Who goes first? Scuderi or Kunitz?

[ImporterExporter]

OK, the overwhelming consensus is that both of these guys need to be gone, sooner than later. So who is more likely to be traded at some point this year and where are the likely destinations?

Click to read more...

 

[sf expat71]

Scuds, to the Baby Pens.

 

[KIRK]

Please edit the third option to read.

MY SANITY

 

[sf expat71]

Please edit the third option to read.

MY SANITY

I still have hope...

 

[IcedCapp]

is this question "who dies of old age first?" because neither are leaving the Pens. Ever.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Neither, but Dupuis will spend a good chunk of time on ltir so it will be like he's gone.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I think they may actually want to move Scuds. Kunitz is still viewed as an important part of the team.

 

[High Flying Birds]

Probably neither. The organization views them as integral pieces going forward for whatever reason. If I had to pick one, Scuderi. Just because at least he's on the 3rd pairing whereas Kunitz is still on the 1st line despite better options.

 

[KIRK]

Neither, but Dupuis will spend a good chunk of time on ltir so it will be like he's gone.

The king is gone, but he's not forgotten.

 

[Al Smith]

Trick question, right?

If they're in the hunt at the trade deadline, both stay . . . forever. On the relatively low chance they're sellers at trade deadline they both go.

 

[KIRK]

I think they may actually want to move Scuds. Kunitz is still viewed as an important part of the team.

I wrote this earlier today . . .

The big problem with Kunitz isn't that he's in the top six. If the Pens played him 16 minutes a night on L1 and a second PP unit and then would slide up Geno and the night's 'hot' forward for some random shifts with Sid and Kessel, then I could understand it. Maybe not agree, but I could understand it.

But, the problem here is that the Pens don't use Kunitz like Fedotenko circa 2009. They use him like Corey Perry circa 2015, and that's why you're going to see him playing 20 minutes a night, more than Malkin on a lot of nights, probably 2-3 minutes a game more on average than Hornqvist, all the while a guy like Sprong or Bennett or even Perron could be having a monster game but play little and never with Sid and Kessel, no matter how much those two are struggling with Kunitz on a given night.

And, here's the scariest part of all. The Chris Kunitz who was on two cup winning teams as a top six forward. That guy, who was iron sufficient and in his mid 20's, played LESS than this breaking down version plays.

EDIT: Similar line of thinking for Scuderi. If he were a #6, where it was him or Lovejoy getting under 10 protected minutes a game, then I could get that. Wouldn't like it, but at least I could see the argument of that being a role for him.

 

[SprootsMasterFlex]

1 word. Both but it wasn't an option unfortunately.

 

[AquaticBirdman]

I voted for Kunitz, solely because I think he would be an easier sell on the trade market. That being said, I firmly believe that we're stuck with both of them till the end of their contracts...

Thank you Ray!

 

[Boocock]

Eventually they'll eat their mistake and send Scuderi to the minors for cap relief when it's time to recall Pouliot.

 

[KIRK]

Is it too late to add Johnston as an option?

 

[HuskerTornado]

Neither. I refuse to believe this organization will do the right thing with them. They'll be back next year too.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

They'll both retire as Penguins.

Scuderi should go first, though. I ****ing hate Kunitz as a hockey player, but Scuderi is immeasurably bad.

 

[catnip]

Kunitz will not be traded but he will eventually be moved to Malkin's wing if they continue to struggle with scoring. Not because he's not good enough to be a first-line winger but because Johnston will want to distribute offensive talent more evenly across the top lines. That's how they sold it to the fanbase last year.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

This is the same organization who employed Craig Adams for multiple years before finally realizing how useless he is. And even then, they waited for his contract to expire before parting ways. They didn't demote or scratch him with a full roster.

So I don't know why anyone believes they're smart enough to get rid of Kunitz or Scuderi. Both guys will be here until their contracts expire. And in Kunitz's case, they'll probably re-sign him to another 2 or 3-year deal.

 

[Zen Arcade]

Scuderi's not getting sent down, nothing they've done has indicated anything like that happening. He's here, he'll play every game that he's healthy for until his contract runs out.

 

[WayneSid9987]

Very very slim chance Scuds gets moved.
He may be press-boxed at some point though.
Just as a hypothetical, if Pouliot looked good, who would've sat?
He'll either pile up the minuses and Clendening/whoever gets playing time(or Clendening/whoever gets into a back to back game and looks great and MJ sticks with it) or they trade for a D and then he gets press-boxed.

Don't see Kunitz getting dealt either but theres a higher chance he gets dealt than Scuds but thats not saying much.
Perron or Bennett have the higher probablity of getting moved.

Best case scenario is Pouliot puts it together enough to come up and stay in the lineup(or Clendening gets in the lineup and looks too good to sit) and we trade for a #3-4. That would put Scuds in press box territory.

I still don't know if Scuds can even be sent down? Has that been established yet?

As for who will be gone for sure.
I'll say Scuds. They'll buy him out next summer at the very least.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Neither

#09CupTeam
#VeteranExperience
#OldBoysCountryClub
#TheFamily

 

[madinsomniac]

Several years back i read a piece on the abrupt decline of NFL RBs, who mostly all have good seasons till 29 or 30 and then suddenly have a total drop off usually in a single year's time. the pattern fluctuates slightly, but its very consistant. Many never lose straight line speed, or only show a miniscule reduction in that, but htey do lose quickness.... the paper concluded that culmuative head shots to athletes (which RBs get with regularity), cause slower reaction times, which kill careers...

i point this out because with both scuds and Kunitz, you can visibly see a pause in reaction time these days... they are done. They dont have the quickness to react to game situations like they did before. Until the front office forcably removes them from the team, they will continue to get premium ice time and teams will funnel play through them and we will suck... and make no mistake... when Scuds or kunitz are on the ice with sid and kessel, they are absolutely funneling play to those two players in hopes they can easily disrupt them.

 

[SirBrad]

For Pittsburgh Penguins fans who fret over how recent multiyear signings have gotten their team perilously close to the NHL salary cap in future seasons, general manager Ray Shero has a message for you: don't.

After all, Shero says he's not worried.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=676670

yeah no kidding he wasn't worried because that was a move of a GM that should have already been fired and he knew he'd never be around to deal with these contracts unless a miracle occurred.

Don't hold your breath on either being let go - both are here for the next 2 seasons until their deals expire.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

Neither.

Scuderi is, imo, unmovable. The teams that would take him are probably on his NTC list.

Kunitz is probably movable, but management seems to think he is a positive contributor.

Both will be there until their contracts expire.