Toggle sidebar

Salary Cap: 24 25 Salary Thread Crosbicles Volume Mmxxvii Retool over Time to Go for A Cup in 2026

I still think it was a no brainer move to deal Rakell at the TDL. Now, I'm just hoping Dubas can fleece some team that missed out on a big name FA a few days after the dust settles by dealing either Rakell or Rust. Ideally both, but y'know, Sid's gotta have someone to play with. :sarcasm: :laugh:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Darren McCord and Andy99
OtherThingsILike said:
Hockey fans: 'When it's time to rebuild, teams should make their star players miserable enough to demand a trade'.
Also hockey fans: 'Why won't our star players take a discount to win here?'

Loyalty is a two-way street.
Click to expand...
I think there's a lot more nuance to it then those two dynamically opposed assertions. That said, considering our current team and where we are, I'd prefer we make them miserable so they would want to leave.

And it's not even that we're a bad team. It's the mind numbingly stupid rhetoric of keeping the core happy and not trying to improve upon the past seven years of futility. When is enough enough? I don't mind being bad provided we make strides to improve for the future. Incrementally we're improving. Trading Rakell, IMO anyhow, would have hastened that ascension quite a bit. In other words, if you're gonna suck, get something positive out of it so you're not stuck in limbo.

We have some nice pieces regarding our prospects. But I don't see a capable top six center outta that lot. When are we gonna get those core pieces in place? THAT'S the biggest question. Could have gotten one such player possibly this draft but Jarry screwed us! As did Sullivan and the core.
 
Last edited:
For anyone who thinks Rakell won't be able to get a good return if Dubas moves him in the off-season because he missed his chance at the TDL...here's goal scoring leaders this year:

www.nhl.com

NHL Stats

The official source for NHL Stats including skaters, goalies, teams stats and more.
www.nhl.com www.nhl.com

Rakell is 12th. Which of the 11 players ahead of him will be available? How many are making less than Rakell? Based on the obvious answers to both questions, why wouldn't Rakell be able to net a great return this summer?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Darren McCord and OtherThingsILike
Dipsy Doodle said:
For anyone who thinks Rakell won't be able to get a good return if Dubas moves him in the off-season because he missed his chance at the TDL...here's goal scoring leaders this year:

www.nhl.com

NHL Stats

The official source for NHL Stats including skaters, goalies, teams stats and more.
www.nhl.com www.nhl.com

Rakell is 12th. Which of the 11 players ahead of him will be available? How many are making less than Rakell? Based on the obvious answers to both questions, why wouldn't Rakell be able to net a great return this summer?
Click to expand...

Because teams aren’t bending over backwards to acquire 3 years of a player who is 32 in the off season.
 
Rakell being on the team is hurting our ability to get a lottery pick. He's our leading goal scorer, take him away and we're likely 3 or 4 points lower in the standings. Any way you slice it it's hurting the team. He should have been moved for a tidy sum.
 
A big reason Sullivan must go lol..


“Sullivan reunited Tomasino and Evgeni Malkin last Sunday in Minnesota, the day the Penguins’ sudden surge began. This season, Tomasino has arguably been at his best while on Malkin’s right wing, with the team generating a higher rate of shots, scoring chances and goals compared to when he has played with another center.

However, they have a subpar percentage of expected goals in those minutes, per Natural Stat Trick. That speaks to Sullivan’s desire to see him round out his game.

Of course, he has harped on the need for Tomasino to display more attention to detail on the defensive side — typical things such as positioning and stopping on pucks.

That played into Sullivan making him a healthy scratch for a game in late January and at times has led to Tomasino getting his minutes trimmed a bit some nights.

But Sullivan is also encouraging Tomasino to develop a “grind game” offensively.”…

“Sullivan wants Tomasino to establish a “down-low game” below the hash marks.

“Hanging onto pucks, protecting pucks, getting underneath defensemen at the net front, getting to the blue paint and being willing to go to those hard areas,” he said. “Usually, there’s a cost to pay when you go there. You’re going to take a face wash, a cross-check. But that’s how you establish a grind game and score different ways.”
 
Last edited:
Son Goku said:
I mean to be fair anybody even close to the NHL relatively can’t be a scrub at hockey. 12 NHL seasons.
Click to expand...
Relative to NHL level players and that's the level we're discussing, he's a scrub. So, yes, in that context he most certainly is.

Here's his stat line GP 709 Goals 54 Assists 82 points 136 and a -105.

For a 12 year career that's very few games. Must have been a healthy scratch quite a bit.
 
Sullivan won his first nine consecutive playoff series here. Including two cups! Very impressive! Since then he's presided over Five consecutive playoff series losses and going on his third consecutive non-playoff season.

So two years of greatness, one solid year of getting to the 2hd round after B2B cups and losing to the eventual cup champ, who we beat the previous two seasons. You can't take that away from him, he did a great job!

Since then absolute futility, despair, disappointment and nothingness! When does the favor he rightfully garnered seemingly decades ago end?
 
Andy99 said:
A big reason Sullivan must go lol..


“Sullivan reunited Tomasino and Evgeni Malkin last Sunday in Minnesota, the day the Penguins’ sudden surge began. This season, Tomasino has arguably been at his best while on Malkin’s right wing, with the team generating a higher rate of shots, scoring chances and goals compared to when he has played with another center.

