Not signing Cole to a well-deserved 4m with term is low-key GMJR's 2nd worst move during his tenure here IMO. The structure of our blueline seemed to crumble after that.
- MikeyKay

...but as GMJR says, he likes the way our D looks because "we have the RD on the right and the LD on the left"... ...his words.

Someone mentioned a blog or two back Sully has already floated the idea out there of Tanev in the top 6.
- Tojo.

I don't think it is that far out there to see this. Sullivan seems to want to put a grinder on each line. Played Simon and Rust with Crosby in the past. Wouldn't be surprised to see him try it. Don't think Tanev should be getting top 6 minutes though...

not sure how this compares to other teams but looking at the pens current roster, we have:

7 players drafted in the first round
8 players drafted in rounds 2-3

that seems pretty high, especially considering we've built much of the team through trades.

random thought...in the blog about Tanev, RW said about "harder to play against" is a fallacy because players always say the skill guys are harder to play against rather than the "grit" guys.

I think that's not a fair way to look at it and its not that black and white. The reality is the superstar skill guys are the hardest to play against. But once you get to your everyday NHL players, its harder to play against a guy like Tanev than, say, a guy like Sheary ...

You are mistaken. Subban’s NMC hadn’t kicked in yet so Nashville didn’t have to honor it. Once it kicks in you can’t get around it unless MAYBE the team and player can mutually agree to terminate that clause
- WSCTeton17

I might be, but I thought I read somewhere that the Preds had the choice when they got him to honor the NMC and they didn't, so they didn't have to ask before trading him to NJ.

I don't think it is that far out there to see this. Sullivan seems to want to put a grinder on each line. Played Simon and Rust with Crosby in the past. Wouldn't be surprised to see him try it. Don't think Tanev should be getting top 6 minutes though...
- pier6687

I agree on both counts. Tanev in the top 6 isn't far-fetched, but it's not the route I'd take either.

Pascal Dupuis was a 4th line player but played well with Crosby. There was flat out out rage on this board over the thought of him being bumped down off Crosbys line. To say Tanev, Kahun, McCann etc.....arent top 6 players without seeing them play top 6 time with either Malkin or Crosby is a bit premature at this point.

I might be, but I thought I read somewhere that the Preds had the choice when they got him to honor the NMC and they didn't, so they didn't have to ask before trading him to NJ.
- Tojo.

Correct but they only had that choice because the clause didn’t go into effect until 7/1/16 and he was traded on 6/29/16

https://www.capfriendly.com/players/pk-subban

Pascal Dupuis was a 4th line player but played well with Crosby. There was flat out out rage on this board over the thought of him being bumped down off Crosbys line. To say Tanev, Kahun, McCann etc.....arent top 6 players without seeing them play top 6 time with either Malkin or Crosby is a bit premature at this point.
- sammy87

Well, Kahun had 35 ES points so that’s top 6 production given his TOI. Tanev had 26, Kahun had 35, McCann had 28 (14 in 32 in Pitt), Simon had 25 with less TOI, and ZAR paced 30. It’s kinda funny how he’s 24 and has only played 59 games and clearly has the tools to possibly be a 25 goal scorer (and Sully likes him and uses him on the P.K.) yet so many write him off. His hitting average also puts him on pace for 268 in a full year which would’ve made him #1 on Pitt this past season. As people should know, you’re hitting when you don’t possess the puck which makes sense given his slightly lower CF and his usage/deployment

...but as GMJR says, he likes the way our D looks because "we have the RD on the right and the LD on the left"... ...his words.
- pier6687

And they’re all lizards!

I wouldn’t split up Pettersson and Gudbranson just to prop up Shultz.

I wouldn’t split up Pettersson and Gudbranson just to prop up Shultz.
- Grinder47

You don’t want to stop Petts propping up Gudbranson to prop up a guy with more ability? 🤦🏼‍♂️🔫

I don't think it is that far out there to see this. Sullivan seems to want to put a grinder on each line. Played Simon and Rust with Crosby in the past. Wouldn't be surprised to see him try it. Don't think Tanev should be getting top 6 minutes though...
- pier6687

If Simon is getting top six minutes the doors been blasted off that exclusive room.

You don’t want to stop Petts propping up Gudbranson to prop up a guy with more ability? 🤦🏼‍♂️🔫
- WSCTeton17

Gudbranson and Petterson prop each other up. Good pair to have out there when the games on the line. When you need to protect a lead. Defenseman have to play defense too. People forget that.

Gudbranson and Petterson prop each other up. Good pair to have out there when the games on the line. When you need to protect a lead. Defenseman have to play defense too. People forget that.
- Grinder47

Not according to Ryan Wilson

All Defenseman have to be good at is puck moving and zone entries

Gudbranson and Petterson prop each other up. Good pair to have out there when the games on the line. When you need to protect a lead. Defenseman have to play defense too. People forget that.
- Grinder47

Petts makes every defender more effective with the exception of Letang. That’s like saying it’s good business to put Crosby with ZAR and Tanev so he can elevate (carry) them all season

Not according to Ryan Wilson

All Defenseman have to be good at is puck moving and zone entries
- RoloTahmasee

Well, in today's NHL those are key abilities for dmen to have.

Well, in today's NHL those are key abilities for dmen to have.
- Rinosaur

Actually being able to defend seems to get ignored by some if not most these days

Petts makes every defender more effective with the exception of Letang. That’s like saying it’s good business to put Crosby with ZAR and Tanev so he can elevate (carry) them all season
- WSCTeton17

I would put Tanev with Crosby and Guentzel in a heart beat.

