Anyone like fight or anything because they were sick of being embarrassed? DOC? Any of the new guys?
- Grinder47

It shows you joined 2013..Where you been?

It shows you joined 2013..Where you been?
- jb55

Recently I’ve been snowboarding, drinking garage beers and getting boats ready for spring. But I have a very hard 930-4 am sleep schedule, so I always miss the Western swing.

Malkin, Rakell, Smith, Graves, Carter, Rust (in parts) all having underwhelming seasons. We wont go anywhere this way. We are talking about $5M+ guys pretty much aside from 77. Our D sucks. I won't sat anything bad about Karlsson or Letang. They already play a lot of minutes for us.

I think Dubas should trade pretty much all of them.

Recently I’ve been snowboarding, drinking garage beers and getting boats ready for spring. But I have a very hard 930-4 am sleep schedule, so I always miss the Western swing.
- Grinder47

LOL Garage beers like stoney's, Strohs, schlitz, PBR? I've retired..In 4 months it will kbe 3 yrs.

If sully isn’t canned today this roster will flee the sinking ship. Nobody is going to want to get on board in the off season.

Too bad they didn’t trade peak Malkin. He’s worth a 4th and bag of pucks at this point.

Rumors are that Edmonton and a few other teams are dropping out of the Guentzel talks.


I guess after the frustrating loss and all of our frustration calling for trades a firing something. What happens if Dubas doesn't make any moves during the deadline?

Rumors are that Edmonton and a few other teams are dropping out of the Guentzel talks.


I guess after the frustrating loss and all of our frustration calling for trades a firing something. What happens if Dubas doesn't make any moves during the deadline?
- 123Kid

Lol could you imagine? Roll into the off season minus carter and gutz? Lol!!!!! After his FA and off season last year. I have 0 confidence he can put together a team.

LOL Garage beers like stoney's, Strohs, schlitz, PBR? I've retired..In 4 months it will kbe 3 yrs.
- jb55

I drink Busch. Congratulations, despite a few simple IRA’s endless hrs of high paying side gigs, and a regular job I doubt I’ll ever see retirement.

Dubas is still new to us. I know he build a competitive team in Toronto, but it worries me by his consistent kicking the can down the road attitude and the lack of deals up to this point. Makes you wonder if he is going to actually do anything.

I hear you on that Grinder. I work multiple jobs and feel like I will never hit retirement.

Should have been a coaching change almost two months ago. This team has shown it can play very good hockey. It has shown it can beat the top dogs. The PP woes was/is enough of a firing offence but the inconsistency every two or three games and late game blowing it warrants it as well. Axing the coaching staff to see if it can stir things up is the very first thing you try before going into sell mode. You do that a month or two ago and see how it looks, then you really have a good idea approaching the TDL.

Dubas' hands are tied with Sullivan by the owners. Its very evident.

LOL Garage beers like stoney's, Strohs, schlitz, PBR? I've retired..In 4 months it will kbe 3 yrs.
- jb55

Retired from work or retired from booze? Either way, congrats. Both are big accomplishments.

Should have been a coaching change almost two months ago. This team has shown it can play very good hockey. It has shown it can beat the top dogs. The PP woes was enough of firing offence but the inconsistency every two or three games and late game blowing it warrants it as well. Axing the coaching staff to see if it can stir things up is the very first thing you try before going into sell mode. You do that a month or two ago and see how it looks, then you really have a good idea approaching the TDL.

Dubas' hands are tied with Sullivan by the owners. It’s very evident.
- MattStrat

Do baseball coaches just last forever?

Do baseball coaches just last forever?
- Grinder47

I'm not the most well versed on MLB stuff but I do believe they get can get axed at similar rates as the NHL. The MLB team I'm most privy to is the Blue Jays, obviously, and I feel like they have had 3 different managers (main/head/top baseball coach) the past 10ish years. I could be completely wrong on that though hahah

EDIT: just looked. The Jays have had 3 different managers since Sully became the Pens coach. Just looking at one team could be considered anecdotal though hahaha

Rumors are that Edmonton and a few other teams are dropping out of the Guentzel talks.


