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Kris Letang said he was dealing with some type of injury late in the season, hence the maintenance days. Did not say if he could need surgery, saying he has to meet with the doctors. #Pens
— Wes Crosby (@OtherNHLCrosby) April 18, 2024
When asked about Kris Letang's injury situation down the stretch, Mike Sullivan said, "what I will tell you is he was dealing with a myriad of injuries. He's a warrior, there's no other way to put it, with some of the things he was dealing with and played through."
— Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) April 18, 2024
Sullivan compliments Nedeljkovic's play: "That doesn't diminish our belief in Tristan at all. ... We chose to go with what we would deem the hot hand down the stretch. That is not a slight on Tristan. ... We believe we have a tandem that is very capable." #Pens
— Wes Crosby (@OtherNHLCrosby) April 18, 2024
Bryan Rust: "Didn't have the season last year that I would've liked, and I tried to work really hard over the summer to get better, help this team win again. I played better, but obviously, didn't do enough to help this team win again, which is the unfortunate part."
— Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) April 18, 2024
Michael Bunting finished with 19 points in 21 games with the Penguins. "I think I came in and I wanted to have an effect on this team right away and show what I was made out of. I just wanted to come in and have an impact. So, I felt like I did that."
— Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) April 18, 2024
Dubas on Letang's health: "Kris was going to get a second opinion on all that ails him, which is significant. He's played with it the whole year. We'll have an update once he makes a decision one way or the other on it."
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 19, 2024
Sounds like Kris Letang could be looking at a major surgery.
— Josh Yohe (@JoshYohe_PGH) April 19, 2024
#Pens KD: Jarry would be first to tell you he has to be better. He has massive potential. What I’m most excited about for him is he has to make the decision about how he wants to respond.
— Josh Getzoff (@JG_PxP) April 19, 2024
“When a player hits a moment like this in their career it becomes a great judgement point”
Dubas (more goalies)
— Rob Rossi (@Real_RobRossi) April 19, 2024
* Notes emergence of Blomqvist will in part determine how Penguins move forward.
Doesn’t sound like coaching changes are coming. Dubas didn’t say one way or the other, to be clear. But he said this season was his responsibility, not that of the coaches.
— Josh Yohe (@JoshYohe_PGH) April 19, 2024
Dubas: “I take responsibility for fact we’re not in playoffs. That said — it’s my job to evaluate.”
— Rob Rossi (@Real_RobRossi) April 19, 2024
Adds he and Mike Sullivan will meet to evaluate coaching staff
Dubas hints that Penguins “rebuild” will be modeled after what Kings have done.
— Josh Yohe (@JoshYohe_PGH) April 19, 2024
#Pens KD: I was surprised and disappointed with how team played at and around the Guentzel trade. We showed who we could be in that late stretch.
— Josh Getzoff (@JG_PxP) April 19, 2024
“If we had shaken the doldrums a little bit earlier we may have been in a different position”
#Pens KD: With Ryan Graves, there’s no dancing around it. Did I expect him to struggle all year? No. It’s a massive summer for him. His strength, his mobility - has to push and work on that.
— Josh Getzoff (@JG_PxP) April 19, 2024
We have to put him on a path this summer and he has to execute relentlessly.
Dubas on Graves: "He was a very good player in Colorado and New Jersey. Did I expect (his struggles) to go the whole year? No." Said that's on both the organization and Ryan. "It's a massive summer for him...we have to arm him with the path to get there and he has to execute."
— Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) April 19, 2024
Dubas said Graves struggles: “system isn’t an excuse.”
— Rob Rossi (@Real_RobRossi) April 19, 2024
#Pens KD on Crosby future: It’s imperative the contract talks are kept quiet between Sid, myself & his agent (Pat Brisson).
— Josh Getzoff (@JG_PxP) April 19, 2024
“I think he should finish his career with the Pittsburgh @penguins. How long that is? I think that’ll be up to Sidney Crosby”
#Pens KD: The amount of work we put into the power play was immense. I thought it got better when we had Bunting in the pocket/bumper. It wasn’t scoring the way we wanted it to.
— Josh Getzoff (@JG_PxP) April 19, 2024
“I don’t buy into expected goals on the power play. The PP is more about outcomes & execution”
Dubas on Reilly Smith:
— Rob Rossi (@Real_RobRossi) April 19, 2024
“From mid November on, I thought Rakell was hurt and Malkin wasn’t very good. I think that affected Reilly. Then (Smith) got hurt.”
Said Smith w/Eller, Puustinen “was best fit.”
“I expect bounce back year.”
#Pens KD: I will continue on as the GM. Right now, with where we’re at, I don’t think we need someone who will be deferring to me anyway. Doug Wilson has added a ton. Jason Spezza is invaluable with how quickly he’s picked things up. Tom Kostopoulos has been hugely important
— Josh Getzoff (@JG_PxP) April 19, 2024
Dubas on Karlsson: "I thought at the end of the year, he showed exactly why we acquired Erik Karlsson. He skated, took charge, shot the puck rather than tried to slap pass it through five people every time - which he and I have had many discussions about... He's going to be in…
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 19, 2024