Speculation: Trade Speculation / Untouchable Players Pt. IV

[Ogrezilla]

I feel like im pretty positive when it comes to the pens, but i can't see this current roster doing much in the playoffs.

Boston isn't the only team i'm worried about, if the playoffs started tomorrow i'd pick Boston and NJD in a 7 game series against the pens, and i would consider a 7 game series against NYR and Columbus a 50/50 series.

I don't think the Rangers or BJs could slow down both Sid and Geno. If you can't do that and you don't have a good offense, I would mark us as the favorites. If there's another team to worry about, its the Lightning. They are a good hockey team and have a goalie who could put up another "forcefield"

It's fair to assume he'll come back, however beyond that as it pertains to Bennet it's not safe to assume much of anything. Including where he may or may not play. Or IF he'll get hurt yet again.

And we can't be sure Ericksson doesn't get hurt again for Boston. If Bennett is back, he's an upgrade in the top 9 no matter where he plays.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

Well I think its fair to assume Bennett comes back at least. That gives us two competent top 6 lines and they lose a huge piece of being able to shut down both Sid and Geno.

Even with BB that leaves some pretty big holes:

Kuni - Sid - BB
JJ - Malkin - Neal
Galss - Sutter - Pyatt
Adams - JV - Kobe

The guys who are bolded should all be bumped down a line.

 

[Michael8771*]

And we can't be sure Ericksson doesn't get hurt again for Boston. If Bennett is back, he's an upgrade in the top 9 no matter where he plays.

I guess with BB I'm taking more of a wait and see approach. I don't know if you remember Jock Callander but he started like a ball on fire! Now he was older than BB but anyhow he looked like a world beater for half a season, he had 27 points in 40 NHL GAMES (something like that). After which he really regressed and was a high scorer in the IHL. A flash in the pan if you will.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

I was curious as to which defenseman Colorado fans would want from the Pens, so I asked on their forum. No response yet.

 

[ObsessedCreative*]

Morrow for Morrow was an awful trade at the time and an even worse trade today. Joe still had great value around the league even if he wasn't in the Pens long-term plans. That was a waste of a great asset for a guy who really provided nothing to the team.

ORLY?!!?! A guy who got traded twice in about the span of two days and never even had a chance to sniff let alone crack the pens line up with his play and attitude!? GOTCHA

 

[Ogrezilla]

ORLY?!!?! A guy who got traded twice in about the span of two days and never even had a chance to sniff let alone crack the pens line up with his play and attitude!? GOTCHA

He got traded in a deal for Tyler Seguin. I don't see how you can hold that against him.

Morrow for Morrow was a bad trade.

 

[Jules Winnfield]

I feel like im pretty positive when it comes to the pens, but i can't see this current roster doing much in the playoffs.

Boston isn't the only team i'm worried about, if the playoffs started tomorrow i'd pick Boston and NJD in a 7 game series against the pens, and i would consider a 7 game series against NYR and Columbus a 50/50 series.

As it stands right now, I'd take Boston in 4-5 games over the Pens. We have zero depth.

 

[Waffle Fries]

I don't think the Rangers or BJs could slow down both Sid and Geno. If you can't do that and you don't have a good offense, I would mark us as the favorites. If there's another team to worry about, its the Lightning. They are a good hockey team and have a goalie who could put up another "forcefield"

Yeah the Rangers and Jackets don't scare me in the slightest. Especially the Jackets. I really want to play them, it would be like having every game as a home game.

 

[ObsessedCreative*]

He got traded in a deal for Tyler Seguin. I don't see how you can hold that against him.

Morrow for Morrow was a bad trade.

He was part of the TS trade... LE WAS traded for TS and I am not saying it was a good trade all I was saying was the OP's claim of him having "great value" around the league is reaching speculation and a pipe dream at best.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

The Avalanche fans that responded to me (all 2 of them) only mentioned Despres and Maatta... Not too much input from them.

 

[Ogrezilla]

He was part of the TS trade... LE WAS traded for TS and I am not saying it was a good trade all I was saying was the OP's claim of him having "great value" around the league is reaching speculation and a pipe dream at best.

if that was the value he had, he was worth keeping and seeing what happened to him in the future.

 

[ObsessedCreative*]

if that was the value he had, he was worth keeping and seeing what happened to him in the future.

Agreed, I am not saying it was a good trade, just pointing out the absurdity of the OP's claims of his "great Value" around the league, when he proved absolutely zilch at the NHL level and played rather poor in WBS.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Agreed, I am not saying it was a good trade, just pointing out the absurdity of the OP's claims of his "great Value" around the league, when he proved absolutely zilch at the NHL level and played rather poor in WBS.

I guess that's fair. I really don't care what his value is now, I just know it was more than Brendan Morrow a year ago.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Morrow for Morrow was an awful trade at the time and an even worse trade today. Joe still had great value around the league even if he wasn't in the Pens long-term plans. That was a waste of a great asset for a guy who really provided nothing to the team.

I fail to see how that's possible.

First, because you have no idea what his value was around the league. HF valued him highly (myself included), but that doesn't reflect how he's valued by GMs.

