Salary Cap: HFB Penguins: More Kessel Threads than You Can Shake a Hotdog at.

[Ogrezilla]

40-50 point borderline top 6 player who's a turnover machine?

averages 21 goals and 49 points a year. That puts him right at the edge of the top 90 forwards in the league. That puts him squarely in the middle of the pack for top 6 forwards, seeing as there are 180 of them in the league. He's not some superstar by any means, but he is absolutely a legit top 6 guy.

 

[The Greatest 101]

Perron was up and down from Sid to Geno's line.
.

That's a flat out lie.Perron was always playing on Crosby's line until the last 3 or 4 games.MJ even said he didn't want to try Malkin-Perron.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Most likely. Even then, I guess I just don't get it.

"Sure, Perron's an established young scoring winger who was playing through an injury during his rough patch, but what has he done for me lately?

 

[Ogrezilla]

During his entire time here, Perron scored at a slightly disappointing 23 goal 41 point pace. Is that really so bad, considering how little he produced at the end and how bad the entire damn team was playing at that point? When he was playing well, he did VERY well here last year. He was scoring at a 45 goal 67 point pace after a month and at a 33 goal 54 point pace after 2 months. After the 3rd month, he was still at a 27 goal 47 point pace. That's a good player at any of those rates.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Why is anyone arguing with that...well...Little Kid?

Perron wasn't used correctly, if this was a team that didn't have a problem like that, it'd be obvious who the problem is, but given that this team's M.O is that they constantly misuse wingers, well...

That's a flat out lie.Perron was always playing on Crosby's line until the last 3 or 4 games.MJ even said he didn't want to try Malkin-Perron.

Your name is very apt.

I haven't had to use the ignore option until now, be proud.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

During his entire time here, Perron scored at a slightly disappointing 23 goal 41 point pace. Is that really so bad, considering how little he produced at the end and how bad the entire damn team was playing at that point? When he was playing well, he did VERY well here last year. He was scoring at a 45 goal 67 point pace after a month and at a 33 goal 54 point pace after 2 months. After the 3rd month, he was still at a 27 goal 47 point pace. That's a good player at any of those rates.

Considering a lot of people wanted Williams, who was around that same pace and a few others that weren't that off from Perron's production...I say ****'em. I like Perron and when healthy with a proper training camp where the coach will be forced to create 2 forward units for the top 6, he'll find his home.

 

[Nakawick]

Don't want Franson. He would just get in the way and is not any better than what we have IMO. Plus too expensive and would want multiple years. I would sign Oduya for a year if he can't resign with the Hawks, but I can't think of anyone on D else that is a FA.

 

[eXile59]

I guess the alternative is to re-sign Martin and screw the Kessel deal? Also sign Franson 4 years 5 per? Hope Kunitz can turn it around at age 35/allow Dupuis a chance in the top 6 with heart issues.. or should we place our eggs in the 'Dumo, Pouliot are two of our top prosects and lets finally play them' basket? Get a top 5 winger in the NHL to play with our elite centers.

Eh I'm happy with our off-season. No. I'm ecstatic. And Lovejoy isn't a bad player. He is a number 6, nothing more and nothing less.

I think at the very least Scuderi should have been bought out. Of course I don't know the specifics of what happened in the off season. I know we tried to dump him but his NTC held it up. I'm just saying defense right now is a huge question mark so why are people wanting to sign more forwards when we have to many top 9 already?

 

[The Greatest 101]

Well,I know reality hurts.I won't say anything about Perron any more.Hope he becomes the player you all think he is next season.

 

[Nakawick]

I think at the very least Scuderi should have been bought out. Of course I don't know the specifics of what happened in the off season. I know we tried to dump him but his NTC held it up. I'm just saying defense right now is a huge question mark so why are people wanting to sign more forwards when we have to many top 9 already?

Well, as you noted we have lots of wingers. Another forward, specifically a good center not only fills out our forward depth, it gives us more options for trading to help the D during the season if things get too ugly. The first step is getting Scuds off the books though.

 

[Penguinator]

Well,I know reality hurts.I won't say anything about Perron any more.Hope he becomes the player you all think he is next season.

So it's all in our heads? Thanks for the... heads-up!

 

[Boocock]

 

[DoktorZaius]

"We have no assets left, farms in siberia are deeper than the Pens right now, and I can't wait to acquire a Dman at the deadline"

doods.

This so much. We can't spend like drunken Ray Shero's at the deadline anymore.

 

[Asuna]

he's so terrible

 

[Penguinator]

Awesome ****, this video oozes legit top6 sickness.

 

[mpp9]

Listened to Madden's podcast with Savran today. Sounds like they're on board with Letang off the 1st unit.

One way to help alleviate the loss of Martin and insulate DP while still giving him legit minutes, is give him big minutes on the PP, and have Letang be more free to eat up minutes at ES.

 

[wheelz87]

I think at the very least Scuderi should have been bought out. Of course I don't know the specifics of what happened in the off season. I know we tried to dump him but his NTC held it up. I'm just saying defense right now is a huge question mark so why are people wanting to sign more forwards when we have to many top 9 already?

