GDT: The First of July Part II | Wait, we need to run more than two lines?

[Rectify]

well, I mean, there were people saying, "damn, why can't your mom die like Martin St. Louis', so you could be useful?"

There's expectations, and then there's just hateful, sub-human ****.

You get that anywhere you go, not just Pitts. If he honestly takes what a random bottom feeder says, I would rather he just leave the team. Might sound harsh, but it's like someone from HF saying that, who the F cares???

 

[Winger for Hire]

Perron-Crosby-Kessel
Plotnikov-Malkin-Hornqvist
Kunitz-Sutter-Bennett
Dupuis-Sundqvist-Biggs/Farnham/Rust/Wilson

Maatta-Letang
Pouliot-Cole
Dumoulin-Lovejoy

Fleury
Zatkoff

Biggs isn't close to an NHLer

 

[OnMyOwn]

I was reading winnik was supposed to go back there. So I'm not surprised.

 

[Dr Frasier Crane]

Got to agree with Kypreos' tweet on that last page. One of the more sensible July 1's we've seen.

Not too many ridiculous contracts handed out, compared to years gone by.

It helps that there weren't any really great players out there so I would imagine not as many teams bidding against multiple other offers.

 

[IcedCapp]

Whelp, looks like we've found this off season's topic to debate ad nauseam ... should Kessel be on Sid's line, or should he be on Geno's. Better than other topics we've beaten to death, though.

the good news is, Jim Rutherford seemed to intimate that Hornqvist and Kessel would be on separate lines. They may not know which line yet, but it won't be the same line. I think that's key. Each center gets an elite, or borderline elite, player. Fill in the rest.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

is Franson worth it at all when we don't need another powerplay guy? Letang or Pouliot will be on the first unit with 4 forwards, and the 2nd unit will be the other of those two with Maatta.

Again, I'm not his biggest fan, so I'm probably not the best to sing his praises. However, from a "how a team might view him" point of view, Franson's a top four defender who has size and can move the puck. He's also a righty, which is a bonus for the Pens.

He's not really my first (or second or third) choice, but he's probably a better option on that second pairing than the guys the Pens currently have (vets like Lovejoy or Scuderi, kids like Pouliot or Dumoulin).

 

[Beauner]

From DK's article

“Olli, my God, no,” Rutherford said. “I honestly don’t even think of him as one of our young defensemen. He’s so advanced. He’s on our top pair with Kris Letang. No, no, no.”

This makes me soooo happy

 

[Winger for Hire]

Is Franson still looking for something like 5/6 x $6?

and any news on Eric Fehr?

 

[IcedCapp]

Kessel was a PPG player with Tyler ****ing Bozak.

His acquisition is as much about helping Sid and/or Geno as it is about acquiring a top-6 guy.

I know this is crazy, because we haven't seen one of these in years: BUT HE WILL ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO HELP THE PLAYERS AROUND HIM BE BETTER WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY CREATE OFFENSE ON HIS OWN.

It's weird. It's almost like he's an elite player.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Again, I'm not his biggest fan, so I'm probably not the best to sing his praises. However, from a "how a team might view him" point of view, Franson's a top four defender who has size and can move the puck. He's also a righty, which is a bonus for the Pens.

He's not really my first (or second or third) choice, but he's probably a better option on that second pairing than the guys the Pens currently have (vets like Lovejoy or Scuderi, kids like Pouliot or Dumoulin).

For this year, he is. How confident are you that he still will be a year or two into his contract?

It would really depend what he costs and for how long.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Kessel was a PPG player with Tyler ****ing Bozak.

His acquisition is as much about helping Sid and/or Geno as it is about acquiring a top-6 guy.

I know this is crazy, because we haven't seen one of these in years: BUT HE WILL ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO HELP THE PLAYERS AROUND HIM BE BETTER WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY CREATE OFFENSE ON HIS OWN.

It's weird. It's almost like he's an elite player.

Sid and Geno can both have terrible games, and our top 6 will still be able to score. Can you imagine that?

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

The only Penguins fans on my facebook are yinzer idiots who are totally ignorant to any hockey that is not Pens hockey. On the same day the Penguins trade for Phil Kessel, I see a post on fb lamenting that they are letting Adams and Martin go.

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

Biggs isn't close to an NHLer

He's barely an AHLer.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

kessel was a ppg player with tyler ****ing bozak.

