Speculation: Penguins off day talk thread: Dont look now, but we are good again!

[Sidney the Kidney]

I didn’t see it but another poster said PK Subban between periods of the Devils/Canes game put on a pair of glasses and mocked Dubas. Saying if I put glasses on can I be a GM etc.

Basically bashing him for "doing this" to Sid.



Chalk up another problem with this team…this is the main reason I didn’t want to re-sign Jarry…he’s a post All Star break loser lol

These stats are about as surprising as a Sullivan coached team showing up only 1 out of every 5 games.

 

[Andy99]

Hey he’s back…is there even going to be a GDT for the Edmonton game starting in 40 minutes, not that I’ll be watching lol

 

[pistolpete11]

That sounds about right. If he fits and scores a bunch of goals, no reason why he would bail on a winning team to come back to our dumpster fire.

However if he doesn’t fit…
Then we have a decent chance signing him over other teams. Remember his wife is from Pittsburgh and I doubt he will move his family this season.

My hopes have been slightly boosted once again by Emily Kaplan's report that Dubas drove to his house to tell him directly about the trade. So maybe 20% if he makes it to UFA.

 

[Gurglesons]

I think more depends on the Canes than the Pens.

If the Canes fall flat on their faces, he's not there long enough to get comfortable, he doesn't play well and the Canes decide to focus on re-signing other guys, etc, he'll probably go to FA. Still think it's low, but maybe like 10% or something.

If they go on a deep run and Jake likes it there, almost zero.



I felt better about re-signing him before Dubas' press conference and Jake's interviews after the trade. Doesn't really even sound like they discussed a contract and Jake seemed shook by it. I think if it was going to happen, it needed to be a handshake agreement, but I got more of sense everyone knew this was the end. Who knows, though. Maybe Sid makes a few more phones calls like he did when Geno was going to FA.

This is the first thing Dubas did right from my standpoint.

Holding out on signing Jake was the smart move.

 

[Sidgeni Malkby]

We have no game in hands on Washington/Islanders, they are respectively 5/6 points ahead of us, and they are winning. Even though it's mathematically possible, they team psyche will have them limp to the finish line.

If we tank the rest of the season, we can probably hit top 5 draft.

However, we needed to trade off more players to do that, and my understanding that this isn't a great draft year, so who know what that comes out to.

This is a management weakness...
If we wanted to do a mini-rebuild, we should have made an off season plan (who to go after, contingencies, etc), sell off everything we don't plan on keeping (even for 4th-6th rounders, or spare change (ie. reclamation projects)), and tank the rest of the season as much as possible.

Right now we're in a situation where we didn't maximize our options for a mini-rebuild in the off-season. We didn't strengthen our team for the rest of the season. I mean, I think Bunting has potential, and seems at the level of Smith/Rakell/Rust (not Guentzel though).

I don't know what we are doing anymore .

 

[pistolpete11]

This is the first thing Dubas did right from my standpoint.

Holding out on signing Jake was the smart move.

Because you don't want him back? Or because they needed to trade him to boost the system?

I think trading him was the only option, but now that they got what they could for him, I'd re-sign him if given the opportunity. Why not?

 

[Andy99]

We have no game in hands on Washington/Islanders, they are respectively 5/6 points ahead of us, and they are winning. Even though it's mathematically possible, they team psyche will have them limp to the finish line.

If we tank the rest of the season, we can probably hit top 5 draft.

However, we needed to trade off more players to do that, and my understanding that this isn't a great draft year, so who know what that comes out to.

This is a management weakness...
If we wanted to do a mini-rebuild, we should have made an off season plan (who to go after, contingencies, etc), sell off everything we don't plan on keeping (even for 4th-6th rounders, or spare change (ie. reclamation projects)), and tank the rest of the season as much as possible.

Right now we're in a situation where we didn't maximize our options for a mini-rebuild in the off-season. We didn't strengthen our team for the rest of the season. I mean, I think Bunting has potential, and seems at the level of Smith/Rakell/Rust (not Guentzel though).

I don't know what we are doing anymore .

Dubas’ problem during the off-season was following Sullivan’s request for a defensive bottom six and filling it out with older vets…hopefully stops listening to the coach if he wants to do better lol

 

[pistolpete11]

Dubas’ problem during the off-season was following Sullivan’s request for a defensive bottom six and filling it out with older vets…hopefully stops listening to the coach if he wants to do better lol

The problem was keeping Sullivan.

They had a more offensive bottom 6 last year and still missed the playoffs.

 

[Andy99]

The problem was keeping Sullivan.

