News Article: DEJAN KOVACEVIC: Did you like this year? Good, no changes this off-season.

[Honour Over Glory]

From the article:



You mean guys like Despres?

Yeah that one will sting for a very long time until someone else steps up. The good is that maybe the team will play more kids on Defense, with the outlook on Letang looking somewhat promising and actually shutting him down (smartest thing this team has done in a long time with Olli and him) will have the Defense possibly looking like this:

Kris Letang
Olli Maatta
Derrick Pouliot
Scott Harrington
Brian Dumoulin
Ian Cole
Ben Lovejoy - Hopefully jettisoned, but he's a low cap hit.

In the bottom 6, we might finally see some changes too for youth, Rust should be up, Wilson doesn't look that out of place, Sundqvist is everyone's flavor of the year...

 

[Gallatin]

Well I missed, as I stated above, that this article had been quoted already in the media idiocy thread. And asked for a deletion or merger.

However on reflection, maybe it does deserve a thread of it's own. If the highest levels of management truly has said no changes are coming, that is a discussion worth having. Because the only ones who could definitively say such a thing are Mario/Burkle. I mean 'no JR is not getting fired'. Who else can make that statement? JR?

And the worst fears we have expressed here about the golfing buddies theory are true. Kinda depressing to think of the future given that.

TIFWIW - Word round the camp fire has been Dejan talks regularly with Burkle.

 

[drpepper]

The problem with DK's column is that it is divorced from reality.

The Pens need a #3 defenseman which they will have to pay in FA. (Letang #1, Maatta #2 and none of Cole, Lovejoy or Pouliot can carry the second pairing)

The Pens need at least two top 6 wingers and likely some slide up injury depth. Kapanen is the only forward prospect slotted for the top 6 and, judging by his season this year, WJC, pre-season, and limited AHL time, he's not ready. Other internal options are Kunitz, Dupuis and Bennett. Meaning the Pens likely have to bring in at least one top 6 winger plus have a tweener (Dupuis? Kunitz? Bennett?) starting in the top 6.

In the bottom 6, Wilson, Rust, etc are all fourth liners if that at the NHL level. Even a player like Sundqvist is likely unable to match the production of a player like Downie or be able to slide up like Comeau. And the Pens desperately need secondary scoring such that they will need to go to FA again to fill out the roster.

Plus I will believe it when I see it if the Pens buy out Scuderi.

It also ignores the issues that Johnston had in the regular season even with a mostly healthy roster. Look at the breakout versus NYR or WSH or NYI at the beginning of the year; it was a failure. Look at the offensive production when the Pens actually achieve OZ time; it is appallingly low. Look at his continuing issues with bench management and player usage.

It also ignores the reality that this team may go into next year and have just as many injuries similar to this year or last year.

 

[Shady Machine]

"No need to panic. We just need to acquire players there's no way to acquire without draft picks, which we don't have, and 5 years we aren't going to wait."

The D will take care of itself (if the Penguins let it), but he's handwaving a Sisyphean task at forward--getting younger, faster, more skilled and more energetic without already having those types of guys in the organization.

It's nice that Rust and Wilson had good first year seasons, but they're not anything more than stopgaps for NHL hockey. Neither is fast enough to be the size they are. Not for the NHL.

Agreed all around.

 

[Shrimper]

Personally, I think only four/five maybe six changes are made and I wouldn't say that they are massive changes. As much as it pains me Bennett should walk, let Adams go, buyout Scuderi and try to trade Kunitz. If possible see if you can get a good deal for Sutter and move Spaling to 3C.

The goalies are fine.

 

[DesertPenguin]

For the top six, you can do it. The promise of ice time next to an MVP countryman will probably get you Artemi Panarin. If you overbid everyone, you can get Chris Stewart. Trade or buyout Kunitz and now you're younger, faster and more skilled in your top six.

But there's no guarantee that makes you better. Both of those moves could blow up in your face big time. Both guys, despite being younger, faster and more skilled than what you got might also not help you whatsoever. Stewart is, on top of being lazy/inconsistent/streaky, a wretched defensive player and the KHL doesn't have a reputation for producing any other type.

The bigger problem, to me, is how you add cheap depth scoring. There's practically no method of doing that other than through the draft. Wilson-Archibald-Rust isn't an NHL line and never will be for any length of time. And they'll get hurt, so you would need more like them in the pipeline to take their place.

