Confirmed with Link: Pens Sign Frolunda D-Man Lukas Bengtsson

[Empoleon8771]

I really like the signing. Not just the 'free' component but also that you're talking about a player who legitimately can make a difference one day.

I'm also not sure JR doesn't do something about that six man defense you've got, because he's got the cap space to do it short and long term (not talking a stupid signing but poaching a cap strapped team). Guess it depends on the intentions for Daley and how much they do or don't like Pouliot.

I said this in the roster thread too, but I don't think JR does anything with the D as long as Daley is playing well until after the expansion draft. It wouldn't be smart to trade for some awesome guy like Brodin only to lose Dumoulin or Hagelin to the expansion draft within a year.

 

[The Old Master]

If we had Despres and what JR could've gotten for Kunitz with Malkin and Fehr . . .

You know, what JR was asked to do seemed so impossible 22 months ago. But, in hindsight, those two moves, and he could've undone in under two seasons ALL of the damage Shero did.

On the one hand, you applaud how much has been accomplished in terms of the roster. On the other hand, man it hurts to know how close he actually was to nailing it perfectly.

with expansion coming the duck might need to move a good defense man....they are talking on their board.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Was Despres even JR's fault?

Haven't we pretty much concluded that was all Geurin and the gang of Village Idiots around him? JR immediately disavowed anything to do with it and did so again several times after.

 

[theicebox]

Was Despres even JR's fault?

Haven't we pretty much concluded that was all Geurin and the gang of Village Idiots around him? JR immediately disavowed anything to do with it and did so again several times after.

Agreed. JR is forgiven for this sin. Botterill on the other hand...

 

[JTG]

I could see us being a landing ground for quite a few free agent prospects simply because we have the room in the AHL. They will get big mins.

 

[Shady Machine]

Was Despres even JR's fault?

Haven't we pretty much concluded that was all Geurin and the gang of Village Idiots around him? JR immediately disavowed anything to do with it and did so again several times after.

JR was the GM, wasn't he? How do we know Scuderi-Daley was all JR? If we are going to give JR credit for the positive roster moves made, he deserves criticism for poor moves made.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Agreed. JR is forgiven for this sin. Botterill on the other hand...

Wasn't Botterill also against it for cap reasons or something? This is why 20 AGMs is stupid, Pens.

I think the draft squabble was around Kunitz for Oshie and Fitzgerald (?) really wanted to trade him. Good job, Pens.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Wasn't Botterill also against it for cap reasons or something? This is why 20 AGMs is stupid, Pens.

I think the draft squabble was around Kunitz for Oshie and Fitzgerald (?) really wanted to trade him. Good job, Pens.

Wait, was that the one where Kunitz wouldn' waive his NTC? Or was that the Kessel trade?

 

[Hossa die Waldfee]

Agreed. JR is forgiven for this sin. Botterill on the other hand...

What has Botterill to do with this?
I think he is doing a fantastic job managing WBS and I believe there were rumours how he warned JR of the possible cap problems last year.

I think the only real mistake JR made was his love for Daniel Winnik. Not even the draft picks he gave up for him, but his salary which kept us from calling up proper defenseman iIrc.

Wait, was that the one where Kunitz wouldn' waive his NTC? Or was that the Kessel trade?

That was the Kessel deal I believe.
In hindsight I'm happy we didn't traded Kunitz for Oshie because that probably would have meant no Kessel. And I like Kessel. A lot.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

JR was the GM, wasn't he? How do we know Scuderi-Daley was all JR? If we are going to give JR credit for the positive roster moves made, he deserves criticism for poor moves made.

Even if he was against Despres (and given his immediate criticizing of the trade he was) it doesn't matter because he's the ****ing GM and the buck stops with him. JR could have told Guerin or whoever it was to **** off and cut that **** out, but he didn't. So he can still be criticized for everything and get credit for everything, even if he wasn't the architect.

Wait, was that the one where Kunitz wouldn' waive his NTC? Or was that the Kessel trade?

I think there was also a rumour that Kunitz wouldn't waive to Toronto, but Scuderi was the more concrete one there. Maybe.

 

[Hossa die Waldfee]

JR was the GM, wasn't he? How do we know Scuderi-Daley was all JR? If we are going to give JR credit for the positive roster moves made, he deserves criticism for poor moves made.

I think we can give JR easily credit for the Scuderi-Daley trade because Daley is exactly the kind of defenseman JR always talks about. That old warm cookies loving weirdo is all about Defenseman who are able to exit the zone and move the puck forward. I'm quite sure I've heard him talk about that a lot in the past.

 

[farscape1]

Speaking of JR when is his contract up? Thought it was this season. I actually worried that if he leaves we get Geurin as GM and he just mucks the job up bad.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

That Agnew comment about 6 Letang's gets funnier and funnier over time. Give us all the undersized PMD's!

