All Hail Shero: The Best Damn GM In The Business

[Fire Shero*]

I loved the Iggy deal, (had more to do with crosby than shero) but Morrow is lousy, just as bad as advertised. The fact that we gave up Morrow for him is horrendous. It'll go down as Shero's worst trade. But it's overshadowed by Iggy. I like that Shero was aggressive, but we could have done without Morrow. Murray is meh. Hopefully Jussi will work out because he was basically free.

 

[Til the End of Time]

i like shero a lot. nearly every single move has a rationale. when he speaks to the media he's very honest and even sort of admits when he has overpaid for people.

i don't see what he's done to make him THE best though. he deserves credit for taking advantage of all the cap space the penguins made for themselves, i'll give him that. but iginla fell into his hands. a great trade, value-wise, but we should be thanking iggy more than shero. and if you remove that trade, his dead-line looks potentially mediocre/sub-par, having paid a premium price for players who are shells of their former selves.

we shall see. this thread overrates him though.

 

[Ray Shero*]

 

[#66]

Meh... we'll see. The names are nice but upsetting chemistry and getting slower isn't.

 

[kshinkman*]

Took a lot of heat around here for not signing Semin in the off-season, not acquiring depth scoring, and not getting tougher on the back end, and the guy's come through in spades. He's done everything possible to put this team in a position to win, even to the point of acquiring a versatile forward who can win faceoffs, play PK, and stopgap for Sid while he recovers.

The man's a legend. Direct all lavish, unadulterated praise here, because we're damn lucky to have him.

This is ridiculous. Shero is OK, but his recent moves aren't so great.

1. Gives Michalek away for essentially nothing.

2. For three years, the Pens have need some muscle on defense. Shero does nothing until just before the deadline when prices are crazy. He pays a crazy price for Murray.

3. He gives up a top prospect for a third liner. Every game Brendan Morrow has played has made the deal look worse. Any GM could do what Shero did and overpay, but all the others were too smart. In fact, there isn't a single other deadline trade where some shipped even a good prospect for a rental. I said rental, not good player with 2+ years on his contract like Erat.

4. Yeah, he got Iginla at a good price. But that was Iginla's doing. Shero deserves no credit for this.

Shero is living off players that Craig Patrick brought in. They are still the core of the team. This is what puts the Pens in a position to win. He has doodled around the edges of this core and has probably had more successes than failures, but it isn't all that one sided. Any GM can go out and overpay on deadline day. He deserves not special credit for this.

It might seem that I think that Shero is a bad GM. I don't. I think that he above average. I just get tired of hearing all the nonsense people spin about him being so great. He isn't. Get back to me when the current core is gone and he has to rebuild on his own.

I also have to respond to this:

"Outlook: Regardless of what we do in the playoffs, the future looks pretty bright. Our prospect pool is deep still, we've got enough picks in this draft to maybe get one or two late round gems, our cap situation looks really solid with the caveat that Letang and Malkin are worrisome because we still need to lock those guys up, but all indications on that front look good as Malkin continues to profess his love of the Pens and I can't see Letang going anywhere else either. "

This is absurd. Before trading Morrow, the Pens prospect pool was about average. It's amazing how fans overrate their prospects, probably because have no clue about prospects on other teams and they read all the hype about how a player "projects."

The idea of getting late round gems is pure wishful thinking. Can it happen? Sure and if you buy a ticket, you can win the Powerball. So what?

The cap situation looks good????? It's absolutely dire. After next year, it's really going to hit the fan. Of course, there will be a lot of nonsense talk about trading Martin and Orpik and replacing them with cheap rookies. Like a couple of AHL or junior players is going to step right in and play high level top 6 minutes. Pure fantasy.

 

[radapex]

2. For three years, the Pens have need some muscle on defense. Shero does nothing until just before the deadline when prices are crazy. He pays a crazy price for Murray.

The price was crazy, but not because it was Murray. That's just the going rate for defensemen, unfortunately. They are ridiculously overpriced right now.

 

[Shady Machine]

It's amazing how two people can look at a situation and come to two polar opposite conclusions.

 

[vodeni]

This is ridiculous. Shero is OK, but his recent moves aren't so great.

1. Gives Michalek away for essentially nothing.

2. For three years, the Pens have need some muscle on defense. Shero does nothing until just before the deadline when prices are crazy. He pays a crazy price for Murray.