They had a more offensive bottom 6 last year and still missed the playoffs.

Well he was never realistically going to fire Sullivan after just coming in to the organization where he was well liked

 

[Sidgeni Malkby]

Well he was never realistically going to fire Sullivan after just coming in to the organization where he was well liked

I wonder what it would take to get Sully to quit.

I mean, how many losses in a row can he face the press with a straight face. At some point, he will want to move on.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I wonder what it would take to get Sully to quit.

I mean, how many losses in a row can he face the press with a straight face. At some point, he will want to move on.

Part of the reason I want 'em to blow it up tbh. I don't think Sully would want to coach a rebuild, he thinks far too highly of himself to bother with that imo. And he knows he'd have his pick of jobs, so he'd just have to wait for a contender to come calling.

 

[pistolpete11]

Well he was never realistically going to fire Sullivan after just coming in to the organization where he was well liked

Maybe, but it doesn't matter what he did with the roster or not. Sullivan would f*** it up anyway.

 

[Andy99]

Maybe, but it doesn't matter what he did with the roster or not. Sullivan would f*** it up anyway.

Our only hope is that he recognizes that and does something about it

 

[bambamcam4ever]

I mean our forecheck is pathetic. Opposing teams make one lateral pass from the boards just behind their own blue line to the other side and they easily clear 2 or all 3 forwards. Sully is not a good coach, but hopefully other teams still believe otherwise this summer.

Agreed, this has been the biggest issue in generating offense. The team also lacks good forecheckers though, who on the team is actually effective at this? Crosby and Pulju? I can't really think of any else.

 

[EVGENIMERLIN]

Yeah but there’s no law against a goalie stopping a breakaway or SHG once in awhile lol…I see other goalies who do it regularly

It’s his Achilles heel for sure. He never stops breakaways. It’s like he doesn’t get his feet set, he doesn’t challenger the shooter and he has no idea what to do. He panics

 

[ZorkEnchanter]

How much have we been outscored now...

30-5 or so? I don't think it's all just goalies ....

Dubas’ problem during the off-season was following Sullivan’s request for a defensive bottom six and filling it out with older vets…hopefully stops listening to the coach if he wants to do better lol

Yup. If we see them do it again the next offseason. Then Dubas is an idiot and it's on him.

If they re-shuffle the B6 based on Sullivans "plan" it will be his 4th new B6 ... all of which have failed.

 

[ChaosAgent]

"this team can't tank with Sidney Crosby, he is too good."

 

[EVGENIMERLIN]

Our only hope is that he recognizes that and does something about it

As you said Dubas couldn’t walk in the door and fire Sully, that was never going to happen. He did seem to give Sully a lot more of the types of players he wanted and when it didn’t work (which it glaringly hasn’t) in theory Dubas would be able to make a case they need to change something aside from just players. Structure, support staff, or the head coach.

Dubas could be drinking the Kool-Aid and think Sully is a great coach and this just wasn’t our year, but trading Jake does send a bit of a message. It’ll come down to Dubas vs Sully this summer or possibly next and we shall see who wins. FSG gave them both a ton of money and years but somebody will on the hot seat by next season if they don’t look like a playoff team

 

[Andy99]

Gruden on waivers…maybe DOC’s brain is feeling better?

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

Gruden on waivers…maybe DOC’s brain is feeling better?

He hit people Sully don't play dat.

 

[GilbertSeinfeld]

Gruden on waivers…maybe DOC’s brain is feeling better?

I think Nieto is close to a return, but DOC is probably the more logical player.

 

[Gurglesons]

Because you don't want him back? Or because they needed to trade him to boost the system?

I think trading him was the only option, but now that they got what they could for him, I'd re-sign him if given the opportunity. Why not?

Team wasn’t having success with him.

Same reason I’m good with moving on from Matheson, Marino, etc.

 

[pistolpete11]

Team wasn’t having success with him.

Same reason I’m good with moving on from Matheson, Marino, etc.

And things got better when we got rid of Matheson and Marino....?

The problem, or I should say the biggest problem, is the coach. Not the 40G point/game winger.

 

[Gurglesons]

And things got better when we got rid of Matheson and Marino....?

The problem, or I should say the biggest problem, is the coach. Not the 40G point/game winger.

For me they did.

 

[Nakawick]

I really wish the team still tried to make the playoffs. Sid is emotionally tuned out, which just filters down the team and Sullivan doesn’t motivate anyone anymore. I hope someone sits down with Sid and makes sure he still tries the rest of the season. Maybe he goes to the world championships and stays motivated.