Rumor: 2023-2024 Trade Rumors and Free Agency: Off-season is in full swing

[The Abusement Park]

This is the pens D next year :

Graves-E.Karlsson
Petterssen-Letang
PO Joseph-Ruhwedel

There is no 'can to kick' with that D. They are going to get stomped.

Letang is 36 and has 5 more years at $6.1M. Can't wait to see him develop a mysterious allergy to his equipment sometime soon...

Realistically i agree they won’t win a cup. Their top 4 is still pretty dang solid though, Letang may be 36 but he’s still been very very good recently. Karlsson comes in and kicks him off PP1 which will help limit his minutes as well.

Obviously they’re going to make moves to win the cup with Malkin and Crosby. And Karlsson gives them a better chance, even if I don’t think they are good enough to do it.

 

[Bender]

I didn't realize that the sharks only retained $1M on Karlsson (thought it was $1.5M) and that the pens also retained $1.56M on Petry. Lol

They are still paying for JMFJ's buyout for the next 3 years as well. What a well-run organization.

 

[the_fan]

Realistically i agree they won’t win a cup. Their top 4 is still pretty dang solid though, Letang may be 36 but he’s still been very very good recently. Karlsson comes in and kicks him off PP1 which will help limit his minutes as well.

Obviously they’re going to make moves to win the cup with Malkin and Crosby. And Karlsson gives them a better chance, even if I don’t think they are good enough to do it.

When Avs had Graves playing on their top 4, I remember all the criticism and all the people who didn’t like it (including me) but then Graves goes to NJ plays on their top 4, and now he will in Pittsburgh also, suddenly Graves is awesome and makes those teams top 4 very solid. Funny how that works

 

[The Abusement Park]

When Avs had Graves playing on their top 4, I remember all the criticism and all the people who didn’t like it (including me) but then Graves goes to NJ plays on their top 4, and now he will in Pittsburgh also, suddenly Graves is awesome and makes those teams top 4 very solid. Funny how that works

I mean the Avs were one of the best teams in the NHL with Graves in the top 4 Think the hate for him is and was pretty over the top.

 

[Bender]

When Avs had Graves playing on their top 4, I remember all the criticism and all the people who didn’t like it (including me) but then Graves goes to NJ plays on their top 4, and now he will in Pittsburgh also, suddenly Graves is awesome and makes those teams top 4 very solid. Funny how that works

He's NOT and he doesn't.

You don't see many devils fans disappointed that he signed with a division rival. For the most part, they are extremely ok with him being on another team - sounds familiar.

The reality is that he's probably a #5 on a good team and the way the pens D is structured, he's very likely to play with either EK or Letang and that will force him to be the guy playing D on that pairing which in my opinion is a recipe for disaster.

 

[Avsboy]

When Avs had Graves playing on their top 4, I remember all the criticism and all the people who didn’t like it (including me) but then Graves goes to NJ plays on their top 4, and now he will in Pittsburgh also, suddenly Graves is awesome and makes those teams top 4 very solid. Funny how that works

He’s entering his prime, and you have to assume he’s learnt from his mistakes. If he shares the ice with EK he will pass

 

[the_fan]

I mean the Avs were one of the best teams in the NHL with Graves in the top 4 Think the hate for him is and was pretty over the top.

He’s passable in regular season, but if Graves is on your top 4 in the playoffs, you’re probably not winning the cup. Case in point, the Vegas series, and it didn’t work in NJ either. Doubtful it’s gonna work in Pitt

 

[dahrougem2]

Grier handled this pretty poorly IMO. Showed his inexperience.

He made some comments about how it's been a grind and he's happy it's over and done with. Sounds like opposing GM's just waited him out. He should have expected that to be the case after this wasn't done in July.

The move to counter that would have been what Sakic would have done. You just wait for the right deal and don't worry about the drama. Why do the Sharks need to get this done before the season just because EK might want that?

He should have went to Karlsson and told him he may wait until the deadline to move him if he has to. He could have sold EK on having a better idea who the contenders are by then too.

The time to move Karlsson was the TDL when the Oilers seemed VERY willing to take Erik Karlsson on while giving up one of Holloway/Broberg and a 1st round pick.

The Sharks owners just seemed adamant that they would not be retaining much money. Killed their potential return. I don't get it, either. Just look at like like you're buying picks and prospects with cash.

 

[BrickNHL]

The time to move Karlsson was the TDL when the Oilers seemed VERY willing to take Erik Karlsson on while giving up one of Holloway/Broberg and a 1st round pick.

The Sharks owners just seemed adamant that they would not be retaining much money. Killed their potential return. I don't get it, either. Just look at like like you're buying picks and prospects with cash.

I mean at the end of the day, they’re probably gonna end up spending that money on some jabroni anyway so it makes no sense for them

 

[the_fan]

He’s entering his prime, and you have to assume he’s learnt from his mistakes. If he shares the ice with EK he will pass

I don’t think Pens are winning anything with Graves, Karlsson and old Letang as their main guys on defense. That’s actually a pretty bad defense.

Having Karlsson is like having another 100 point forward if he can get 100 again. Oilers had three 100 point players, it didn’t matter in the playoffs. Need defense to win and that Pens D is just not good. Who’s gonna shutdown the opposition players?

