Confirmed with Link: Bunting to Nashville

[sovietsanta87]

Nashville being stupid with him doesn't mean the Penguins have to be stupid with him.

 

[Empoleon8771]

By Friday/end of summer it may be clear the Pens wanna compete next year

Wouldn’t agree with that thought but who knows.

You better get Mitch signed in free agency if you want to compete next year.

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Nashville is ran significantly worse under Trotz than the Penguins at this point.

 

[OtherThingsILike]

So reading that, I'm assuming Schenn isn't going anywhere. Not sure how I feel about that to be honest!

Schenn may or may not be going anywhere, but if the plan was always to flip him, you can't telegraph it. If you do, teams send lowball offers. You have to say he has value, so teams give things of value.

Good thing we specifically targeted him in the Guentzel trade.

Why does Bunting being flipped for value mean it was a bad thing to have specifically targeted him? The fact that he could be traded for value was one of his pluses.

Still not convinced he's staying. Evans was taken off the market. St. Louis might or might not trade Schenn. Supposedly 8 teams are looking at Laughton. A lot of teams are after Cs.

I also initially thought of the Novak trade as a way of hoarding centers in this trade market, so I think you may be right.

 

[Coastal Kev]

From watching some clips here, he has a very good wrist shot and backhand and has some very slick hands. Pretty much looks like the definition of a skill guy. He's absolutely allergic to contact though, so you'll have to get physical/big wingers for him to play with that can win puck battles and get him the puck.

He seems like the closest thing to Kessel that this team has had since Kessel. Which makes me really interested for how Sullivan will think of him. I'm also seeing a lot of Tomasino and Novak teaming up for goals too, especially on the powerplay. I think that pair should be really nice on the 2nd PP unit.

Good 15 minute interview with him here:

I don't like his facial hair. If you wear that type of facial hair you're either a tough guy or a pervert. Methinks he's not a tough guy.....

 

[OtherThingsILike]

By Friday/end of summer it may be clear the Pens wanna compete next year

Wouldn’t agree with that thought but who knows.

I'm not sure if the plan is necessarily to compete next year, but the plan was always to try to compete at least one more time before Crosby retires. Be that next season or the season after.
Whether or not it would actually make sense to try to is a different conversation, but the time will come later to make a decision on that.

 

[Sideline]

By Friday/end of summer it may be clear the Pens wanna compete next year

Wouldn’t agree with that thought but who knows.

If the go all in on Marner or Rantanen and manage get Jakob Chychrun too I can see them sneaking into the second wild card. But that's a grand slam offseason for a chance at purgatory. It would be a terrible strategy.

 

[Victor Z]

I'd care significantly more about that if the Penguins didn't have Koivunen and Brunicke looking like top prospects.

Bunting was a dud, Lucius looks pretty middling and I've been disappointed with what I've seen from Ponomarev, but Koivunen and Brunicke are looking great so I'm still not seeing any reason to be mad about the Guentzel deal.

Good riddance to Bunting, Lucius will never be anything at all, and Pono on the best day of his life MIGHT be almost as good as Teddy Blueger.

There's hope for Brunicke but if Koivunen is going to succeed here it won't be under any head coach named "Sullivan". Definitely not his type of player, and if/when Koivunen gets Sullied he'll just be Valtteri Pustinen 2.0 and many folks here will blame the player for being a dud in his 5 minutes of ice time per game on the 4th line.

If we get a new coach soon, Koivunen has a chance to be something good.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

You better get Mitch signed in free agency if you want to compete next year.

If they do, I’m sure the thought will be another deal like this. Maybe a 2nd out for another guy. FA or 2.

But then keep the ‘26 first and you can always pivot to a sell off if things go poorly?

Idk. I think they should stay the course on a rebuild.

 

[KrisLetAngry]

Pretty much. But I also think it’s pretty funny that we always seem to ask for picks like 3 years out.

I'd care significantly more about that if the Penguins didn't have Koivunen and Brunicke looking like top prospects.

Bunting was a dud, Lucius looks pretty middling and I've been disappointed with what I've seen from Ponomarev, but Koivunen and Brunicke are looking great so I'm still not seeing any reason to be mad about the Guentzel deal.

Agreed.

