Confirmed with Link: Rakell to PIT for 2nd/Clang(goalie prospect)/ZAR/Simon

[MayorofWBS]

I mean maybe... fair point. But these guys sell tickets on name recognition alone. You'd think they'd like that over the unknown. There are no guarantees that Pittsburgh can land some highly desired free agents right out the gate to take the reins. That's a dicey proposition in a smaller market, especially.

EDIT: Like Dude said.

What about FSG makes people think they don't want to win? Yes, the stakeholders want to make money but I don't see manta of "as long as we make money winning is a plus". I think Rust has a higher chance of being shown the door. He's a good winger but not an elite winger. Do you go 7-8 years on a good but not elite winger? Maybe if Sid/Geno were younger.

The key to Geno/Letang contracts are not being caught with +35 penalties if things go south and they want to bale out if we go longer term with each. Actually, I think we'd be okay going 5 years with Letang. Sure, it might bite us in the butt towards the end but the probability that we have someone to replacement him as the #1 RD? First line RHD don't grow on trees and teams don't like to give them up (either as roster players or prospects). We don't have anyone in the system to replace him. I still think we'd get 3 good years out of him. Even if we got super lucky and we hit on a RHD in this year's draft, that player would still have some development time in JRs/college/AHL and then NHL. So most likely, that RHD would still be on his entry level contract at the end of Letang's contract. Marino's contract coincides with a Letang 5 year contract. I'm a firm believer that you need to draft your #1 RD as they are hard/painful to acquire outside of that.

 

[Night Shift]

This is actually a good point. The worst case scenario is that they want to be the Steelers. Good enough to squeak into the playoffs and turn a profit, but never a legit contender. I guess the positive is that unless the Pens have star power, they historically can't sell tickets which may force their hands.

The Difference is FSG wants to win.

 

[Gurglesons]

Burke made a comment that Rakell had diet and health issues that resulted in his down years prior to this one on Marek’s show today.

 

[3ladesof5teel]

Well now that Hertl is off the market, and presuming Forsberg re-signs in NSH, the only C that leaves us who’s comparable to Malkin in terms of production is Kadri, and the only other elite forward is Gaudreau. I love Johnny hockey but not sure how great he’ll be with an aging Jeff Carter as 2nd line C, so we’ve got to go with the C.

Malkin fits with this team and our window, so Malkin makes more sense than Kadri, and Malkin will be less $$ and term, since Kadri will get a 6-7 year deal for $8-9M from someone.

Ditto on D. Either we go 7 years on Klingberg, or re-sign Letang for 4-5 years.

All in all, I say we keep our core together and add or change what we can around the edges — maybe retain Rakell if he’s a fit, upgrade a piece here and there like a Heinen or Kapanen (externally or with guys like DOC, Big Z and Big Puusy, etc.). And we MUST extend Blueger.

Agree with everything but Klingberg as a replacement for Tanger. I wouldn't touch him. He benefited in the past as the top dog in Dallas during some good years.

He isn't even their best dman now and if he would be a Letang replacement I think most would come away pretty disappointed. Fans here get frustrated with Letangs play as it is. Wait until they see Klingbergs defense and at the cap hit someone is going to pay him.

 

[Ignatius]

Burke made a comment that Rakell had diet and health issues that resulted in his down years prior to this one on Marek’s show today.

Interesting, I know firsthand that there is a lot of bad information that people have been conditioned into accepting as conventional wisdom when it comes to nutrition. Just recently I went from a what was commonly considered to be a healthy diet that I've been on for years which nearly pushed me into a pre-diabetic state to going keto and quite literally feeling and performing better than I ever have in my entire life. Hundreds of "experts" advised me to do the former while only a handful of people were willing to encourage me to do what has actually produced the best results.

I've seen a lot of people fall very hard following the aforementioned conventional wisdom, with absolute health disasters in some cases. That being said finding out what does work for you can be a life altering experience. Just makes me want to see what Raks can do here with whatever he is doing now.

 

[JRS91]

Who cares?

I do because they're all injury prone and two out of the three are entering their late 30's.

 

[66-30-33]

Interesting, I know firsthand that there is a lot of bad information that people have been conditioned into accepting as conventional wisdom when it comes to nutrition. Just recently I went from a what was commonly considered to be a healthy diet that I've been on for years which nearly pushed me into a pre-diabetic state to going keto and quite literally feeling and performing better than I ever have in my entire life. Hundreds of "experts" advised me to do the former while only a handful of people were willing to encourage me to do what has actually produced the best results.

I've seen a lot of people fall very hard following the aforementioned conventional wisdom, with absolute health disasters in some cases. That being said finding out what does work for you can be a life altering experience. Just makes me want to see what Raks can do here with whatever he is doing now.

I did keto, did not agree with me so now I do carnivore like our ancestors used to do.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Burke made a comment that Rakell had diet and health issues that resulted in his down years prior to this one on Marek’s show today.

Who knew Slim Jims and paralyzers don't qualify as a healthy pre-game meal?

 

[Night Shift]

Late news coming out of Anaheim @Pens x was also part of the trade, he has to report to the Ducks board.

