Posts

Pierre-Olivier Joseph gives Ron Hextall leeway to trade a certain player

Image
I recently had the pleasure of having Taylor Haase from dkpittsburghpsorts.com on my podcast. We talked a lot about what the Pittsburgh Penguins will do and should do this offseason. Taylor, along with other people that cover the Penguins are pretty sure Pens' defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph is ready for a full-time spot on the big club. Joseph, a former first-round pick, was the key part in the trade that sent Phil Kessel to Siberia, I mean Arizona.  Joseph is a key part of the Penguins going forward mostly because there is no other NHL-level defenseman in the pipeline. The cupboard is bare, especially after the Penguins sent Calen Addison to the Minnesota Wild to acquire Jason Zucker. Not to mention, the Penguins have made one first-round selection in the last five seasons, and that was used on a forward. This is the cost of trying to compete for championships every season I suppose.  Joseph appeared in 16 games for the Penguins and made an impact right away, tallying a point in
Post a Comment
Read more

Allowing Jared McCann or Kasperi Kapenen to go unprotected is nuts

Image
The NHL has a new team, the Seattle Kraken, and because of that, we are blessed with another NHL entry draft. I got to admit, these drafts are pretty cool. They are a real-life version of a fantasy draft for a new team, with real-life and salary implications. As you may know, the Pittsburgh Penguins have will have to leave certain players unprotected, seven forwards, 3 defensmen, and a goalie to be exact. If you're unaware, the Penguins have to protect Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, and Evgeni Malkin, because of their no-movement clauses. That leaves five forwards left and I have to be honest, I'm a little taken back by the suggestions I've seen by both fans and local media regarding these lists.  Let's start with coming up with the rationale of why you would and wouldn't want to protect certain players. The number one thing is salary and value. Take for example Jake Guentzel, the Penguins' best and most productive winger. I've seen some calls, albeit wrong cal
Post a Comment
Read more

The Penguins are better but not by Much

Image
Jack Johnson is no longer a Pittsburgh Penguin. Mission accomplished, pop the champagne. No really, Johnson no longer being a Penguin automatically makes this team better. If you're reading this you probably are already aware of how much of a black hole he was to this team. Ok so the Penguins, who lost to the Montreal Canadiens in the play-in-round of the 2020 Covid Stanley Cup Playoffs are "better".  How much better, I'm really not sure. Let's start with addition via subtraction. We already know Johnson is gone but so his "almost as bad" defensive partner Justin Schultz. Schultz was good in 2016 and 2017 in the back-to-back Stanley Cup runs, but recently he turned back into a pumpkin. Schultz is a replacement-level defenseman who provided less offense than his skills and payrate would suggest, while being a defensive landmine. Everytime the Penguins trotted out Schultz and Johnson as a defensive tandem I started getting PTSD flashbacks.  The Penguins re
Post a Comment
Read more

Mike Sullivan Far From Blameless

Image
  Pittsburgh Penguins' general manager Jim Rutherford has taken quite a beating this off-season when it comes to criticism of his transactions, and deservedly   so. Rutherford's signing of Johnson, giving away assets like he's Michael Jackson, and constantly moving guys in and out of Pittsburgh even led to some of the players on the team criticizing him anonymously. And while I agree that Rutherford is at the forefront when it comes to blame, he's far from alone. The players have a share, since they are the ones actually playing, but also we need to look at Penguins' head coach Mike Sullivan as well.  Sullivan replaced Mike Johnston as head coach about 1/3 through the 2015-2016 season and instantly turned things around. Not only did the Pens have the best record in the league from the date Sullivan was hired until the end of the season, they steamrolled their way to a Stanley Cup, then won it all again in 2017, while using two goalies, and playing without their numb
Post a Comment
Read more

Ass-et Management and Jim Rutherford

Image
Pittsburgh Penguins' General Manager Jim Rutherford has won three Stanley Cups in his career as a GM, two of them coming as Penguins' GM, and no one can ever take that away from him. That said we live in a world where it's about "What have you done for me lately?" and lately, Rutherford has failed the Penguins as GM. Not to be hyperbolic, but if you graded every move he's made after the back-to-back Stanley Cups, Rutherford would be sent to summer school. 
Post a Comment
Read more

Whether It's Fleury or Murray, You Should Let Someone Else Give Your Goalie A Big Contract

Image
One drum that I have personally been beating for a while now is that goalies in the NHL and running backs in the NFL should be treated the same when it comes to utilization and salary. I am not a fan of drafting goalies or running backs early in their respected drafts, unless you feel you have a once in a lifetime type of player (Adrian Peterson for example). I also feel that you should get the most of your goalie and/or running back, thank them for their service, and allow another team to give them that big contract they have earned. 
Post a Comment
Read more

Beating a Dead Horse

Image
 "Pride comes before the fall"- Proverbs 16:18  In the summer of 2018, coming off of a humbling defeat to their rival and eventual Stanley Cup champions, the Washington Capitals, the Pittsburgh Penguins were still looking to be in damn good shape. They had won back-to-back Stanley Cups the previous two seasons, and won their consecutive playoff series, only to finally run out of gas as the Capitals finally overcame the hump and dethroned them as champs. It happens, most people, including myself, weren't all that mad that the Pens did not win three consecutive cups. Let's be realistic here. 
Post a Comment
Read more