Agnew's a putz. I don't know why teams keep hiring him.

Anyways, hopefully this kid can be a steal for the Pens. Hope he gets more of a chance than the Swede we signed this past summer did, who ended up playing all year in the AHL.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Love it. No idea who the kid is, or how he'll turn out, but get as many of these guys as you can.

Gotta buy a ticket to win the lotto.

 

[Malkinstheman]

I was just about to ask that myself. Boterill is already associate gm and was supposed to take over after Rutherford left. Atleast that was the plan at the time.

 

[SEALBound]

I could see us being a landing ground for quite a few free agent prospects simply because we have the room in the AHL. They will get big mins.

And that's never a bad thing. If Cullen doesn't resign or if you send Fehr out, Sundqvist could go in and open up another spot. Some undrafted or FA center could decide to try to make his mark here. The influx of the young kids who performed and were able to stay really turned it around, IMHO. Before, there was really no point in considering WBS as the Pens were a team that would go with old guys/vets and make deadline trades unless you were a instant stud. The development and path the NHL just wasn't there.

Sadly, the retirement of Dupuis and injury prone-ness of Bennett were really the catalysts for this. Those two out began a wheel of prospects coming in and out. We have a lot of be thankful for this season.

I was just about to ask that myself. Boterill is already associate gm and was supposed to take over after Rutherford left. Atleast that was the plan at the time.

In the back of my mind I really want JR to stay. Even as an adviser or something. Unless it comes out that Boterill was the one that put the work in on the Scuderi and Perron trades, pushed for the firing on MJ, and refused to make the trades declaring they would live or die by the WBS boys...I'd be weary of handing him the keys. We are in a fragile state still.

 

[The Old Master]

Was Despres even JR's fault?

Haven't we pretty much concluded that was all Geurin and the gang of Village Idiots around him? JR immediately disavowed anything to do with it and did so again several times after.

no, jr is the leader of the gang. O.J. says it wasn't him too.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

JR was the GM, wasn't he? How do we know Scuderi-Daley was all JR? If we are going to give JR credit for the positive roster moves made, he deserves criticism for poor moves made.

Exactly. You cant pick and choose which decisions you're going to credit/blame a GM for. He makes the final roster decisions and is accountable for all of them. Comes with the territory.

Fortunately for us, JR's had a fantastic year. That doesn't mean he's perfect and his role in the Despres farce should be whitewashed, but it does mean that his one BIG failure is now overshadowed by a number of BIG successes.

 

[TNT87]

Love it. No idea who the kid is, or how he'll turn out, but get as many of these guys as you can.

Gotta buy a ticket to win the lotto.

That's how I feel as well.

 

[WayneSid9987]

Just surfing around a bit more:

I'm a Frölunda fan and watched him a lot, both live and on TV, this past season. He's a great player! Very good skater and likes to join the team offensively, but almost always covering his defensive resposibilities. I'd say he's a great two way defender, and the skating has helped him a lot here in Sweden. A big plus is that he really stepped up in the playoffs (7 pts in 12 games) and was even better there. He's not the most physical guy out there but makes up for it in other parts of his game. Not sure who I'd compare him to in the NHL since I don't get to watch too much of that, but he was great in the SHL. I think Pittsburgh got a great signing here.

 

[madinsomniac]

I'm liking this cause we were shy on the defensive prospects... I think we may take on a Bigger money defensive contract in the offseason, with the plan to expose it to the draft... We will have to expose one of letang, maatta, doumulin, or pouliot... So if you get a bigger name vegas will likely bypass whichever is exposed for the glamor grab

 

[66-30-33]

Speaking of JR when is his contract up? Thought it was this season. I actually worried that if he leaves we get Geurin as GM and he just mucks the job up bad.

This is his last year with us unless he re-signs. If Pens win the cup i guess you could say he went out with a bang.

Also cool, free prospects.

 

[DoktorZaius]

Exactly. You cant pick and choose which decisions you're going to credit/blame a GM for. He makes the final roster decisions and is accountable for all of them. Comes with the territory.

At the same time, he's not exactly in the position of say a Dale Tallon, who has clearly had full autonomy to shape the Florida Panthers into the team he wants them to be over a number of years. JR was hired to be the face of the front office for a couple seasons, and based on everything he said about the Despres trade (including at the press conference DIRECTLY afterwards), he knew it was a bad deal and seemed confused about why we were doing it.

All I'm saying is that we have no idea how much autonomy Rutherford has, and many people here assume that since his title says GM he must have voted yes on the Despres trade. I think a much more likely scenario -- again, based on remarks he made less than an hour after the deal -- is that he didn't like the trade, but he knew this team wasn't really his, and he (obviously) wasn't willing to quit in protest over it.

 

[JakeNBake59]

when exactly this year is it up? is there any indication what might be going on with the GM position?

 

[mthmchris]

Could've sworn his contract was for three years?