Confirmed Trade: [PIT/OTT/VGK] Brassard/Dunn/Lindberg/3rd for Gustavsson/Cole/1st/3rd for Reaves/4th | VGK ret. 40%

[Mr Jiggyfly]

I think Shero's been doing great in NJ, so I think a large part of his problems were being an inexperienced GM, which was combined with having waaaaaaay too much faith in a mediocre head coach.

As puzzling as the Reaves trade to some was, it's pretty clear that Rutherford decided with Sullivan that Reaves wasn't going to be part of the plans going forward and best to ship him out at the TDL, given the interest in him.

You can say a lot about Rutherford, but it's pretty clear the dude knows when to cut bait.

Yep. Was looking over the Devils roster full of speed and skill the other day and shaking my head why Shero never thought to build that way as the Pens GM.

And agree, part of his downfall was attaching himself to a coach like Bylsma.

 

[BrockLobster]

I hate people like that also. For example I am typing on my phone on a message board and could care less about that stuff.

You mean "couldn't care less".

 

[OCPenguin]

I hate people like that also. For example I am typing on my phone on a message board and could care less about that stuff.

Exactly. It's a message board. People who generally bring out the grammar police on me on Internet message boards for the most part wouldn't want to compare their degree with my degrees. I don't want to make that sound like an arrogant statement, but those people types of people think the other is uneducated. Well, chances are in this case ...

 

[hangman005]

Are we allowed to (a) have hated the Reaves trade and (b) still think that Rutherford is a really good GM? Asking for a friend.

Nope.... Now take him back.

 

[Ogrezilla]

You mean "couldn't care less".

 

[BigEezyE22]

Yep. Was looking over the Devils roster full of speed and skill the other day and shaking my head why Shero never thought to build that way as the Pens GM.

And agree, part of his downfall was attaching himself to a coach like Bylsma.

That was the problem. Cling to low rent grinders bc that's how your coach played and thought the game.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

I hate people like that also. For example I am typing on my phone on a message board and could care less about that stuff.

Ah... beaten to it.

People ruin my fun on purpose.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Yep. Was looking over the Devils roster full of speed and skill the other day and shaking my head why Shero never thought to build that way as the Pens GM.

And agree, part of his downfall was attaching himself to a coach like Bylsma.

My theory is not that Shero didn't understand he could win like that, it's that Bylsma wanted a team of grinders, because that's what he felt comfortable with, and Shero obliged his Jack Adams-winning coach.

 

[OCPenguin]

Yep. Was looking over the Devils roster full of speed and skill the other day and shaking my head why Shero never thought to build that way as the Pens GM.

And agree, part of his downfall was attaching himself to a coach like Bylsma.

Shero was very very flawed in Pittsburgh. He made some terrible choices. The worst thing that happened to him was that deal with Dallas where he fleeced Joe N. for Neal and Niskanen for GoGo. That masterful deal became a detriment to Shero and the Pens. All he did was drafted PMDs thinking he could move them for the right assets. None of them developed. Meanwhile, our forward depth sucked. His trade for Iginla was flawed and terrible. Other poor decisions happened.

Maybe he wised up. Seems to have done so.

 

[CrosbyMalkin]

I agree. Just the juxtaposition between the Pens, Kings and Hawks. In the aftermath of their cup victories Tallon, Bowman and Lombardi managed to ruin their teams by mismanaging the salary cap. Overpaying both their stars and role players. Pittsburgh has their core locked out for the future and hasn't overpaid anyone for winning the cup. As a result they haven't had to gut their roster to stay compliant, but actually have managed to do the opposite by having others retain salary for their impact players. It's simply amazing. I hate the Pens and it's disgusting to see them in such a good position to be so successful for as long as Crosby and Malkin remain effective.

All good points that’s why I think JR’s time with the Pens might be the best GM of all time. look at how the team has been transformed since he became the GM. People thought this team was done after not competing for a Cup in several years after the back to back Cup final appearances in 2008 and 2009. They looked to be on the way out and old and slow around the core. When you look at the transformation so fast and to do it in the cap era makes it that much more amazing.

 

[Pens x]

yep, it had been MONTHS since the man won a Cup. I get why you lost faith after such a long stretch of hamstringing this team. But it's good that he has undone all that damage he did over the off-season.

