Speculation: Poll: Sneak into playoffs or 'tank' as much as possible

[Ghost of jas]

Sucks because realistically looking at Edmonton and Montreal I don't see them passing us.
I'm giving us 9-10 points the rest of the way. I don't see montreal getting 15 plus and edmonton even more than that. Hopefully Chicago and Detroit will play well enough but even thats not a given. So realistically if we don't get top 3 pick best we will be picking is 7th probably 8th.

Price will be back. Montreal could pass the Rangers.

 

[LeetchisGod]

Price will be back. Montreal could pass the Rangers.

He has a concussion. They have no shot at the playoffs and no reason to bring him back this season. He hasn't had a good year anyway.

 

[bl02]

Price will be back. Montreal could pass the Rangers.

I watch a lot of Canadien games. As crazy as it sounds they are not much better with price than without him. In fact lately before his injury he looked disinterested and out of it some games.
Montreal would have probably have to go about .500 or better rest of the way to pass us

 

[Ghost of jas]

He has a concussion. They have no shot at the playoffs and no reason to bring him back this season. He hasn't had a good year anyway.

Julien was just quoted on NHL radio saying he’s coming back.

 

[LeetchisGod]

Julien was just quoted on NHL radio saying he’s coming back.

He's had a terrible year.

 

[GordonGecko]

Crosby was basically payback to Lemieux for keeping the Pens afloat. People can deny it all they want. Nothing will change my mind about that.

Lemieux got majority control of the Penguins for $32.5M in back salary and now they're worth over $650M. The team thanked him enough

 

[dumpin]

I don't think you tank, but instead play your young players to see what you have and give an indication of what you need. When the kids play well its great and when they lose we are closer to the top lottery pick. Glass half full.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

Crosby was basically payback to Lemieux for keeping the Pens afloat. People can deny it all they want. Nothing will change my mind about that.

God I remember the whining from Pens fans here during those years. Buy us a new stadium. Wah....

 

[BroadwayStorm]

I don't know what the hell is wrong with fans who still want to sneak into the playoffs. And do what?!

 

[Doctyl]

I don't know what the hell is wrong with fans who still want to sneak into the playoffs. And do what?!

Anything can happen!

One more kick at the can!

Did you know LA was an 8th seed and they won the cup?

 

[Ori]

We should started this rebuild after the 2014 season - we have mostly sneaked in the recent years.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

We should started this rebuild after the 2014 season - we have mostly sneaked in the recent years.

What are you talking about? We won the Presidents' trophy in 2015 and made it to game 7 of the ECF. And who starts a rebuild after going to the final?

 

[eco's bones]

In their last 10 games Edmonton is 5-5-0 10 points, Chicago is 5-5-0 10 points, Montreal is 3-3-4 10 points, Vancouver 3-4-3 9 points, Detroit 3-5-2 8 points. They've all gained on us in the last 10 games.

The Rangers are 3-6-1 7 points. We have Tampa and Florida next. I expect us to lose those. Then Carolina at home--that could go either way. Pittsburgh we'll lose to. St. Louis away--I think we'll probably lose that though they're not playing that well. Columbus could go either way but I'd give Columbus the edge. They're still fighting for something. Philadelphia away--lose. Buffalo home--probably win. Washington home and then away--two losses. Tampa Bay home--lose again. Carolina away--could go either way. New Jersey away--I'd give the edge to the Devils. Islanders away--the Barzal factor but maybe we win--they're worse than we are lately. Philadelphia away--lose.

All in all we'll get 7 to 10 points in the last 15 games. Of course Henrik could steal a game. Some of these still don't seem within reach--Tampa twice, Washington twice, Pittsburgh that's 5 games right there we have no business winning.

 

[Ghost of jas]

In their last 10 games Edmonton is 5-5-0 10 points, Chicago is 5-5-0 10 points, Montreal is 3-3-4 10 points, Vancouver 3-4-3 9 points, Detroit 3-5-2 8 points. They've all gained on us in the last 10 games.

The Rangers are 3-6-1 7 points. We have Tampa and Florida next. I expect us to lose those. Then Carolina at home--that could go either way. Pittsburgh we'll lose to. St. Louis away--I think we'll probably lose that though they're not playing that well. Columbus could go either way but I'd give Columbus the edge. They're still fighting for something. Philadelphia away--lose. Buffalo home--probably win. Washington home and then away--two losses. Tampa Bay home--lose again. Carolina away--could go either way. New Jersey away--I'd give the edge to the Devils. Islanders away--the Barzal factor but maybe we win--they're worse than we are lately. Philadelphia away--lose.

All in all we'll get 7 to 10 points in the last 15 games. Of course Henrik could steal a game. Some of these still don't seem within reach--Tampa twice, Washington twice, Pittsburgh that's 5 games right there we have no business winning.

Buffalo has played much better than the Rangers as of late. The Isles’ Cup will be sweeping the Rangers this year. I don’t see many wins on that schedule.

