Proposal: Maatta to Buffalo

[HiddenInLight]

Not interested in trading McCabe or Nylander for Maata, but I'd be happy to discuss other options.

 

[Jim Bob]

Not interested in trading McCabe or Nylander for Maata, but I'd be happy to discuss other options.

Nylander for Maata seems like a much closer starting point than McCabe for Maata.

It would be interesting what Pittsburgh thinks of guys like Bailey, Baptiste, and Fasching.

One of those winger prospects plus a second might be where I would try and go if Maata were offered up.

 

[truthbluth]

This can't be overstated enough.

The tag team of KK and tbj4life is enough to make you want to drink excessively.

Ah the naïveté of being a fan of a decent hockey team. Imagine, needing to read hfboards to want to drink excessively.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Why are the Pens trading Maatta if they're not getting an upgrade on defense? That's the part I don't understand about a lot of these Maatta proposals. The player coming back is either on par with Maatta (ie. what's the point since there's no gain), or worse than Maatta (ie. makes the Pens worse).

Picks and prospects do nothing for the Pens since they're in win-now mode. Maatta is currently one of their top 4/top 5 defensemen. Removing him while downgrading or not replacing him makes zero sense.

 

[jmb412]

Can we stop making Maatta trade proposals? He's not getting traded.

 

[CanadianPensFan1]

Ah the naïveté of being a fan of a decent hockey team. Imagine, needing to read hfboards to want to drink excessively.

What now?

 

[Riptide]

Nylander for Maata seems like a much closer starting point than McCabe for Maata.

It would be interesting what Pittsburgh thinks of guys like Bailey, Baptiste, and Fasching.

One of those winger prospects plus a second might be where I would try and go if Maata were offered up.

There's no reason for PIT to go there. None of those guys are likely to crack PITs forward group any time soon and a 2nd does nothing for PIT compared to losing Maatta.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Nylander for Maata seems like a much closer starting point than McCabe for Maata.

It would be interesting what Pittsburgh thinks of guys like Bailey, Baptiste, and Fasching.

One of those winger prospects plus a second might be where I would try and go if Maata were offered up.

But the issue is that doesn't really fill much of a need for Pittsburgh. They don't really need a winger long term with Guentzel, Sheary, Rust, Sprong, Kessel, Hornqvist and Hagelin all here long term. Even if they lose Rust or Hagelin to expansion, they're still set in the long run with skilled wingers. If Maatta is moved, it has to be for a replacement defenseman.

Kane and Kulikov for Maatta and Kunitz? I'd imagine if salary needed to be retained Buffalo could do that as well. Pens fans will probably hate it, but Kane is an upgrade on Kunitz and Kulikov is a solid top 4 guy. Sabres get a good young top 4 guy locked up long-term.

Maatta>Kane
Kunitz>Kulikov

Why are the Penguins doing this? Yeah, Kane is an upgrade on Kunitz, but Kunitz is a 4th liner for the Penguins.

 

[Riptide]

Why are the Pens trading Maatta if they're not getting an upgrade on defense? That's the part I don't understand about a lot of these Maatta proposals. The player coming back is either on par with Maatta (ie. what's the point since there's no gain), or worse than Maatta (ie. makes the Pens worse).

Picks and prospects do nothing for the Pens since they're in win-now mode. Maatta is currently one of their top 4/top 5 defensemen. Removing him while downgrading or not replacing him makes zero sense.

All depends on what else is going on. When Pen fans were talking about Smith and Tatar for Maatta, the idea there is that Smith is a FA and we wouldn't have to protect him, allowing PIT to protect Letang, Dumoulin and Schultz.

So moving Maatta and getting a pending FA D back who's on a similar level to him and getting an additional asset isn't completely illogical. It just needs to be something that makes some sense. Prospects or forwards who can't crack our top 9 (which is much deeper than past seasons) and picks do not make much sense. But that doesn't mean there's not deals out there that do make sense even if it's a FA D coming back who's not "better" than Maatta. But it would have to be a pretty specific return. Just tossing in a 2nd or a B forward prospect to "even things up" wouldn't work for PIT.

 

[Freeptop]

Ah the naïveté of being a fan of a decent hockey team. Imagine, needing to read hfboards to want to drink excessively.

To be fair, during the last few years of Bylsma being the Pens' head coach, plenty of Pens fans wanted to drink excessively before even getting to hfboards as well!

 

[Jim Bob]

There's no reason for PIT to go there. None of those guys are likely to crack PITs forward group any time soon and a 2nd does nothing for PIT compared to losing Maatta.

That's fine.

Then that really ends the thread right there because the Sabres aren't in a position to give up a D for Maata.

The Sabres need to add D and not just swap D for D.

 

[truthbluth]

What now?

shorter: The Sabres make us want to drink excessively.

 

[SnoopDogg]

Why are you guys mentioning Nylander? Do you Pittsburgh fans think that Maatta is worth Nylander? LOL!

I wouldn't give up McCabe straight up for Maatta.. I really hope you guys are kidding.

 

[CanadianPensFan1]

shorter: The Sabres make us want to drink excessively.

Ah. Gotcha. Lol

Er. Sorry man good times ahead?

