Value of: Kunitz

[molon labe]

Steigy, is that you?

 

[A Loyal Demidog]

- THREE TIME cup champion.
- Olympic Gold Medalist.
- First team All-Star
- Intangibles

People really undervalue Kunitz. He is clearly a whipping boy for Pittsburgh fans. Honestly - Kunitz and MAF are the backbone of the Pens and it's absurd that they get brought up in trade conversations so often. Shame on the Pens fans...shame. If the trade doesn't bring anything back like a top 10 OA pick then the Pens have nothing to gain from this. 3.75M is nothing to our cap hit. So happy the Pittsburgh media loves this guy - at least they aren't blinded.

A top 10 OA pick for a 37 year old?

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

I'd do a basis of DD for him all day everyday!

Crosby-Malkin and Bonino with Cullen and Fehr down the middle. But even if it wasn't for our depth the middle, I'd never do that swap. Desharnais is useless

 

[Empoleon8771]

A top 10 OA pick for a 37 year old?

I think you missed the sarcasm, don't worry I did too

Realistically, I'd be all for moving Kunitz, but I expect him to just finish the year with Pittsburgh and then walk as a free agent.. That 2nd line LW is the only "weak spot" on the roster, the top line (Hagelin-Crosby-Hornqvist), the 3rd line (Sheary-Bonino-Rust) and the 4th line (Wilson/Kuhnhackl-Cullen-Fehr) are all extremely solid. The Pens just need a complementary winger for Malkin and Kessel. Ironically, Kunitz of 5 years ago would have been perfect for that role, but age has caught up to him where his role shouldn't be anything more than a 3rd line scorer. Not because he's not good enough to be a top-6 forward, he just doesn't have the gas left in him to be consistently good enough to be a top-6 forward. He's not worth trading unless the Penguins are getting a replacement back for him, which I don't see many teams lining up to do.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

I think you missed the sarcasm, don't worry I did too

Realistically, I'd be all for moving Kunitz, but I expect him to just finish the year with Pittsburgh and then walk as a free agent.. That 2nd line LW is the only "weak spot" on the roster, the top line (Hagelin-Crosby-Hornqvist), the 3rd line (Sheary-Bonino-Rust) and the 4th line (Wilson/Kuhnhackl-Cullen-Fehr) are all extremely solid. The Pens just need a complementary winger for Malkin and Kessel. Ironically, Kunitz of 5 years ago would have been perfect for that role, but age has caught up to him where his role shouldn't be anything more than a 3rd line scorer. Not because he's not good enough to be a top-6 forward, he just doesn't have the gas left in him to be consistently good enough to be a top-6 forward. He's not worth trading unless the Penguins are getting a replacement back for him, which I don't see many teams lining up to do.

Hence why Kunitz+MAF for Sharp+Niemi makes sense. Both teams upgrade on positions in need.

 

[OCPenguin]

he is probably better used as a salary dump to acquire a better player.
JVR for Kunitz, Pouliot, 2nd rd pick?

That would be a no from Pittsburgh. Kunitz is worth a 3rd or a 4th round pick and that is all we would want. He is a UFA and comes off the books. That money is much needed to secure cap space to resign ufas. We don't need 4.5 million of JVR for the next two years.

 

[OCPenguin]

Hence why Kunitz+MAF for Sharp+Niemi makes sense. Both teams upgrade on positions in need.

That trade makes zero sense for Pittsburgh is so many reasons.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

That trade makes zero sense for Pittsburgh is so many reasons.

Would love to hear an explanation.

 

[KIRK]

he is probably better used as a salary dump to acquire a better player.
JVR for Kunitz, Pouliot, 2nd rd pick?

Done. No give backs.

Kunitz + Fleury for Nordstrom and Lack.

Saves Pitts quite a bit of capspace Canes get an upgrade in goal.

Done. No give backs.

Throw in a 2nd and it's a deal.

Huh? As a Pens fan, I'd ADD a 2nd to make that deal.