We did have a bottom six that wouldn’t even be respectable in the AHL for 3/4 of the season. I think Pens’ fans on this site increases my frustration one hundred fold by continually to say we just want Cullen back!
Thankfully JR is smarter than all of the strange Cullen fanboys.

 

[Ogrezilla]

We did have a bottom six that wouldn’t even be respectable in the AHL for 3/4 of the season. I think Pens’ fans on this site increases my frustration one hundred fold by continually to say we just want Cullen back!
Thankfully JR is smarter than all of the strange Cullen fanboys.

the key that most of us were pointing out to you all summer and season was that even though JR left holes, it was still a way better strategy than filling those holes with the best we could find at the time. It's better to have a hole in the line-up than to have a mistake in the line-up. Everything you complained about has been fixed at this point. That's not an accident or luck. He was smart enough to set himself up for this.

That's not to say it was perfect. Reaves was a mistake. Niemi was a mistake. But both were fixed. Actually I'll back up and say that Hunwick is certainly on the edge of being a mistake we are stuck with, at least for now.

 

[Pens x]

Shero was very very flawed in Pittsburgh. He made some terrible choices. The worst thing that happened to him was that deal with Dallas where he fleeced Joe N. for Neal and Niskanen for GoGo. That masterful deal became a detriment to Shero and the Pens. All he did was drafted PMDs thinking he could move them for the right assets. None of them developed. Meanwhile, our forward depth sucked. His trade for Iginla was flawed and terrible. Other poor decisions happened.

Maybe he wised up. Seems to have done so.

Agreed. I think he crashed and burned here and learned from his countless mistakes. I just wish the Pens job wasn’t his learn on the job of what not to do experience. Seeing what JR has been able to do only makes Shero look worse.

 

[BigEezyE22]

the key that most of us were pointing out to you all summer and season was that even though JR left holes, it was still a way better strategy than filling those holes with the best we could find at the time. It's better to have a hole in the line-up than to have a mistake in the line-up. Everything you complained about has been fixed at this point. That's not an accident or luck. He was smart enough to set himself up for this.

That's not to say it was perfect. Reaves was a mistake. And actually I'll back up and say that Hunwick is certainly on the edge of being a mistake we are stuck with.

The Old Man has a ton of patience and that's his biggest value IMO.

 

[Ogrezilla]

The Old Man has a ton of patience and that's his biggest value IMO.

yeah the dude knows what he wants and will do what he can to get it. Even if it means starting the year with two holes at center apparently.

 

[Pens x]

the key that most of us were pointing out to you all summer and season was that even though JR left holes, it was still a way better strategy than filling those holes with the best we could find at the time. It's better to have a hole in the line-up than to have a mistake in the line-up. Everything you complained about has been fixed at this point. That's not an accident or luck. He was smart enough to set himself up for this.

That's not to say it was perfect. Reaves was a mistake. Niemi was a mistake. But both were fixed. Actually I'll back up and say that Hunwick is certainly on the edge of being a mistake we are stuck with, at least for now.

Hunwick was absolutely a mistake. But at least the Niemi and Reaves’ mistakes have been rectified.
This trade helps on so many levels. It sent Reaves off into the sunset and now Rowney is out as 4C. Our third line will match a lot of teams’ top line.
I’m pumped for the playoffs.

 

[Ogrezilla]

This trade helps on so many levels. It sent Reaves off into the sunset and now Rowney is out as 4C. Our third line will match a lot of teams’ top line.

the scary thing is that it has already been doing that lately with Sheahan Now it's just kind of unfair

ps: Yeah I did forget Hunwick until that last post. But still, if that's JR's worst lasting move, he's doing a damn good job.

 

[Pens x]

yeah the dude knows what he wants and will do what he can to get it. Even if it means starting the year with two holes at center apparently.

It wasn’t just holes at center though. Our fourth line was often Kuhnhackl Rowney and Reaves. I understood there weren’t that many good 3C’s available this summer, but why begin the season with such an obviously poor fourth line? We had 4 roster spots being filled with AHL trash for most of the season.

