Penguins Identity w/Realist Optics

[billybudd]

I feel like this is basically what he has done his entire Penguins tenure, and it has just happened to hit more often than it misses. I don't know if JR builds his team with a specific identity in mind or if he just targets struggling players who need a change of scenery. Sure, he may see weaknesses on his roster that he'd like to target, but I'm not sure if that's filling holes on the roster or focusing on an identity that you want.

I think he thinks he doesn't have time for a more conventional five-year, themed approach. I can understand the thought process, given the circumstances.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I think he thinks he doesn't have time for a more conventional five-year, themed approach. I can understand the thought process, given the circumstances.

Yeah, he's basically exactly what Carolina fans said about him. He's a GM that is almost entirely focused on the now, and he will willingly sacrifice the future in exchange for making the team better now or fill a need now. The Reaves trade shows this perfectly I think. The difference is that works for the Penguins and it doesn't work for the Hurricanes.

I'm pretty sure JR's strategy would be a disaster on a majority of other teams, but with a team that has Crosby, Malkin, Letang and Kessel all over 30, his strategy fits well here. Not only does the GM of this team need to be focused on winning now with that core, but that core is good enough to help reclamation project type players get back on track. If he'd be the GM of any other team, I'm positive that his strategy of mortgaging draft picks and bringing in a ton of reclamation projects would fail miserably.

 

[Turin]

How about just get a f***in dman or 2 and play a high scoring, aggressive forecheck like they want to.

 

[billybudd]

It's going to fail miserably. The bill on the mortgage always eventually comes due.

It's just a question of whether it succeeds again before it fails.

 

[molon labe]

It's going to fail miserably. The bill on the mortgage always eventually comes due.

It's just a question of whether it succeeds again before it fails.

Soo..we may be mortgaging some future and have some guys tied up at length - but with a rising cap, and the fact they're signed at decent hits I don't see why we'd have to succumb to any failures in the near future. But obviously without consistent draft picks in first few rounds we're going to run out of gas and have to start over.

One underlying positive beyond the obvious benefits of having Sid/Geno/Letang/Kessel/Hornqvist/Guentzel at great contracts and costs - is that we aren't spending ludicrous amounts on goaltending. The only team on the current power board spending less on their goalie tandum is Tampa.

 

[Peat]

I think people are overstating the randomness of Rutherford's acquisitions. He clearly targeted pace and skill in 15-16 post Sully. He's clearly targeting toughness and grit now. There was nothing opportunistic about Reaves or Johnson. And while it may not be intended as an identity change - it amounts to one.

 

[billybudd]

Soo..we may be mortgaging some future and have some guys tied up at length - but with a rising cap, and the fact they're signed at decent hits I don't see why we'd have to succumb to any failures in the near future. But obviously without consistent draft picks in first few rounds we're going to run out of gas and have to start over.

One underlying positive beyond the obvious benefits of having Sid/Geno/Letang/Kessel/Hornqvist/Guentzel at great contracts and costs - is that we aren't spending ludicrous amounts on goaltending. The only team on the current power board spending less on their goalie tandum is Tampa.

I'm just saying that right around the time Crosby hangs up his skates, JR's team-building strategy is going to have left the Pens in an ugly situation.

 

[pistolpete11]

Up front, I don't have a problem with how they are built. At least in theory. They have top end skill surrounded by a good mix of skill (Guentzel, Simon, Cullen), speed (Rust, McCann, Blueger), and big bodies (Hornqvist, Pearson, Bjugstad, ZAR). Pretty much everybody is responsible defensively (at least when they want to be in Malkin and Kessel's case) and at least not totally worthless offensively. With that group, I think they can play pretty much any style depending on the opponent.

Where they are struggling is puck movers on the blue line. I think it would be exhausting, physically and mentally, to put so much work into helping the defensemen get the puck out of the D-zone and by the time they do, they are near the end of their shift or the opposition has enough guys back that entries are difficult. Then they gotta dump the puck in and do even more work to get possession. I think their forwards are good enough that they CAN do it, but over the course of 82 games, they just don't have it in them every night.

Missing Schultz for basically this entire year has been a huge factor and never replacing what Daley brought has hurt the 3rd pairing. I've wanted another puck mover because of how much time Letang and Schultz miss and how much the team struggles without them. Without knowing how Schultz is going to come back, it's even more of a need IMO.

 

[mpp9]

I'm not sure if we can win this season with this defense. Schultz is gonna have to play out of his mind. And if/when he doesn't, I'd be blowing the defense up this summer. Go hard after Krug. Do whatever it takes to get JJ out of here.

Maybe move Phil as well and look to sign one of the thousand 2nd line caliber wingers in free agency for Malkin.

 

[cheesedanish87]

Its almost impossible to win at a high level in the NHL if you don't have def that can move the puck.

The only way you can win without puck moving def is by having your goalie stand on his head.

When you can't move the puck out of your end your going to get out shot and out chanced.

 

[Turin]

This is, in my opinion, the best healthy team in the NHL if Johnson is replaced and Maatta is upgraded. If neither of those things happen, Letang or Murray will have to win the Smythe. I think they can be faster than they were in 17 if they just take one page from the Shero book and get some puck movers back.

