Is there a narrative that the Capitals are sacrificing everything to get Ovechkin the Goal Record? Is there a double standard with regards to Crosby?

[Hockey4Lyfe]

That Pens D and goaltending is so bad.

Dubas has a lot of work to do there.

Karlsson, Letang, etc will all be gone in the coming years and they have a ton of cap space.

This is what a rebuild looks like.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Washington is likely going to win the president's trophy.

Carbery is likely going to win the Jack Adams.

Doesn't sound like they're sacrificing anything to get Ovy his record.

 

[Pancakes]

The Penguins just suck. If anyone watches a game and can’t comprehend that, I can’t help.

I don’t think the Penguins are trying to help out Crosby at all.

They're very obviously rebuilding and have been doing so since they traded Jake Guentzel.

 

[BallardEra]

Many of us would prefer that Dubas just sit on his hands for a few years. McKenna....Dupont. The Pens should be in the mix for those guys. Getting even one of them might give Sid a chance to play some relevant hockey in a few years.

And would set the Pens up for a long time either way.

I truly hope Dubas doesn't try to pivot to contending too soon. The Pens need a few years of sucking.

It's such a tough spot to be in because the team promised Sid, Geno and Letang that they would remain competitive.

I think Dubas will try to retool on the fly starting with this TDL and into the summer.

 

[Hockey4Lyfe]

The Penguins are trending towards a top 5 if not top 3 pick this year. They also own the Rangers 1st that could fall to a much stronger draft in 2026.

They have a top 5 pick, another one in 2026 and then an additional 1st (may even get another one for Rakell)…

They can very easily turn it around quickly if all goes right.

 

[Pancakes]

It's such a tough spot to be in because the team promised Sid, Geno and Letang that they would remain competitive.

I think Dubas will try to retool on the fly starting with this TDL and into the summer.

I don't think Dubas is going to pivot to contending that soon. I expect this trade deadline/off season that he'll be doing more of the same: stockpiling picks and young players that are close to NHL ready as best he can.

Maybe he would try pivoting sooner than that if something unexpected happened like winning the first overall pick but I doubt it. This draft looks decent enough but I don't see anyone there who can make an instant impact.

I suspect the Pens will look to try contending again in 2-3 years but being able to do that is going to require some draft luck and for their mediocre system to churn out a few gems. Their system looks a LOT better than it did 3-4 years ago but there's still not a lot of premium talent on the way.

 

[BallardEra]

I suspect the Pens will look to try contending again in 2-3 years but being able to do that is going to require some draft luck and for their mediocre system to churn out a few gems. Their system looks a LOT better than it did 3-4 years ago but there's still not a lot of premium talent on the way.

Do you think Sid plays beyond his new deal if they miss the playoffs in both of those seasons?

Dude loves to play hockey but losing can be a grind even though he's won 3 Cups.

 

[Pancakes]

Do you think Sid plays beyond his new deal if they miss the playoffs in both of those seasons?

Dude loves to play hockey but losing can be a grind even though he's won 3 Cups.

I think it will depend on how he's performing at that point. If he's still playing at a high level, then maybe. If he's not - and if the team sucks - then that might be it for him.

I don't think he'll ever play elsewhere. He has nothing to prove with three cups and 2 smythes and he values being a one team guy like Mario and Yzerman.

I'm sure he's taken note of Washington as well and seen how quickly they turned it around, so he probably harbors some hopes that Dubas can give him some more playoff hockey before he retires.

 

[BallardEra]

I don't think he'll ever play elsewhere. He has nothing to prove with three cups and 2 smythes and he values being a one team guy like Mario and Yzerman.

I agree with you and actually love this about him. I don't get why some people want him to leave and chase more Cups.

 

[Pancakes]

I agree with you and actually love this about him. I don't get why some people want him to leave and chase more Cups.

It's mostly fans of other teams wanting that. Most Pens fans don't want to see him play elsewhere.