 

[Pens x]

Did Burke swoop in and make this trade? Both sleepy and sully had no problems playing the turds all season, and then boom, the nightmare was over.

 

[Night Shift]

Did Burke swoop in and make this trade? Both sleepy and sully had no problems playing the turds all season, and then boom, the nightmare was over.

Whatever you say @Ducks x

 

[WhatTheDuck]

Late news coming out of Anaheim @Pens x was also part of the trade, he has to report to the Ducks board.

We put him on waivers and he was picked up by HFKraken. Lot's of opportunity over there, good shot to develop into a core poster.

 

[cookthebooks]

Did Burke swoop in and make this trade? Both sleepy and sully had no problems playing the turds all season, and then boom, the nightmare was over.

you could also go the other way and say that hextall knows exactly what hes doing and maintaining players trade value as best as possible while plotting to remove them (even if that doesnt apply to sully who undeniably loves the dudes in question) is the proof

 

[Pens x]

you could also go the other way and say that hextall knows exactly what hes doing and maintaining players trade value as best as possible while plotting to remove them (even if that doesnt apply to sully who undeniably loves the dudes in question) is the proof

Maybe. I guess we will never know. Regardless, the two idiots are gone. I guess Anaheim won’t allow another goal and be savants of possession for the rest of the season.

I guess Anaheim really liked Clang. Tweedle dee and tweedle dum were clearly thrown in for salary purposes. Let’s see if there is another GM willing to sign Simon next year. I can’t see him lasting anywhere for as many games as he played here this year.

 

[Rakell67]

Maybe. I guess we will never know. Regardless, the two idiots are gone. I guess Anaheim won’t allow another goal and be savants of possession for the rest of the season.

I guess Anaheim really liked Clang. Tweedle dee and tweedle dum were clearly thrown in for salary purposes. Let’s see if there is another GM willing to sign Simon next year. I can’t see him lasting anywhere for as many games as he played here this year.

Perhaps WBS signs him

 

[Goalie_Bob]

Yeah, people keep talking about how ZAR and Simon are gone forever and I'm like "They are?"

Pens can just as easily sign them next year.

 

[Peat]

I will laugh myself sick if Simon ends up back here next off-season, and wouldn't be that surprised if it happened either.

I'd be surprised by ZAR who's constantly pushed for the biggest contracts and whose usage was sliding away from what we were paying him anyway, but Simon on the same contract as now is a very different kettle of fish...

Agree with everything but Klingberg as a replacement for Tanger. I wouldn't touch him. He benefited in the past as the top dog in Dallas during some good years.

He isn't even their best dman now and if he would be a Letang replacement I think most would come away pretty disappointed. Fans here get frustrated with Letangs play as it is. Wait until they see Klingbergs defense and at the cap hit someone is going to pay him.

I've seen people make pretty good cases that Klingberg is a victim of Bowness' system and could thrive in one more suited to his strengths - see this post in particular Living Dangerously With John Klingberg - and think it could be a different story here.

 

[jmelm]

Agree with everything but Klingberg as a replacement for Tanger. I wouldn't touch him. He benefited in the past as the top dog in Dallas during some good years.

He isn't even their best dman now and if he would be a Letang replacement I think most would come away pretty disappointed. Fans here get frustrated with Letangs play as it is. Wait until they see Klingbergs defense and at the cap hit someone is going to pay him.

To be clear, I was just answering the question of what *could* be possible. I am certainly not advocating that we go after Klingberg. Quite the opposite: Letang is a better Dman. I was kind of indicating that the fact Klingberg will get a 7 year deal is also a good part of the reason of why we should sign Letang, for whom we could goo 4 or 5.

But if Letang does decide his heart is in MTL and we couldn't retain him, I think we would have to consider Klingberg seriously, just because what other right D are out there?

 

[The Grim Reaper]

Yeah, people keep talking about how ZAR and Simon are gone forever and I'm like "They are?"

Pens can just as easily sign them next year.

Need to bring Craig Adams and Tanner Glass out of retirement as well.

 

[pistolpete11]

I will laugh myself sick if Simon ends up back here next off-season, and wouldn't be that surprised if it happened either.

Don't worry. He'll just be AHL depth.

 

[pistolpete11]

I would not be happy to let Letang walk to sign Klingberg, but if Letang walks, Klingberg is the best the Pens could do.

 

[orby]

Burke made a comment that Rakell had diet and health issues that resulted in his down years prior to this one on Marek’s show today.

After 2017 he was inspired to start following the Phil Kessel fitness plan.

 

[Peat]

Don't worry. He'll just be AHL depth.

Right up until the traditional two forward injuries a game start!

 

[vodeni]

Right up until the traditional two forward injuries a game start!

I was holding up to post anything like jinxing and all that...but yes, don't you worry all 14 forwards will be called up at some point...thats Pens...

 

[Peat]

I was holding up to post anything like jinxing and all that...but yes, don't you worry all 14 forwards will be called up at some point...thats Pens...

It's not even a jinx at this point unless you think the hockey gods will read it and go "only two? They'll be so lucky".