I want Panarin bad, and we should have a chance to get him given that we have Geno on board. He has to sign an ELC so it's not like we can out bid anyone for him. He needs to choose Pittsburgh over 29 other clubs. I had hope last offseason we would get Hayes to sign with us (how different might last night have been if Hayes was in black and vegas gold instead of blue and white) but it didn't happen, so I can't allow myself to get too excited over Panarin. It will just lead to disappointment.

Beleskey is another good target. Grinder mentality who found his scoring touch playing with Getzlaf and Perry this season. A younger Kunitz essentially, who ironically also is coming from the Ducks. they seem to have enough young forward depth that they're going to let him walk, but given the shallow UFA pool it will probably take north of 4m to get him, and I worry he would turn into our version of Bryan Bickell.

Ideally we trade Kunitz, add one of those two and let Dupuis, Bennett or Comeau keep the last top 6 slot warm until Kapanen is ready, hopefully by the all star break.

In the bottom 6 we still have Spaling, Sutter at least for now, and Wilson looks like a keeper. Sundqvist could have helped this season and should be ready for prime time next year. I'd like to retain LaPierre AND Winnik, and would think about Comeau if Dupuis retires. Depending on Dupuis' status, that rounds it out. It should also leave enough money for a stopgap #3 defenseman to replace some of Martin's and Erhoff's minutes.

 

[billybudd]

But that's my point. Even in doing what you suggest above, it would require "changes" to the core (as the club sees the core). In order to bring in guys in free agency, they'd need to cut some of the dead weight. Are they willing to let Kunitz, Scuderi, etc. go in order to free up cap space to bring in better players? I'm not convinced they are.

Maybe they are, maybe they aren't.

But even if they are, DK's taking it for granted that would work, when there's no guarantee that it would.

Fall of 2013, it was taken for granted that Sid would score more if only Pascal Dupuis were replaced by a guy who could pass and make a 1 on 1 move. In comes Bennett and with him, results that were disastrous.


Let's say Stewart comes to Pittsburgh and goes on Crosby's left. Now you've got the speed and finish off the rush Kunitz used to have back on that line.

How much more often do they get scored on than they do with Kunitz there? Does that number exceed the amount of extra goals you score? It very well might. If it does, your team is worse.

 

[Shady Machine]

Seriously guys, enough is enough. The response to every management decision can't be "But, Despres!".

I understand everyone is butt hurt about Despres. I wasn't happy about it either. It's time to move on and have some actual discussions. It's not like complaining about it will bring him back.

Right but it's evidence that management will make short sighted decisions that they KNOW will hurt long term. We have no evidence that this team is actually interested in getting younger, quicker, etc.

 

[Shady Machine]

Maybe they are, maybe they aren't.

But even if they are, DK's taking it for granted that would work, when there's no guarantee that it would.

Fall of 2013, it was taken for granted that Sid would score more if only Pascal Dupuis were replaced by a guy who could pass and make a 1 on 1 move. In comes Bennett and with him, results that were disastrous.


Let's say Stewart comes to Pittsburgh and goes on Crosby's left. Now you've got the speed and finish off the rush Kunitz used to have back on that line.

How much more often do they get scored on than they do with Kunitz there? Does that number exceed the amount of extra goals you score? It very well might. If it does, your team is worse.

Agreed but they have to take a risk. I'm not sure Stewart is the guy to take a risk on (because he won't come cheaply), but a risk is necessary.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

The problem with DK's column is that it is divorced from reality.

The Pens need a #3 defenseman which they will have to pay in FA. (Letang #1, Maatta #2 and none of Cole, Lovejoy or Pouliot can carry the second pairing)

So another veteran when we can actually put someone in that role to grow into? This is the problem, the Pens keep finding patch-work solutions, then they forget the youth and just move them altogether if they don't even try to put them in that role.

I would put Maatta on that 2nd pairing and put Cole with Letang, at least then the top 4 is somewhat balanced and we've now seen Dumoulin has been ready for a while, Harrington likely as well after 2 full years in the AHL. You can't keep babying them, getting veterans and then whining...just no.

The Pens also have little to no forward prospects for the bottom 6 or top 6. Kapanen is unlikely to be ready for the NHL next season; there are no other top 6 options. Wilson, Rust, etc are all fourth liners if that at the NHL level. Even a player like Sundqvist is likely unable to match the production of a player like Downie or be able to slide up like Comeau. And the Pens desperately need secondary scoring such that they will need to go to FA again to fill out the roster.

Plus I will believe it when I see it if the Pens buy out Scuderi.

