Jim Rutherford "likely out in Pittsburgh"

[Edges7*]

It was a clear downgrade

Trading Bortuzzo was worse. There had to have been a way to get Cole without giving up Bortuzzo.

 

[Voight]

The argument can be made that Lovejoy was not much of an upgrade. The argument cannot be made that it wasn't an upgrade.

Despres was second in hits among defensemen with 23 points.

Lovejoy had 14 points.

How wasn't that a downgrade for the Pens/upgrade for the Ducks?

 

[Voight]

IMO they should've tried GMGM, at least he isn't a fossil like JR and has had success in the last 5 years.

 

[khaoskennedy]

Trading Bortuzzo was worse. There had to have been a way to get Cole without giving up Bortuzzo.

Since you think Despres sucks but we shouldn't have traded Bortuzzo, I can only assume you dont watch the games

I can recall maybe 1 good game Bortuzzo had this year, he didnt bring the physicality that he used to, even when he played at his best he was a 6/7 defenseman, nothing more.

Bort for Cole is/was a good deal for us.

 

[Edges7*]

Despres was second in hits among defensemen with 23 points.

Lovejoy had 14 points.

How wasn't that a downgrade for the Pens/upgrade for the Ducks?

Because Lovejoy is the better player of the two.

 

[Edges7*]

Since you think Despres sucks but we shouldn't have traded Bortuzzo, I can only assume you dont watch the games

I can recall maybe 1 good game Bortuzzo had this year, he didnt bring the physicality that he used to, even when he played at his best he was a 6/7 defenseman, nothing more.

Bort for Cole is/was a good deal for us.

My point is that the Pens would have been better off with both.

 

[Beerfish]

I thought the hire was stupid in the 1st place.

 

[T1K]

Because Lovejoy is the better player of the two.

[mod]

Lovejoy isn't good, let alone better than Despres.

 

[Voight]

Because Lovejoy is the better player of the two.

How is he better? I just proved Despres is better in both aspects of the game.

 

[Edges7*]

How is he better? I just proved Despres is better in both aspects of the game.

Do you think Tavares is better than Crosby or, even, Toews?

I don't.

Who has better stats?

Corey Crawford has a Cup...Henrik Lundquist doesn't. I guess Crawford is better.

 

[mikethelegacy]

Do you think Tavares is better than Crosby or, even, Toews?

I don't.

Who has better stats?

Corey Crawford has a Cup...Henrik Lundquist doesn't. I guess Crawford is better.

Cups are a team stat, not an individual one. Terrible 4th liners that play on a cup team can say they are "cup winners" but that doesn't make them better than Jarome Iginla, who has no cups.

But Jarome Iginla being a perennial 30 goal scorer makes him better than those 4th line plugs.

Stats do matter and Despres was SIGNIFICANTLY better.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

How is he better? I just proved Despres is better in both aspects of the game.

Lol hits as a measure of defensive play.

 

[BobDobolina]

He was a strange hire to begin with.

 

[Edges7*]

Cups are a team stat, not an individual one. Terrible 4th liners that play on a cup team can say they are "cup winners" but that doesn't make them better than Jarome Iginla, who has no cups.

But Jarome Iginla being a perennial 30 goal scorer makes him better than those 4th line plugs.

Stats do matter and Despres was SIGNIFICANTLY better.

So Tavares is SIGNIFICANTLY better than Toews...got it.

 

[Edges7*]

Lol hits as a measure of defensive play.

Despres was given three opportunities to show that he can play at this level. Josh Manson will be taking a regular shift with Anaheim, or in the NHL, longer then Despres will be.

Manson was taken in the 6th round of the same draft in which the Pens wasted a 1st round pick on Despres.

 

[Edges7*]

Lol hits as a measure of defensive play.

Chyea...

 

[613Leafer]

He was GM for Hartford/Carolina for what? Like 18-20 years? And made the playoffs 5 times?

He's incredibly lucky he won that Cup, it was probably the worst SC winning roster on paper that ive seen. The blueline wasnt very good, with ~Hedican/F. Kaberle as their top dmen, a rookie goalie caught fire and went on a great run, two deadline acquisitions (Weight/Recchi) both played very well, and E. Staal, Stillman, and J. Williams were all producing at peak career levels.

Carolina missed the playoffs both the year before and the year after that Cup run. It wasnt a rock solid core that he put together that contended for years, it was a slap-stick job that got lucky for a year.