3. He gives up a top prospect for a third liner. Every game Brendan Morrow has played has made the deal look worse. Any GM could do what Shero did and overpay, but all the others were too smart. In fact, there isn't a single other deadline trade where some shipped even a good prospect for a rental. I said rental, not good player with 2+ years on his contract like Erat.

4. Yeah, he got Iginla at a good price. But that was Iginla's doing. Shero deserves no credit for this.

Shero is living off players that Craig Patrick brought in. They are still the core of the team. This is what puts the Pens in a position to win. He has doodled around the edges of this core and has probably had more successes than failures, but it isn't all that one sided. Any GM can go out and overpay on deadline day. He deserves not special credit for this.

It might seem that I think that Shero is a bad GM. I don't. I think that he above average. I just get tired of hearing all the nonsense people spin about him being so great. He isn't. Get back to me when the current core is gone and he has to rebuild on his own.

I also have to respond to this:

"Outlook: Regardless of what we do in the playoffs, the future looks pretty bright. Our prospect pool is deep still, we've got enough picks in this draft to maybe get one or two late round gems, our cap situation looks really solid with the caveat that Letang and Malkin are worrisome because we still need to lock those guys up, but all indications on that front look good as Malkin continues to profess his love of the Pens and I can't see Letang going anywhere else either. "

This is absurd. Before trading Morrow, the Pens prospect pool was about average. It's amazing how fans overrate their prospects, probably because have no clue about prospects on other teams and they read all the hype about how a player "projects."

The idea of getting late round gems is pure wishful thinking. Can it happen? Sure and if you buy a ticket, you can win the Powerball. So what?

The cap situation looks good????? It's absolutely dire. After next year, it's really going to hit the fan. Of course, there will be a lot of nonsense talk about trading Martin and Orpik and replacing them with cheap rookies. Like a couple of AHL or junior players is going to step right in and play high level top 6 minutes. Pure fantasy.

hmm...interesting perspective, somewhat unortodox, looking better after last night though

 

[Fire Shero*]

Where is No Wingers at? He's the self appointed judge of Shero's moves, especially when Semin's name is spoken...

I'm right here. Shero had a very good deadline, but he's getting way too much credit for the Iginla trade. It's not like he made some shrewd move here. Iggy wanted to come here. Im sure Shero gets all that credit but Letang, Crosby, Malkin and Fleury were here before Shero. Thats a debate for another date. Lets not act like he inherited the 2013 Flames.

The morrow trade was horrendous. Brenden Morrow is not a good hockey player anymore. He doesn't seem to fit in well anywhere. That trade really might haunt us in the long run if some if these defensive prospects don't turn out.

I was saying before the deadline that I did not want Morrow. Clowe or Roy would have been a much better fit. I love the excuse oh he just needs time to develop chemistry. Riiiiiiight. Unless he finds a way for reverse aging he isn't going to one day start clicking.

 

[Hottubber]

I'm right here. Shero had a very good deadline, but he's getting way too much credit for the Iginla trade. It's not like he made some shrewd move here. Iggy wanted to come here. Im sure Shero gets all that credit but Letang, Crosby, Malkin and Fleury were here before Shero. Thats a debate for another date. Lets not act like he inherited the 2013 Flames.

The morrow trade was horrendous. Brenden Morrow is not a good hockey player anymore. He doesn't seem to fit in well anywhere. That trade really might haunt us in the long run if some if these defensive prospects don't turn out.

I was saying before the deadline that I did not want Morrow. Clowe or Roy would have been a much better fit. I love the excuse oh he just needs time to develop chemistry. Riiiiiiight. Unless he finds a way for reverse aging he isn't going to one day start clicking.

Does fletcher get all the credit for Parise and Suter wanting to play close to home? how bout Hamhuis? Or Holland with Hossa going to the red wings cause he thought that was his best chance to win?

Yes these are free agent moves, but the Iginla situation isn't much different. He controlled his future and that's where he wanted to be. You have to be good to be lucky and lucky to be good sometimes. If Iginla didn't like the make up of the pens (which Shero had a lot to do with), he wouldn't have come here

Your just an extremely negative poster. Your the guy on here that is never happy. The glass (not tanner) is always half empty for you my friend

 

[Shady Machine]

The glass is always completely empty with that dude.

