Line Combos: Pens 2022-2023 Training Camp thread: Its happenings

[Turin]

Maybe there are teams who said they’re not interested in POJ if he can’t make the Pens, so the Pens are sort of trying to call their bluff and give him some reps while they continue shopping him. Or they’re working on some other trade that won’t get done before the season starts so they don’t have a choice but to send Smith down.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

But even then, you have the risk of running into problems if you have a bad start to the season due to those "regular season lol" thoughts

I'm not mad about it, I'm just confused. I don't understand why they're doing this to Smith to protect POJ and Ruhwedel to begin with, but the more important part is that I don't understand why they didn't even try alternatives to Smith-Rutta if they were willing to do this to Smith.

The only thing I can think of is that they're comfortable enough with Ruhwedel's game, even on his off-side, that they didn't feel the need to test it out before rosters were due. I think that would be an incredibly dumb opinion to have, mainly because I don't recall Ruhwedel ever playing on his off-side in Pittsburgh outside of a game here and there, but that's the only thing I can think of.

I don't know the ins-and-outs of how the cap works on a day to day basis, but is it possible to somehow send Smith down as a "paper" transaction to get cap compliant but call him up in time for the Pens' first game to buy Hextall a bit more time to move POJ before then?

 

[canadianguy77]

Sully picks his guys and that’s what we get. There doesn’t have to be a lot of rhyme or reason to it, other than he leans hard to safe and experienced over dynamic and inexperienced.

I feel like some of you have forgotten all of the seasons previous to this.

 

[cygnus47]

Maybe there are teams who said they’re not interested in POJ if he can’t make the Pens, so the Pens are sort of trying to call their bluff and give him some reps while they continue shopping him. Or they’re working on some other trade that won’t get done before the season starts so they don’t have a choice but to send Smith down.

I'm guessing management reckons he's good enough to stay afloat until a team has an injury and overpays for him. And that team could well be us.

Sully picks his guys and that’s what we get. There doesn’t have to be a lot of rhyme or reason to it, other than he leans hard to safe and experienced over dynamic and inexperienced.

I feel like some of you have forgotten all of the seasons previous to this.

And every coach in the NHL after year 2 or 3.

 

[OtherThingsILike]

Is anyone in the media going to ask the hard questions? Like why did you trade John Marino for this situation?

If we're talking about the cap situation, the answer to that would be that five years of John Marino and four years of Mike Matheson was traded for three years of Jeff Petry, who has a lower cap hit than Marino and Matheson combined.

 

[3ladesof5teel]

Sully picks his guys and that’s what we get. There doesn’t have to be a lot of rhyme or reason to it, other than he leans hard to safe and experienced over dynamic and inexperienced.

I feel like some of you have forgotten all of the seasons previous to this.

who was young and dynamic in your opinion?

 

[Peat]

I don't know the ins-and-outs of how the cap works on a day to day basis, but is it possible to somehow send Smith down as a "paper" transaction to get cap compliant but call him up in time for the Pens' first game to buy Hextall a bit more time to move POJ before then?

This is what most people assumed was happening.

Media reports are now suggesting that's not what's happening. Which I guess could be a bluff, but probably ain't

 

[Andy99]

Lol…oldest team in the league now

Penguins, Capitals Officially the NHL’s Oldest Teams

Age has been tossed about and cited as a reason the 2022-23 Pittsburgh Penguins won’t attain acceptable levels of success. The age question is a legitimate one, but the Penguins not only ignored it, they steered into it. Evgeni Malkin begins a four-year contract. Kris Letang begins (presumably)...

pittsburghhockeynow.com

 

[Gurglesons]

This is what most people assumed was happening.

Media reports are now suggesting that's not what's happening. Which I guess could be a bluff, but probably ain't

Seems so bizarre. And you know they aren’t going to play POJ a single minute.

 

[Peat]

Seems so bizarre. And you know they aren’t going to play POJ a single minute.

I know that like I know Ty Smith was going to start the season three days ago. After a summer of seeing a ton of certainty about what they would or wouldn't do from people and now seeing a large part of it go down the drain, I'm going to wait and see. We simply don't have a good handle on what Hextall will and won't do.

 

[Gurglesons]

I know that like I know Ty Smith was going to start the season three days ago. After a summer of seeing a ton of certainty about what they would or wouldn't do from people and now seeing a large part of it go down the drain, I'm going to wait and see. We simply don't have a good handle on what Hextall will and won't do.

