GDT: 2024-2025 Training Camp

[OtherThingsILike]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1842260462706045290

https://x.com/i/web/status/1842265918044606630

 

[deakka]

whole bunch of guys on waivers today. Poulin as expected the most noteworthy name from our side.

I think its 50/50 he gets claimed

oh no. Harkins is there! Dont you dare Kyle, dont you dare....

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I was just about to write this exact post. We've got a high level offensive prospect and we're talking about adding a PK skillset?!? WTF are we doing here? Let's maybe talk about working on his net front pp skills, board work, or 5 on 5 d zone play.

But PK? GTFO. This guy is out best hope for a 30 30 winger. Focus on making him that. Don't waste development time turning him in to a 15 15 dime a dozen coal miner.

Like, I get trying to make sure he can play in all situations and all that. But like you said, we're starting with making sure he's some stalwart defensive presence and PKer as opposed to making sure the strengths of his skillset and style are developed and he's put in the best position to succeed long term?

Who gives a shit if he can PK? You can find schlubs to PK on the waiver wire 50 times a season.

Just yikes, man. It's so tiring getting all your excitement, albeit miniscule at this stage of the era, bashed out by the time the season even starts because of this organization's incessant need to be dysfunctional, and the coach their married to being a weirdo.

 

[Malkinstheman]

Rip Poulin, it was nice knowing you

 

[Empoleon8771]

Like, I get trying to make sure he can play in all situations and all that. But like you said, we're starting with making sure he's some stalwart defensive presence and PKer as opposed to making sure the strengths of his skillset and style are developed and he's put in the best position to succeed long term?

Who gives a shit if he can PK? You can find schlubs to PK on the waiver wire 50 times a season.

Just yikes, man. It's so tiring getting all your excitement, albeit miniscule at this stage of the era, bashed out by the time the season even starts because of this organization's incessant need to be dysfunctional, and the coach their married to being a weirdo.

And then when the Penguins run with those guys, people here bitch non-stop about those guys playing over Puustinen. You can't have it both ways.

You can't complain about this team playing these shitty Nieto/Acciari/McGinn guys while also complaining about them trying to teach McGroarty how to PK based on "you can find schlubs to PK on the waiver wire 50 times a season".

 

[Andy99]

Can't wait to see him blossom into ZAR 2.0 under sully.

That’s why I want him in the A to start…keep him away from our loser coach lol

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

16 Fs now? I can’t count

 

[Andy99]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1842260462706045290

https://x.com/i/web/status/1842265918044606630

At least Puusty isn’t on there…yet lol

 

[Empoleon8771]

I was just about to write this exact post. We've got a high level offensive prospect and we're talking about adding a PK skillset?!? WTF are we doing here? Let's maybe talk about working on his net front pp skills, board work, or 5 on 5 d zone play.

But PK? GTFO. This guy is out best hope for a 30 30 winger. Focus on making him that. Don't waste development time turning him in to a 15 15 dime a dozen coal miner.

"I don't understand why people complain about Sullivan insisting on having these pure defensive grinders to kill penalties at the bottom of the lineup, but also then complain when he's trying to get McGroarty to add that skillset to his abilities. Like you need 6 PKing forwards in your forward group, who's going to do that?"

I'm just going to keep copy-pasting this until someone actually gives an answer. People complain non-stop here that these shitty players that only offer PKing play, but then when Sullivan wants to have McGroarty as a PKer (meaning they could get rid of one of these shitty players that only offer PKing play), people then complain about that too.

If you don't want guys like Nieto, Acciari and such on your 4th line, you need to have guys who can kill penalties in your top-9. I don't know that McGroarty is necessarily the guy I'd want killing penalties (think there's an argument it should be Puljujarvi, not McGroarty), but you need someone to kill penalties. If you don't have top-9 guys who can kill penalties, that means your 4th line has to be filled with PKers.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

And then when the Penguins run with those guys, people here bitch non-stop about those guys playing over Puustinen. You can't have it both ways.

You can't complain about this team playing these shitty Nieto/Acciari/McGinn guys while also complaining about them trying to teach McGroarty how to PK based on "you can find schlubs to PK on the waiver wire 50 times a season".

I'll be sure to run it by you next time so we're on the same page as to what I can and cannot complain about, Emp. Thanks for the heads up!