I guess after the frustrating loss and all of our frustration calling for trades a firing something. What happens if Dubas doesn't make any moves during the deadline?
- 123Kid

Dubas is definitely at risk of waiting too long. We arent the only team making a decision on whether to fold or go for it.

I've always said our biggest risk isnt letting Jake walk for free. It's dropping the ball on a deadline trade and then massively overpaying him on a contract to save face (hey, we were never actually going to get rid of him .. ).

Dubas is definitely at risk of waiting too long. We arent the only team making a decision on whether to fold or go for it.

I've always said our biggest risk isnt letting Jake walk for free. It's dropping the ball on a deadline trade and then massively overpaying him on a contract to save face (hey, we were never actually going to get rid of him .. ).
- MacPatty

I think they would really like to keep him and its being considered. They want to stay competitive, and really they are competitive. They are still in playoff race. I know, I know most likely not happening but they really are still in the race. Jake is Sid's longest and best winger of his career. They want to compete. Sid deserves it. They would like Sid to stay a Penguin until he retires. It makes sense to keep Jake for those reasons and I wont be shocked at all if he stays...nor will I be shocked if they trade him. Both scenarios make sense for different reasons.

What would really suck is getting nothing for him, missing playoffs and him walking in the summer haha...that is also a potential scenario here...

Dubas is still new to us. I know he build a competitive team in Toronto, but it worries me by his consistent kicking the can down the road attitude and the lack of deals up to this point. Makes you wonder if he is going to actually do anything.
- 123Kid

Did he build a competitive team in Toronto? Wasn’t he gifted all of his good players, he didn’t draft Willie Marner or Matthews. What exactly did he do there?

Did he build a competitive team in Toronto? Wasn’t he gifted all of his good players, he didn’t draft Willie Marner or Matthews. What exactly did he do there?
- ClaudeFather

He got Luke Schenn

Curious what people want in trades:

1) NHL ready prospects - these guys probably have lower ceilings, but they are younger and could step right into the NHL

2) Prospects with higher ceilings but longer waits until the NHL plus no promise they even make it to the NHL

3) Draft picks

4) Other NHL talent
- SuperHenderson13

At the deadline I want draft picks. The only guy we have to get you prospects is Guentzel. From him I would like to see both a pick and a defenseman with a higher ceiling.

The NHL talent level players come closer to training camp and after the season begins.

Did he build a competitive team in Toronto? Wasn’t he gifted all of his good players, he didn’t draft Willie Marner or Matthews. What exactly did he do there?
- ClaudeFather

Yes. He constructed very good rosters around those studs. One season was the Leafs best regular season team of all time, ran into the borderline dynasty Bolts in first round. The next season the Leafs were top 5 to 10 in pretty much every single conceivable stat/metric, both old fashioned and new age analytical ones alike. Ran into the Panthers and hot Bob who all looked like a team of destiny until the met Vegas. Like every other GM, or human being in general really, has had his flaws and misses. Didn't resign Hyman. Took some goalie gambles that didn't work out (Samsonov, who poop the bed in round two vs Cats last year and Murray who never got back to form being injured so much).

Other GM stints include getting a championship in the AHL with the Marlies and constructing a roster in the OHL (Greyhounds) that had one of the biggest point turn arounds in OHL history.

He could totally sh!t the bed with Pens though. I mean, he's only been on the job like 7 months and inherited somewhat of a mess. Too early for me to judge.

Yes. He constructed very good rosters around those studs. One season was the Leafs best regular season team of all time, ran into the borderline dynasty Bolts in first round. The next season the Leafs were top 5 to 10 in pretty much every single conceivable stat/metric, both old fashioned and new age analytical ones alike. Ran into the Panthers and hot Bob who all looked like a team of destiny until the met Vegas. Like every other GM, or human being in general really, has had his flaws and misses. Didn't resign Hyman. Took some goalie gambles that didn't work out (Samsonov, who poop the bed in round two vs Cats last year and Murray who never got back to form being injured so much).

Other GM stints include getting a championship in the AHL with the Marlies and constructing a roster in the OHL (Greyhounds) that had one of the biggest point turn arounds in OHL history.