Brunicke and Koivunen looking great.

Novak worth to us and other NHL teams is more than Bunting.

Desharnais really isn't NHL calibre at least Schenn is I could care less about age between these 2.

If the go all in on Marner or Rantanen and manage get Jakob Chychrun too I can see them sneaking into the second wild card. But that's a grand slam offseason for a chance at purgatory. It would be a terrible strategy.

I feel we would be competitive then. Most likely won't get any and be bad.

 

[McGroarty2]

I don't like his facial hair. If you wear that type of facial hair you're either a tough guy or a pervert. Methinks he's not a tough guy.....

Reminds me of Marty Straka for some reason.

 

[Coastal Kev]

Reminds me of Marty Straka for some reason.

I loved to watch Straka play hockey... so damn smart.

Edit... I'll try to find the picture I have of me playing Pinball with Straka and Jagr in 93 on Long Island.

 

[Andy99]

IMO another major appeal with bringing in Novak is that it allows you to slide Malkin to LW and not worry about who is playing 2C. If they’d give trade Rakell and don’t bring back anyone to replace him, I think you slide Malkin to L1 and make it Malkin-Crosby-Rust and put Novak as the 2C. If Koivunen and McGroarty progress fast enough, you could have this top-6 going forward:

Malkin-Crosby-Rust
McGroarty-Novak-Koivunen

Novak is obviously not a solution for their rebuild, but he at least gives them a 2C to play the role and produce once Malkin is no longer the 2C (whether it be by retirement or being moved to LW). His contract runs through the end of Crosby’s deal, so you at least have your top-6 centers figured out for the next 3 years. At least in theory, we’ll have to see how Novak plays here.

Playoff teams like the Jets and Leafs are looking for 2Cs and are linked to Nelson and Schenn if they move…if teams felt Novak had potential to be a 2C, why didnt they trade for him? He’s signed for a reasonable price and Nashville obviously wasn’t looking for a lot for him…the reasonable conclusion is that no one (except pixies) thinks he’s a top six center lol…now, the GMs could be wrong but he hasn’t shown he can be such a forward yet…

 

[Empoleon8771]

Playoff teams like the Jets and Leafs are looking for 2Cs and are linked to Nelson and Schenn if they move…if teams felt Novak had potential to be a 2C, why didnt they trade for him? He’s signed for a reasonable price and Nashville obviously wasn’t looking for a lot for him…the reasonable conclusion is that no one thinks he’s a top six center…now, the GMs could be wrong but he hasn’t shown he can be such a forward yet…

Or another thought: the Jets and Leafs want a proven 2C to acquire and Novak is a guy having a down year that just has the potential to be a 2C.

I know you're negative about everything, but use your brain. Novak has the potential to bounce back and be a 2C caliber player, contending teams aren't going to gamble on that when they're trying to win now.

 

[Andy99]

Or another thought: the Jets and Leafs want a proven 2C to acquire and Novak is a guy having a down year that just has the potential to be a 2C.

I know you're negative about everything, but use your brain. Novak has the potential to bounce back and be a 2C caliber player, contending teams aren't going to gamble on that when they're trying to win now.

He’s going to be 28 next month…and has been in the league for 4 years…he’s a projection in the top six…maybe he works out but no sure thing to pencil him in there…right now he’s a better 3C than we currently have

 

[Empoleon8771]

He’s going to be 28 next month…and has been in the league for 4 years…he’s a projection in the top six…maybe he works out but no sure thing to pencil him in there

Yes, there have been zero examples of players putting their skills together and developing into a good middle-6 player at age 28.

 

[Andy99]

Yes, there have been zero examples of players putting their skills together and developing into a good middle-6 player at age 28.