 

[tsujimoto74]

McCabe might be better than Maatta right now. Given Maatta's injury history, wouldn't trade 1-for-1, much less add.

 

[truthbluth]

Ah. Gotcha. Lol

Er. Sorry man good times ahead?

Think so. I worry that it won't be until we can say bye-elsma. *groans at his own pun*

 

[CanadianPensFan1]

Think so. I worry that it won't be until we can say bye-elsma. *groans at his own pun*

*rim shot*

To be fair .. it could also get worse. If you guys hired Mike Johnson. Trust me on this ... as bad as Bylsma is .. good Christ it's worse

 

[is the answer jesus]

But the issue is that doesn't really fill much of a need for Pittsburgh. They don't really need a winger long term with Guentzel, Sheary, Rust, Sprong, Kessel, Hornqvist and Hagelin all here long term. Even if they lose Rust or Hagelin to expansion, they're still set in the long run with skilled wingers. If Maatta is moved, it has to be for a replacement defenseman.



Maatta>Kane
Kunitz>Kulikov

Why are the Penguins doing this? Yeah, Kane is an upgrade on Kunitz, but Kunitz is a 4th liner for the Penguins.

Kunitz whom you describe as a 4th liner holds more value than a top 4 defenseman in Kulikov? That's asinine. In my trade proposal trade Kulikov slides into Maatta's spot and you get a guy in Kane who can slide into your 2nd or 3rd line. You guys give up the best player long-term, but likely get better in the short term

 

[Empoleon8771]

Kunitz whom you describe as a 4th liner holds more value than a top 4 defenseman in Kulikov? That's asinine. In my trade proposal trade Kulikov slides into Maatta's spot and you get a guy in Kane who can slide into your 2nd or 3rd line. You guys give up the best player long-term, but likely get better in the short term

He's a 4th liner for the Penguins, not overall. He has 21 points in 43 games on the year, he has good value. How does Kulikov, who has been bad this year for Buffalo, have more value than Kunitz?

Kane wouldn't be the Penguins 2nd or 3rd line LWer because he's not better than Hagelin, Sheary or Guentzel. Kane isn't the best player now in that real either.

 

[Toby Flenderson]

He's a 4th liner for the Penguins, not overall. He has 21 points in 43 games on the year, he has good value. How does Kulikov, who has been bad this year for Buffalo, have more value than Kunitz?

Kane wouldn't be the Penguins 2nd or 3rd line LWer because he's not better than Hagelin, Sheary or Guentzel. Kane isn't the best player now in that real either.

Lol this is not describing all pens fans please ignore. Kulikov 100% has more value than Kunitz.

Kane is more talented than hagelin, but still wouldn't trade for him. Pens don't need him.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Lol this is not describing all pens fans please ignore. Kulikov 100% has more value than Kunitz.

Kane is more talented than hagelin, but still wouldn't trade for him. Pens don't need him.

Convincing argument, care to say why I'm wrong?

 

[Toby Flenderson]

Convincing argument, care to say why I'm wrong?

Kulikov is having a down year with his new team. He was consistently good in FLA. Not to mention top 4 D of his age are more valuable then overpaid grinders in their late 30s

You will be hard pressed to find someone that agrees Kunitz is more valuable than Kulikov

 

[SEALBound]

Dammit Sid...where's your flare for the dramatic!?

 

[is the answer jesus]

He's a 4th liner for the Penguins, not overall. He has 21 points in 43 games on the year, he has good value. How does Kulikov, who has been bad this year for Buffalo, have more value than Kunitz?

Kane wouldn't be the Penguins 2nd or 3rd line LWer because he's not better than Hagelin, Sheary or Guentzel. Kane isn't the best player now in that real either.

Few things. Sheary is now on IR and is out several weeks, he's a good young player, but Crosby is the best player in the league, he routinely makes average players look good and good players look great, Guentzel has how many NHL games under his belt? A dozen? and he's already a better player than Evander Kane? Even Hagelin is debatable and I think he's a bit underrated league wide. Looks like a pretty meh bunch of LW's. As far as Kunitz and Kulikov you can't even be taken seriously if you believe a 37 year old bottom 6 player holds more value than a top 4 defenseman that's over 10 years younger than him. Kulikov hasn't been "bad" he was injured earlier in the season.

 

[Riptide]

Few things. Sheary is now on IR and is out several weeks, he's a good young player, but Crosby is the best player in the league, he routinely makes average players look good and good players look great, Guentzel has how many NHL games under his belt? A dozen? and he's already a better player than Evander Kane? Even Hagelin is debatable and I think he's a bit underrated league wide. Looks like a pretty meh bunch of LW's. As far as Kunitz and Kulikov you can't even be taken seriously if you believe a 37 year old bottom 6 player holds more value than a top 4 defenseman that's over 10 years younger than him. Kulikov hasn't been "bad" he was injured earlier in the season.

Are you aware of how Sheary is producing? For a "meh LW", he's 12th in in the league in ES points and 15th in ES goals. For LWer's he's 2nd in ES goals and 5th in ES points in the league - and that's playing a dozen games less than some of the guys in front of him. So if that's "meh", I'm quite content with it!