GDT: 2024-2025 Training Camp

[Al Smith]

Let's say the Pens started the season 0-10-0 and lost 10-0 in all the games.
If it led to a Sully firing, would you take it?

I think most here are hoping for something like that. They're not going to start 0-10 and Sully isn't going anywhere.

 

[Gurglesons]

Let's say the Pens started the season 0-10-0 and lost 10-0 in all the games.
If it led to a Sully firing, would you take it?

I'd throw away the entire season if it meant Sullivan gets fired.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

I think the world moves slower for Graves. He always thinks he has more time and space.

well yeah most superstars have that internal clock, that extra beat with the puck on their stick.

 

[Coastal Kev]

Sullivan teams are so damn passive and play like they're afraid to fail... all of which goes back to the coaching.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I think the world moves slower for Graves. He always thinks he has more time and space.

I honestly think it’d be just easier to buy him out and suffer the hit for his cap given where this team is, you can use the cheaper contracts like Aho, Pickering, etc to make up for it. It’ll be bad for his cap hit from 2026-2029 but by then it doesn’t even matter and it’s just a cap floor buffer (It’s around 3.5-3.7 cap hit those years).

There’s no point trying to fix a player that will never work on the Pens and will cost too much to move, this is a JJ situation all over again and it needs to be a buyout asap.

You can waive Graves, but that caphit is still bigger than if they just bought his ass out. 1.15m can be buried of his 4.5m/yr.

 

[Pancakes]

D environment heavily effects goaltending.

In terms of results, sure.

If you put an NHL goalie in the net in this game you would still see NHL level technical ability and rebound control and reads, etc. That's all @Empoleon8771 is saying and I agree with him on it.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Only true fans wait through this intermission and watch the 3rd.

 

[FunkySeeFunkyDo]

How has Knyzhov done in camp? Haven’t heard anything, which is probably a bad thing for him making the big club.

 

[Gurglesons]

In terms of results, sure.

If you put an NHL goalie in the net in this game you would still see NHL level technical ability and rebound control and reads, etc. That's all @Empoleon8771 is saying and I agree with him on it.

I’ll take Blomqvist being great in the A last year over this random preseason game where he’s playing behind literal WHL / ECHL talent.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Lol, imagine being excited about a hat trick vs a team of players where the vast majority of them haven’t played 1 NHL game. We’re going to be this sad as a fan base as well with this coach where we get excited about winning meaningless games.

Brunicke
Broz
Blomqvist
Clurman
Hayes
Huntington
McGroarty
Koivunen
Larsson
Howe

All with zero NHL experience and for some, barely if any at all AHL experience.

 

[Al Smith]

Lol, imagine being excited about a hat trick vs a team of players where the vast majority of them haven’t played 1 NHL game. We’re going to be this sad as a fan base as well with this coach where we get excited about winning meaningless games.

Brunicke
Broz
Blomqvist
Clurman
Hayes
Huntington
McGroarty
Koivunen
Larsson
Howe

All with zero NHL experience and for some, barely if any at all AHL experience.

When you haven't made the playoffs for like 13 years, you take what you can get.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I’ll take Blomqvist being great in the A last year over this random preseason game where he’s playing behind literal WHL / ECHL talent.

Blomqvist will be fine, I think if anything for a goalie coach there’s a lot to like but a lot to work on - He needs to be aggressive and not be so deep in the crease.

Murashov for example and even Larsson, make themselves bigger in net and are a little more aggressive, Larsson is an inch shorter and Murashov is the same size but looks bigger as well. It just goes to show not to pencil in a player into a NHL spot before seeing them a little more. Blomqvist needs more time.

 

[GilbertSeinfeld]

At least we can see how bad things will get without a true talent to carry Sullivan's sorry ass coaching style.

 

[Ryder71]

We're gonna be soooooooooo bad this season!

Could pick in the top five in the '25 draft. Gotta make it count regardless where!

