Salary Cap: 2014-15 Roster-building Thread XI | All UFA and Trade proposals here | Cap SET: $69M

[mpp9]

I do wonder what Martin could bring in return. If he's dead set on going to free agency, then we may not get a good young forward in return. People will complain about asset management with Neal. But losing Nisky and Martin for nothing in consecutive offseasons would blow.

But I do like what I hear about playing our young D, putting Letang firmly in that #1 role and opening up cap room for forwards.

 

[SHOOTANDSCORE]

Oops, sorry, I didn't see people were already discussing that quote. I'm blind and I can't read.

Huh. So it really will make you go blind.

 

[shureshot66]

I'll echo what WF has said. I'm willing to bet Dejan attributed too much weight to a throwaway line and ignored the more important statements. When will people stop freaking out over Trib swill?

sometimes Dejan is alright (see the Burkle/Mario sitdown) and sometimes he's the author of columns calling for Sid to be striped of the C. The media in this town really get off on denigrating Sid and/or Geno.

Doesn't really sound like a throwaway line when he writes that he asked several people from the draft table and that the response was unanimous.

I wouldn't lump Dejan together with Rossi when it comes to the accuracy department.

 

[IcedCapp]

Huh. So it really will make you go blind.

only after years and years.




And years.

 

[mpp9]

Doesn't really sound like a throwaway line when he writes that he asked several people from the draft table and that the response was unanimous.

I wouldn't lump Dejan together with Rossi when it comes to the accuracy department.

I think by not caring what Sid and Geno think and focusing on what's best for the team, they'll actually end up doing better by them than what DB/Shero did with the get along gang atmosphere.

Sid and Geno definitely need to be better. And I have no problem with Tocchet demanding more of them.

But I also think JR is going to do right by them in free agency and via trade. It's obvious they're going after forwards this summer.

 

[IcedCapp]

I wonder if Pronger-ing Duper is an option. It was a nasty injury.

TtEoT would be more than happy to poke Dupuis in the eye just to be safe.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

I do wonder what Martin could bring in return. If he's dead set on going to free agency, then we may not get a good young forward in return. People will complain about asset management with Neal. But losing Nisky and Martin for nothing in consecutive offseasons would blow.

But I do like what I hear about playing our young D, putting Letang firmly in that #1 role and opening up cap room for forwards.

Look what a player like Martin would bring at the deadline. A team trading for him would get him the entire year to help them make the playoffs. You could go either of two routes. You certainly could get a first for him. And use it toward the future as well as use the $5 million in freed up cap space to sign a UFA forward like Iggy.

Or you could trade for a forward hopefully as a solution to one of the top two line wing positions.

I probably would do the first. Trade for a first next year and use the saved cap space on one of the UFA forwards. I think that makes us stronger and deeper and a better team for the playoffs, even if losing Martin hurts. We do have a lot of depth, even if young, defensively, who need to get ice time.

 

[Ugene Magic]

so you don't know if he's better than Vitale? All I know is that Vitale was the best player on our 4th line for the majority of last season. I wouldn't be heartbroken if he isn't brought back, but if he comes cheap there are worse options.

Being the best on a crap 4th line doesn't mean a thing other than it just means he was the best piece of crap.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

I wonder if Pronger-ing Duper is an option. It was a nasty injury.

Genuinely or not so genuinely? There's also got to be something wrong with Adams that he shouldn't be playing through.

 

[Hottubber]

What does martins no trade look like? 8 or 9 teams he doesn't want to get traded too?

 

[billybudd]

I don't buy that Brodeur information for a minute. I think it's more likely that Brisson called 5 teams with what could be perceived to be weak net situations to gauge their interest in MB, then leaked it to the press, worded ambiguously, hoping to drum up interest ("If Pittsburgh wants Marty, he must be good enough for us in Winnipeg!").

Far as Martin's concerned, if you think he's testing Free Agency next year, you see if you can move him for something you need and just live with the abnormally inexperienced D for the immediate future.

