 4 way trade?

Can we just say (frank) off and be done with it?

To Pitt: Boedker, Zucker, Crouse (Benn as FA)

To AZ: Kessel

To OTT: Maatta, Rask, one of ZAR/Simon, Hossa, AZ 2nd, Garland

To MN: Galchenyuk, Oesterle, one of ZAR/Simon, JJ

I’m ready for criticism
- WSCTeton17

You are by far the most verbose poster I’ve experienced, so this trade idea is par for the course.

Keep Kessel and trade GMJR for a bag of pucks.
- thickman1178

Seconded

Aw, man... that's definitely NOT cool. I'm a cat guy, and I can tell you DOGS ARE COOL. They are loving, loyal to a fault, and ask for NOTHING in return, EVER.

'Man's best friend' just does not tell the whole story.
- Cousinskrid

I love other people's dogs.

You are by far the most verbose poster I’ve experienced, so this trade idea is par for the course.
- Rinosaur

Your choice to use the word "verbose" frightens me and I will respond with threats of violence.

Don't see how this proposed trade makes any sense for the Pens. You don't gain
a lot of cap space, Zucker doesn't come close to producing like Kessel and
the big 3 that won you 2 cups is gone. Again all of that stat % bullpoop. How
about 31 playoff games for Zuck, 4 goals. That is what all of this trade Kessel
stuff is about. Failure in this years playoffs. You know Zucker is not going to
put up points like Kessel in the regular season. Do you think he improves your
playoff chances ? Kessel is and has always been a top playoff producer. Zucker
does nothing. If you trade Kessel get something that improves something about
your team. This trade improves nothing.

To Pitt: Boedker, Zucker, Crouse (Benn as FA)

To AZ: Kessel

To OTT: Maatta, Rask, one of ZAR/Simon, Hossa, AZ 2nd, Garland

To MN: Galchenyuk, Oesterle, one of ZAR/Simon, JJ

I’m ready for criticism
- WSCTeton17

Crouse is 🔥🚮

To Pitt: Boedker, Zucker, Crouse (Benn as FA)

To AZ: Kessel

To OTT: Maatta, Rask, one of ZAR/Simon, Hossa, AZ 2nd, Garland

To MN: Galchenyuk, Oesterle, one of ZAR/Simon, JJ

I’m ready for criticism
- WSCTeton17

Counter proposal:

Buyout JJ

If I want my leg humped, my carpet pissed and poop on, my clothing ripped apart, my trash can spilled, and the need to go outside at 2 AM in the middle of February, then I'd love a dog.
- jmatchett383

Sounds like a Coaching- I MEAN ownership problem to me. I took my dog in off the street and he does none of those things. He got into the trash once 3 years ago and that never happened again. He’s not a humper. He’s fully potty trained and when I go out to the bars and sleep over at someone else’s place he holds it for 15 hours with no accidents. He only chews on his toys. He doesn’t beg. He doesn’t fuss. He always brings his A game, he’s reliable, he supports me when I’ve got the puck, and he never fails to get pucks in deep