You're wrong with the bottom 6. That's what we have the most of for prospects/wingers. There are also what I classify as the Wild Cards (All of the College kids).

Bottom 6 Potential:
Wilson
Archibald
Rust
Uher
Zlobin
Lindo
Sundqvist
(A few others I am forgetting)

Top 6 Potential:
Blueger?
Guentzel?
Kapanen

This is where JR needs to go out and sign prospects, Panarin would be a good start, maybe another two as well.

 

[Epic Neal Time]

You actually think this organization is contemplating those moves you suggest above? They don't think Kunitz or Scuderi are problems! Why would they move either guy when they think they're part of the solution?

Never once did I say I think they'll do that. I'm just repeating what Dejan suggested he thinks they want to do. Thread title reads "No changes", while I'm simply suggesting that what Dejan proposed is indeed a change.

 

[MtlPenFan]

Seriously guys, enough is enough. The response to every management decision can't be "But, Despres!".

I understand everyone is butt hurt about Despres. I wasn't happy about it either. It's time to move on and have some actual discussions. It's not like complaining about it will bring him back.

No, because every time Lovejoy loses a game, it's a very relevant topic. As long as the braintrust that orchestrated that trade continue to run things, it's as relevant as anything.

If you don't like it, or don't have the capacity to understand it, you know what you can do.

 

[DesertPenguin]

Sign Panarin to an ELC. Use Dupuis in the top 6 until midseason when Kapanen takes it. Bring on Petry at or below 5M to fill the Martin/Erhoff void. Re up Winnik, LaPierre, Bennett(RFA) and Cole(RFA). Buyout Scuderi and trade Kunitz for a pick. If we can get a second for Tyler Kennedy we can get a second for Kunitz.



LW $ C $ RW $
1 Dupuis 3.75 Crosby 8.7 Hornqvist 4.25
2 Panarin 0.95 Malkin 9.5 Perron 3.81
3 Winnik 1.8 Sutter 3.3 Bennett 1.2
4 Spaling 2.2 Lapierre 1.5 Sundqvist 0.7
5 Kapanen 0.9

Forwards: 42.56

LD $ RD $
1 Maatta 0.895 Letang 7.25
2 Petry 5 Cole 2
3 Pouliot 0.86 Lovejoy 1.2
4 Dumoulin 0.831

Defense: 18.036

G $
1 Fleury 5.75
2 B/U 1

Goal: 6.75

Total: 68.469875

Trade Kunitz
Buyout Scuderi 3.375 1.123875

That gets us in under the worst cap predictions ans likely with considerable breathing room.

 

[Jacob]

the PiMP line

 

[DesertPenguin]

No, because every time Lovejoy loses a game, it's a very relevant topic. As long as the braintrust that orchestrated that trade continue to run things, it's as relevant as anything.

If you don't like it, or don't have the capacity to understand it, you know what you can do.

We hear you. You don't like it. Know what any of us can do about it? Nothing at all. Complaining about it doesn't make it any better and it's getting tiresome. What's done is done.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Sign Panarin to an ELC. Use Dupuis in the top 6 until midseason when Kapanen takes it. Bring on Petry at or below 5M to fill the Martin/Erhoff void. Re up Winnik, LaPierre, Bennett(RFA) and Cole(RFA). Buyout Scuderi and trade Kunitz for a pick. If we can get a second for Tyler Kennedy we can get a second for Kunitz.



LW $ C $ RW $
1 Dupuis 3.75 Crosby 8.7 Hornqvist 4.25
2 Panarin 0.95 Malkin 9.5 Perron 3.81
3 Winnik 1.8 Sutter 3.3 Bennett 1.2
4 Spaling 2.2 Lapierre 1.5 Sundqvist 0.7
5 Kapanen 0.9

Forwards: 42.56

LD $ RD $
1 Maatta 0.895 Letang 7.25
2 Petry 5 Cole 2
3 Pouliot 0.86 Lovejoy 1.2
4 Dumoulin 0.831

Defense: 18.036

G $
1 Fleury 5.75
2 B/U 1

Goal: 6.75

Total: 68.469875

Trade Kunitz
Buyout Scuderi 3.375 1.123875

That gets us in under the worst cap predictions ans likely with considerable breathing room.

I don't mind your line-up, but **** no to Petry, no. Such a waste, keep the cap space, just because you can spend up to it, doesn't mean you should. This is the time to start playing the kids, not adding more. Also, Petry at 5m?



