Confirmed with Link: Mikael Granlund for a 2nd Round pick

[Pancakes]

I actually am not so sure Hextall will be fired immediately in the off season.

FSG doesn't know hockey. It's not like they can be sitting there waiting to bring in "their guy". They don't have a guy. If they did, Hextall would have been gone already.

If they fire him, they're going to have to do extensive interviews with candidates until someone impresses them enough to take over. And I don't know that i see that happening before the draft, or even before free agency. Perhaps after. I dunno. We'll see.

 

[Factorial]

Remember when everyone was mad because of Depres for Lovejoy? Or Hornqvist for Matheson?

I am not thrilled with this trade either but if you read the reactions and know nothing about the player, you would think Granlund is 39 years old and his best point total is 7 or something.

How old do you need to be to post on this board?

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Today is the first time I have just felt badly enough for Sid, Geno and Letang to say we may want to consider just trading them next year and start the rebuild. At that point he has two years left on his deal and will be extremely valuable.

Either that, or fire this GM, and the next guy will be starting from a way deeper hole than him. But it's important whoever you hire has an actual plan about how to remake this roster. Trade Granlund to some bottom dweller who can use him properly, and reset things.

We did have the assets to change and fix the fundamental problems with the roster when GMRH came in. Could have traded Rust in a hockey deal when his cap hit was low to get tougher and better defensively. Could have bought out Zucker or traded him for scraps and signed a two way guy like Saad with the savings, could have traded McCann for something of actual value or kept him, could have cut bait on Kapanen a lot sooner, etc etc.

Yeah, the half assed approach to giving our legacy players the support they need to actually contend was never going to work.

I thought Hextall might be nibbling around the edges the last couple years and really go for it this deadline, but he's clueless. Rakell was a nice add, but this team isn't doing anything with that calibre of player being the main addition.

The supporting cast outside of Guentzel is the definition of "mid", and I can't for the life of me figure out why we're prioritizing Pickering/Poulin level draft picks over maximizing this core in its sunset years. Guys like Bertuzzi, Chychrun, and ROR who could fill useful roles here were available at prices we could afford. If I were Malkin, I'd be wondering why I took a discount just so the Pens could add overpaid vets who don't address team needs.

 

[Night Shift]

Remember when everyone was mad because of Depres for Lovejoy? Or Hornqvist for Matheson?

I am not thrilled with this trade either but if you read the reactions and know nothing about the player, you would think Granlund is 39 years old and his best point total is 7 or something.

Yeah I mean Granlund is an elite playmaker, all he needs is to be given a chance on L2 where he imo belongs.

But Sally as predicted is already putting a wrench in it.

I actually am not so sure Hextall will be fired immediately in the off season.

FSG doesn't know hockey. It's not like they can be sitting there waiting to bring in "their guy". They don't have a guy. If they did, Hextall would have been gone already.

If they fire him, they're going to have to do extensive interviews with candidates until someone impresses them enough to take over. And I don't know that i see that happening before the draft, or even before free agency. Perhaps after. I dunno. We'll see.

You are absolutely correct and I also think the draft plays into it because it's half his other job. Firing a GM before the draft is counterproductive to the work the scouts put in along with the GMs.

But Shero was fired right after 15 and I don't remember how that played in that draft. Ironically I think that was the draft Neal for Hornqvist and Kapanen at 15.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Firing a GM before a draft isn't any more counterproductive than letting an awful GM who deserves to be fired handle the draft. /shrug

Dump his ass after the season. The scouts are the ones who have all the info on the prospects anyway.

 

[Gurglesons]

I actually am not so sure Hextall will be fired immediately in the off season.

FSG doesn't know hockey. It's not like they can be sitting there waiting to bring in "their guy". They don't have a guy. If they did, Hextall would have been gone already.

If they fire him, they're going to have to do extensive interviews with candidates until someone impresses them enough to take over. And I don't know that i see that happening before the draft, or even before free agency. Perhaps after. I dunno. We'll see.

Yeah I don’t think they let Hextall make this move if he was going to be fired.

Honestly if we don’t resign Zucker and add someone with a different skill set I’ll give the Granlund deal some space to work out.

 

[Empoleon8771]

The Penguins should fire Hextall after the year, but it's going to be hilarious to see how fast fans turn on the new GM when the same problems that have existed since like 2019 still haunt the Penguins next year. Then we'll see the "New GM is running the Penguins into the ground!" article near the 2025 trade deadline while Sullivan is still doing Sullivan things behind the bench.

 

[Night Shift]

Also I kinda think FSG will let Hacksaw and Sally sink this team to the bottom with their decisions until it gets to the point where the core may want to leave. And then FSG will clean house.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I doubt Sid ever asks out. Just don't think it's a possibility with his fanatical devotion to habit for him to pick up his entire life and move to a new city for his final couple of years as an NHLer. Geno might, but I doubt it. Letang's playing like it may be a blessing for him to ask out.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Yeah, the half assed approach to giving our legacy players the support they need to actually contend was never going to work.

I thought Hextall might be nibbling around the edges the last couple years and really go for it this deadline, but he's clueless. Rakell was a nice add, but this team isn't doing anything with that calibre of player being the main addition.

The supporting cast outside of Guentzel is the definition of "mid", and I can't for the life of me figure out why we're prioritizing Pickering/Poulin level draft picks over maximizing this core in its sunset years. Guys like Bertuzzi, Chychrun, and ROR who could fill useful roles here were available at prices we could afford. If I were Malkin, I'd be wondering why I took a discount just so the Pens could add overpaid vets who don't address team needs.

