Zirakzigil
Global Moderator
Repetitive conversations were prevalent when our team was good too. There's only so many topics to bring up for one hockey team.
Actually I'd say there's less to talk about when the team is doing well, cuz there's fewer problem areas.
The issue here now is that the Pens play is leading to apathy for the users. The more creative, vocal posters of the past are offering less, and steering convos in interesting directions less frequently. So the inmates are running the asylum in their stead, so to speak.
It's difficult to get excited for a team that will either scrape a 1st round entry and lose, or miss the playoffs altogether. That's especially true when the team is accomplishing nothing for the organization while doing so. This is not a case of a team on the rise, steadily progressing annually.
What they're doing right now is honoring the core and pretending to be something they're not.
That is what's draining. The futility of it. The falsity of it.
A lot of people claim that they are satisfied with the 3 Cups and will roll with whatever happens now. That's bullshit. If they were truly satisfied they'd be happy. They're not. They are very unhappy with current results, coaching and management.
Paying for a Ylonen type when you have guys in the minors you’ve never tried gives me Jim Rutherford asset management flashbacks.
There are just too many AHL guys who are AHL guys. Pens really have no one with a couple players who have the size, assets to be an NHL caliber roster player. Poulin, Pickering, maybe White in a limited role as 4th line center. I am hopeful the LD French Canadian from the juniors who has decent size and skill can develop. Dubas to me will consider the long term and short-term issues and Karlsson is in his prime here and has a 4-year contract remaining. That was a deal I was not 100% on board but still he can be a really good add. From Shero to Dubas, every GM was all in. Maybe dubas is now looking to the future as well. Pens need prospects, picks ect from here. If Sid retires after next year, the dump has to happen.
Why does he seem like a nothing player?
Also, the Penguins literally don't have any money, so any sort of "established" player is going to be extremely difficult to acquire.
Updates from Mike Sullivan: - Tristan Jarry starts in Nashville - Bryan Rust will be available after missing the last three games with a lower-body injury - P.O Joseph is taking part in the team's optional skate. He's been sidelined for 10 games with a nagging lower-body injury
I would still like to see Puusy get a cup of coffee with the team before moving assets.
Or I would like to see Gruden to be the 4th line center and move Accari to 3rd line RW. I think Gruden can be an effective 4th line center and Accari is better at wing.
Point is they should find out if these guys are worth keeping before moving assets.
Those two aren't competing for the same role. Puustinen is a top-6 injury replacement, while Ylonen is a bottom-6 scorer. Puustinen's competing for the role that Nylander is in right now.
There's no reason to say no to paying a modest price for proven assets (or more proven assets) just because you have other young guys in the organization who might (but probably won't) have the same impact if you give them a chance.
I mean, that's fair. I'm not on the Sullivan train by any stretch but I at least tip my hat him when they adjusted the system to provide additional NZ support. They we were winning IF we got the goaltending. When the roster is 100% healthy AND they execute and perform, it's a winning team. Keeping all of those things in check every single day is proving to be tough. Like I said, now that adjustments have been made and they still lose, that is shifting my blame to the players, primarily Jarry. As Emp has pointed out, with the lack of cap space and assets, you can only expect so much from the bottom 6.
Now if you want to suggest we fire Reirden and get a better PP coach just to see, then yes 100%, yes. Sullivan is a maybe and part of me is skeptical of available coaches being any better (again, that coming AFTER Sullivan made system changes that were more in line with team abilities. My criticism to him still remains "you don't have to ride stubborn decisions into the f***ing dirt before making a change".)
Yeah, that kind of puts it into perspective a bit. I will continue to knock Sullivan for Kapanen. Riding McGinn-Carter-Kapanen into the ground is a blemish on his coaching career. There were options available which turns out could have been "literally anything". I don't think Kapanen got the fair shake here but he obviously did himself no favors.
As I mentioned in previous posts I think anyone brought in will have been well-discussed and scouted by Dubas and Sullivan (and the staff) before a trade is made so I don't see issues with a potential "but Sullivan won't play him!".
I would worry more about HF making that statement after a period of time where he's sucked and been demoted. Maybe similar to a Harkins situation.
Puustinen needs to figure the AHL out at the moment. He's having a terrible year, unfortunately.
I am not disagreeing with your idea. I just think with injuries now is the time to see what you have in those guys. harkin and Nylander arent bringing anything. So sawp the forwards and see what you have. make the trade in couple weeks.
POJ cant be traded anyways since he is hurt.
Agreed but he has been picking up pace. 1 pt in his first 9 games. 6 in his last 6.
WBS has also been thrashed with injuries and call ups. This lineup is awful and Puustinen was number 2 start with 2 points. Gruden also had 2pts. I would like to see him get a chance on the 4th line soon.
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Hopefully EK can stop this negative momentum lately with the poor defense, That pairing has been steadfast so far, as a whole.
Smith-Malkin-Rakell easily the most disappointing of all these combinations.
Perhaps Shea-Ludvig is a solution. Faced 2 strong teams. So far, so good.
I'd like to see our good L3 reunited today.
No idea why Hinostroza's getting HS'd, if he is tonight.