If his team didnt win that Cup, he would have stopped being a GM in this league years ago. The overall track record simply isnt good.

 

[mangdas]

I think Gillis would be an interesting option for Pittsburgh. He was a good GM for the Nucks, and likely wouldn't repeat the same mistakes he made there

 

[GoCanes2013]

He was GM for Hartford/Carolina for what? Like 18-20 years? And made the playoffs 5 times?

He's incredibly lucky he won that Cup, it was probably the worst SC winning roster on paper that ive seen. The blueline wasnt very good, with ~Hedican/F. Kaberle as their top dmen, a rookie goalie caught fire and went on a great run, two deadline acquisitions (Weight/Recchi) both played very well, and E. Staal, Stillman, and J. Williams were all producing at peak career levels.

Carolina missed the playoffs both the year before and the year after that Cup run. It wasnt a rock solid core that he put together that contended for years, it was a slap-stick job that got lucky for a year.

If his team didnt win that Cup, he would have stopped being a GM in this league years ago. The overall track record simply isnt good.

Ignorance personified. On the cup win. Having said that, he needed to go.

 

[gdsmack267]

If pens dont have 4/6 D men out this thread doesnt exist.

 

[MovesLikeJagr68]

He had two jobs:
Build a defense capable of not allowing goals in the playoffs.
Reduce Crosby's responsibility from the "do everything" guy on his line, so that he's less involved with defense, forechecking and overall puck retrieval, and able to focus more on creating dangerous chances from the possession established by more competent linemates.

And failed miserably at both.

What? 4 of their defencemen are injured, including 3 of their top 4. Also their D has been good in the playoffs, the team just can't score anymore.

I think he did a decent job getting top line wingers without moving too many big pieces in Horny and Perron. He can only bring the players in, he can't coach them.

The only bad move he's made is the Despres trade (which was awful), I have no issues with his other moves.

 

[Voight]

Do you think Tavares is better than Crosby or, even, Toews?

I don't.

Who has better stats?

Corey Crawford has a Cup...Henrik Lundquist doesn't. I guess Crawford is better.

What makes Lovejoy better? Are you just trying to justify the horrible trade made by your G<M?

Also, where do cups come into this? Neither has one and I didn't mention them.

 

[the halleJOKEL]

He was GM for Hartford/Carolina for what? Like 18-20 years? And made the playoffs 5 times?

He's incredibly lucky he won that Cup, it was probably the worst SC winning roster on paper that ive seen. The blueline wasnt very good, with ~Hedican/F. Kaberle as their top dmen, a rookie goalie caught fire and went on a great run, two deadline acquisitions (Weight/Recchi) both played very well, and E. Staal, Stillman, and J. Williams were all producing at peak career levels.

Carolina missed the playoffs both the year before and the year after that Cup run. It wasnt a rock solid core that he put together that contended for years, it was a slap-stick job that got lucky for a year.

If his team didnt win that Cup, he would have stopped being a GM in this league years ago. The overall track record simply isnt good.

the worst roster on paper you've ever seen had doug weight and ray whitney on its third line

that team challenged for the president's trophy all year until erik cole got his neck broken by orpik and gerber came down with some weird stomach virus for the last ~12 games of the season

the team was also decimated by injuries the year after they won the cup

 

[Shwag33]

Lovejoy has been on the ice for 6 of 8 even strength goals in the series.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

What? 4 of their defencemen are injured, including 3 of their top 4. Also their D has been good in the playoffs, the team just can't score anymore.

I think he did a decent job getting top line wingers without moving too many big pieces in Horny and Perron. He can only bring the players in, he can't coach them.

The only bad move he's made is the Despres trade (which was awful), I have no issues with his other moves.

I'm not blaming him for the injuries, I'm blaming him for icing a defense where some combination of Letang/Maatta/Martin/Ehrhoff are its best defensive players. I mean, maybe they're actually so good at moving pucks and defending against the dump and chase (plus unparalleled center depth) that it wouldn't matter, but D-Zone start eating goal-preventers are a big part of Cup winning depth and I don't see any on the Pens even when everyone's healthy.

I hate both Perron and Hornqvist as acquisitions given what the Pens needed to do to support Sid and Malkin. They don't create their own shots with such regularity that other teams need to key on them instead of their center group. Cloning Dupuis would have been a better investment.