Information has been tough to come by with the Penguins after they had their exit interviews and peaced out for the summer. Here are some tidbits recently released about the team
Dubas does not hold the Penguins’ disappointing season against Sullivan. Team sources said Dubas has told people within the organization he was pleased with the in-season growth of players such as Drew O’Connor and Pierre-Olivier Joseph; the late-season opportunities awarded to the likes of Valtteri Puustinen and Jack St. Ivany; and internal communication. Dubas also liked Sullivan’s in-game and lineup adjustments, the sources said.
This is the reality of the situation. He isn’t leaving right now and never was. I quibble with the in-game lineup adjustments praise because I don’t think he is all that clever with changing things up and stacking lines in opportune game situations. I think he’s a good coach and when the depth stinks his flaws get more exposed. The front office needs to give him better depth and need to not give him bad depth, even if he likes those players.
Neither Dubas nor Crosby’s agent, Pat Brisson, have turned up the heat when it comes to the contract that FSG considers its top priority: Crosby’s next deal.
Don’t read anything into that lack of movement. Talks are expected to intensify soon, perhaps during this week’s NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo, N.Y., a team and league source said.
I don’t have a word for how I would feel if Sidney Crosby actually asked for a trade at this point in time. There hasn’t been a single tangible thing pointing towards an extension not happening. So until I hear otherwise, and this isn’t saying otherwise, I fully expect an extension to take place in early July.
Several teams believe Dubas is trying to trade forward Reilly Smith, who did not fit as hoped upon his acquisition at the 2023 NHL Draft, league sources said. Dubas would prefer to make a hockey trade for Smith and is not keen to retain salary, a Penguins source said.
It is the Derrick Brassard trade, part two. Logically speaking it was a good trade. They literally used the same pick they got from Vegas for Teddy Blueger to trade for a top six winger with a decent track record. Unfortunately, much like Brassard it sounds like Smith didn’t like his situation in Pittsburgh. I wouldn’t retain anything on Smith. Somebody would take a chance on his expiring contract. How much they get back in return? You’ll likely be taking on another underperforming player who previously had a decent track record just like Smith. So yeah, a hockey trade.
Goaltender Tristan Jarry is not necessarily being shopped by Dubas, but there is a sense among other teams that Jarry is available. While that doesn’t mean Dubas or Sullivan has abandoned the idea that Jarry can become a No. 1 goalie, Jarry’s inability to wrestle the crease from Alex Nedeljkovic late this past season did not win him many points with top brass, two team sources said.
I really hope Joel Blomqvist is ready sooner than later. I’m over Tristan Jarry. He certainly has stretches of excellent play. It is never in the most important times of the season. The fact they started a goalie 13 times or whatever in the current NHL climate is crazy. Nobody starts goalies like that anymore. You have to have no faith in a goalie to not even give a spot start over the course of a month.
Ryan Graves was expected to be a top-four defenseman, but his first season with the Penguins was perceived internally as a bust. Dubas does not believe there is a market for Graves without the Penguins eating significant salary, so the hope is Graves rebounds in his second season — with fewer expectations as a bottom-pairing option, team sources said.
This contract is so damn bad. A complete whiff from Dubas. There is no sugar coating it. They are stuck. The term is way too long for a buyout or to retain salary. They are stuck. Unfortunately, Dubas is reading the situation properly and they will have to ride it out with Graves unless something unforeseeable happens on the trade market. This contract is so disappointing.
Phil Bourque, who won the Stanley Cup twice with the Penguins as a player in the 1990s and has spent most of the previous two decades doing color on radio broadcasts, is the team’s preferred choice to become Getzoff’s permanent TV partner, team sources said. Bourque worked select games with Getzoff on TV last season, and their chemistry from years as a radio team was apparent.
Great news. Josh Getzoff did a terrific job in his first year on the television and it makes a lot of sense to give him his radio partner on the tv side of things. Josh and Phil would be a solid TV duo on a regular basis. Radio broadcasts are a little dated in 2024. They aren’t without their place, but people can stream video from almost anywhere. It makes sense to load up the talent on the TV side. For too long the Penguins loaded it up on the radio end. Last year was the first year in a while where I didn’t consistently seek out the road broadcast.
Thanks for reading!
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