Are we not as attractive as we/media thinks?

[deakka]

Im a bit worried about our ability, or lack theroff to attract FA players. Both prospects and other Free agents.

We have heard for years now things like "Who wouldnt wanna come play with Sid and Geno?"

Well, apparently a lot of people would rather play somewhere else.

We havent attracted any true big names in the last couple of years, even tho we always seem to be in talks of getting this that player.

There is:
Jagr, Parise, Hayes, Hossa, Kulemin , among others

The players we have are mostly aquired via trade, Kunitz, Neal, Dupuis etc
Why do you think that is?

* Are we offering to little money?

* Are they afraid of being missused like Iginla etc?

* Are we seen as a crap organisation with issues in the room?

* Or are we just not seen as a true contender around the league anymore?

* Or is there some other reasons?

We always come up with stuff like, he had a friend there or and old teammate there. Well, if we were so highly touted we are made out to be we should still be able to offer players a good atmosphere and a chance on the cup every year.Thats has to amount for more than playing with an old friend you´d think?

Hayes are only the latest in line that chose to play elsewhere but im in no way making this thread in regards to just that situation.

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[DieSuperFly]

Maybe if they were the Orlando Penguins

 

[Shady Machine]

I think it's a combo of things. For one, maybe our expectations are too high. We have gotten top UFA dmen like Martin and Ehrhoff to sign here. Also, spending good money on UFA wingers wasn't really a priority under Shero.

The other major factor seems to be individual. Hossa didn't believe we gave him the best chance to win a Cup. Parise wanted to go home and be with BFF Suter. Kulemin was offered more money and had friend connection with Grabo in Long Island. Who knows about Hayes.

What we know is that UFA's want money and term first and championship chances are generally secondary (unless they are geezers which we have no problem attracting). UFA's seem to see us as one of a number of contenders worth signing with. I think the media overplays the Crosby Malkin dynamic when it comes to desirability. Maybe they are seen as hard to play with? Maybe some are worried they won't get a spot with Sid over freakin Dupuis. Who knows.

 

[Fedex26]

Seems like we don't have problems getting defenseman to sign here in Free Agency at reasonable prices: Martin, Michalek, Scuderi, Erhoff..Playing with Sid and Geno must really make wingers feel overshadowed and go somewhere else so they can be "The Guy"...maybe we should have spent more resources in drafting as well as developing our own wingers....

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

It's pretty absurd that we literally never get the wingers we've targeted in FA considering the supposed appeal of playing with two of the best centers in the world. I think we can throw that idea right out the window.

Geezer wingers do love us though.

 

[mpp9]

I'd love to sit in on these pitches organizations make. How in the hell do you not close a kid on our lack of organizational depth at wing and Sid/Geno boosting his numbers so he can maximize his payday on his 2nd contract.

Unless he's a fan of the color blue or really likes Kreider.

 

[PensPlz]

The expectations might overwhelm a lot of younger players, especially if they aren't sure of their abilities yet.

The expectation to win now and to perform and have career years with Sid and Geno is more if a detence for joining than anything else. Especially when you also throw in they are expected to win for less money here than they would somewhere else.

 

[Waffle Fries]

With Jagr it was about money, Parise wanted to go home and play with Suter, Hossa thought he had a better chance to win somewhere else (and whatever issues he had with MT as coach), Kulemin's agent was on a mission to get him and Grabovski as much as possible on the same team.

Hayes isn't on the same level of those guys right now, so I don't think he should he grouped with them. I don't know his reasoning, but based on what we know he wanted, I wouldn't be surprised if the Rangers guaranteed him a spot in the lineup to start the year. I'm sure playing with his friend played into it as well.

 

[SherogoesHAM]

None of these are that big of a surprise:

Jagr - Wanted more cash/commitment. Probably feels like a turd getting booed everytime he comes here.

Parise - Wife wanted him to go home close to family

Hossa - He thought Detroit would be a lot more likely to win. Who can blame him? On paper, they were a lot better.

Kulemin - Wanted more coin and to play with grab.

 

[IcedCapp]

It's impossible to say, because we have no clue who the Pens have actually targeted. Media speculation is very-rarely reality.

 

[deakka]

None of these are that big of a surprise:

Jagr - Wanted more cash/commitment. Probably feels like a turd getting booed everytime he comes here.

Parise - Wife wanted him to go home close to family

Hossa - He thought Detroit would be a lot more likely to win. Who can blame him? On paper, they were a lot better.

Kulemin - Wanted more coin and to play with grab.

Those were only a few examples. We haven't been able to grab one single high end winger via FA. I'm sure ppl have reason to sign where they do. But then we better step up our recruiting process so they get reasons to sign with us and not somewhere else.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Let's look at the evidence the last couple of years:

Iggy used his NTC to force a trade to Pgh.

Kesler had the Pens on his very short and exclusive list of teams he was willing to go to.

