The Penguins once Crosby/Malkin leave

[SotasicA]

I guess if we're doing super strict definitions, I guess Lemieux wasn't generational either because of Gretzky????

Possibly. It's problematic for both Mario and Wayne that there was a time when they were both ahead of their peers, but neither clearly better than the other. There were a few years with no definitive #1 player. However Gretzky solidified his superiority to other superstars of his generation prior to Mario, and Mario then beat Gretzky enough times to become the next generational talent, a few years ahead of schedule (ie. their age difference is only like 5 years).

But it would be laughable to claim Malkin is the single best player of his generation. He is an elite superstar, but he is not a level above. Crosby scored 120pts as a 19-year-old. He is a clear cut above others, in talent. Malkin is in that next group. Right now looking like McDavid has already surpassed him, and on the brink (maybe a Cup short, since it is a team sport after all) of becoming the next bonafide generational player. Maybe only the 4th since Bobby Orr. 10 years per one generational talent.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

It's Pittsburgh's patented formula

A Leafs fan making jokes about tanking?

That’s like Caps, Oilers or Sens fans pointing fingers...

 

[Cor]

Wooh @Mulletman outdoing himself with that text wall of trade proposals.

I like how St Louis gets Malkin for Brayden Schenn and David Perron, and Vegas gets him for MA Fleury and a 1st, but Winnipeg needs to give up Laine, Toronto needs to give up Morgan Rielly AND William Nylander, and Tampa Bay needs to give up Stamkos and a 1st.

Makes no sense lmao

 

[VikingAv]

I like how St Louis gets Malkin for Brayden Schenn and David Perron, and Vegas gets him for MA Fleury and a 1st, but Winnipeg needs to give up Laine, Toronto needs to give up Morgan Rielly AND William Nylander, and Tampa Bay needs to give up Stamkos and a 1st.

Makes no sense lmao

Then there's Doug Wilson performing another magic trick and getting him for Thornton + 1st A 1st that would be in either '21 or '22 Then again, I guess that would fit OP's timeframe, so maybe he's on to something

 

[lordstanley91]

It's Pittsburgh's patented formula

You win some you lose some and sometimes you lose on purpose for 66

 

[The Beyonder]

They'll probably go nearly bankrupt again and get gifted another generational player 1st overall... You know, par for the course for them.

 

[lordstanley91]

They'll probably go nearly bankrupt again and get gifted another generational player 1st overall... You know, par for the course for them.

Original. Only the 100+ to give us that hot take.

 

[glovesave_35]

When Crosby and Malkin are gone they will probably have a couple really bad years and draft an elite player or two. Who cares if they haven't got a stocked farm system right now. When you have players like they have you focus on now, period.

 

[Hockeyholic]

Their drafting in the first two rounds has been abysmal since Staal. That'll catch up to you eventually.

 

[pokey10]

There has been 13 drafts since Crosby. Your best players drafted are Matt Murray, Jordan Staal, Jake Guentzel and Jake Muzzin, with Kapanen/Sprong/Hallander as good young guys.

If you can only muster this in the next 13 years after Crosby/Malkin departure, you are in for some long, long years my friend.

Poor Letang, no love. Goligoski, no love. Rust is still a quality NHL'r. Maatta: sigh. I guess its Gen talents or bust.

 

[pokey10]

in a few years theyll be 2005-06 bad and the bandwagon will disappear and join the latest "it" team. Some dark days lie ahead for that organization because their post crosby/malkin draft record is abysmal.

This is still a thing?, its been over 13 years...

 

[pokey10]

Malkin and Jagr are not generational talents. Especially Malkin - since when does a generational player play in the 2nd line behind ANYONE? You're supposed to be the single best player of your entire generation (I guess a hockey career is maybe 10-15 years, so that's a generation).

1983-84 Edmonton Oilers Roster and Statistics | Hockey-Reference.com

Take your pick.

 

[JamieG19]

They should trade Malkin now.

 

[SotasicA]

1983-84 Edmonton Oilers Roster and Statistics | Hockey-Reference.com

Take your pick.

I don't get it. Are you saying Malkin = Gretzky?

 

[Night Shift]

Their drafting in the first two rounds has been abysmal since Staal. That'll catch up to you eventually.

In some years they didn't have 1sts or 2nds, had been traded away for rentals and or for depth. Contending teams tend to do that though.

