Rumor: Dubas has told other teams "everyone is available, except 87."”

[Tie Domi Esquire]

Lol. Retaining down to 5MM a 34 year old defenseman with 2.5 years left and 1.5 years removed from winning a Norris trophy is definitely "movable."

Which team is trading for that albatross?

 

[FunkySeeFunkyDo]

What would the ask be for Sullivan?

A second round pick. So, Sully and the Pens second round pick for a warm six pack and a bag of pucks to be named later.

 

[Kcoyote3]

Mike Grier needs to get SO much credit for trading Karlsson when he did and how he did. Minimal retention and the franchise bottomed out without him so hard they got Celebrini + Dickinson from the Pens pick. That and Granlund is one of the Sharks best players to either trade for more assets or re-sign to help bring along Smith and Celebrini.

An absolute beautifully timed trade with good return given the absolute boat anchor of a contract Karlsson was for the franchise.

 

[SomeDude]

I am literally not giving Dubas a pass. Actually read my posts, I have said multiple times that Dubas has done a bad job with the Penguins and is one of 3 GMs responsible for the current mess.

Everyone knows the Pens were headed in this direction. Everyone knows JR was bad at the end and Hextall was worse. Dubas will end up doing more damage than both combined because no matter how bad of a job he does, he’s here long term.

 

[FunkySeeFunkyDo]

The Pens still owe Carolina for the Ronnie Franchise and Staal trades.

Time to pay the piper.

The Staal trade?! The Francis trade was criminal; the Staal trade was fine.

 

[Zbynek]

Pens rebuild should start with Dubas.

 

[Barsky]

Most teams struggling like this would fire the coach.

The Penguins are the rare exception where they’d rather fire the team.

Which is understandable given the tiny age gap between Sullivan an the core of the team. He isn't the problem, their geriatric lineup is

 

[Empoleon8771]

Which is understandable given the tiny age gap between Sullivan an the core of the team. He isn't the problem, their geriatric lineup is

Saying Sullivan isn't the problem is a dead giveaway that you haven't watched the Penguins play in like 5 years.

A normal team would have fired him after either the 2020 Habs meltdown or 2021 Islanders meltdown.

 

[Unbiased Fan]

What would it take to get Malkin @50% retained on the leafs

 

[Sideline]

Which team is trading for that albatross?

Anyone that needs a right shit offensive defenseman? It's not like the Penguins couldn't take money back either.

 

[CokenoPepsi]

Why would Crosby be not available if malkin, letang, karlssom are on market and being dealt?

The Pens without those three will be even worse offensively and Crosby would have no one to play with.

Crosby should be on the market and give 3-5 teams he would be okay to play for and go finish his career of there

Because feelings

 

[Sideline]

What would it take to get Malkin @50% retained on the leafs

So much you would hate it.

 

[Barsky]

Saying Sullivan isn't the problem is a dead giveaway that you haven't watched the Penguins play in like 5 years.

A normal team would have fired him after either the 2020 Habs meltdown or 2021 Islanders meltdown.

If you think a new coach is going to turn this team into a playoff team, you're the one not paying attention

 

[1specter]

Give us Rakell on the cheap and your transgressions in Toronto will be (mostly) forgiven, Kyle.

 

[Empoleon8771]

If you think a new coach is going to turn this team into a playoff team, you're the one not paying attention

I think I know more about my team than a Senators fan

The team is a poor roster on paper that is performing at the bottom of the league because Mike Sullivan is about 5 years past his expiration date.

 

[um]

Karlsson I can see.

Karlsson retained 50% and the pens taking a contract back might have a team being able to fit him further down the pairings and insulate him

Letang and Malkin I can't.

A retained Malkin would be a very tempting add for lots of teams.

The playoff pedigree is tremendous!

 

[All Mod Cons]

It's because it's a bunch of Leafs fans with a massive bitter ex syndrome.

Every fanbase said the same when he was the Leafs GM.

 

[Tie Domi Esquire]

Anyone that needs a right shit offensive defenseman? It's not like the Penguins couldn't take money back either.

So basically no actual examples. There are no good teams that will trade for him and no bad teams that will pay that just so they can miss the playoffs... well, there's one bad team that would do that...

 

[Barsky]

I think I know more about my team than a Senators fan

The team is a poor roster on paper that is performing at the bottom of the league because Mike Sullivan is about 5 years past his expiration date.

I don't disagree, but you can't seriously believe a new coach will make them a playoff team. Let the great teardown begin, the sooner the better, just delaying the inevitable by making Sullivan the scapegoat

 

[Empoleon8771]

So basically no actual examples. There are no good teams that will trade for him and no bad teams that will pay that just so they can miss the playoffs... well, there's one bad team that would do that...

The Hurricanes stick out as an obvious example. They were one of the finalists for him in 2023 and Burns and Orlov are both FAs after the year. Getting Karlsson with retention to play with Slavin seems like the kind of move they'd make. Same exact move they made with Burns.

Edmonton also makes a lot of sense if Bouchard prices himself out of there.

 

[tantalum]

The coach obviously needs to happen first because there might be something to be salvaged on the roster.

There isn't much to be salvaged from the roster and what can be potentially salvaged is already known.

They weren't expected to be a playoff team by many people and that's what they look like. Coaching isn't going to change the lack of depth/talent or the direction they've been headed in for the past two seasons. It's a change that needs to be done but ultimately everything needs to be done.

 

[KCC]

Why would Crosby be not available if malkin, letang, karlssom are on market and being dealt?

The Pens without those three will be even worse offensively and Crosby would have no one to play with.

Crosby should be on the market and give 3-5 teams he would be okay to play for and go finish his career of there

Clearly he doesn’t want to go to any other team else he would t have signed his new deal before the season.

 

[SomeDude]

I don't disagree, but you can't seriously believe a new coach will make them a playoff team. Let the great teardown begin, the sooner the better, just delaying the inevitable by making Sullivan the scapegoat

Who is claiming a new coach would make them a playoff team?

The previous 2 years where we missed out by a point we 100% likely make it with a different coach.

Sullivan he’s been here way too long. 31 other teams would have fired him by now, and a lot of them many years ago.

We want our pound of flesh and to not have to look at his smug smirking face any more. We want him fired because he deserves to be fired and this organization needs to move on with a fresh face with fresh ideas. We want him fired because we need to rebuild and nobody has any confidence he can develop a young player.

He is buddy buddy with the new ownership because they were all hatched in Boston. That is the reason he is still here and no fan wants an old boys club running their team because it always ends badly.

Is that enough reasons?

 

[uncleben]

My read here is that for a POHO, Kyle Dubas doesn't seem to have much control.

Every single GM and POHO is subject to ownership, to be fair

 

[Dirty Dog]

Just from a pure entertainment perspective, it would be awesome to Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Karlsson go to four other teams. Would be a really fun way to track the end of their careers (as opposed to their perpetual last dance in Pittsburg)