Fair. But if POJ and Ruhwedel are on the roster Thursday at 4:00 PM, Hextall ain’t in charge, Sullivan is and we all know what he’s going to do.

 

[Peat]

Fair. But if POJ and Ruhwedel are on the roster Thursday at 4:00 PM, Hextall ain’t in charge, Sullivan is and we all know what he’s going to do.

Given Sully's usual preference for guys on their favoured sides, and the fact he played POJ for 18 minutes a night when he had him last season, I don't know that either.

Or to what extent Hextall is saying stuff like "showcase POJ so I can trade him if you want Smith back quick".

Or how much Sully shares Hextall's opinions on lanky transition dmen. Hextall's cleared out a bunch of them and seems like he's trying to do more, but Sully was here when Rutherford was collecting them. Was he not listened to then, or not listened to now, or has he changed his mind, or what?

 

[Gurglesons]

Given Sully's usual preference for guys on their favoured sides, and the fact he played POJ for 18 minutes a night when he had him last season, I don't know that either.

Or to what extent Hextall is saying stuff like "showcase POJ so I can trade him if you want Smith back quick".

Or how much Sully shares Hextall's opinions on lanky transition dmen. Hextall's cleared out a bunch of them and seems like he's trying to do more, but Sully was here when Rutherford was collecting them. Was he not listened to then, or not listened to now, or has he changed his mind, or what?

If POJ plays a single game while we have a healthy defense I’ll be shocked.

 

[Peat]

If POJ plays a single game while we have a healthy defense I’ll be shocked.

Yes, but you like your strong opinions and shocks.

Me, I like never being shocked.

 

[Gurglesons]

Yes, but you like your strong opinions and shocks.

Me, I like never being shocked.

This is a comment on your country’s cuisine versus mine.

 

[Shady Machine]

If POJ plays a single game while we have a healthy defense I’ll be shocked.

I’d say prepare to be shocked.

 

[Peat]

This is a comment on your country’s cuisine versus mine.

Well there are many shocking things over here, that's for sure!

 

[SomeDude]

If POJ plays a single game while we have a healthy defense I’ll be shocked.

I would be shocked if he doesn't. They didn't want to lose him for nothing on waivers right now so they'll play him early to either try to build his trade value, see if he's good enough to keep and play, or see if he sucks and they don't care about waiving him and losing him for nothing.

 

[Gurglesons]

Well there are many shocking things over here, that's for sure!

Maybe one day you can appreciate Long John Silver’s the Mike Sullivan of shitty food.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Maybe one day you can appreciate Long John Silver’s the Mike Sullivan of shitty food.

He does kind of look like he brushes his hair with one of their chicken planks.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

I’d say prepare to be shocked.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I would be shocked if he doesn't. They didn't want to lose him for nothing on waivers right now so they'll play him early to either try to build his trade value, see if he's good enough to keep and play, or see if he sucks and they don't care about waiving him and losing him for nothing.

I don’t know if it’s “they don’t want to lose POJ for nothing” as much as “they don’t want to lose a depth D for nothing and only be left with 8 NHL D”

I honestly can’t tell if this team actually cares about POJ or if they just don’t want to be down to 8 D

 

[Randy Butternubs]

I don’t know if it’s “they don’t want to lose POJ for nothing” as much as “they don’t want to lose a depth D for nothing and only be left with 8 NHL D”

I honestly can’t tell if this team actually cares about POJ or if they just don’t want to be down to 8 D

My guess is a little bit of both, but more the numbers game.

We saw this last season when Hextall thought Lafferty was going to be claimed. Instead he traded him for a player who was already in the AHL and who could perhaps play in the NHL.

 

[SomeDude]

I don’t know if it’s “they don’t want to lose POJ for nothing” as much as “they don’t want to lose a depth D for nothing and only be left with 8 NHL D”

I honestly can’t tell if this team actually cares about POJ or if they just don’t want to be down to 8 D

Yea, I'd say it's both, but they do have Fedun and Ouellet in WBS. Both have around 150 NHL GP. Not guys you want as regulars, but should be fine if needed for spot duty.

 

[Andy99]

DK again in his podcast this morning said that Dumo has looked terrible this preseason…