GDT: Free Agency: Dr Strangedubas or How We Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Nerd

[mpp9]

I have no clue what mouth breather means, but I will say I'm none to pleased about the following:

- I swear we actually got older, not younger.
- We didn't make any changes. We just shuffled bottom 6 names around.
- We actually gave a f***ing raise to a goalie who didn't deserve it.
- Sully is still here (not really Dubas fault - that's on Hex)
- Our centers average age is 36.25
- Our defense is still basically the same defense.

I think you’re gonna have a rough go watching this team the next couple years lol.

They’re gonna go after what impact players they can afford to acquire regardless of their age and see what happens.

They could certainly use some youth, but in 16, that was a lightning in a bottle type moment with Sullivan having coached and trusted Sheary, Rust, Wilson, Kuhn, etc. Unlikely we can replicate that.

Plus, as awesome as those kids were for us. We don’t do **** without PH and Kessel trades. We need those types of impact moves to even think about doing anything in the postseason from here on out.

 

[Ugene Magic]

I’m not a fan of the Jarry contract at all basically because of the injury issues, but using pretty much a one series sample size to draw a conclusion about his playoff ability is kind of ridiculous.

The offseason also isn’t over. It’s pretty obvious with the Karlsson situation that Dubas is at least still working on things so why not give it some time? If the roster looks like it does now by game 1 then yeah there are definitely some legitimately complaints but until then some people just need to relax.

What I see, and what can happen: I see a bunch of guys signed, and you don't just trade away guys you sign by game #1 Oct 10 2023. (Not all are big roster bound) There's very little in ways to improve it from here (their own words> "not going after big UFA names") other than trades then. First and foremost "getting cap compliant."

Their plan seems to throw as much against the wall (bet really high on them) and a move or two, maybe a buyout<---stupid, and nothing's clear as to what way who's their target post July 1st Karlsson attempt.

 

[Ryder71]

Can’t wait until all those that wanted Karlsson criticize the price paid to acquire him by Carolina.

Carolina, help save us from ourselves and acquire Karlsson.

We need to get back to funding the bottom six. There is no vision here; Dubas seems to be throwing **** at the wall in hopes something sticks.

You do realize that without EK we might not even make the playoffs, right? Getting EK doesn't guarantee post season success but it does give us a much better chance to win a round than otherwise. Also, it would be a far more entertaining product to watch. Now, as far as the price we'd pay... well... I m not giving up multiple first round picks. Now if you equate POJ as a 1st rounder than yeah I might add one, but I'm not offering up an additional or Pickering or Yager. If they want two future 1sts then I walk away. Honestly I doubt they get that kind of package with the limitations the Sharks have regarding the cap, the NMC etc.

 

[Nakawick]

The Pens need an elite player to help and aging core.

 

[Andy99]

The Pens need an elite player to help and aging core.

Hence the pursuit of EK…doesn’t look like there is anyone else out there but I want Dubas to be even more aggressive…I wanted an offer sheet for Swayman, try to get Nylander (trade Jake to do it), buyout Granlund, trade any older players, try to take more advantage of teams against the cap w the cap space acquired from Granlund and Petry or Rutta etc

 

[Pens x]

The Pens need an elite player to help and aging core.

Karlsson is 33. He’d fall into the aging core club.

 

[Nakawick]

Hence the pursuit of EK…doesn’t look like there is anyone else out there but I want Dubas to be even more aggressive…I wanted an offer sheet for Swayman, try to get Nylander (trade Jake to do it), buyout Granlund, trade any older players, try to take more advantage of teams against the cap w the cap space acquired from Granlund and Petry or Rutta etc

If we can’t get Karlsson in and Petry out, we should probably stand pat on D and look at impact forwards. The only trouble is that many potential impact forwards that could be on the market are 1 year rentals.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Idk, I believe their turtling was a result of lack of confidence, maybe in their goaltending and that’s still there, but I don’t think it was a Sullivan strategy lol

You don't make the amount of mistakes as they do unless you have confidence in your goalie. The problem lies in turnovers, (How many did they have last year as a team?) where they happen, and then there are the over the top corner coverage that should be saved for the front of the net that they ultimately left uncovered many, many times. Add bad pinches and line changes you will start to see a pretty bad team that has no clue how to hockey. The balance isn't there both roster wise and structure wise.