Right now Montreal has a rotation of rookies on LW with Lehkonen, Carr, and now Ghetto trying to find a good 2LW. If around the TDL none of them have taken the spot I would throw PIT a pick for Kunitz since his deal expires in the offseason. At that point maybe you would want to keep him for depth though, who knows.

Actually, you may want him now. Top defensive game. He's doing a tremendous job right now shutting down Malkin and Kessel.

 

[Human]

- THREE TIME cup champion.
- Olympic Gold Medalist.
- First team All-Star
- Intangibles

People really undervalue Kunitz. He is clearly a whipping boy for Pittsburgh fans. Honestly - Kunitz and MAF are the backbone of the Pens and it's absurd that they get brought up in trade conversations so often. Shame on the Pens fans...shame. If the trade doesn't bring anything back like a top 10 OA pick then the Pens have nothing to gain from this. 3.75M is nothing to our cap hit. So happy the Pittsburgh media loves this guy - at least they aren't blinded.

I ****ing love your sarcasm.

 

[Spazkat]

Actually, you may want him now. Top defensive game. He's doing a tremendous job right now shutting down Malkin and Kessel.

LOL this is awesome, mostly because its true

 

[Toby Flenderson]

Doubt Kunitz gets traded bc Pitt loves him. But what about Kunitz for Yakupov? Kunitz fits STL style and yak could try to revive his career next to Malkin/Sid

 

[Empoleon8771]

Doubt Kunitz gets traded bc Pitt loves him. But what about Kunitz for Yakupov? Kunitz fits STL style and yak could try to revive his career next to Malkin/Sid

Jesus no on Yakupov, Yakupov is a bust. He has been just as bad on St. Louis as he was on Edmonton. He's a bum, he has no spot on the Penguins.

 

[lifelonghockeyfan]

Kinda of being very disrespectful for a good guy in the Pens organization.

Besides Kunitz has NTCs so getting rid of someone isn't that easy.

 

[duxfan8]

I smell a potential Ducks/Carlyle reunion. But it would be an ugly deal because no way the Ducks can just add his salary, probably even if Pitt could retain anything.

 

[Canuck Luck]

Kunitz + 2nd + 4th for Baertschi?

 

[hagelin1381]

Anyone got a spare 7th rounder? and 4M of cap space?

 

[tbassett]

You guys are just kidding yourselves. You start with a A level prospect and 1st rd pick. Kunitz's resume speaks for itself.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Kinda of being very disrespectful for a good guy in the Pens organization.

Besides Kunitz has NTCs so getting rid of someone isn't that easy.

This is the Pens' org philosophy.

Forget the fact that he stinks out loud.

 

[The Greatest 101]

You can get him free.

 

[DesertPenguin]

I smell a potential Ducks/Carlyle reunion. But it would be an ugly deal because no way the Ducks can just add his salary, probably even if Pitt could retain anything.

Can we work on something to take Despres off your hands for you once he comes off of IR and blows up your cap? Or is he permanently damaged goods?

 

[OCPenguin]

Doubt Kunitz gets traded bc Pitt loves him. But what about Kunitz for Yakupov? Kunitz fits STL style and yak could try to revive his career next to Malkin/Sid

I thought Yak was supposed to revive his career in STL, not be a healthy scratch. This is a pass.

 

[OCPenguin]

Can we work on something to take Despres off your hands for you once he comes off of IR and blows up your cap? Or is he permanently damaged goods?

Starting to think he is damaged goods. He had a few good games in Anaheim after the deal, but since then, its been a disaster. Not that they gave up a big asset to get him, Lovejoy, but BL wins a Cup in Pittsburgh and plays well last year ... they sign Despres to five years at 3.7 million. That doesn't look good at all now.

 

[KIRK]

Kunitz + 2nd + 4th for Baertschi?

Done. Worth it just to be rid of Kunitz and free up 2.8M in cap space.

 

[nmbr_24]

He is exactly the kind of player that a contender would probably like to pick up at the trade deadline but would the Penguins really want to move him then if he had been on the team the entire year? Probably not.