I view the upcoming season as one of transition. An (imo) unrealistic number of things would need to go right for the Penguins to win a Stanley Cup in it. 4-5 1st or 2nd year players on D just makes an already unrealistic scenario remain an unrealistic scenario.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

What does martins no trade look like? 8 or 9 teams he doesn't want to get traded too?

Defenseman Paul Martin would also attract interest in the trade market. He has only one year at $5 million remaining on his contract, but also holds a limited no-trade clause.

http://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/r...-letang-or-james-neal-the-penguins-next-move/

 

[SHOOTANDSCORE]

only after years and years.




And years.

The Pens will probably be rebuilding by then. The rest of us should be ok.

 

[hooverdam]

I think by not caring what Sid and Geno think and focusing on what's best for the team, they'll actually end up doing better by them than what DB/Shero did with the get along gang atmosphere.

Sid and Geno definitely need to be better. And I have no problem with Tocchet demanding more of them.

But I also think JR is going to do right by them in free agency and via trade. It's obvious they're going after forwards this summer.

I agree that they need to do better, but to do better with their linemates specifically? Especially right after trading away the most successful linemate Malkin has had, the same year that Crosby made a gold medalist out of Kunitz and had to deal with a revolving door of AHL crap on the RW. That is just a really strange sentiment coming from the FO, if it wasn't misheard or misattributed. It's so strange that I want to agree that it was misheard, because it's not logical.

 

[Crafton]

Doesn't really sound like a throwaway line when he writes that he asked several people from the draft table and that the response was unanimous.

I wouldn't lump Dejan together with Rossi when it comes to the accuracy department.

if it is as he says the the quite is disconcerting but I'm skeptical that the first thing out of the team's brain-trust after acquiring a winger who is finally willing to go to the net was that Sid and Geno need to do more for their line mates. I find that to be an absurd notion and believe it or not I actually like a lot of what this new regime has done even if the optics have been brutal.

I don't think he makes anything up like his comrade but I think he's very prone to weighing statements that fit his given narrative more than the speaker intends.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

I don't buy that Brodeur information for a minute. I think it's more likely that Brisson called 5 teams with what could be perceived to be weak net situations to gauge their interest in MB, then leaked it to the press, worded ambiguously, hoping to drum up interest ("If Pittsburgh wants Marty, he must be good enough for us in Winnipeg!").

Far as Martin's concerned, if you think he's testing Free Agency next year, you see if you can move him for something you need and just live with the abnormally inexperienced D for the immediate future.

I view the upcoming season as one of transition. An (imo) unrealistic number of things would need to go right for the Penguins to win a Stanley Cup in it. 4-5 1st or 2nd year players on D just makes an already unrealistic scenario remain an unrealistic scenario.

Even if he wanted to stay, we would not want him back unless all the kids sucked. We wouldn't want to commit the money it would take when we have so many kids who will be ready for bigger roles, on the cheap. Also, you take a chance with older players, you never know when the decline will come and it can be a steep and quick fall.

I think that it is a given that Martin is gone after this year no matter what.

 

[Waffle Fries]

Doesn't really sound like a throwaway line when he writes that he asked several people from the draft table and that the response was unanimous.

I wouldn't lump Dejan together with Rossi when it comes to the accuracy department.

But not only is the so-called response infuriatingly inaccurate, it also doesn't make sense in the context of the question.

Nor does it follow in line with everything else said this off-season.

From DK's original interview:

DK: You both saw Sid’s body language in these playoffs, or for most of them. Especially early in the Columbus series. Did he want a change? He doesn’t strike me as the type, but did he ever ask you for a change?

Lemieux: No, he’s not the type. (Laughs.) At all. I think Sid would be the first one to say he was disappointed in the way he played. I think we all saw that. We’re disappointed, as well. But it’s up to us to surround him with the players that he needs to be successful.

