Confirmed with Link: Pens hire Hextall (GM) and Burke (POHOP) - Part II

[66-30-33]

Tampa hasn’t been buying in a contention window for 13 years like Pittsburgh either. That’s 2008 til now picks are being dealt to try to win now. Basically longer than Stamkos has been in the NHL the Penguins have been dealing away picks.

If Hextall was our GM instead of JR since back then and say he never went to Philly I wonder what this roster would look like?

 

[Jaded-Fan]

If Hextall was our GM instead of JR since back then and say he never went to Philly I wonder what this roster would look like?

Doubtful that they have the back to back cups. But more a solid minors. Reminds me of Shero who never wanted to make a trade unless it was a lopsided win.

 

[66-30-33]

Doubtful that they have the back to back cups. But more solid minors. Reminds me of Shero who never wanted to make a trade unless it was a lopsided win.

That's true, might not even have a 2nd cup.

 

[Pens x]

Doubtful that they have the back to back cups. But more a solid minors. Reminds me of Shero who never wanted to make a trade unless it was a lopsided win.

Hopefully Hextall is somewhere in between JR and Shero: not allergic to trades, but also not reckless and incompetent

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I'd much rather a GM be patient and makefewer, but better trades overall than to just spray and pray like JR has done for years, very rarely hitting a home run.

 

[Night Shift]

Doubtful that they have the back to back cups. But more a solid minors. Reminds me of Shero who never wanted to make a trade unless it was a lopsided win.

That's true, might not even have a 2nd cup.

Doesn't mean Hextall isn't the right guy for the job now with where they are now.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Doesn't mean Hextall isn't the right guy for the job now with where they are now.

I didn't say otherwise. I merely answered the question of what may have changed.

 

[Trade]

Getzlaf would be an awesome deadline addition if the Pens were going to the playoffs.

Last deadline I vaguely remember hearing LA might’ve been interested in moving Jeff Carter. I would have been all over that. If it’s the same this deadline, I would be interested again.

Getzlaf would be more of that. An accomplished, veteran presence (who is still NHL-level, NOT like the ghost of Marleau we traded for last season). Someone who can help this team feel like they can do something special. I’d dig it.

I’d have looked into signing Perry in the offseason, especially after the playoffs last season + losing Horny. Would have also kicked tires on Bobby Ryan, too. I’m a sucker for Ducks/former Ducks.

It dawned on me how inexperienced this team is when Rust got the A when Letang went down. I love Rusty, but is Rust really fourth in command behind the big three?

 

[KIRK]

Doubtful that they have the back to back cups. But more a solid minors. Reminds me of Shero who never wanted to make a trade unless it was a lopsided win.

That presupposes of course that Hextall would've managed the Penguins circa 2015 like he did the Flyers. Perhaps given the Pens situation he followed aggressive approach of his boss in LA, Dean Lombardi. No way to know, of course.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

 

[EightyOne]

Jesse starting to sound like a seasoned HFBoards hot-taker

 

[Turin]

He’s not saying they won because of size and physicality but that having guys like Cernak, Bogosian, Maroon, Schenn, Goodrow, Coleman etc helped. Kind of tired of hockey twitter’s echo chamber where every thing is construed against “traditionalists.”

 

[Sideline]

Brian Burke has some of the best hockey stories. You can spend hours on YouTube listening to some great ones like this:

 

[CrosbyMalkin]

Doubtful that they have the back to back cups. But more a solid minors. Reminds me of Shero who never wanted to make a trade unless it was a lopsided win.

All take the Cups!!!!

Plus it is not like Rutherford didn't add many young players to the team over the years. Just look at the past 3. On defense alone Rutherford added 2019 Pettersson 22, 2020 Marino 22 and POJ 20. All three of those look like top 4 defensman even as rookies. The whole team is in their 20's around the core so it is not like Rutherford was like Shero wasting picks and prospects on rentals.

 

[LOGiK]

Was this posted yet?

Brian Burke says Penguins need to play 'ugly hockey'

 

[JRS91]

I don't understand why people think the Penguins aren't a small team.

I mean, don't get me wrong. I don't think the Penguins should mold themselves after a team like St.Louis, but they could stand to get a little taller and heavier if it makes sense. Tampa Bay was 17th in the NHL in height and 3rd in weight last season. Conversely, the Penguins were 28th in height and 31st in weight. So they're definitely a small team.

Dallas was 1st in height and 2nd in weight. Vegas was 2nd in height and 4th in weight. Washington was 21st in height but 6th in weight. I do think there's something to getting bigger and stronger, it's not something I completely oppose. I just don't think you make that your identity now and I'd much rather see the Penguins draft the most skilled players they can rather than someone that's just big or tough. That being said, if you middling talent and the one guy brings intangibles like toughness or size, of course I'd be willing to pay a little extra to get that type of player.

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

Was this posted yet?

Brian Burke says Penguins need to play 'ugly hockey'

From a certain point of view they have been playing "ugly hockey".

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Hockey Twitter does the same exact thing they bemoan traditionalists for. Blindly screaming for “More speed more skill” is no different from “more size more toughness more deterrence” imo.

 

[KIRK]

Hockey Twitter does the same exact thing they bemoan traditionalists for. Blindly screaming for “More speed more skill” is no different from “more size more toughness more deterrence” imo.

One can debate what the right mix is. For some cup winners (Pittsburgh, Tampa), it has been fewer than others (St Louis)

But however one feels about the right mix, there is no debate that the Penguins don't have it.

Look at the B2B Cup warriors: Bonino, Cole, Hornqvist.

Not guys who will hit per se. Not guys with size per se. Warriors.

You need guys like that to win cups. Not just in their own right but also in terms of how that attitude affects the rest of the team.

The Pens have none, because they never replaced the ones who they had.

EDIT: I remember years ago Burke talking about Chris Kunitz. Loved him as a player. Called him a swiss army knife, a guy who can do anything you need him to do to win. The Pens also lack for swiss army knives.

 

[LOGiK]

From a certain point of view they have been playing "ugly hockey".

I said that joke to my friend too =P

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

I said that joke to my friend too =P

Something about good minds and thinking alike or whatever.

 

[LOGiK]

Something about good minds and thinking alike or whatever.

Something like that =P

 

[TooManyHumans]

Something about good minds and thinking alike or whatever.

I've noticed that not-so-great minds also often think alike. Just sayin'.

 

[mpp9]

If you can’t connect a single pass it’s hard to play fast..

Definitely would suggest part of it is system related. As you’ve mentioned.

If a coaching change is made, we’ll find out for sure.

 

[SEALBound]

I'd much rather a GM be patient and makefewer, but better trades overall than to just spray and pray like JR has done for years, very rarely hitting a home run.

Fair but then you don't get the 2016 and 2017 Cups.

Suggesting that if JR made "fewer" trades they would have been "better" has no logical basis.

Make no mistake, he hit several home runs. On some, he hit several home runs but the player couldn't find their way around the bases (see Brassard).

How cute that Crosby is Tom Brady now and not Lemieux or Yzerman. Wonder if any of this narrative chatter happens if Brady doesn’t win.

Because Lemieux and Yzerman stayed with the franchises. Brady left and just won another super bowl. The good comparison would be Bourque.