Their blueprint is not, has not, changed. So I can see where a coaching change is asked for, but at the same time the GM has to step in being the guy who has as close to a outside view you can possibly have watching from up high game in and game out. Dubas doesn't have that advantage, yet.

Doubling down is not the answer. So what's the cure?

Edit: One is changing out Reirden to an actual stable D-corps coach and a better PP coach.

 

[molon labe]

I have no clue what mouth breather means, but I will say I'm none to pleased about the following:

- I swear we actually got older, not younger.
- We didn't make any changes. We just shuffled bottom 6 names around.
- We actually gave a f***ing raise to a goalie who didn't deserve it.
- Sully is still here (not really Dubas fault - that's on Hex)
- Our centers average age is 36.25
- Our defense is still basically the same defense.

Just slang for dummy. Categorized in the neanderthal insult...like knuckle dragger. It's not a perfect insult but it fits. Like - a sheeple...one of the heard...mouth open just a drooler zombie type.

Yuck...... and most here want to dump more futures for an aging Karlsson.

I think most of us just want to watch an entertaining product at this point. Stapling ourselves to Sullivan and Jarry basically sealed the fate of this team - and since we're NOT (hopefully?) trading Sid/Geno it would be a hell of a lot more fun to see them post some numbers and highlights in the regular season versus watching this shit stain product Sullivan has created for another 82 games (I admittedly could only stomach 55 games last year and I'll take the under on that number this year).

So yeah - Karlsson and some fun wins/losses - or another 82 of just trying to play the right way and find our game while our old ass roster slugs along either winning - on the nights we play loose and ignore Sully - or losing again and again 3-1 when we can't score, can't find a power play point, and can't win 2-1 ourselves since we're literally not built that way - not even a single line.

I don't know if matters, but there may be an off chance that Sid's and Geno's bodies benefited from some of those long stretches without hockey when they were injured, maybe they got less wear and tear...grasping for straws here

I know what you mean. But then I look at their playoff game total - and I think that negates any sort of injury stretches they've sustained. I mean, Geno's game SHOULD age gracefully - especially if he shifts to wing later and just bombs that shot. Sid? Favorite player ever but are we expecting him to freaking out-muscle the opponent behind the net / half wall areas at 38 years old? If so I hope he's stacking those weights over the next few years versus trying to stay fast.

I’m watching the Max Talbot Shhh game right now. Our centers are all in their early 20’s and we only have 2 guys older than 34 on the team; Gonchar and Guerin

This is one of Gonchar’s best games as a Pen.

I've also started watching older games - just not THAT old. They're equally fun and depressing. It's insane to me to think this team finally put together 4 lines that could score in late 2015 - dominated - then proceeded to try and fit EVERY mold of hockey whilst having a coach that only knows ONE style. Like, if you're a hybrid team (Vegas) have a coach that can do it. If you're a fast midget team that wants to sprint for 60 minutes - ice that roster. Here we are years later listening to the same quotes from Sullivan - yet we went out and got slow ass players...again. Those that aren't slow can't find the net under a magnifying glass.

 

[molon labe]

I’m not a fan of the Jarry contract at all basically because of the injury issues, but using pretty much a one series sample size to draw a conclusion about his playoff ability is kind of ridiculous.

The offseason also isn’t over. It’s pretty obvious with the Karlsson situation that Dubas is at least still working on things so why not give it some time? If the roster looks like it does now by game 1 then yeah there are definitely some legitimately complaints but until then some people just need to relax.

Jarry's one full series - if you want to ignore the other playoff games - was against an almost inept offensive team (20th in the league in scoring that year). You can't make excuses for him in that regard. He got dummied by the god damned ISLANDERS.

Trying to imagine him against a high octane offense would be nightmarish. This team is also pretty weak overall so if we played a 'tougher' opponent - Jarry has never been the goalie to freeze play/freeze the puck...so you're looking at extra chance/pushback after extra chance. Also doesn't bode well for his style.

 

[Pens x]

Can we at least buy out Granlund if we aren’t doing anything else? I know Harry Potter is sitting by his phone, eagerly waiting a call from Grier, but enough is enough. Make the trade or move on.

You already did stupid ass **** like sign Eller and Jarry. Let’s not play this wait around game for Grier to trade with Carolina.

