Expectations and Predictions for 2013. Be as off the wall as you want to be

[Big McLargehuge]

I would accept 30 goals in half a season.

Key word there was pace.

A 30 goal pace in a 48 game schedule is 17.56 goals.
A 40 goal pace in a 48 game schedule is 23.41 goals.

If Neal stays healthy this year I'm expecting about 20. 30 goals in the shortened season is a 51+ pace.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Key word there was pace.

A 30 goal pace in a 48 game schedule is 17.56 goals.
A 40 goal pace in a 48 game schedule is 23.41 goals.

If Neal stays healthy this year I'm expecting about 20.

I would think that he would surpass 20. Remember even with Dallas he always started seasons particularly strongly.

 

[Tender Rip]

4 and 5 sound like destiny to me.

Hmmm. I'll say this:

+ Whether we play well or subpar, Shero will make a big trade before the deadline that will swap out Martin for another D who is both tougher and cheaper than Martin, and a F... absorbing some of Martin's hit for the other team

IMO that is extremely unlikely, as it'd mean taking on part of Martin's cap hit also beyond the season, and we particuylarly do not want that to be the case for 2013-2014. Martin is either kept, traded fully or bought out after this season.

 

[M0NTY26]

Just wanted to say, in about 6 weeks, if this were a full season, we'd be approaching the TDL. Keep that in mind when thinking about trades this season, because I think the TDL is going to go by almost unnoticed, because all of the trades will go down around the time the season starts this year. Teams will start preparing for the offseason, esp. those that already have a thought in mind, and they'll also want any new players to get fully adjusted as quick as possible. With this new clause, I think teams will be eager to trade early. Its like anyone that gets a shiny new toy - you want to try it out as soon as you can!

Onto the future...

We trade Martin, Despres, Tangradi/Strait, and this years first for Iginla and Giordano.

Pens win the Cup in 16 games, sweeping the Minnesota Wild.

Flower wins the CST

Sid is the first in the HSL.

Lockout is forgotten.

 

[PensBandwagonerNo272*]

Minnesota? Interesting pick. Backstrom will have to get back to form, at least. Plus their defense is crap aside from Suter.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

All depends but the fight will be a long one with the Rags and Flyers. 1-4-5 hopefully we can avoid the 4-5 this year

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

Just wanted to say, in about 6 weeks, if this were a full season, we'd be approaching the TDL. Keep that in mind when thinking about trades this season, because I think the TDL is going to go by almost unnoticed, because all of the trades will go down around the time the season starts this year. Teams will start preparing for the offseason, esp. those that already have a thought in mind, and they'll also want any new players to get fully adjusted as quick as possible. With this new clause, I think teams will be eager to trade early. Its like anyone that gets a shiny new toy - you want to try it out as soon as you can!

Onto the future...

We trade Martin, Despres, Tangradi/Strait, and this years first for Iginla and Giordano.

Pens win the Cup in 16 games, sweeping the Minnesota Wild.

Flower wins the CST

Sid is the first in the HSL.

Lockout is forgotten.

That would be sweet, would love to see Suter and Parise faces ...

 

[KIRK]

As off the wall as I want? O'k, here it comes, I dare someone to top this:

DAN BYLSMA MAKES AN IN GAME COACHING ADJUSTMENT.

P.S.: I was going to write 'an adjustment during a playoff series', but I suspect there's a limit to how off the wall any prediction could be.

 

[KIRK]

Just wanted to say, in about 6 weeks, if this were a full season, we'd be approaching the TDL. Keep that in mind when thinking about trades this season, because I think the TDL is going to go by almost unnoticed, because all of the trades will go down around the time the season starts this year. Teams will start preparing for the offseason, esp. those that already have a thought in mind, and they'll also want any new players to get fully adjusted as quick as possible. With this new clause, I think teams will be eager to trade early. Its like anyone that gets a shiny new toy - you want to try it out as soon as you can!

Onto the future...

We trade Martin, Despres, Tangradi/Strait, and this years first for Iginla and Giordano.

Pens win the Cup in 16 games, sweeping the Minnesota Wild.

Flower wins the CST

Sid is the first in the HSL.

Lockout is forgotten.

Pffft.

Iginla is an impending UFA.

Kennedy, Tangradi, and a 2nd for Iginla. They can have a 1st if Iginla resigns.

Oh, that's not off the wall. That's what too many think the price tag is.