We have Sutter, Kunitz, and Scuds all of which are players we could do without. Number 1 on that list by far though is Scuds, so yea he needs to go. You are right, defense is a question mark. It's a question mark because of years of not utilizing and playing our draft picks. Sooner or later you have to. This is that year, this is the year the question mark goes away, whether it be good or bad. I love being as negative as anybody but lets review what we have. Maatta-Letang pairing is a beast pairing, simply. Cole should be on the second unit.. I really like what I saw of him last year so I have no reason to be sour on him, even if his ceiling is a number four. And so our 3rd pairing could be a combination of Pouliot/Dumoulin/Lovejoy. No team is perfect, Dumoulin/Lovejoy may work, it may not. Dumo might be a beast number 5, who knows. Pouliot is a former #8 overall, why can't he be the long-term solution to our second pairing? We can split up Letang and Maatta to spread the wealth if need be. If there is one hole on the team, yes its we are lacking one top four defensemen RIGHT NOW..but that guy may already be on the team. Which may be a year away, so should we further spend assets for a one year fix? At the same time, we have our best forward unit since.. the Lemieux/Jagr/Straka/Kovy/Lang days? Atleast since 08. Seriously now we have too many good forwards? Too many options? That's a good thing! Beau/Plotnikov on the 4th line is not a bad thing. It gives them both motivation to compete like hell for that last top 6 role. A little sacrifice of defense for offense is how it should be with Sid and Geno on the team. People will moan about the 4th line not being physical enough, maybe it's warranted. Reality is there is no one set way to build a team. Chicago is as soft as it gets, yet they have 3 cups in 6 years. Washington went all out offense for years and it got them early exits.. but maybe they messed up by not sticking with it? That was a YOUNG team. I like where this team is headed. For the most negative of people, this is a re-tooling year. Where we find out about our defensemen and count on the offense to carry us. However IMO we are still absolutely going to contend for the division this year, we are still absolutely a playoff team. But at last, there is finally direction with this team. (and we are one god awful trade removed from having that solid top 4........)

 

[robopigeon]

We're so ridiculously stacked at RW, and our only legitimate, Top 6 LW, that's shown insane chemistry with atleast the Crosby line already... isn't good enough, and should play 3RW. Umm...

The only discussion we need to be having about the Top 6, right now, is if we have another Top 6 LW in house, or if we have one "good enough" for a few years. Plots, Bennett, hell even Sunny D or Kunitz (Kunitz - Malkin - Kessel might not be the worst line?).

We almost have enough talent in the top 6 that, if we had a coach worth a damn, we could roll out a different look for practically any team. Get another speedy winger and we could have a speedy winger - Crosby - Kessel line against the Rangers, or for grindier teams we could roll a Plots - Malkin - Kessel line, or a Malkin - Crosby - Kessel line when all else fails, etc.

Damn.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I hope Perron goes back to his #57, I know he used to wear #39 as well but I like him better with that #.


Also, that Boedker contract is interesting. He's 100% deadline trade bait. I wish the Pens had a way to land him some how with just Sutter and someone like Kunitz.

 

[mpp9]

If they're keeping Kunitz, the guy's ending up next to Sid or Geno. Just gotta hope he can rebound in that scenario.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

We're so ridiculously stacked at RW, and our only legitimate, Top 6 LW, that's shown insane chemistry with atleast the Crosby line already... isn't good enough, and should play 3RW. Umm...

The only discussion we need to be having about the Top 6, right now, is if we have another Top 6 LW in house, or if we have one "good enough" for a few years. Plots, Bennett, hell even Sunny D or Kunitz (Kunitz - Malkin - Kessel might not be the worst line?).

We almost have enough talent in the top 6 that, if we had a coach worth a damn, we could roll out a different look for practically any team. Get another speedy winger and we could have a speedy winger - Crosby - Kessel line against the Rangers, or for grindier teams we could roll a Plots - Malkin - Kessel line, or a Malkin - Crosby - Kessel line when all else fails, etc.

Damn.

The problem is this team's coaching staff, whichever the idiot is (Tocchet is my guess) that wants to keep handedness where the player plays.

Because really, I see it like this.

C's
Sid
Geno
Sutter

LW's
Perron
Plotnikov (not sure, I think he's done his best work on his RW)
Bennett
Kunitz

RW's
Hornqvist
Kessel
Dupuis


Sundqvist...throw a dart.

How bad is it that Bylsma of all people had the foresight to put players in their off wings to try them, sometimes brilliant (Neal) and sometimes head bashingly moronic (Iginla). Again though, I will point my fingers at Morehouse and his puppets like Tocchet, Billy G, etc.

 

[Ogrezilla]

its not like Perron on the left wing would be something we even have to try. He is a left wing, and has been his entire career.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

If they're keeping Kunitz, the guy's ending up next to Sid or Geno. Just gotta hope he can rebound in that scenario.

If Sid & Kessel show instant chemistry and light the league on fire, I doubt we'd care if Kunitard is there.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

If they're keeping Kunitz, the guy's ending up next to Sid or Geno. Just gotta hope he can rebound in that scenario.

This is the biggest problem with the likes of Kunitz, Scuderi and Dupuis still on the roster, the coaching staff can't be trusted. Honourable mention to Sutter's much lauded upside and potential. It's probably going to be

Kunitz/Dupuis-Crosby-Hornqvist/Kessel
Kunitz/Dupuis-Malkin-Hornqvist/Kessel
Plotnikov/Bennett-Sutter-Perron
Plotnikov/Bennett-X-X/Bennett if he's lucky

Maatta-Letang
Pouliot/Dumoulin-Lovejoy
Scuderi-Pouliot/Dumoulin

 

[Honour Over Glory]

its not like Perron on the left wing would be something we even have to try. He is a left wing, and has been his entire career.

Exactly, unless you're tocchet. I believe he's the one that seemed to like Bennett on the right side and that he belongs there in some tweet 2yrs ago.

But yeah, I liked Perron back when he was with the Blues, always liked his style and thought concussions pushed him off track a little as he was going to end up being a much better top 6 winger than he is right now. Not that what he is now is bad, I like Perron on this team.