 

[pistolpete11]

This is, in my opinion, the best healthy team in the NHL if Johnson is replaced and Maatta is upgraded. If neither of those things happen, Letang or Murray will have to win the Smythe. I think they can be faster than they were in 17 if they just take one page from the Shero book and get some puck movers back.

I could even live with Maatta if Schultz is healthy and Johnson was sent out and replaced with a 2016 Daley.

 

[Gurglesons]

I'm just saying that right around the time Crosby hangs up his skates, JR's team-building strategy is going to have left the Pens in an ugly situation.

I’d prefer that to be honest than being a team that is mediocre.

Also JR likely gets fired or retires after this contract.

 

[PensPlz]

Pens are too slow for options A and B... maybe not toooo slow, but other teams in the Metro are a lot faster. "Speed and consistency" are the 2 WEAKEST points of this team.... that lack of consistency coming mainly from our goaltending and Malkin + Kessel.

We wouldn't even be able to beat the Devils in a 7 game series with the A or B approach. (well, maybe since they traded away Bri-an Boy-le *clap* *clap* *clapclapclap*)

So that leaves with me option C. I doubt we can do option C either, but I think it's probably the only option that doesn't involve giving away our 1st.

/shrug

Either way, not buying the playoff ticket package this year.

 

[HandshakeLine]

This is the most overwrought thread of the last week. I'm almost kinda sorta impressed.

 

[SEALBound]

Jack Johnson, amiright?

 

[Bingo71]

The Pens’ identity right now?

The doormats of the league. This team sucks out loud.

 

[3074326]

I'm just saying that right around the time Crosby hangs up his skates, JR's team-building strategy is going to have left the Pens in an ugly situation.

Yeah, pretty much every team with three cups with the same core is due for some dark days. That's how things go. You sell your soul to win while you have a core able to win. I'm glad we did that. We've experienced more than most other sports fans will ever experience.

The team needs better puck movement (and movement in general) from the defense. I think the team gets better when the defense is built better.

 

[Spoonman32]

C is not an option. Too many changes would need to be made and it would take 5 years. Malkin is likely back in Russia by then and Kessel will certainly have washed up.

A is probably not something they're willing to do because the strategy is too hit and miss. For every one of Sheary, you'll find 10 of Chris Conner. It's doubtful the Pens think they have the time to play this game.

B is not an option because Sullivan has a demonstrated history of being unwilling to give ice time to the types of players which would need to populate the depth lines.

I think, realistically, what JR is going to do is throw **** at the wall in trades and free agency and see what sticks. That which doesn't, he'll try again (Brassard, Perron, etc).

So pretty much status quo.

 

[Spoonman32]

I feel like this is basically what he has done his entire Penguins tenure, and it has just happened to hit more often than it misses. I don't know if JR builds his team with a specific identity in mind or if he just targets struggling players who need a change of scenery.

100% agreed. This approach was never going to deliver consistent success. For every Shultz, there will be 5 Oleksiaks. His answer for the cap challenges he faces is to aquire reclamation projects or hoping 10 year vets can change into something they never were (JJ, Brass)

You have to go after the right struggling players: Hagelin and Daley types. Players who have built careers on what they do best and are still capable but are just bad fits on their current teams.

 

[Turin]

So long as they have guys like JJ and not Daley but skill forwards they’ll have no identity

 

[Spoonman32]

I'm just saying that right around the time Crosby hangs up his skates, JR's team-building strategy is going to have left the Pens in an ugly situation.

A lot of winning teams find themselves in ugly situations eventually. The real tragedy would be if this team is already in an ugly situation right now. The prospects of improving this defense seem grim if JR continues to address the needs the way he has. And it remains to be seen whether or not we have the centers who can do what we need them to do.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I'm just saying that right around the time Crosby hangs up his skates, JR's team-building strategy is going to have left the Pens in an ugly situation.

Unless he fixes the blueline in a big way, JR's team building strategy is leaving the Pens in an ugly situation even with Crosby still playing at an elite level.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

The funniest thing to me will be the notion that you - "Surround your talent with more talent or players that will enhance or elevate that talent."

But the same simple logic cannot be applied to the coaching staff. I have had my criticisms of Sullivan and have gone back on them time and time again, but I will 100% maintain that Recchi needed to be gone last year.

The coaching market is flooded with far better options and yet, the Old Boy's Club is still intact in Pittsburgh. Ulf is a former Penguin, sure, could even fall in that OBC crap, but he's a guy that comes with a damn good resume vs whatever toilet paper of coaching experience Recchi has his experience on.

 

[molon labe]

The funniest thing to me will be the notion that you - "Surround your talent with more talent or players that will enhance or elevate that talent."

But the same simple logic cannot be applied to the coaching staff. I have had my criticisms of Sullivan and have gone back on them time and time again, but I will 100% maintain that Recchi needed to be gone last year.

The coaching market is flooded with far better options and yet, the Old Boy's Club is still intact in Pittsburgh. Ulf is a former Penguin, sure, could even fall in that OBC crap, but he's a guy that comes with a damn good resume vs whatever toilet paper of coaching experience Recchi has his experience on.

I wanted Gonchar from the start. There was a rumor he was not ready to break from family enough to be a regular on the bench - then viola this season he's there. I'm not sure the extent of his role, but it could/should be more significant.