I know you're fine with giving Sullivan the benefit of the doubt and all that nonsense, but if you can't see this for another "We're gonna add structure to Karlsson's game" situation, then I dunno what to tell ya. But I'm sure as shit not gonna enter into a back and forth with you because god, that sounds positively f***ing exhausting. So, congrats, you're correct and I agree with whatever your stance is.

That’s why I want him in the A to start…keep him away from our loser coach lol

This loser coach is gonna be here through the next Olympics because A. Sid adores him, and B. he's coaching for Team USA. So unless we want to stash McG away in WBS for the next few years at least, he's getting Sullivaned.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I'll be sure to run it by you next time so we're on the same page as to what I can and cannot complain about, Emp. Thanks for the heads up!

I know you're fine with giving Sullivan the benefit of the doubt and all that nonsense, but if you can't see this for another "We're gonna add structure to Karlsson's game" situation, then I dunno what to tell ya. But I'm sure as shit not gonna enter into a back and forth with you because god, that sounds positively f***ing exhausting. So, congrats, you're correct and I agree with whatever your stance is.

This loser coach is gonna be here through the next Olympics because A. Sid adores him, and B. he's coaching for Team USA. So unless we want to stash McG away in WBS for the next few years at least, he's getting Sullivaned.

I'm pointing out the hypocrisy of it. People have been complaining for years that these kind of guys are littered in the Penguins bottom-6, especially on the 4th line, but now all of a sudden it's not a problem to have those guys because "McGroarty doesn't need to PK".

 

[Andy99]

I'll be sure to run it by you next time so we're on the same page as to what I can and cannot complain about, Emp. Thanks for the heads up!

I know you're fine with giving Sullivan the benefit of the doubt and all that nonsense, but if you can't see this for another "We're gonna add structure to Karlsson's game" situation, then I dunno what to tell ya. But I'm sure as shit not gonna enter into a back and forth with you because god, that sounds positively f***ing exhausting. So, congrats, you're correct and I agree with whatever your stance is.

This loser coach is gonna be here through the next Olympics because A. Sid adores him, and B. he's coaching for Team USA. So unless we want to stash McG away in WBS for the next few years at least, he's getting Sullivaned.

At least let him develop as a top line winger in the A…hopefully he gets a chance with Sid and sticks and Sid likes him…then he won’t be pigeonholed as Sullivan is doing now…I don’t mind if McG PKs, Rust does it now, but I want him doing it from a top six role, not from a grinder bottom six line lol

 

[AuroraBorealis]

At least Puusty isn’t on there…yet lol

That Rust injury is a stay of execution for him.

 

[Darren McCord]

Rip Poulin, it was nice knowing you

I was worried he would get snagged but his camp was quiet.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I feel like if Poulin gets claimed, he immediately gets put back on waivers and is just stashed in the AHL for whatever team claims him. Same exact thing that happened to Denisenko in Vegas last year, they claimed him from Florida, immediately put him back on waivers and then sent him to the AHL when he cleared waivers.

Poulin needs regular minutes and needs to just be playing in as many games as possible. He's not a NHL caliber guy yet, he just needs more AHL time without getting injured or taking mental health breaks.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Fingers crossed for Bemstrom, Gruden and Ludvig getting claimed. I'm good with never seeing them wear a Pens jersey again.

 

[Malkinstheman]

I was worried he would get snagged but his camp was quiet.

Could see someone giving him a chance because of his pedigree. Seems like a no brainer for someone like the Sharks to give him a few games

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

Fingers crossed for Bemstrom, Gruden and Ludvig getting claimed. I'm good with never seeing them wear a Pens jersey again.

But I doubt it happens for any of them.

 

[Malkinstheman]

I feel like if Poulin gets claimed, he immediately gets put back on waivers and is just stashed in the AHL for whatever team claims him. Same exact thing that happened to Denisenko in Vegas last year, they claimed him from Florida, immediately put him back on waivers and then sent him to the AHL when he cleared waivers.

Poulin needs regular minutes and needs to just be playing in as many games as possible. He's not a NHL caliber guy yet, he just needs more AHL time without getting injured or taking mental health breaks.