His acquisition is as much about helping sid and/or geno as it is about acquiring a top-6 guy.

I know this is crazy, because we haven't seen one of these in years: But he will actually be able to help the players around him be better while simultaneously create offense on his own.

It's weird. It's almost like he's an elite player.

who told you this? Give me your name god damn it!

 

[Asuna]

It's going to be sweet to see when Malkin gets hurt, the second line won't totally suck ass.

 

[Ogrezilla]

The only Penguins fans on my facebook are yinzer idiots who are totally ignorant to any hockey that is not Pens hockey. On the same day the Penguins trade for Phil Kessel, I see a post on fb lamenting that they are letting Adams and Martin go.

Martin I get. If you are upset Craig Adams is leaving, I probably don't want to be your friend

 

[shureshot66]

Kessel was a PPG player with Tyler ****ing Bozak.

His acquisition is as much about helping Sid and/or Geno as it is about acquiring a top-6 guy.

I know this is crazy, because we haven't seen one of these in years: BUT HE WILL ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO HELP THE PLAYERS AROUND HIM BE BETTER WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY CREATE OFFENSE ON HIS OWN.

It's weird. It's almost like he's an elite player.

Exactly. This is why I was bothered to see some Kessel to Neal comparisons come up this past week (moreso on radio and such than here). Neal can't create on his own nearly as well as Kessel. It's not close in that regard.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

The only Penguins fans on my facebook are yinzer idiots who are totally ignorant to any hockey that is not Pens hockey. On the same day the Penguins trade for Phil Kessel, I see a post on fb lamenting that they are letting Adams and Martin go.

Hey, we just lost our top 6 RW'er and our #1 Defenseman on July 1st to no one and the Sharks.

You have some respect damn it.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

For this year, he is. How confident are you that he still will be a year or two into his contract?

It would really depend what he costs and for how long.

Well, yeah, that's another reason I'm not high on signing him. I'm just saying that he's a guy that's still out there that would be an upgrade over the current guys who are in line to be the Pens' #4-6 D-men.

 

[cygnus47]

Were still not getting anywhere with this d, but at least the top 6 is sorted for the foreseeable future. I worry about our ability to strip the puck and limit defensive zone time after our first pair. It gets harder to make passes when you're overwhelmed. If we could move sutter and scuds and sign an ehrhoff equivalent for <5 million I think were set.

 

[SHOOTANDSCORE]

I really think Kessel should go with Geno. Mainly because I think Sid and Hornqvist are already a pretty damn elite duo, and I just don't think Hornqvist can be nearly as effective with Geno. He plays the perfect game for Sid, so every ounce of his ability is being used.

Plus there's a good chance Geno-Kessel draws the top matchup, making Sid's line more effective.

 

[eXile59]

No we don't need a Franson contract. I was going to say Michalek but it looks like he already signed. I've been at work all day.

We just need someone who is going to push Scudjoy away from the lineup and 2nd pairing.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Well, yeah, that's another reason I'm not high on signing him. I'm just saying that he's a guy that's still out there that would be an upgrade over the current guys who are in line to be the Pens' #4-6 D-men.

If his price drops enough, I'd at least give him a call. But I really don't see him as what we need. His biggest strength really is the powerplay. We don't need that nearly enough to want to pay him what he'll likely get from somehow who does need that.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Kessel was a PPG player with Tyler ****ing Bozak.

His acquisition is as much about helping Sid and/or Geno as it is about acquiring a top-6 guy.

I know this is crazy, because we haven't seen one of these in years: BUT HE WILL ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO HELP THE PLAYERS AROUND HIM BE BETTER WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY CREATE OFFENSE ON HIS OWN.

It's weird. It's almost like he's an elite player.

I don't think people who don't watch the Leafs play understand how much Kessel can actually create on his own. He's not James Neal. He's known for his goal scoring, but his passing/playmaking is really underrated.

Sid/Geno will help Kessel score goals, but Kessel's also going to make those two (whichever he plays with) a bigger threat to score as well.

 

[Ogrezilla]

No we don't need a Franson contract. I was going to say Michalek but it looks like he already signed. I've been at work all day.

We just need someone who is going to push Scudjoy away from the lineup and 2nd pairing.

If we don't trade Scuds and Lovejoy away, we will be pushing Dumoulin, Cole or Pouliot out of the line-up though, not Scuds or Lovejoy.