GDT: Trade Deadline - 2pm Central - Time to deal - tick tock tick tock...

[Prior]

Team is top 10 in the league but yet not competitive. Okay.

 

[Bazeek]

If I remember correctly, Johansson has a M-NTC still and as such can be a bit difficult to move him. I'd love to move Bjugstad or Bonino and keep Sturm on the roster full time and maybe call up Dewar. This team has never really been sellers at the deadline since the Risebrough's days and that was once, and when they were they were way out of the playoffs.

Furthermore, this season (like last season) is really strange. You can't look at this roster and see a competitive team in it. They fumbled their way into the playoffs and is in one of the worst divisions in the NHL at the moment. It was a race to the bottom essentially with Los Angeles, Anaheim, Arizona and San Jose all competitively trying to get there.

Finally, I don't see how Bonino or Johansson or Bjugstad or even Cole is going to be coming back next season - why not get what we can? I wouldn't be surprised if Bonino snagged a B-tier prospect and a mid-round prospect by himself.

I don't think "fumbled their way into the playoffs" is how I'd describe it at all. This is a very good team with a crippling flaw, but even with that flaw they can hang with a team like Vegas (another team that's successful despite some dodgy centers). Even a moderate upgrade from Rask could make a big difference.

 

[Filip]

For Kaprizov, needs center. Ryan Getzlaf will be great. He wins faceoffs and quickly gives away the puck. For Kirill will be great.

 

[thestonedkoala]

Team is top 10 in the league but yet not competitive. Okay.

They are 5-4-1 in the last 10 games with a 30 to 33 GF vs GA ratio.

Kahkonen got exposed and had a .857, .906 and a .763 sv% in his last 3 games. They are going to need to ride Talbot out.

They are also 12th best with Boston, Nashville in striking distance - and in a fairly weak division.

I don't think "fumbled their way into the playoffs" is how I'd describe it at all. This is a very good team with a crippling flaw, but even with that flaw they can hang with a team like Vegas (another team that's successful despite some dodgy centers). Even a moderate upgrade from Rask could make a big difference.

It's a pretty uneven team though, and even Guerin is probably surprised they succeeded as well as they have. I think fumbling is the best way to put it, because they really didn't know what they had coming into the season; Kaprizov was a complete unknown, they had overhauled their center depth and were counting on Fiala to provide the offense with the hopes of Kaprizov adding in his own. Kap far succeeded in what they were expecting, catapulting them to be competitive - but the secondary scoring has been hot and cold. Foligno and Rask round out the top 5 goal scorers for Minnesota - something I don't think ANYONE would have guessed would happen. They assembled a lot of mish-mash forwards, especially with Zuccs being out.

Greenway at least put together his game, and so did Hartman and Zuccarello, but they were unknowns coming into this season.

 

[Bazeek]

It's a pretty uneven team though, and even Guerin is probably surprised they succeeded as well as they have. I think fumbling is the best way to put it, because they really didn't know what they had coming into the season; Kaprizov was a complete unknown, they had overhauled their center depth and were counting on Fiala to provide the offense with the hopes of Kaprizov adding in his own. Kap far succeeded in what they were expecting, catapulting them to be competitive - but the secondary scoring has been hot and cold. Foligno and Rask round out the top 5 goal scorers for Minnesota - something I don't think ANYONE would have guessed would happen. They assembled a lot of mish-mash forwards, especially with Zuccs being out.

Greenway at least put together his game, and so did Hartman and Zuccarello, but they were unknowns coming into this season.

"Uneven" is a good way to put it.

 

[Prior]

They are 5-4-1 in the last 10 games with a 30 to 33 GF vs GA ratio.

Kahkonen got exposed and had a .857, .906 and a .763 sv% in his last 3 games. They are going to need to ride Talbot out.

They are also 12th best with Boston, Nashville in striking distance - and in a fairly weak division.

Fun with numbers is fun.

They are closer to the teams in front of them than the teams you listed. Shouldn’t be an issue in a supposed weak division right?

Kaapo hasn’t been exposed, he hasn’t played. Look at the timeline between those three games.

 

[ThatGuy22]

They are 5-4-1 in the last 10 games with a 30 to 33 GF vs GA ratio.

Kahkonen got exposed and had a .857, .906 and a .763 sv% in his last 3 games. They are going to need to ride Talbot out.

They are also 12th best with Boston, Nashville in striking distance - and in a fairly weak division.

Weak division stuff is over-blown, and a remnant of pre-season hype. Anaheim is the only terrible team in our division, and all the other divisions have atleast one team worse.

North is certainly a worse division and haven't hasn't had a competive playoff race in a month, East is probably a worse division top to bottom given all the points teams can collect against Devils and Sabres who are truly pathetic(not to mention the Flyers who have been god awful for 1.5 months after a good 10 game start).

We've got a bunch of "muddle in the middle" teams like the central, and we've separated from that and have a winning record against the top two teams in our division(bolstered by Vegas obviously, but we do have two games we blew out Colorado, while they have two they've blown us out). Colorado and Vegas are both considered two of the top 5 teams in the league by most power rankings.

I think the Central is probably a bit better top to bottom, but the weakest division stuff is all pre-season narrative at this point.

 

[thestonedkoala]

They are closer to the teams in front of them than the teams you listed. Shouldn’t be an issue in a supposed weak division right?

They are five points off Vegas and 9 points off of Avalanche.

Edmonton also went 6-2-2 compared to 5-4-1.