That’s your example? We don’t exactly have Thachuk , Verhaeghe, Reinhart, Barkov etc to play with him…you’d be asking Novak to drive a line with 39 year old Malkin and Tomasino or Glass or Heinen lol…maybe he’ll just be that guy but I wouldn’t be putting my eggs in that basket…sure, give it a shot, just like Sullivan gave it a shot with Glass on L2…so far however, the Nashville reclamation projects haven’t really been lighting the world on fire for us…

 

[Empoleon8771]

That’s your example? We don’t exactly have Thachuk , Verhaeghe, Reinhart, Barkov etc to play with him…you’d be asking to drive a line with 39 year old Malkin and Tomasino or Glass or Heinen lol…maybe he’ll just be that guy but I wouldn’t be putting my eggs in that basket…sure, give it a shot, just like Sullivan gave it a shot with Glass on L2…so far however, the Nashville reclamation projects haven’t really been lighting the world on fire for us…

You are aware that ERod broke out with the Penguins first, then continued to be a good middle-6 player for Colorado and then signed with Florida?

I know you know this stuff, come on.

 

[Andy99]

You are aware that ERod broke out with the Penguins first, then continued to be a good middle-6 player for Colorado and then signed with Florida?

I know you know this stuff, come on.

He played well here but not as good as he’s played in Florida…but he also had younger Sid and Geno than we have now…those guys are declining…we need someone younger and better than Novak to prop up the top six if that’s really what the Pens want to do…but he’s fine for our 2026 tank for McKenna, which is all that matters

 

[Andy99]

Apparently it’s coming out that Dubas has been interested in Novak for several years…analytics guy likes analytics player…a “better” Cody Glass someone said lol…again, it’s whatever…I don’t see much point and I don’t think Bunting- Novak swap does too much to move the needle for this team…let’s hope Novak doesn’t fully get inculcated in Sullivan’s tactical brilliance…

 

[gdsmack267]

How long until Novak is on the 4th line and Glass or Lizzote get bumped to line 2?

 

[pistolpete11]

The Penguins improved at both forward and defense with this move.

I don't think people realize how terrible Bunting has been at 5v5 this year.

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At least so far, Dubas has done a good job at purging some of the downright shit 5v5 producers the Penguins have had this year. Bunting and O'Connor gone, Nieto waived and stashed in the AHL and Acciari rumored to be a trade candidate.

Bunting has been terrible at 5-on-5 this year, but it's an outlier of a season for him. Probably something to do with the shit team he's on.

It's not like Novak is blowing it out of the water either. He has 17 ES points to Bunting's 14.

Saying they improved with these moves is really splitting hairs.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Bunting has been terrible at 5-on-5 this year, but it's an outlier of a season for him. Probably something to do with the shit team he's on.

It's not like Novak is blowing it out of the water either. He has 17 ES points to Bunting's 14.

Saying they improved with these moves is really splitting hairs.

He has more points in about 200 fewer minutes at 5v5.

 

[Gurglesons]

Bunting has been terrible at 5-on-5 this year, but it's an outlier of a season for him. Probably something to do with the shit team he's on.

It's not like Novak is blowing it out of the water either. He has 17 ES points to Bunting's 14.

Saying they improved with these moves is really splitting hairs.

Over the last three years Novak has 72 5v5 points in 174 games.

Over the last three years Bunting has 81 5v5 points in 221 games.

Bunting's 4 most common linemates at 5v5 over the last three years are Matthews, Malkin, Nylander and Marner.

Novak's 4 most common linemates at 5v5 over the last three years are Evangelista, Sherwood, Jankowski, and Trenin.

 

[eXile3]

I thought Bunting did well when he was plopped in front of the net on the PP. Sully seemed reluctant to find him a permanent spot for him there.

 

[tnnr]

Guentzel

Could argue they got 3 possible potential NHL players for a rental. I would say value wise, yes at the time they could've gotten more.

Dubas trades in his Penguins tenure-

Bunting for Novak + L Schenn = WIN


Marcus Pettersson + DOC
for 2025/26 Rangers 1st +Melvin Fernstrom
+ Desharnais (Flipped for a 5th) + Heinen. = WIN

4th rd pick for Philip Tomasino = WIN

Lars Eller for a 3rd + 5th = WIN

Yager for McGroarty = WIN

Frasca for Glass + 3rd + 6th = WIN

Smith for 2nd + 5th = WIN

F/C for Kevin Hayes + 2nd = WIN

Ruhwedel for a 4th = WIN

Karlsson trade = This one is polarizing, value wise the Pens gave up 3 bad contracts for a 100 point dman at the time.. but I could see both sides to this.

Guentzel trade = same thing, can't say this is an L. The prospect the Pens got look great.