 

[Gallatin]

This is ridiculous. Shero is OK, but his recent moves aren't so great.

1. Gives Michalek away for essentially nothing.

2. For three years, the Pens have need some muscle on defense. Shero does nothing until just before the deadline when prices are crazy. He pays a crazy price for Murray.

3. He gives up a top prospect for a third liner. Every game Brendan Morrow has played has made the deal look worse. Any GM could do what Shero did and overpay, but all the others were too smart. In fact, there isn't a single other deadline trade where some shipped even a good prospect for a rental. I said rental, not good player with 2+ years on his contract like Erat.

4. Yeah, he got Iginla at a good price. But that was Iginla's doing. Shero deserves no credit for this.

Shero is living off players that Craig Patrick brought in. They are still the core of the team. This is what puts the Pens in a position to win. He has doodled around the edges of this core and has probably had more successes than failures, but it isn't all that one sided. Any GM can go out and overpay on deadline day. He deserves not special credit for this.

It might seem that I think that Shero is a bad GM. I don't. I think that he above average. I just get tired of hearing all the nonsense people spin about him being so great. He isn't. Get back to me when the current core is gone and he has to rebuild on his own.

I also have to respond to this:

"Outlook: Regardless of what we do in the playoffs, the future looks pretty bright. Our prospect pool is deep still, we've got enough picks in this draft to maybe get one or two late round gems, our cap situation looks really solid with the caveat that Letang and Malkin are worrisome because we still need to lock those guys up, but all indications on that front look good as Malkin continues to profess his love of the Pens and I can't see Letang going anywhere else either. "

This is absurd. Before trading Morrow, the Pens prospect pool was about average. It's amazing how fans overrate their prospects, probably because have no clue about prospects on other teams and they read all the hype about how a player "projects."

The idea of getting late round gems is pure wishful thinking. Can it happen? Sure and if you buy a ticket, you can win the Powerball. So what?

The cap situation looks good????? It's absolutely dire. After next year, it's really going to hit the fan. Of course, there will be a lot of nonsense talk about trading Martin and Orpik and replacing them with cheap rookies. Like a couple of AHL or junior players is going to step right in and play high level top 6 minutes. Pure fantasy.

This is some funny stuff you done thrown up against the wall Sir. Can't let the hate slip by me without some real world commentary.

1)Even Hockey's future had us ranked the 11th best prospect pool in the League before Morrow got traded. That's without having Ruopp rated anywhere near our top five as other GM's rate him.

2)Based on the big demand for Ruopp in trade talks, Shero calls him one of our top 4 prospects now. That trade is looking a lot better.

3)Did you see the rediculous package Buffalo got for Regher? Paid even more than Murray cost. 2 2nds was the going rate this year for a guy like him. Players like Murray for picks has not been happening lately outside deadline deals.

4)Shero & Company are widely considered to be amongst the top Cap Managers in the League, if not the best.

5)You are absolutely right that Shero has built this stable team around a Patrick core of stars from when we regularly drafted high. Too bad we don't have Holmgren running the show....

6)Shero has created the environment that lured Iggy here. And then he went out big game hunting to make sure Iginla knew we were all-in on a cup run. Then he sat back and waited for it to come to him. He definitely gets credit for #12.

7) Depres will join the top 4 next year if we trade someone like Orpik. And Bortuzzo will be a good 3rd pairing defenseman.

I'am out.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Not particularly thrilled with the Morrow for Morrow trade but still very happy with Shero overall. Shame he couldn't find a veteran PMD but I guess he thinks Letang will be back within a week or so.

IF USED CORRECTLY, and that is a huge if given Bylsma's stubbornness with that top line, then Morrow was a perfect fit for a real need. Boston bid nearly as high as we did supposedly, which says something. If Bylsma has the brains to make him the grit that stirs the Malkin line, something that they have desperately needed all year, it was worth every bit of J. Morrow (minus the flipping of a low 5th for a high 3rd) in return.

If he does what I fear then it was a waste.

 

[plaidchuck]

Somebody has been reading too much puck daddy "The pens are slow now yadda yadda"

 

[Til the End of Time]

i'm also not a big fan of the blueline that shero has assembled. more quantity than quality, imo (although that was sort of the case in the '09 cup run). maybe it'll be enough, maybe it won't be.

many of the pens blueliners play a style that is not as effective in the post-season, and guys like martin, letang, niskanen have been known to struggle against the increased intensity/forecheck of the postseason.