 

[Darth Vitale]

IMO that is extremely unlikely, as it'd mean taking on part of Martin's cap hit also beyond the season, and we particuylarly do not want that to be the case for 2013-2014. Martin is either kept, traded fully or bought out after this season.

Depends on how much. Absorbing 500K-1M of a 5M hit would not be a big deal if it meant adding a lot of depth to our team. IMO it's that extra million that really makes Martin's contract hard to stomach. I think some teams would take a shot at him if he were closer to 4M (in a trade I mean).

 

[KIRK]

Depends on how much. Absorbing 500K-1M of a 5M hit would not be a big deal if it meant adding a lot of depth to our team. IMO it's that extra million that really makes Martin's contract hard to stomach. I think some teams would take a shot at him if he were closer to 4M (in a trade I mean).

Teams were willing to take a shot on him at 5M. The thing was that the return would be next to nothing. The question is how much can you get if you ate a million of the deal.

This is the point that I was making about Calgary, if they moved Iginla and then went rebuild. J-Bo at 6.6M for this year and next isn't worth much. But, if Calgary said 'we'll eat half the salary', then IMO he's as hot a defensive trade commodity as there is. If they ate 25%, meaning a 4.95M cap hit, then they'd get a decent return.

You can apply a similar line of thinking to Martin. How much better is the return for every half million you're willing to eat? And, is it worth it given that you'd have dead cap space? On the surface, the answer is 'you can't eat anything'. On the other hand, you're going to have all these young defensemen hitting on rookie deals. If you ate say 1.5M of Martin's deal and could get a young forward capable of being top six in return, then maybe it makes sense as a financial decision.

 

[Crosberry87]

- Malkin and Crosby will not play PK
- DB gets boot in the ass
- Crosby gets 1,87ppg, Malkin gets 1,71ppg
- Neal start to lose his hair and will be completely bald in PO
- Fleury will be send AHL
- Lentang will be healthy all season long
- Paul Martin becomes transvestite and change hes name to Paula

I LOL'd

 

[Darth Vitale]

Teams were willing to take a shot on him at 5M. The thing was that the return would be next to nothing. The question is how much can you get if you ate a million of the deal.

For one that was all rumor AFAWK. I don't think Shero or anyone else specifically said he had offers for Martin, did he? We just assumed it / read between the lines during all the draft craze, right?

This is the point that I was making about Calgary, if they moved Iginla and then went rebuild. J-Bo at 6.6M for this year and next isn't worth much. But, if Calgary said 'we'll eat half the salary', then IMO he's as hot a defensive trade commodity as there is. If they ate 25%, meaning a 4.95M cap hit, then they'd get a decent return.

You can apply a similar line of thinking to Martin. How much better is the return for every half million you're willing to eat? And, is it worth it given that you'd have dead cap space? On the surface, the answer is 'you can't eat anything'. On the other hand, you're going to have all these young defensemen hitting on rookie deals. If you ate say 1.5M of Martin's deal and could get a young forward capable of being top six in return, then maybe it makes sense as a financial decision.

Exactly my point. Cap next year will be close to $65M. If we're only paying $1M of Martin's deal (I don't really know what that would bring but let's assume a useful combination of assets) for next year and the following year (where the cap is also likely to go up again by a million let's say), that dead space will be worth carrying if it means a stronger lineup. I don't think JBo would be the alternative though; it would be someone like Murray who won't cost more than $3M likely. So then there's still money left over (net) to apply towards a new FA forward, if needs be.

 

[Crafton]

-we get that top 4 defender and the ever elusive winger. but both are old men. effective old men. thus allowing us to resume our bellyaching two seasons from now.
-Bennett sticks and Tangradi doesn't
-MAF plays the regular season like the regular season, giving no sign of a coming implosion. Tomáš makes like a little dutch boy and sticks his finger in the dike (and i'm not talking about Paul Martin).
-Cooke-Sutter-Dupuis become the darlings of advanced stat watchers everywhere.
-Carl Sneep plays one game.

 

[KIRK]

For one that was all rumor AFAWK. I don't think Shero or anyone else specifically said he had offers for Martin, did he? We just assumed it / read between the lines during all the draft craze, right?




Exactly my point. Cap next year will be close to $65M. If we're only paying $1M of Martin's deal (I don't really know what that would bring but let's assume a useful combination of assets) for next year and the following year (where the cap is also likely to go up again by a million let's say), that dead space will be worth carrying if it means a stronger lineup. I don't think JBo would be the alternative though; it would be someone like Murray who won't cost more than $3M likely. So then there's still money left over (net) to apply towards a new FA forward, if needs be.