He could totally sh!t the bed with Pens though. I mean, he's only been on the job like 7 months and inherited somewhat of a mess. Too early for me to judge.
- MattStrat

He was a good bargain shopper. Most of that success hinges on the core 4 though. Hexy kind of drove things into the ground so there wasn’t much of a chance in Pitt.

Yes. He constructed very good rosters around those studs. One season was the Leafs best regular season team of all time, ran into the borderline dynasty Bolts in first round. The next season the Leafs were top 5 to 10 in pretty much every single conceivable stat/metric, both old fashioned and new age analytical ones alike. Ran into the Panthers and hot Bob who all looked like a team of destiny until the met Vegas. Like every other GM, or human being in general really, has had his flaws and misses. Didn't resign Hyman. Took some goalie gambles that didn't work out (Samsonov, who poop the bed in round two vs Cats last year and Murray who never got back to form being injured so much).

Other GM stints include getting a championship in the AHL with the Marlies and constructing a roster in the OHL (Greyhounds) that had one of the biggest point turn arounds in OHL history.

He could totally sh!t the bed with Pens though. I mean, he's only been on the job like 7 months and inherited somewhat of a mess. Too early for me to judge.
- MattStrat

I think people tend to look at the parts of a GM or coach of what they dont like and just magnify it. Kind of an unfair look at things and minimize anything they do well.

I think Dubas did a good job in Toronto. He made mistakes but he also made a lot of small, really good moves. Some were off the ice. He was all for spending money on support teams off the ice since there's no cap on front office.

If things were truly bad in Pitts before he got there then I agree, 7 months is too early to judge. He has a lot of work to do.

However, the good news with the deadline coming up is he isn't afraid to make bold moves. I don't think anyone thought Rielly and Karlsson were both coming. I think they were both bold.

They aren't firing Sully during the season. They have no hope of getting back into the race, hence they won't fire 2x champion coach now. They will do something in the off season, whether that's yet another replace all assistants or properly clean house idk.

Nobody is out of the Jake race. Rumor sites are bs. Do you really think a team wouldn't want Jake for a price acceptable to them? Of course they all do.

Following on from that, EK turning down Carolina was a rumor never confirmed by any reputable source that I ever saw.

Those TML teams were built around "superstars" and in a cap league you need at least one of those guys to take over to win a round. They never did. They also lost each year (except the bubble one) while Dubas was there to a team that went to the final. Beyond that, Toronto always loses in the playoffs. I've been watching hockey for 40 years and they've literally always underperformed in the playoffs. It's just a basic fact of existence that the TML will blow it in the playoffs.

I expect we'll trade either Jarry or Ned, Smith, and Jake. Possibly Eller and Ruh. Other moves will wait until the offseason.

Rumors are that Edmonton and a few other teams are dropping out of the Guentzel talks.


I guess after the frustrating loss and all of our frustration calling for trades a firing something. What happens if Dubas doesn't make any moves during the deadline?
- 123Kid

There just aren't enough buyers with space or even assets for all the guys that are supposed to be available.

So many top teams traded away their 1sts and 2nds for the next couple seasons.

Curious what people want in trades:

1) NHL ready prospects - these guys probably have lower ceilings, but they are younger and could step right into the NHL

2) Prospects with higher ceilings but longer waits until the NHL plus no promise they even make it to the NHL

3) Draft picks

4) Other NHL talent
- SuperHenderson13

Some combination of all of this, most important to extract maximum value. Different scenarios for every player though.

Rackell for instance, I'd do a downgrade deal and send him and POJ/Smith to Montreal for Anderson and Mailloux because Mailloux could be our 3RD next season and has major near term upside.

An upgrade would be sending Rackell and picks/prospects to Zona and try to get Crouse, Schmaltz or Keller if we swing big.

Graves I don't think there is a downgrade for but if we moved Jarry, maybe a deal for a different kind of bad... Campbell or Knight in net perhaps.

An upgrade might be Graves plus for Krug or Provorov maybe. These are all probably off-season moves however.