DK: You’ve been there. You know how that feels. When you talk about the psychology of the star player … look it’s one thing for people like me or Don Cherry or whoever to say a guy should just fight through it, but don’t you eventually get sick of being punched in the back of the head?

Lemieux: It’s hard, yeah. That’s why you need guys around you to give you a little room. The playoffs are different. You do have to take a lot of stuff out there, and you do have to fight through it, and you do have to keep your composure. But you also need help.

Burkle: On and on and on. So we haven’t given those younger guys a chance. We haven’t gotten that right mix on the ice.
We’re a team that’s been talking about finding forwards for Sidney all this time. We haven’t been drafting those forwards, and we’ve given up some younger players along the way. That has to change.

They went on and on about 'protecting and supporting' Sid and Geno. There were also multiple quotes from Rutherford about building around Sid and Geno. Tocchet said on the radio that the wingers needed to be able to get the puck to them.

None of that to me sounds like a group that would say "Crosby tricked people into thinking that Dupuis was a top six forward and turned Kunitz into an Olympian... but he needs to do more to help his linemates" in response to a question about where someone can play on the roster.

 

[SHOOTANDSCORE]

I'd love to retain Martin but if he wants to test the market, we should move him. I wasn't a fan of holding on to Nisky either.


I guess it would largely depend on how much the young guys struggle.

 

[billybudd]

Genuinely or not so genuinely? There's also got to be something wrong with Adams that he shouldn't be playing through.

There was a boxing match on ESPN or a fox affiliate...forget who it was. There was something wrong with one guy's eye going in. After two uneventful rounds, the doctor stops the fight.

Commentators were all confused, so they interview the doctor and he's like "this guy can't fight with an eye like that. He could get killed! They never should have cleared him!"


As far as Adams goes, I'd bet that he's got little or no cartiledge in one or the other of his knees. I've been suggesting they flunk him at his physical for a few weeks now. They're probably breaking more rules of ethics by clearing him every year than they would be by taking a team suggestion to flunk him.

 

[IcedCapp]

Neal's twitter banner makes me sad

https://twitter.com/jneal_18/with_replies

 

[Waffle Fries]

As far as Adams goes, I'd bet that he's got little or no cartiledge in one or the other of his knees. I've been suggesting they flunk him at his physical for a few weeks now. They're probably breaking more rules of ethics by clearing him every year than they would be by taking a team suggestion to flunk him.

“He’s played with injuries that keep other people out for weeks,†Bylsma said. “Two years ago, he had a knee injury, and we were playing Chicago the next day. We got the word from the doctors what his injury was. He said, ‘I’ll be fine. I’ll be able to play.’ And sure enough, he did.

“He’s had a couple of those this year as well, whether it’s a blocked shot or whatever else. He’s been able to play right through it and with it.â€

http://www.icehockeyagency.com/news_article/show/346659?referrer_id=650928

Ha. Yeah.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Talk of moving Martin this year is insane.

People talk about wanting to maximize Sid and Geno's prime? That's a guaranteed way to flush an entire year of it down the toilet.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

As far as Adams goes, I'd bet that he's got little or no cartiledge in one or the other of his knees. I've been suggesting they flunk him at his physical for a few weeks now. They're probably breaking more rules of ethics by clearing him every year than they would be by taking a team suggestion to flunk him.

For sure. There's got to be something really wrong with him, knees, feet, back, head, shoulders, etc. There has to be something significant.

 

[SHOOTANDSCORE]

Neal's twitter banner makes me sad

https://twitter.com/jneal_18/with_replies

That is kind of sad, along with his tweet teasing Geno.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Talk of moving Martin this year is insane.

People talk about wanting to maximize Sid and Geno's prime? That's a guaranteed way to flush an entire year of it down the toilet.

It is not like you would be just tossing that $5 million in cap space down the toilet. It would be reallocated where it really is needed, among the forwards. And that doesn't even count the return. Downgrade? yes. But we do have the defensive depth to cushion that. What did we draft all these kids for if we never were going to develop them by playing them in the NHL?