If that happens, the Pens would be able to pick him off waivers and immediately assign him to WBS. I don't see Dubas letting him go just to free up a contract spot

 

[Sideline]

"I don't understand why people complain about Sullivan insisting on having these pure defensive grinders to kill penalties at the bottom of the lineup, but also then complain when he's trying to get McGroarty to add that skillset to his abilities. Like you need 6 PKing forwards in your forward group, who's going to do that?"

I'm just going to keep copy-pasting this until someone actually gives an answer. People complain non-stop here that these shitty players that only offer PKing play, but then when Sullivan wants to have McGroarty as a PKer (meaning they could get rid of one of these shitty players that only offer PKing play), people then complain about that too.

If you don't want guys like Nieto, Acciari and such on your 4th line, you need to have guys who can kill penalties in your top-9. I don't know that McGroarty is necessarily the guy I'd want killing penalties (think there's an argument it should be Puljujarvi, not McGroarty), but you need someone to kill penalties. If you don't have top-9 guys who can kill penalties, that means your 4th line has to be filled with PKers.

I am a probably the biggest Lars Eller fan on the board. I don't complain about defense first bottom 6 vets just because they are defense first. I complain about overpaying for a Jeff Carter or not waiving a Kevin Hayes for an equally capable younger player.

Good pk is important. I would love a line that looked like Cooke-Eller-Cullen. I would hate if we wasted young Jake Guentzel because he couldn't pk.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Could see someone giving him a chance because of his pedigree. Seems like a no brainer for someone like the Sharks to give him a few games

I'm not really sure how much pedigree is actually there. Farkas just had a good post about Poulin on the main boards that I tend to agree with:

He'd have to re-image his game some more to become a physical 4th line winger or something. Kuhnhackl did it for Pittsburgh a number of years ago and it got him some NHL checks for a while. Poulin doesn't really have an angle right now. There's no hook. Even in his draft year, checking my notes, I wrote that I wasn't impressed by his transferable skill level. He had a bit of a plus shot, but his playmaking didn't seem like it would hold. I didn't trust that he'd be a center as a pro either.

He just isn't that much better than he was as a junior. He had some jam in the Q, he has some jam now...he lacked puck protection ability in the Q, he lacks it now...he kinda had a shot then, he kinda has a shot now...but he never looked like much to me and he hasn't progressed very much. If he was in the league last year, he'd be in it this year...but he wasn't, so he's not. It's more or less one of those indiscernible 13th forward types...

Yeah, he was drafted in the 1st round, but I don't really feel like he has any noticeable skills that stand out and suggest "there is an upside here". It was just that second Q season where he dominated, outside of that is just decent.

I am a probably the biggest Lars Eller fan on the board. I don't complain about defense first bottom 6 vets just because they are defense first. I complain about overpaying for a Jeff Carter or not waiving a Kevin Hayes for an equally capable younger player.

Good pk is important. I would love a line that looked like Cooke-Eller-Cullen. I would hate if we wasted young Jake Guentzel because he couldn't pk.

Yeah I understand the logic of not specifically McGroarty being the guy you want adding that skillset, which is why I mentioned Puljujarvi as making more sense as the guy to pick up PKing. My point was more broadly that if you don't want these shitty Nieto types, you'll need to have some of your top-9 forwards capable of killing penalties.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Looking forward to like 2030 when the Penguins are in training camp and some stud draftee is putting up hatties every preseason game and all Sullivan wants to talk about is how he can't wait to play him with 40 year old Kevin Hayes on the 4th line and penalty kill and REALLY show him what the NHL is all about.

 

[deakka]

I guess Poulin might actually be tradable for a mid round pick or equally player in same positsion if he clears waivers due to the fact the team can have him in the AHL and develop him then.

 

[Tom Hanks]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1842235451316330844

 

[Empoleon8771]

If that happens, the Pens would be able to pick him off waivers and immediately assign him to WBS. I don't see Dubas letting him go just to free up a contract spot

In theory yes, in practice it's not that simple. The Penguins wouldn't know if another team would be putting in a waiver claim on Poulin if he gets put on waivers again. They'd be risking having to keep Poulin in the NHL if someone else submits a claim for him.

Same exact reason why they lost Zohorna 2 years ago, Calgary claimed him off waivers from the Penguins and then they waived him right before rosters were due. The Penguins couldn't risk re-claiming him because them claiming him back with another team also putting in a claim would mean they couldn't send him back to the AHL.