 

[Deadsy]

I didn't realize that the sharks only retained $1M on Karlsson (thought it was $1.5M) and that the pens also retained $1.56M on Petry.

It is $1.5M retained on Karlsson.

 

[Bensch88]

Who’s gonna shutdown the opposition players?

Dude with beautiful hair aka Graves

 

[TruePowerSlave]

EK absolutely should have been dealt at the TDL. SJ also should have eaten more cap for a max return.

Hard to blame the GM, most likely the owner wasn’t willing to do it.

 

[Ararana]

Three really bad GMs dealing with each other.

Pittsburgh is littered with boat anchors. They're going all in to make Crosby's last two years something special, but they'll just get bounced in the first few rounds.

 

[Bender]

It is $1.5M retained on Karlsson.

I thought he was at $11M... Didn't realize he signed for $11.5M.

 

[henchman21]

I like the deal for the Pens... not so much for anybody else. Sharks overplayed their hand and basically got a 1st and future trade fodder. Could work out, but they'll need Rutta, Hoffman, and Granlund to play well. Not sure what the heck Montreal was doing...

Now Pittsburg, we know FSG wasn't allowing Crosby, Malkin, and Letang to be moved... and they want them going down with a puncher's chance. Karlsson is the most impactful available player per asset spent. Essentially, Pens dumped 3 contracts they wouldn't need going forward downgraded a 2nd to a 3rd and spent a 1st for a guy who can be the most impactful offensive player available. Letang can have his minutes cut and he's willing to take a lesser offensive role. Karlsson can run a top PP unit and get prime PP time. Petey and Graves are solid middle pairing guys who can play next to Letang and Karlsson. With the assumption that none of these guys fall off a cliff this year (large assumption), Pittsburgh improved a ton here. They aren't a top team in the east (I'm not even sure top 5), but they will get into the playoffs. In there they'll have a chance to ride some hot streaks. Keeps the fans happy and the core 3 don't have to toll away on a lottery team for the next 2-3 seasons.

 

[the_fan]

Dude with beautiful hair aka Graves

The Pens will have a trio with beautiful hair on their blue line Graves Letang and Karlsson, I gotta give them that

 

[MarchessaultCantRead]

The Pens will have a trio with beautiful hair on their blue line Graves Letang and Karlsson, I gotta give them that

Those Nancies are not very good at the thing that defensemen are usually relied on for though…

 

[henchman21]

Those Nancies are not very good at the thing that defensemen are usually relied on for though…

That’s not really true… Graves was on one of the best shutdown pairings in the league last year. Letang is also very, very good defensively.

 

[NOTENOUGHRYJOTHINGS]

That’s not really true… Graves was on one of the best shutdown pairings in the league last year. Letang is also very, very good defensively.

Hot take but Graves would be the third best defender on the Avs today.

Girard Byram and Manson ain't better than Graves.

 

[JH21]

That’s not really true… Graves was on one of the best shutdown pairings in the league last year. Letang is also very, very good defensively.

It seems like the Graves hate is still an Avs board psychological experiment. Guys in here say he is not very good just because half the board says it's so. Which is not true at all.

It's like a yearly thing to pick one player a year and compulsively obsess about them. Compher was the same.

He played 23+ minutes per night as a top pair Dman on one of the best teams in the NHL. He will be sorely missed by NJ.

Siegenthaler - Hamilton
Hughes - Marino

Their top 9 might be among the leagues best but that D missing Graves and Severson is going to get stomped on.

 

[henchman21]

It seems like the Graves hate is still an Avs board psychological experiment. Guys in here say he is not very good just because half the board says it's so. Which is not true at all.

It's like a yearly thing to pick one player a year and compulsively obsess about them. Compher was the same.

He played 23+ minutes per night as a top pair Dman on one of the best teams in the NHL. He will be sorely missed by NJ.

Siegenthaler - Hamilton
Hughes - Marino

Their top 9 might be among the leagues best but that D missing Graves and Severson is going to get stomped on.

New Jersey will be fine... Hughes will step in and be a more impactful defender right away. Though he will have some rookie mistakes. Plus they also have Nemec coming along. Miller will insulte what they lost in Severson as Severson was purely a specialist there last year. I get why they won't miss him, but it isn't because Graves isn't good... it is just they have young guys with higher ceilings on the verge of ready or are ready.

 

[The Moops]

The Pens will have a trio with beautiful hair on their blue line Graves Letang and Karlsson, I gotta give them that

They will demoralize the opposing team with their beautiful hair


Honestly they should be doing shampoo commercials. The team fails if they don't do it

 

[Avsboy]

Hot take but Graves would be the third best defender on the Avs today.

Girard Byram and Manson ain't better than Graves.

You need a timeout to sit in the corner

 

[jfc64]

Yeah, I don't get it. They exchange 4 years of a cap problem with EK65 for 2 years of a cap problem with the mediocre pieces that came back. Meanwhile, they get a first round pick probably in the teens, but lose the most exciting player on their team who probably helped bring fans into the building. Imagine trading a Norris winner and offensive force for cap dumps that will stay on your cap for 2 years plus the rights to pick someone like Tyson Jost.

I think they will get returns at the trading deadline for Barabanov, Duclair, Hoffman, Labanc, Simek and Kähkönen. And next year they have 30 million to buy players for. Granlund and Hoffman have value on third lines at least, when they don't cost much (TDL).