Pens just signed the steal of FA in Ehrhoff less than 2 months ago.

Iggy, Kesler and Ehrhoff are kind of bigger names than Hayes.

So I'd say making this thread after losing out on an avg prospect is knee jerking at it's finest.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Money is more important than playing with Sid and Geno. Then again, we just got Ehrhoff for a steal.

 

[WayneSid9987]

Shero could've circumvented this if he actually drafted some forwards and traded impending FA's to keep feeding the system with draft picks like Chicago has. A good type of wash, rinse, repeat if you will.

FA's almost always get overpaid and the Pens are in the cap hell years with some bad signings.

Good news is tons of money comes off the books next year and theres some flexibility for a significant trade.

ETA: and also what Jiggy said^

 

[deakka]

Let's look at the evidence the last couple of years:

Iggy used his NTC to force a trade to Pgh.

Kesler had the Pens on his very short and exclusive list of teams he was willing to go to.

Pens just signed the steal of FA in Ehrhoff less than 2 months ago.

Iggy, Kesler and Ehrhoff are kind of bigger names than Hayes.

So I'd say making this thread after losing out on an avg prospect is knee jerking at it's finest.

I didn't say Hayes made me jump the bridge. It just seems strange we can't get any forwards to stay with us or sign here.

There's a difference of waiving NTC to play a handful of games plus playoffs and sign here long term.

 

[stepdad gaary]

I didn't say Hayes made me jump the bridge. It just seems strange we can't get any forwards to stay with us or sign here.

There's a difference of waiving NTC to play a handful of games plus playoffs and sign here long term.

how many "franchise players" is one team supposed to have? How many long term contracts do other teams hand out?

 

[ColePens]

My perspective is that Pittsburgh was 1 or 2 very lucky signings happening from being a dynasty. If Parise/Suter would have come here, and we made room, we would be dominant. If Hossa could have signed a long term deal here - it would have been bad ass.

We are still blessed, but a couple lucky moves that went our way would have made Shero look like the best GM of all time AND would have delivered a dynasty.

 

[deakka]

how many "franchise players" is one team supposed to have? How many long term contracts do other teams hand out?

From the sound of it we sure are trying to get better wingers for our franchise players. We just can't seem to be able to do a good enough sales pitch.

 

[Vujtek]

I didn't say Hayes made me jump the bridge. It just seems strange we can't get any forwards to stay with us or sign here.

Besides Hossa, haven't the Pens been able to keep everyone of their forwards they have wanted and had the cap room for? Kunitz, Dupuis, Neal (signed long-term deal) etc.

Cooke, Jokinen, Talbot all would have wanted to stay but were let go because of cap reasons and them getting more money elsewhere. There wasn't room for Iggy and since Bylsma were kept it didn't even made sense to pursue Iggy to an extension.

Seems to me the team is just fine in keeping the talent they're able to get to here in the first place. Obviously cap will always play a role who they're actually able to keep but Hossa is the only winger that has really left the team by his own choice. That's more like exception than a rule, even though obviously Hossa is the biggest name we have seen here during the Crosby&Malkin era.

Edit. Obviously Staal wanted to leave too but that's understandable due him being too good of a 3rd line center for us several years and wanting a bigger role which weren't going to happen here. Not without him moving to wing and that wasn't on teams and/or Staal's radar.

 

[stepdad gaary]

From the sound of it we sure are trying to get better wingers for our franchise players. We just can't seem to be able to do a good enough sales pitch.

except Neal who signed a long term deal here and Iggy who decided pittsburgh was the only place he wanted to go

but yeah. A college FA not signing his is definitely more telling than those situations.

 

[GOAT AINEC]

It's not that the Penguins aren't an attractive team to play for it is just that the Rangers were the more attractive team.

 

[deakka]

It's not that the Penguins aren't an attractive team to play for it is just that the Rangers were the more attractive team.

There always seem to be a "more attractive" team. That's the point I'm trying to make. The reasoning "a chance to play with sid and geno" doesn't seem as attractive as once thought.

 

[Ogrezilla]

It's not that the Penguins aren't an attractive team to play for it is just that the Rangers were the more attractive team.

to one kid.

 

[Ogrezilla]

There always seem to be a "more attractive" team. That's the point I'm trying to make. The reasoning "a chance to play with sid and geno" doesn't seem as attractive as once thought.

have people thought we were especially attractive moreso than other top teams until recently?

 

[deakka]

except Neal who signed a long term deal here and Iggy who decided pittsburgh was the only place he wanted to go

but yeah. A college FA not signing his is definitely more telling than those situations.

Neil was RFA and iggy was a rental. I'm talking about all the other FA forwards we have failed to sign. Hayes would have been good seeing how our forward pipeline looks, no doubt. But he's hardly the reason I'm doubting the "chance to play with sid/geno" are as attractive as first thought.