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

So far I’d just put McGroarty in the NHL.

I think the issues he does have are physical and not necessarily going to be helped by AHL time. Will be curious to see him later on in preseason though.

Waiver status going to work against him.

 

[Ugene Magic]

It's safe to say I don't need to go back and watch this one from the start.

Puljujarvi 1st goal, and rabble, rabble, rabble Peterka.

 

[Pancakes]

I’ll take Blomqvist being great in the A last year over this random preseason game where he’s playing behind literal WHL / ECHL talent.

Do want to see more out of him this preseason before cementing an opinion one way or the other on his readiness.

And I am not worried about his progression as a player. Whether he's ready or not he's young and he's blocked by Ned/Jarry anyways. So I have zero expectations of him making the team or even looking like he should.

 

[Ryder71]

We're gonna be soooooooooo bad this season!

 

[Jag68Sid87]

Really not sure what the point of these preseason games is. The NHL's stupid "veterans at home" rule really defeats the purpose. The theory goes, you want a certain amount of name NHLers for the fans who pay good money to watch preseason games. How about having enough balance to see a competitive hockey game? The NHL really thinks its fans are dumb as shit, don't they?

Anyway, I feel for Blomqvist. Hopefully, this game does not hurt his start to the AHL campaign. Our goaltending is shaky at best, so we need this guy to bounce back from this game. You could tell he was definitely rattled. Why anyone would want to be a goaltender is beyond me.

Nothing really to see tonight. How anybody can make solid evaluations based on this contest (or lack thereof) beats me. I will say, I love how Puljujarvi plays. His energy is great. He separates players from the puck. He is a major presence in front of the net. This guy should be an absolute lock to make this team, and be a regular on the fourth line. Of course, he will probably be waived because Sullivan sees the game differently than most human beings (outside of the state of Massachusetts, that is).

Broz, Ponomarev, Koivunen and Brunicke all have bright futures with this organization (provided we get a new coach relatively soon).

I am really concerned about Ryan Graves. He made one nice backhand pass in the first period, but he looks sooooo slooooooow out there. He is Hal Gill minus the great hockey sense. I just don't see how he can play on this team at this point. I was advocating that he should start out next to Letang, but at this point I don't think he should be playing. He does not look like an NHL defenseman. There is absolutely no difference between him, Shea, Ludvig or Clurman. None whatsoever. Not what I wanted to see.

I really think McGroarty can become an impact player for this team. O'Connor looks in mid-season form. Beyond that, not much to see here tonight. Glass vs. Puustinen? No shows for both, so far.

 

[Coastal Kev]

Lol, imagine being excited about a hat trick vs a team of players where the vast majority of them haven’t played 1 NHL game. We’re going to be this sad as a fan base as well with this coach where we get excited about winning meaningless games.

Brunicke
Broz
Blomqvist
Clurman
Hayes
Huntington
McGroarty
Koivunen
Larsson
Howe

All with zero NHL experience and for some, barely if any at all AHL experience.

Agreed, but why didn't Sullivan dress more of his squad to make this game competitive?? Nothing to be gained other than destroying your young prospects confidence when leaving them outgunned. I hate sully

 

[66-30-33]

We're gonna be soooooooooo bad this season!

Bring on McKenna.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Yeah, they're probably gonna have to either accept that Graves is gonna be an anchor for the duration of his contract (which doesn't really matter cuz this team is cooked), or they are gonna have to pay someone to take him off their hands. I don't think the latter is worth it for a team in the Pens' position.

I guess they could buy him out too, but I dunno the numbers on that, but cap doesn't really matter anymore either. /shrug

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Howe not as small as I would’ve thought

 

[Al Smith]

Tage kind of toying with Clurman there.

And 45 trying to do a bit too much gives it away and it's in the back of the net.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Yeah, they're probably gonna have to either accept that Graves is gonna be an anchor for the duration of his contract

If he sucks again this season they really should just waive him.

Brunicke