Petry at 4m? Sure, maybe. But you better be dumping Lovejoy asap first and play Dumoulin, he should not be our 7th, that's a waste. I want Rust up as well as Sundqvist, but let's say Rust is up, Sundqvist starts in the AHL to adjust...Kapanen definitely in the AHL, to start as well and then get recalled once he lights it up on a consistent basis.

I don't mind Petry, but it depends on term and price, 5m? That's pricey and Defensemen are getting a premium right now for their value, the Pens can't be handcuffing themselves to another long term contract for a defenseman, Petry is a decent puck mover, but he's not great at it, nor is he great as a defender. He's basically Nick Spaling the Defense version. I can imagine the whining after 30 games.

 

[Shady Machine]

We hear you. You don't like it. Know what any of us can do about it? Nothing at all. Complaining about it doesn't make it any better and it's getting tiresome. What's done is done.

Then stop reading posts about it.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Am I the only one who hasn't been overly impressed with Winnik?

On top of that, I fear that this club will sign him to a silly deal ($3+ milion per year, for 3 years or some such), adding yet another overpriced bottom six player to a team in desperate need of cap space and top six talent.

 

[Shady Machine]

You're wrong with the bottom 6. That's what we have the most of for prospects/wingers. There are also what I classify as the Wild Cards (All of the College kids).

Bottom 6 Potential:
Wilson
Archibald
Rust
Uher
Zlobin
Lindo
Sundqvist
(A few others I am forgetting)

Top 6 Potential:
Blueger?
Guentzel?
Kapanen

This is where JR needs to go out and sign prospects, Panarin would be a good start, maybe another two as well.

You are wrong on the bottom 6. Most of those guys are similar. Small, not overly fast, not overly skilled. Decent jack of all trades kind of guys. That will build a very bland bottom 6.

 

[The Old Master]

We hear you. You don't like it. Know what any of us can do about it? Nothing at all. Complaining about it doesn't make it any better and it's getting tiresome. What's done is done.

makes me feel a little better........but then it starts all over.

 

[Shady Machine]

Am I the only one who hasn't been overly impressed with Winnik?

On top of that, I fear that this club will sign him to a silly deal ($3+ milion per year, for 3 years or some such), adding yet another overpriced bottom six player to a team in desperate need of cap space and top six talent.

He's a good role player with size that isn't overly physical. He's basically a slightly taller, slightly heavier Spaling.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

You are wrong on the bottom 6. Most of those guys are similar. Small, not overly fast, not overly skilled. Decent jack of all trades kind of guys. That will build a very bland bottom 6.

Rust is quick, Archibald and Wilson aren't slow players either and small?

It's not about the size of players always. Jeez...you size queen.

I love how everyone wants Palmieri (small) or Johnston (small) or most other guys that aren't big...lol

 

[Shady Machine]

Rust is quick, Archibald and Wilson aren't slow players either and small?

It's not about the size of players always. Jeez...you size queen.

I love how everyone wants Palmieri (small) or Johnston (small) or most other guys that aren't big...lol

It's about size if you can't bring something else to the table. Have you watched the playoffs? Speed and size kill. How do you get through the sludge of the Rangers defense? You either boll them over or you skate around/through them. The Rusts, Wilsons, Archibalds aren't doing either. Johnston is supremely skilled. Palmieri is skilled and fast.

LOL

Anyway, of the three I prefer Rust. My main point is you can't have a bottom 6 of

Rust-whoever-Wilson
Archibald-Uher-blah

It has no identity.

 

[drpepper]

Am I the only one who hasn't been overly impressed with Winnik?

On top of that, I fear that this club will sign him to a silly deal ($3+ milion per year, for 3 years or some such), adding yet another overpriced bottom six player to a team in desperate need of cap space and top six talent.

He's been unexpectedly terrible in the playoffs. I don't know if there is an injury or if playing up on the first line exhausted him. He's been bad defensively and possession-wise which are two of the three things that make him worthwhile.

It's hard because he replicates a lot of Spaling's and Sutter's skillsets (minus possession where he is the better player), and the Pens already have those two signed next season.

For less than $2M per with short term (2 yrs?), I would say that he's probably worth it particularly if he's glued to Sutter's side and boosts his possession numbers.

Last off-season would have been better if the Pens didn't get Spaling and signed Winnik to a low, short-term contract ($1.5M for 2 years?).

 

[Crosberry87]

DK basically works for the Penguins at this point. But if this is true then I am done. I will not watch or go to any games next year. O how much I used to love this team. Its sad really.