 

[OCPenguin]

I get tired of people that don’t know the facts. First off Sundqvist never would play for the Pens and I mean never be a regular starter in the top 12. At best he will be an okay 4th line center if he is lucky.

Second, Kostin was not the choice if we stayed at that spot, JR has said that himself. I still have no problem with that deal. I am a season ticket holder for years and all I will say is watch the games from last year to this year and you will see a big difference in how our players were treated. Last year our team was gooned up on almost a nightly basis. I have seen a dramatic difference with that this year which has kept our players health the best in years. Getting Oleksiak allows us to move him now.

Plus the return was great getting $2 million in cap space which allowed us to get Brassard. That’s $2 million more cap space next year which is a big advantage. That could be the difference in signing Hornqvist. I would be willing to drop 20 spots in the draft for $2 million more cap space any day of the week. I would do it again tomorrow for another $2 million. The team is in win now mode and you don’t understand how valuable that space is.

JR has been the best GM and it is not even close. He took over a team that was old and slow around the core and underachieving for years and had them turned into a young fast group around the core in a years time and won the past 2 Cups and has the number 1 contender again this year with the whole group likely back next year. People like you must be miserable to be around always trying to find something to complain about. Enjoy what you are seeing because JR has been magic.

Sundqvist was never going to play in Pittsburgh. I didn't like exchanging the first for a mid second in that transaction so you can get one year of Reaves. That was a prime pick for Pittsburgh to grab a nice forward on the board. There were three perfect fits. Meanwhile, your sole reasoning for acquiring Reaves was so the Dubinsky's of the world, or Marc Staal's wouldn't do the same sh*t they constantly do. Reaves was brought in for that purpose and most assuredly for the playoffs. Well, fast forward 56 games into the season, he is dispatched in a deal. Exactly what was the purpose of making that deal in the first place. That was my question. It was never needed to be done and yesterday proved it. I have no attachment to Reaves and no problem he was moved for Brassard. However, in my book, that deal didn't need to be done in the first place. This was a failed deal - Reaves for Sundqvist (don't care he is gone) and the 1st (wasted asset). Sorry, you won't convince me otherwise.

Don't give me the I don't understand comment. I totally do. The win now mode, especially after winning back to back Cups, is going to kill this franchise once Geno, Sid and crew hang it up or move on. There is a balance between winning and being able to make smart moves and keep future. With the way the Pittsburgh salary cap is, we need cheap young guys with talent to fill the holes. Keep trading them away, you don't have that.

I would rather have kept the first and drafted whoever than spending it on Ryan Reaves in the first place. In retrospect, yesterday's deal wouldn't have been as complicated if we had done exactly that.

 

[Pens x]

the scary thing is that it has already been doing that lately with Sheahan Now it's just kind of unfair

ps: Yeah I did forget Hunwick until that last post. But still, if that's JR's worst lasting move, he's doing a damn good job.

Agreed.

 

[Ogrezilla]

It wasn’t just holes at center though. Our fourth line was often Kuhnhackl Rowney and Reaves. I understood there weren’t that many good 3C’s available this summer, but why begin the season with such an obviously poor fourth line? We had 4 roster spots being filled with AHL trash for most of the season.

because he knew we could probably find better upgrades later than he could find right at the time. Or at least cheaper upgrades. Leaving those spots open allowed us to easily find space to give guys like Sprong, ZAR, and Simon ice time.

And we all know why Reaves was playing. Agree with it or not, you know why he was in the line-up.

 

[viper0220]

The biggest winner is the Colorado Avalanche, the Avs might get a top pick.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Bobby Mac explaining the trade in a couple of tweets. Wow, the Penguins got Brassard for Reaves and a 4th, what a steal

For real tho, I still can't believe they traded Reaves. I was shocked when I saw that. That move does so much to improve the Penguins depth.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Bobby Mac explaining the trade in a couple of tweets. Wow, the Penguins got Brassard for Reaves and a 4th, what a steal

For real tho, I still can't believe they traded Reaves. I was shocked when I saw that. That move does so much to improve the Penguins depth.

God, what a Rube Goldberg device of a trade that is!

 

[Bonzo111]

The biggest winner is the Colorado Avalanche, the Avs might get a top pick.

Indeed.