 

[Hottubber]

i'm also not a big fan of the blueline that shero has assembled. more quantity than quality, imo (although that was sort of the case in the '09 cup run). maybe it'll be enough, maybe it won't be.

many of the pens blueliners play a style that is not as effective in the post-season, and guys like martin, letang, niskanen have been known to struggle against the increased intensity/forecheck of the postseason.

Just curious, who would you have like to have seen added?

 

[MrBurghundy]

The price was crazy, but not because it was Murray. That's just the going rate for defensemen, unfortunately. They are ridiculously overpriced right now.

Isn't that why he was drafting so many?

 

[Waffle Fries]

Well Chuck Fletcher just said on the NHL Network that Shero is the all time greatest deadline manager

 

[DoktorZaius]

I don't know that Shero's the best GM...it's a difficult thing to judge. But he's definitely in the top 10. I don't like the Morrow deal, but maybe by showing himself as a buyer, he was better able to sell Pittsburgh to Iginla. Hard to know for a certainty, but I'm willing to give Shero the benefit of the doubt. I feel like some people hate the guy for absurd reasons, like the Staal/Michalek trades last summer. One of which was brilliant, considering the circumstances, and the other was an acceptable cap dump. Plus, I think his haters just overvalued Michalek, and thought he could fetch something nice. But that was probably market-ish value for him after looking bad for a few seasons. Not to mention that a lot of his haters ***** and moan and whine about him not signing player X or trading for player Y when they were, according to them, on the block. Of course, the fact that the haters don't actually know if player X was interested in signing here, or whether player Y was actually on the block will never stop them from shooting their mouths off.

OT, but we just signed Ruopp to an entry level deal. In all likelihood the kid will never be more than a depth defenseman, but if he can keep improving on his game he could be the kind of guy you want dressed during a rivalry game.

 

[plaidchuck]

Told ya, they got Iginla and people still aren't happy. I really wonder who the arm chair generals really wanted. Let me guess Clowe, Jagr and Rieger right?

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I was going to make a long-winded post addressing the misguided points made against Shero by his detractors here, but I'm pretty sure I'd be wasting keystrokes.

Suffice it to say that posts that are so myopic that on one hand they criticize Shero for dumping Michalek, and on the other claim it was a cakewalk for him to land Iginla because he wanted to be here - not realizing that without the cap space opened up by Shero dumping Michalek it would've been much trickier to accommodate Iginla's giant contract - don't really deserve the time it would take to rebut all their other issues.

 

[plaidchuck]

I was going to make a long-winded post addressing the misguided points made against Shero by his detractors here, but I'm pretty sure I'd be wasting keystrokes.

Suffice it to say that posts that are so myopic that on one hand they criticize Shero for dumping Michalek, and on the other claim it was a cakewalk for him to land Iginla because he wanted to be here - not realizing that without the cap space opened up by Shero dumping Michalek it would've been much trickier to accommodate Iginla's giant contract - don't really deserve the time it would take to rebut all their other issues.

People will still be bitter over not getting Semin for years to come. Believe me I'm no apologist, I call a spade a spade and I still question what Morrow brings to the team, but overall Shero has been excellent.

 

[TheSniper26]

Told ya, they got Iginla and people still aren't happy. I really wonder who the arm chair generals really wanted. Let me guess Clowe, Jagr and Rieger right?

Bingo. By default, they want whatever Shero didn't do. Or they wanted some player that wasn't even available just because they dreamed it up in their heads.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

People will still be bitter over not getting Semin for years to come. Believe me I'm no apologist, I call a spade a spade and I still question what Morrow brings to the team, but overall he has been excellent.

If anyone thinks having Semin for a playoff run is as good or better than Iginla...I don't even know. I can't process that degree of ignorance.

The Morrow for Morrow switch was a hefty price to pay, but we had no idea at that point where Iggy was going to go, and we certainly needed more scoring depth. Put Morrow in a position to succeed as a banger on a scoring line (like when he looked good with Malkin and Neal) and you'll see his value. Unfortunately, there's not much we can do about that while Sid's out.

 

[plaidchuck]

Bingo. By default, they want whatever Shero didn't do. Or they wanted some player that wasn't even available just because they dreamed it up in their heads.

Can't wait for the meltdown when/if Jagr does something of note.