Winnipeg has gone 6-3-1 compared to 5-4-1.

Kaapo hasn’t been exposed, he hasn’t played. Look at the timeline between those three games.

He's a backup - and was supposed to be a backup. It doesn't matter if it's a time frame or not. He's been struggling a bit.

 

[Prior]

They are five points off Vegas and 9 points off of Avalanche.

Edmonton also went 6-2-2 compared to 5-4-1.

Winnipeg has gone 6-3-1 compared to 5-4-1.

What are you on about here?

 

[ThatGuy22]

They are five points off Vegas and 9 points off of Avalanche.

Edmonton also went 6-2-2 compared to 5-4-1.

Winnipeg has gone 6-3-1 compared to 5-4-1.



He's a backup - and was supposed to be a backup. It doesn't matter if it's a time frame or not. He's been struggling a bit.

Edmonton played 6 out of 10 against against playoff teams in their division got 8 points (1.33 ppg).

Winnipeg played 4 against playoff teams in their division got 5 points (1.25 ppg).

We played 7 against playoff teams in our division got 9 points (1.28 ppg).

It's almost like schedule matters.

 

[ChaosAgent]

Pens fan here:

Any interest in getting Zucker back in exchange for our 1st round pick?

Crosby prefers Guentzel and Zucker hasn't worked well with Malkin. I assume you don't need any sort of Zucker scouting report.

 

[Wild11MN]

Pens fan here:

Any interest in getting Zucker back in exchange for our 1st round pick?

Crosby prefers Guentzel and Zucker hasn't worked well with Malkin. I assume you don't need any sort of Zucker scouting report.

Nope. Can't take the salary cap and we still have an abundance of wingers.

 

[thestonedkoala]

It's almost like schedule matters.

You're right, which is why Minnesota ended up in a playoff spot - they had a pretty soft schedule (and a couple games against a pretty depleted Colorado team).

However, we're getting way off subject. Minnesota should be sellers at the deadline due to this year's schedule and the fact that none of the guy they should move are going to be in the long term plans.

I'd love to do what Carolina did when they moved Haula out.

 

[GuerinUp]

Pens fan here:

Any interest in getting Zucker back in exchange for our 1st round pick?

Crosby prefers Guentzel and Zucker hasn't worked well with Malkin. I assume you don't need any sort of Zucker scouting report.

 

[ThatGuy22]

Pens fan here:

Any interest in getting Zucker back in exchange for our 1st round pick?

Crosby prefers Guentzel and Zucker hasn't worked well with Malkin. I assume you don't need any sort of Zucker scouting report.

Can't afford him long term.

 

[ChaosAgent]

FWIW, I'm in the "Zucker was meh from the beginning and Guerin completely fleeced his old boss Rutherford" camp.

 

[GuerinUp]

FWIW, I'm in the "Zucker was meh from the beginning and Guerin completely fleeced his old boss Rutherford" camp.

was moreso laughing at the buyers remorse than you directly. hes not a bad player, i honestly think you should keep him and let malkin walk

 

[ChaosAgent]

was moreso laughing at the buyers remorse than you directly. hes not a bad player, i honestly think you should keep him and let malkin walk

If we let Malkin walk, it isn't because of Jason Zucker.

 

[ThatGuy22]

You're right, which is why Minnesota ended up in a playoff spot - they had a pretty soft schedule (and a couple games against a pretty depleted Colorado team).

However, we're getting way off subject. Minnesota should be sellers at the deadline due to this year's schedule and the fact that none of the guy they should move are going to be in the long term plans.

I'd love to do what Carolina did when they moved Haula out.

It's not why Minnesota ended up in a playoff spot. Our division is no different than any other.

There are bad and medocre teams in literally every division. You're just focused more on ours.

 

[GuerinUp]

If we let Malkin walk, it isn't because of Jason Zucker.

oh im aware, just saying hes not getting any younger

 

[ChaosAgent]

oh im aware, just saying hes not getting any younger

Malkin's not, but he's at Death Do Us Part stage with us.

Total legend.

Yes I had buyer's remorse almost immediately on Zucker. Even when he was producing...you saw the wheels and hands but his offensive IQ was very lackluster and he was extremely soft/small on the boards. Plays small. It didn't help that there was this drumbeat of "OMG Jason Zucker is amazing" from so many segments of the Pens-sphere. Was never true.

How has Addison looked for you?

 

[Bazeek]

Bowman continues to load up on my ill advised "buy low" candidates from the past year or two.

 

[GuerinUp]

Malkin's not, but he's at Death Do Us Part stage with us.

Total legend.

Yes I had buyer's remorse almost immediately on Zucker. Even when he was producing...you saw the wheels and hands but his offensive IQ was very lackluster and he was extremely soft/small on the boards. Plays small. It didn't help that there was this drumbeat of "OMG Jason Zucker is amazing" from so many segments of the Pens-sphere. Was never true.

How has Addison looked for you?

should be up next year, looks like he has a bright future

 

[Prior]

How has Addison looked for you?

Looks the part of a future top 4 RH PMD. Having a very good season in Iowa. Depending on what happens in the offseason, should see a good opportunity to be in MN next year.

 

[ChaosAgent]

Looks the part of a future top 4 RH PMD. Having a very good season in Iowa. Depending on what happens in the offseason, should see a good opportunity to be in MN next year.

Hopefully we make that pick real, real low for you guys.

Otherwise, complete fleecing.

Zucker is not a $5.5M/year player especially in this cap environment. I'd trade him for very little to just get out from the contract.