Speculation: Expansion Draft Talk - Important Dates in Post #1

[Pens1566]

How? I do not get the argument for protecting Rust over Hornqvist.

Hornqvist is a legit top 6 winger, has what 7 straight seasons of 20+ goals and 40+ points. Plus 14 playoffs goals in last 2 years.

Rust at this point is a 3rd line winger, he is 25 already, has 20 goals in 112 NHL games. I get he has been clutch in the last 2 playoff runs, but he still has 1 less goal than Hornqvist over the 2 years.

To me even if Rust grows to his absolute max potential he probably only gets to the same kinda stats as Hornqvist is already getting. While Rust doesn't bring the same physical crash the net presence.


Unless the team has zero desire to sign Hornqvist past this coming year then I cannot see any argument for protecting Rust over Hornqvist (and even that argument would be a stretch).

The argument for Rust over Horny is he's younger, cheaper, under our control for quite some time, and hasn't had the physical punishment Horny has. And his stats aren't that different given their utilization. He was my #4 if I were the pens and doing a protected list strictly on resources (and before MAF waiving was confirmed). Now, I think Horny being there is a good choice as it doesn't display any kind of internal thought on how they value the young guys. Everyone on the list looks at it and goes "well, duh". That's obviously who you'd protect.

 

[Jacob]

Available

Alexander Radulov (F)

????

 

[Empoleon8771]

Rust > Maatta

Finding a 22 year old slow defensemen who can play hockey on a $4 million dollar contract is just so damn hard!

Finding a clutch winger with speed and passion is like picking oranges from a grove.

WTF 4-4?? Do not get it one bit.

Now Vegas could literally select Rust, then accept MAF (since Calgary and Dallas are out of contention) in a trade with Hagelin as the bribe, or Cole. Way to go.

Well that's just a stupid and overreactionary situation.

????

Radulov hasn't signed yet.

 

[Pens1566]

????

ufa?

 

[Jacob]

Oh, I thought they extended him.

 

[molon labe]

The only issue here is our severe lack of defensive depth if we lose Maatta.

Fixed it.

We're built on team defense and speed - not defensive depth.

Whether we have him in or not - we STILL got utterly stuck in our own zone for minutes on end this year. Letang and Schultz are our irreplaceable defensemen - not Maatta.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

The fact that everybody is talking like it's a done deal makes me more nervous I think...

Yup. Not a done deal until the deal has been done.

 

[cheesedanish87]

How? I do not get the argument for protecting Rust over Hornqvist.

Hornqvist is a legit top 6 winger, has what 7 straight seasons of 20+ goals and 40+ points. Plus 14 playoffs goals in last 2 years.

Rust at this point is a 3rd line winger, he is 25 already, has 20 goals in 112 NHL games. I get he has been clutch in the last 2 playoff runs, but he still has 1 less goal than Hornqvist over the 2 years.

To me even if Rust grows to his absolute max potential he probably only gets to the same kinda stats as Hornqvist is already getting. While Rust doesn't bring the same physical crash the net presence.


Unless the team has zero desire to sign Hornqvist past this coming year then I cannot see any argument for protecting Rust over Hornqvist (and even that argument would be a stretch).

Its not just about protecting the better player.

You have to factor in age and salary cap hit.

That's why you have players like James Neal and Bobby Ryan exposed.

Horny is 5 years older and is currently making 3.5 million more then Rust this year.

Horny is also going to be a free agent while Rust will be a rfa and still under the pens control for a while longer.

 

[deakka]

I just hope they pick MAF without us panicing and giving a 1st or something stupid.

I hope it went like this:

JR: look, as it stands now, we can trade MAF to (Carolina for example)
But he rather go to you guys. If i make him waive for you, can you promise us you pick him over Rust? Oterwise we trade him and get a goalie back who we expose and you end up with Rust anyway.

 

[molon labe]

Well that's just a stupid and overreactionary situation.



Radulov hasn't signed yet.

So are comments without basis...

What team in the NHL trades for Fleury at this point in time? There's none left outside of Vegas. They literally have all the cards now.

We're a team headed towards nearly 10M in goalies next season - are we not desperate to move one of them -specifically MAF? Before Calgary moved on Smith and Dallas on Bishop - we had leverage over Vegas because we could trade MAF and they'd get nothing. Now they're our only suitors and we're exposing the fastest forecheck in the league and one of our most clutch wingers.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Pretty predictable from the Pens, or at least what I would have done.

Fixed it.

We're built on team defense and speed - not defensive depth.

Whether we have him in or not - we STILL got utterly stuck in our own zone for minutes on end this year. Letang and Schultz are our irreplaceable defensemen - not Maatta.

Not irreplaceable doesn't mean easily replaced and the defense is part of the team defense. One of 5 NHL defensemen this team has is more valuable than Rust. A young top 4 defenseman is more valuable than most wingers.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

It would be an absolute shock for Fleury to not be picked. Guys like LeBrun, Bobby Mac, Friedman are all speaking with definitives regarding Fleury. They've been in the game too long to leave themselves open to it coming back to bite them.

Sure, there's a chance, but I would be floored if we didn't see Fleury taken.

 

[pensown]

This board is insufferable sometimes. There was a handshake agreement months ago.

 

[molon labe]

Pretty predictable from the Pens, or at least what I would have done.



Not irreplaceable doesn't mean easily replaced and the defense is part of the team defense. One of 5 NHL defensemen this team has is more valuable than Rust. A young top 4 defenseman is more valuable than most wingers.

There were many, many times this season where nobody here would call him a top 4 defensemen.

Really do not recall a period in his NHL career where I disliked Rust. The dude brings it every night.

 

[molon labe]

It would be an absolute shock for Fleury to not be picked. Guys like LeBrun, Bobby Mac, Friedman are all speaking with definitives regarding Fleury. They've been in the game too long to leave themselves open to it coming back to bite them.

Sure, there's a chance, but I would be floored if we didn't see Fleury taken.

I wouldn't.

I do believe they want him - but there's no rush at this point it's a chess game. They are literally his only suitor at this point. Vegas could trade for him at any point between now and training camp.

 

[Empoleon8771]

So are comments without basis...

What team in the NHL trades for Fleury at this point in time? There's none left outside of Vegas. They literally have all the cards now.

We're a team headed towards nearly 10M in goalies next season - are we not desperate to move one of them -specifically MAF? Before Calgary moved on Smith and Dallas on Bishop - we had leverage over Vegas because we could trade MAF and they'd get nothing. Now they're our only suitors and we're exposing the fastest forecheck in the league and one of our most clutch wingers.

Here's an exact situation that your crazy overreaction was: what if we left Maatta exposed, Vegas took Maatta and then we had to trade Fleury to Vegas while using Cole or Hagelin as a bribe? It's the same exact situation, we just lose Maatta (who we don't have an internal replacement for and IMO is more likely to be taken than Rust) instead of Rust.

Vegas would be stupid if they don't take Rust.

Well, it looks like they'll end up being pretty stupid because they're going to take Fleury.

The overreactions some people have on this board makes this board insufferable sometimes.

 

[The Gobfather*]

What's with this weird obsession with dumping hagelin