However, they have a subpar percentage of expected goals in those minutes, per Natural Stat Trick. That speaks to Sullivan’s desire to see him round out his game.

Of course, he has harped on the need for Tomasino to display more attention to detail on the defensive side — typical things such as positioning and stopping on pucks.

That played into Sullivan making him a healthy scratch for a game in late January and at times has led to Tomasino getting his minutes trimmed a bit some nights.

But Sullivan is also encouraging Tomasino to develop a “grind game” offensively.”…

“Sullivan wants Tomasino to establish a “down-low game” below the hash marks.

“Hanging onto pucks, protecting pucks, getting underneath defensemen at the net front, getting to the blue paint and being willing to go to those hard areas,” he said. “Usually, there’s a cost to pay when you go there. You’re going to take a face wash, a cross-check. But that’s how you establish a grind game and score different ways.”
Click to expand...
He thinks all players should play the same way. He apparently doesn't understand different players have different strengths and weaknesses. Tomasino is small in stature, he's shifty, fast, good in open ice, very good offensive acumen. Teaching him to ''grind'' is like teaching Mario Lemieux to block shots. The guy is a clown and nobody save the core likes him!
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: eXile3, Andy99 and sovietsanta87
Dipsy Doodle said:
Why would teams be lining up to get him at the TDL then?
Click to expand...

Because there are a limited amount of players to acquire at the deadline.

The same reason Beauvillier signed a shitty 1.5 mil dollar contract and Cody Glass cost the Predators to move and then they both returned value at the deadline.

No teams are feeling the pressure to trade for Rakell after free agency. Teams are feeling the pressure to add “a piece” to put them over if they believe they can win a cup.
 
Ryder71 said:
I think there's a lot more nuance to it then those two dynamically opposed assertions. That said, considering our current team and where we are, I'd prefer we make them miserable so they would want to leave.

And it's not even that we're a bad team. It's the mind numbingly stupid rhetoric of keeping the core happy and not trying to improve upon the past seven years of futility. When is enough enough? I don't mind being bad provided we make strides to improve for the future. Incrementally we're improving. Trading Rakell, IMO anyhow, would have hastened that ascension quite a bit. In other words, if you're gonna suck, get something positive out of it so you're not stuck in limbo.

We have some nice pieces regarding our prospects. But I don't see a capable top six center outta that lot. When are we gonna get those core pieces in place? THAT'S the biggest question. Could have gotten one such player possibly this draft but Jarry screwed us! As did Sullivan and the core.
Click to expand...
Well, I suppose if you look at Vegas, they aren't very player-friendly whatsoever and yet players still want to play there - for now, at least. So I suppose there is a precedent of a franchise dumping players whenever they start to decline and still being a desirable team to play on.
I doubt that what works for Vegas would work for Pittsburgh, but I suppose there is an argument to be made.
 
Im very pro rebuild but I don’t get why they had to trade Rakell right now. If no one was willing to pay 2 late firsts and a prospect then it sounds like his value was a typical late 1st + prospect. I’m fine just seeing if his value jumps more as cap rises. I fail to understand the rush and they do need some good players for Koivunen, McGroarty etc to play with.

We just need to hit on our high draft picks. That is more important than anything else. Such a shame they are 4-0 in their last 4. Really needed a post TDL spiral.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Darren McCord and Sideline
He should've been moved because he's a season out from being a 40pt guy and has a history of being a meh player before he came here, which is why the team paid a 2nd rounder to get him several years ago. He's 32, and he's not likely to ever pace for 40g again. The prices were abnormally high because most GMs/scouts don't seem to think this is a deep draft so they're more willing to part with 1sts.

If he ends up replicating his play/production and Dubas ends up getting a 1st+ for him down the line, cool. I'll be happy as anybody. But if Rakell regresses and ends up being a guy the team trades for a 3rd or something, it's gonna be something a lot of people saw from miles away and it'll be a pretty significant missed opportunity for a team that should be trying to get as many 1sts/good prospects as possible to try and mitigate the post-Sid misery as best they can. /shrug

Not a franchise altering situation either way, but I think it was a misstep of note.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HandshakeLine
It feels nitpicky, but honestly, that's what separates a good rebuild from a mediocre one. We should be making the most of these opportunities until we're back in the mix, then we can afford to be nostalgic and let guys stay because they perform well and are well liked.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Big Friggin Dummy
I also feel like we should maybe see McGroaty and Koivenen in the NHL for more extend periods of time before we start to build the team around them, but that's just me, cynical immigrant dad here. :laugh:
 
Ryder71 said:
He thinks all players should play the same way. He apparently doesn't understand different players have different strengths and weaknesses. Tomasino is small in stature, he's shifty, fast, good in open ice, very good offensive acumen. Teaching him to ''grind'' is like teaching Mario Lemieux to block shots. The guy is a clown and nobody save the core likes him!
Click to expand...
This should be printed out and stapled to Sullys forehead.

Not saying Tomasino doesn’t have to play defense but players can be good defensively just by knowing where to be, and when to engage.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HandshakeLine
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Ad

Ad

Top Bottom