 

[PromisedLand]

I mean they're going to suck when they lose those guys plus Letang and Kessel who are the same age. Just no way around it.

Their best bet is to tank for 3-5 years and grab some generational talent again. Or trade Malkin & Sid for futures at the very end of their careers. Or both.

I think both geno and sid have NMC/NTC in their contracts if am not mistaken

 

[pokey10]

I don't get it. Are you saying Malkin = Gretzky?

That team had a shit load of HOF's. Not sure why its that far out to have that today.

 

[SotasicA]

That team had a **** load of HOF's. Not sure why its that far out to have that today.

I still don't get it. There was only 1 generational player in the league that season. A bunch of HoFers, sure, on that Oilers team. But why is that relevant? Malkin will probably get to the HOF as well.

You don't need to be a generational talent to get to the HOF.

 

[McFlash97]

They won’t retire until another generational talent comes along

Matthew Savoie.... coming right up...

 

[alko]

NHL Draft 2021 : Oleksii Myklukha (C)
NHL Draft 2022 : Matthew Savoie (F)

And here we go again.

 

[Sidgeni Malkby]

The problem though is that they haven't drafted top-end talent. That's not a knock on them, it's just really hard to do that when you're consistently picking in the bottom 5 of the 1st round, or not at all.

Yes but remember how we were all shocked they picked Pouliot over Forsberg, and that wasn’t in hindsight.

We’ll probably tank and draft a couple of #1s again. At least we are good at that. The Oilers show it isn’t all that easy to do .

I’m not worrying about it. 5-6 years is a long time.

 

[gtrower]

This is way too hard to predict. Caps were supposed to be in rebuild mode with the departures after 2017 but Kuzy emerged as a superstar, Vrana/Djoos, and Stephenson as solid contributors, and Kempny from an afterthought to a top 4 D. Had Shumakov basically fall into our lap and he might end up being a Top 6 guy down the line. And now it looks like we’ll still be a playoff team for the next 6 or 7 years even with Ovi/Backstrom starting to decline.

Just never know. Pens have at least 3/4 more years of Crosby/Malkin being among the better C duos in the league. That gives them time to have other players emerge.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

If they want to continue contending they'll need to figure out a way to transition to a new core in about 5 years, the way Detroit did from Yzerman/Fedorov to Datsyuk/Zetterberg. It's very rare to be able to do that, and that's how they managed to get 25 straight playoff appearances. Pens are at 12 right now, will be interesting to see how close they can get to that number.

Going to need to knock a couple draft picks out of the park. Had the pens kept their first rounder in 2015 they could've gotten Barzal. Granted i'll take the cup that resulted from that trade but high end players are available lower in the draft, just need great drafting/luck.

 

[Gurglesons]

This is way too hard to predict. Caps were supposed to be in rebuild mode with the departures after 2017 but Kuzy emerged as a superstar, Vrana/Djoos, and Stephenson as solid contributors, and Kempny from an afterthought to a top 4 D. And now it looks like we’ll still be a playoff team for the next 6 or 7 years even with Ovi/Backstrom starting to decline.

Just never know.

Real question is can the Caps afford to resign both Ovie and Backstrom in a couple years.

 

[MalkinsPierogi]

There has been 13 drafts since Crosby. Your best players drafted are Matt Murray, Jordan Staal, Jake Guentzel and Jake Muzzin, with Kapanen/Sprong/Hallander as good young guys.

If you can only muster this in the next 13 years after Crosby/Malkin departure, you are in for some long, long years my friend.

I guess a lot of people aren't understanding that the reason our first round draft picks have been very average at best is because we've been consistently picking LATE in the first round or not at all. That's why we haven't gotten a Mitch Marner, Mikhail Sergachev, etc. When the core retires, our team is going to suck. That is a good thing for us though, because it puts us back up at the top of the draft. Then you'll see the Penguins first rounders look a lot better, like they did back when we drafted malkin, crosby, staal and fleury.

I'd happily get to watch sid and geno play until the day they retire even if it means that we're going to suck for a couple years after that. They brought me back to back cups, which probably won't ever happen again in my lifetime for the Pens. If that means that I don't get to watch some shiny new top draft pick every season, so be it. We got a Guentzel though, and a Sprong and some other really good players DESPITE having later picks. That's why the Penguins have been so successful. Being able to build a solid team around their core with NCAA UFA's and later draft picks.