Petts makes every defender more effective with the exception of Letang. That’s like saying it’s good business to put Crosby with ZAR and Tanev so he can elevate (carry) them all season
- WSCTeton17

It’s good business to leave gudbranson and Petts alone and trade Bryan Rust and JJ and sign someone Shultz can actually play with.

Off-topic: With the exception of Jose Theodore, every player that has even won the Hart Trophy that is eligible for entry into the HHOF has been elected. Jaromir Jagr is not yet eligible, but he will get in on his first ballot. Henrik Sedin may have to wait a year or 2, but he'll go in with his brother.

When looking at the other winners who are in their 30s (Crosby, Ovechkin, Malkin, Kane), these guys are shoo-ins. But 2 names stick out for me: Corey Perry and Carey Price.

Corey Perry once led the league in goals. But, while he's always been a good player, he only had one "great" year. He wasn't a small part of the 2007 Anaheim Cup team (2nd in points); he was a solid contributor, but it was guys like Niedermayer, Pronger, Getzlaf, Andrew McDoanld, and, of course, Selanne who were the players that stood out the most. He's the kind of guy who gets into a team HOF, but I don't know if he has the numbers or credentials to get into the HHOF. At 34 and with 3 straight years of declining numbers and a horrible injury-plagued campaign last year, he may not have much more to give.

Carey Price is very interesting. All 4 pieces of NHL hardware (Hart, Jennings, Vezina, Linday) all came in one spectacular season. The following season was also spectacular. But after that...like Perry, he's been a consistently good goalie, despite a few hiccups. Unlike Perry, Price doesn't have a lot of playoff experience, altouhh he's played generally well in the playoffs when his team has been able to avoid getting swept. Goalies are hard to judge, and while he's been very good, I don't think he has the body of work, to date, to merit HHOF.

Taylor Hall and Nikita Kucherov fall into this category as well, but they both have a lot more time to work with than these two. What is your take? Do Perry and/or Price deserve entry into the HHOF based on their careers to date?

Question for yinz. I was scrolling through the ufa list and seen Brassard on there still. Do you guys think his tenure it Pitt hurt his stock that bad or is he just not that good anymore?

Question for yinz. I was scrolling through the ufa list and seen Brassard on there still. Do you guys think his tenure it Pitt hurt his stock that bad or is he just not that good anymore?
- nateca44

Not just his time in Pittsburgh, he was a but for both Florida and Colorado in limited time. He probably sees himself as the 40-60 point player he was with NYR, other GMS probably see him as the guy who has totaled 31 points his past season and a half.

I would put Tanev with Crosby and Guentzel in a heart beat.
- Grinder47

I have zero doubt he'll be getting a look there early in the season....along with every other winger thats comfortable with playing LW.

Off-topic: With the exception of Jose Theodore, every player that has even won the Hart Trophy that is eligible for entry into the HHOF has been elected. Jaromir Jagr is not yet eligible, but he will get in on his first ballot. Henrik Sedin may have to wait a year or 2, but he'll go in with his brother.

When looking at the other winners who are in their 30s (Crosby, Ovechkin, Malkin, Kane), these guys are shoo-ins. But 2 names stick out for me: Corey Perry and Carey Price.

Corey Perry once led the league in goals. But, while he's always been a good player, he only had one "great" year. He wasn't a small part of the 2007 Anaheim Cup team (2nd in points); he was a solid contributor, but it was guys like Niedermayer, Pronger, Getzlaf, Andrew McDoanld, and, of course, Selanne who were the players that stood out the most. He's the kind of guy who gets into a team HOF, but I don't know if he has the numbers or credentials to get into the HHOF. At 34 and with 3 straight years of declining numbers and a horrible injury-plagued campaign last year, he may not have much more to give.

Carey Price is very interesting. All 4 pieces of NHL hardware (Hart, Jennings, Vezina, Linday) all came in one spectacular season. The following season was also spectacular. But after that...like Perry, he's been a consistently good goalie, despite a few hiccups. Unlike Perry, Price doesn't have a lot of playoff experience, altouhh he's played generally well in the playoffs when his team has been able to avoid getting swept. Goalies are hard to judge, and while he's been very good, I don't think he has the body of work, to date, to merit HHOF.

Taylor Hall and Nikita Kucherov fall into this category as well, but they both have a lot more time to work with than these two. What is your take? Do Perry and/or Price deserve entry into the HHOF based on their careers to date?
- jmatchett383

Price strikes me as a guy that the old boy Canadians would love enough to put into the Hall given his hardware. He also has Olympic gold medal starting goalie on his resume which will work in his favor. Perry is the interesting case to me. The duo of Getzlaf and Perry was so iconic for a couple of seasons but recency bias of how hard he faded and getting bought out way before a used to be star should get bought out will hurt his legacy enough that he may go overlooked given that he spent his career in the hockey backwater of Anaheim.

I think Kucherov is a shoe in. He has several more years of eliteness left in him and will be great for longer. He’ll have plenty of time to build that resume. From a personal ability standpoint Taylor Hall should go but team achievements and glory play a big part in getting into the Hall and he’s just spent so much time on non-competitive teams. Unless things turn around for the teams he plays for I think he’ll get the “not a winner” label.