1. I think the consensus is that Nashville inquired. So, they were willing to give something. What? Nobody knows.

2. I'm not a fan of J-Bo. J-Bo at 3.3M is a different story. It's the same thing, IMO, teams will say about Martin. Not a fan at 5M. At 3.5M? Different story.

 

[Epic Neal Time]

Jarome Iginla is a Penguin by April 1st.
Sutter scores at a 20 goal pace.
Matt Cooke is a fourth liner by season's end.
Adams remains on the fourth line, despite being outplayed.
Bennett plays only in injury fill-in situations.
Kris Letang goes on a 60-point pace.
Strait is waived/traded by the start of the season.
Despres is not a penguin by season's end, likely being traded out West.
Vokoun and Fleury have about a 20/29 split.
Penguins win their first game in Philly, in overtime no less.
Dupuis sees a notable drop in scoring pace from last year.
Crosby leads the team in scoring, but does not win the Art Ross.
Dustin Jeffrey breaks out, playing at a 20 goal pace in the top-9 all year.
Martin rebounds to being much better than he was last year.

That's all I've got.

 

[KIRK]

Jarome Iginla is a Penguin by April 1st.
Sutter scores 20 goals.
Matt Cooke is a fourth liner by season's end.
Adams remains on the fourth line, despite being outplayed.
Bennett plays only in injury fill-in situations.
Kris Letang goes on a 60-point pace.
Stait is waived/traded by the start of the season.
Despres is not a penguin by season's end, likely being traded out West.
Vokoun and Fleury have about a 20/29 split.
Penguins win their first game in Philly, in overtime no less.
Dupuis sees a notable drop in scoring pace from last year.
Crosby leads the team in scoring, but does not win the Art Ross.
Dustin Jeffrey breaks out as a 20 goal scorer, playing in the top-9 all year.

That's all I've got.

20 in 48 for Sutter?

 

[Uemoda]

Joe Vitale will dive in Philly's bench. Glass will see Vitale beating up the entire team and he will jump Bryzgalov for no reason. Engellland will then go after Craig Berube and throw him into the crowd.

#nailedit

If this happens...you won't see me on the 20th. I will literally die of happiness.


Predictions.....hmmmm...

We trade for Iginla at the deadline.
We trade for defensive help prior to that.
Zatkoff ends up being our best statistical goalie.
Bennett earns a spot.
Crosby goes on a ~120 point prorated spree, earning league MVP.

Stanley Cup victory in a shortened season, igniting fan hatred league-wide to whole new level.

 

[Epic Neal Time]

20 in 48 for Sutter?

Sorry. I meant 20 goal pace.

 

[KIRK]

Sorry. I meant 20 goal pace.

No, 20 in 48 will be fine . . .

 

[LetangInTheSO]

Jarome Iginla is a Penguin by April 1st.
Sutter scores at a 20 goal pace.
Matt Cooke is a fourth liner by season's end.
Adams remains on the fourth line, despite being outplayed.
Bennett plays only in injury fill-in situations.
Kris Letang goes on a 60-point pace.
Strait is waived/traded by the start of the season.
Despres is not a penguin by season's end, likely being traded out West.
Vokoun and Fleury have about a 20/29 split.
Penguins win their first game in Philly, in overtime no less.
Dupuis sees a notable drop in scoring pace from last year.
Crosby leads the team in scoring, but does not win the Art Ross.
Dustin Jeffrey breaks out, playing at a 20 goal pace in the top-9 all year.
Martin rebounds to being much better than he was last year.

That's all I've got.

Will be interesting to revisit this post at season's end. I'm inclined to say that *most* are quite possible. The only one I would bet against is Iggy as a Pen.

 

[Whakahere]

come on guys ...... wake up

Mario comes out of retirement and lights up the league. "best shape of his life too"

 

[KIRK]

come on guys ...... wake up

Mario comes out of retirement and lights up the league. "best shape of his life too"

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner . . .

 

[JustOneB4IDie]

I'd like to see a Stanley Cup Final between my two Favorite NHL teams :The St. Louis Blues (of course ) vs. the Penguins.

 

[dogthateats]

Pens somehow have a top ten pick in the draft. Shero drafts a Dman and HFer's heads explode.