 

[CTRanger]

“Frank the Tank, Frank the Tank, Frank the Tank”
“it’s so good, once it hits your lips, it’s so good”

 

[cwede]

i want the highest possible pick
and i want introduction to NHL for prospects
i'd rather they sit Holland, DesHarnais, Carey, McCleod every game
and get ice time for Lettieri, Nieves, Tambellini, Chytil, Andersson.
I know there are limits on non-emergency callups,
so maybe Holland<>McCleod, Desharnais<>Carey can violently collide like the Jets in 1st period Tuesday
once more kids are here, i'd be glad to see a bunch of 3-4 losses

 

[Kaapo Cabana]

Back to the thing about the Pens, they are a small market team who is able to spend like a big market team because of their sustained success over the last decade. They 100% need to keep it up because as soon as they have an extended rebuild, they're toast. There is no money in the Pittsburgh market for a bad team.

The only thing that saved them the last time around was being gifted Crosby and Malkin.

I don't think the NHL will let a franchise with 5 cups go belly up, so something will be done if it ever comes to it, but the decline of the Steel industry in the US (and manufacturing in general) has made Pittsburgh a less than sustainable market from a money perspective. (unless there is perpetual success)

There are other markets that have been hit hard by this, namely Detroit, but the population of the Detroit metro area is about double that of Pittsburgh, and the team has fans with much deeper roots than Pittsburgh, being an O6 team and all.

Admittedly in my life there has never been a perpetually bad Red Wings team, so we may learn more about this in the coming years.

 

[Ori]

What are you talking about? We won the Presidents' trophy in 2015 and made it to game 7 of the ECF. And who starts a rebuild after going to the final?

I`m fine with that, but this rebuild should started earlier for sure - not after christmas this season based on our injury situation. It kind of started when they moved Stepan, but they were not open about it at all.

 

[eco's bones]

Back to the thing about the Pens, they are a small market team who is able to spend like a big market team because of their sustained success over the last decade. They 100% need to keep it up because as soon as they have an extended rebuild, they're toast. There is no money in the Pittsburgh market for a bad team.

The only thing that saved them the last time around was being gifted Crosby and Malkin.

I don't think the NHL will let a franchise with 5 cups go belly up, so something will be done if it ever comes to it, but the decline of the Steel industry in the US (and manufacturing in general) has made Pittsburgh a less than sustainable market from a money perspective. (unless there is perpetual success)

There are other markets that have been hit hard by this, namely Detroit, but the population of the Detroit metro area is about double that of Pittsburgh, and the team has fans with much deeper roots than Pittsburgh, being an O6 team and all.

Admittedly in my life there has never been a perpetually bad Red Wings team, so we may learn more about this in the coming years.

Some good points here.

The Red Wings pretty much sucked throughout the 70's. They had Marcel Dionne and an aging Alex Delvecchio. Gary Bergman was one of their better d-men. It's hard to think of very many names from that ---they were kind of forgettable. Nick Libbett. Dan Maloney--no relation to Dave/Don---he could really fight. They were almost always out of the playoffs. 1983 is I think when they drafted Steve Yzerman--after that things turned around for them. After that there's Lidstrom, Chelios, Fedorov, the bruise brothers Probert and Kocur (and don't underestimate the impact those two had). But back in the 70's and 80's Detroit still had a thriving auto industry. That's pretty much a shell of what it was.

 

[Kaapo Cabana]

But back in the 70's and 80's Detroit still had a thriving auto industry. That's pretty much a shell of what it was.

so how will another "dead wings" era fare with the auto industry being a shell of its former self? Will be interesting to find out.

 

[eco's bones]

so how will another "dead wings" era fare with the auto industry being a shell of its former self? Will be interesting to find out.

I think you're right about there being more population.....and there's a lot of money out in the suburbs there too and a much longer hockey tradition throughout Michigan than Pennsylvania. Windsor Ontario is quite near Detroit as well and that's a pretty hockey mad city. IMO it will take a lot more to uproot the Red Wings than the Penguins.

 

[kovazub94]

i want the highest possible pick
and i want introduction to NHL for prospects
i'd rather they sit Holland, DesHarnais, Carey, McCleod every game
and get ice time for Lettieri, Nieves, Tambellini, Chytil, Andersson.
I know there are limits on non-emergency callups,
so maybe Holland<>McCleod, Desharnais<>Carey can violently collide like the Jets in 1st period Tuesday
once more kids are here, i'd be glad to see a bunch of 3-4 losses

For some unknown reason "push for playoffs" became some bad meme around here. In reality what most of us are saying is that we expect to see players playing hard (though ultimately their effort will fall short). And why not? There's a bunch of kids that are fighting for a roster spot next year, then newcomers and "holdover" RFAs that are fighting for their next contract. How do you realistically expect these guys not to give a full effort "because it is for the greater long-term good of a team"? I agree with @cwede - McCleod, DD should not be in the lineup at the expense of Nieves or Lettieri.

 

[Riche16]

I don't care how get into the top-3 or top-5... losing, winning lottery, trading up.

I just DO NOT WANT to go through this sheet year (possibly next as well) and have ZERO ELITE talent at the end of it.

That cannot happen.

 

[kovazub94]

I don't care how get into the top-3 or top-5... losing, winning lottery, trading up.

I just DO NOT WANT to go through this sheet year (possibly next as well) and have ZERO ELITE talent at the end of it.

That cannot happen.

Is this a generational thing?

 

[RangerBlues]

No tanking zone!
Win every game.