Second, because Morrow has yet to do anything since to make the Pens regret the deal. Kid's scoring at a good clip, but he's a week removed from being a healthy scratch in the AHL because of his defensive shortcomings. If anything the deal looks better today than it did at the time (when Morrow looked on the cusp of an NHL gig), though there's still obviously a lot to be determined.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Anyone think Tom Wilson might be a good fit? Big, mean, young, RH RW. Looks like he's playing on the 4th line for the Caps, but I think he could fit well in the bottom six. Also has top six upside.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Anyone think Tom Wilson might be a good fit? Big, mean, young, RH RW. Looks like he's playing on the 4th line for the Caps, but I think he could fit well in the bottom six. Also has top six upside.

Washington's not giving up a 19 year old kid who they drafted in the first round not too long ago. His name's not Forsberg, for Heaven's sake.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Washington's not giving up a 19 year old kid who they drafted in the first round not too long ago. His name's not Forsberg, for Heaven's sake.

Figured it'd likely require Despres+. They're in more of a need for a RD, though. Niskanen probably wouldn't fetch him.

 

[Waffle Fries]

Figured it'd likely require Despres+. They're in more of a need for a RD, though. Niskanen probably wouldn't fetch him.

Trading either of then for Wilson would be ridiculous. The kid shouldn't even been in the NHL right now. He still belongs in juniors, and his upside is extremely questionable.

 

[Cardboard Orpik]

I fail to see how that's possible.

First, because you have no idea what his value was around the league. HF valued him highly (myself included), but that doesn't reflect how he's valued by GMs.

Second, because Morrow has yet to do anything since to make the Pens regret the deal. Kid's scoring at a good clip, but he's a week removed from being a healthy scratch in the AHL because of his defensive shortcomings. If anything the deal looks better today than it did at the time (when Morrow looked on the cusp of an NHL gig), though there's still obviously a lot to be determined.

People also forget it wasn't a straight 1-for-1 trade, we also traded a 5th for a 3rd with Dallas and moved up two rounds in the draft taking Jake Guenztel. We'll have to wait and see how both he and J. Morrow turn out before we can really judge this trade.

 

[Coach Travis]

Then how do we also have the best team record during that time span? How do we have the #1 ranked PP and PK in the league for the first in team history? How do we also have the top 3 players in points per game in the entire league? Sure sounds like HCDB deserves a lot of credit for leading "the weakest roster since 2006 with a bunch of holes throughout the lineup" to those accolades. Do us all a favor and just think before you spew hatred and try to come up with a coherent argument once in a while.

Those are all impressive, and while I'm the last guy to criticize Dan Bylsma, for some reason I just have zero faith that this team will win the Cup. Zero. Last year we looked unbeatable. I just don't have any faith in MAF in the playoffs. Love him. Hope he proves me wrong. But I just feel like I "know" he'll let us down again.

 

[Captain Hook]

People also forget it wasn't a straight 1-for-1 trade, we also traded a 5th for a 3rd with Dallas and moved up two rounds in the draft taking Jake Guenztel. We'll have to wait and see how both he and J. Morrow turn out before we can really judge this trade.

Yeah, I didn't like that trade but there's more to it than just Morrow for Morrow. We still have to wait and see how Joe Morrow develops and how Guentzel turns out before really judging the overall deal fairly. One thing the Pens were right on was Olli Maatta > Joe Morrow. A lot of people were surprised around last deadline when it came out that the Pens brass considered Maatta to be the better prospect and that they thought Maatta would be a better pro. It's early but it looks like they were dead on with that one.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I might be in the minority here with this, but I am ok with the top 6 as it is, mostly because of the stuff mentioned over and over, as in coaching, the trades made last year that didn't help, etc.

I think this team needs to cut the fat instead of adding to it. Orpik being moved so Despres can be up is one, having Gibbons and Megna in over Kobasew and Adams is another.

And yes, I am a big time homer for Gibbons, I love how people crush on college kids others sign, but we have one that is doing well and he's not good enough for whatever reason.

This team is better off targeting some decent UFA's in the off season when vacancies are more certain.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Figured it'd likely require Despres+. They're in more of a need for a RD, though. Niskanen probably wouldn't fetch him.

If that's the kind of winger you want, I would bet Kassian is an easier target than him. Wilson is a kid that the Caps desperately need more of, not move.

 

[#66]

Yeah the Rangers and Jackets don't scare me in the slightest. Especially the Jackets. I really want to play them, it would be like having every game as a home game.

I guess we'll see on Friday but the Rangers are playing well. They're big, fast and aggressive. Maybe overly aggressive... to the point they over chase.

 

[PensPlz]

Putting everything in for a big RW for Sid just seems off to me. We won in 2009 with solid depth, not an amazing top 6. Infact, our top 6 now is arguably a lot better now than it was in '09. Neal in place of Talbot. Feds? Come on. Only piece we are missing is a grizzly vet / leadership presence that Billy G brought but I don't think it's necessary anymore. Sid just needs someone with speed and a decent shot, that shouldn't cost a Letang and a 5 mil cap spot.

We tried the "load up our top 6" last year, Boston was able to effectively neutralize those 2 lines, and they will be able to do it again as well as handful of teams in the west. Blue print on how to beat us is set, and has been used the last 3/4 years (excluding the Tampa series).