Agree with all of this, especially the bolded. It's one thing if we had these blue chip prospects who were expected to become legitimate elite players and Hextall was reluctant to part with them, but he's holding onto middle of the road prospects and 20+ range 1st round picks rather than actually bolster the current roster.

It's infuriating to watch, to be honest.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I'd have been fine with Hextall remaining relatively inactive and calmly guiding the plane down in a field after JR blew up its engines on his way out.

Hextall compounded the problems, that's the issue. This team's window's been closed for years, nobody should be concerned with Cups. It's that this team's going the way of the 2012 Red Wings in feigning relevance just to keep making the post season, with no hope of competing anymore.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

The reason I hope I'm right is because Ron Hextall is an absolute dogshit general manager.

Is there a fan base that doesn't think this about their GM?

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I'd have been fine with Hextall remaining relatively inactive and calmly guiding the plane down in a field after JR blew up its engines on his way out.

Hextall compounded the problems, that's the issue. This team's window's been closed for years, nobody should be concerned with Cups. It's that this team's going the way of the 2012 Red Wings in feigning relevance just to keep making the post season, with no hope of competing anymore.

But that's the thing. If that's their approach -- whether we agree with it or not -- then why is Hextall so gun-shy about spending picks/prospects to actually acquire the higher tier available players?

My issue is he seems to be doing the worst possible thing. You either DON'T spend assets and actually sell off expiring players OR you insist you're "all in" and actually are willing to trade your 1st or Pickering to land those upgrades. Hextall's doing neither. He's wasting assets on middling additions while holding onto expiring contracts.

It's like, you either take the direct path through mud but gets you to the end quicker or you take the safe path that goes around the mud but takes longer. Pick one or the other. Instead, Hextall runs halfway through the mud and then decides to back to the clean path that takes longer, benefiting from neither approach.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Is there a fan base that doesn't think this about their GM?

Maybe not, but in some cases, like with this team, it's true. Though I'd be pretty stoked if I were a fan of the Devils or Senators.

But that's the thing. If that's their approach -- whether we agree with it or not -- then why is Hextall so gun-shy about spending picks/prospects to actually acquire the higher tier available players?

My issue is he seems to be doing the worst possible thing. You either DON'T spend assets and actually sell off expiring players OR you insist you're "all in" and actually are willing to trade your 1st or Pickering to land those upgrades. Hextall's doing neither. He's wasting assets on middling additions while holding onto expiring contracts.

It's like, you either take the direct path through mud but gets you to the end quicker or you take the safe path that goes around the mud but takes longer. Pick one or the other. Instead, Hextall runs halfway through the mud and then decides to back to the clean path that takes longer, benefiting from neither approach.

Yeah, I mean, I got nothin' dude. I'm sure the story is bullshit, but the rumor about him being unable to put his plans down on paper because they were all in his head makes a lotta sense.

Again, I'd have been happy with the guy doing nothing. Just don't f*** things up any more than he has already. He couldn't do that.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Maybe not, but in some cases, like with this team, it's true. Though I'd be pretty stoked if I were a fan of the Devils or Senators.

Yeah, I mean, I got nothin' dude. I'm sure the story is bullshit, but the rumor about him being unable to put his plans down on paper because they were all in his head makes a lotta sense.

Again, I'd have been happy with the guy doing nothing. Just don't f*** things up any more than he has already. He couldn't do that.

Both teams went through long periods of being very bad and drafting high.

The Pens have not yet.

But will soon.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Both teams went through long periods of being very bad and drafting high.

The Pens have not yet.

But will soon.

Sure hope so, but it feels like they're just gonna pull a Red Wings and bury their head in the sand for as long as they can just to say they made the playoffs.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Sure hope so, but it feels like they're just gonna pull a Red Wings and bury their head in the sand for as long as they can just to say they made the playoffs.

I very much doubt that.

Effort will be made to at least support the core for another two or three years and then I am sure that the plan is a complete tear down and rebuild.

 

[enviSAGE]

Did not realize Granlund and Zucker were linemates when they both had their career seasons in 17-18. Zucker-Malkin-Granlund has to be given a shot.

 

[Gurglesons]

Sure hope so, but it feels like they're just gonna pull a Red Wings and bury their head in the sand for as long as they can just to say they made the playoffs.

Everything on the team is set up to sell when Crosby’s contract is up.

 

[Night Shift]

Did not realize Granlund and Zucker were linemates when they both had their career seasons in 17-18. Zucker-Malkin-Granlund has to be given a shot.

Sally won't even give it a look. That would mean having to move Rust down. Look how long it took him to realize Rust wasn't working on L1.

 

[HandshakeLine]

How old do you need to be to post on this board?

minimum of 35, and at least 3 drinks in.

 

[Pens1566]

minimum of 35, and at least 3 drinks in.

Older. I like to "gatekeep" at being able to recall/discuss peak Mario and Artie.

I'd accept someone that had attended a Wu Tang concert (original lineup).

 

[penguinsnomad]

I'm going to sound weird here, but even if Hextall had only gotten Nashville to retain 500k-750k on Granlund, it would somehow feel like a much less bad move to me. Like a moderate overpay that's a bit quixotic. I know, it's a weird line to draw.

That said, I hope he's productive so that he can be moved easily when the time comes. Hextall needs to go by the end of the season. I keep telling myself that the rest of the East this year is just too much for us to get through, anyways even without Captain Ron's debacle. I actually think this team, as constituted, would have a puncher's chance out West, though.

 

[Factorial]

minimum of 35, and at least 3 drinks in.

That may make it more interesting.

 

[Slaaapshuter]

Haven't really noticed him.