 

[Andy99]

You don't make the amount of mistakes as they do unless you have confidence in your goalie. The problem lies in turnovers, (How many did they have last year as a team?) where they happen, and then there are the over the top corner coverage that should be saved for the front of the net that they ultimately left uncovered many, many times. Add bad pinches and line changes you will start to see a pretty bad team that has no clue how to hockey. The balance isn't there both roster wise and structure wise.

Their blueprint is not, has not, changed. So I can see where a coaching change is asked for, but at the same time the GM has to step in being the guy who has as close to a outside view you can possibly have watching from up high game in and game out. Dubas doesn't have that advantage, yet.

Doubling down is not the answer. So what's the cure?

Edit: One is changing out Reirden to an actual stable D-corps coach and a better PP coach.

That’s not turtling though…I agree that the problem was the players were trying to execute Sullivan’s system and to play aggressive at the end of games and that led to them making mistakes…the premise of the comment that I was responding to was that they were turtling and the new defensive players would help that…I was subtly disagreeing with that comment…I probably was confusing everyone…I very much believe that our problems blowing leads were 1) playing too aggressive, pinching etc when our players really weren’t smart enough to do it successfully which is 2) the coach and 3) the goaltending sucks

 

[molon labe]

I think you’re gonna have a rough go watching this team the next couple years lol.

They’re gonna go after what impact players they can afford to acquire regardless of their age and see what happens.

They could certainly use some youth, but in 16, that was a lightning in a bottle type moment with Sullivan having coached and trusted Sheary, Rust, Wilson, Kuhn, etc. Unlikely we can replicate that.

Plus, as awesome as those kids were for us. We don’t do **** without PH and Kessel trades. We need those types of impact moves to even think about doing anything in the postseason from here on out.

Another bullet as to why this off season has been so downright infuriating. Dubas literally mentioned Horny in his presser. Well, where is he? That type of player flat out doesn't exist on this team (and granted, they're a rarity in the league - and I don't see NYI ever letting us have Anders Lee).....and with names like Tarasenko literally available for free in free agency - we blow our wad on Smith/Eller. Hell - if we wanted to stay old we could have had Maroon for free.

So we don't address the fact that our scoring is waning (while the rest of the league is trending upward) and we don't address physicality and toughness except for....Acciari? I mean, what the actual hell DID we do? Graves is the only somewhat positive roster move the entire Summer.

Self-generating offense and 'catalyst' guys are what this team has missed - and we literally don't add an ounce of either. Objectively less offensive punch than a year ago (Kappy/Blueger >>>> Eller/Acciari) and zero "fantastic forecheck" "goalie going to punch me because I'm a menace" "tough guy"....hell anything. It's just another roll of the vanilla ness this team insists on.

 

[Ugene Magic]

Jarry's one full series - if you want to ignore the other playoff games - was against an almost inept offensive team (20th in the league in scoring that year). You can't make excuses for him in that regard. He got dummied by the god damned ISLANDERS.

Trying to imagine him against a high octane offense would be nightmarish. This team is also pretty weak overall so if we played a 'tougher' opponent - Jarry has never been the goalie to freeze play/freeze the puck...so you're looking at extra chance/pushback after extra chance. Also doesn't bode well for his style.

A Islanders team that went all the way to the ECF's taking the eventual champs to 7 games.

They went through the Pens, Bruins and lost to Tampa 0-1 in game 7.

The Islanders were a defensive team who took advantage of mistakes.

 

[Ugene Magic]

That’s not turtling though…I agree that the problem was the players were trying to execute Sullivan’s system and to play aggressive at the end of games and that led to them making mistakes…the premise of the comment that I was responding to was that they were turtling and the new defensive players would help that…I was subtly disagreeing with that comment…I probably was confusing everyone…I very much believe that our problems blowing leads were 1) playing too aggressive, pinching etc when our players really weren’t smart enough to do it successfully which is 2) the coach and 3) the goaltending sucks

No, those mistakes are all throughout games.

 

[The Old Master]

The Pens need an elite player to help and aging core.

just checking in to see if we got one??????

 

[Zirakzigil]

New thread time:

Salary Cap: - Pens Salary and Signing thread: Dr StrangeDubas or How We Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Karlsson Watch

Previous thread was over 6100 posts and its no longer free agency day. Dr StrangeDubas trying complete the EK trade: I have no clue what mouth breather means, but I will say I'm none to pleased about the following: - I swear we actually got older, not younger. - We didn't make any...

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