Confirmed with Link: Penguins acquire Erik Karlsson for Granlund, 1st rounder in 2024, Rutta, Petry, DeSmith (more in first post)

[Ryder71]

What's Pens X take on this? We all need to know.

My take is the only one that matters, and I approve it. As long as we add another good piece upfront it's been a banner off season for Dubas.

 

[Darren McCord]

I was pretty excited that the team went bigger and beefier when they re-did the defense revamp.

But honestly it didn't seem to actually pan out that way out on the ice.

And yeah... there was a lot of scrambling around in their own end simply because they couldn't pressure the opposing team and transition the puck cleanly. I would hope this helps that.

EDIT: and when they did get hemmed in the had the likes of Dumo doing his best beached whale impression.

Graves is still huge but can actually move the puck.

Dumo couldn't clear the puck at all last year. And Smith will be much better than Ruh as well at it.

 

[3ladesof5teel]

What's Pens X take on this? We all need to know.

I miss him. I think he's been stuck on a nickname and now doesn't know what the hell to call Dubas

 

[Darren McCord]

I recall Graves being more physical, not sure why his hit totals are lower. Maybe he just tends to throw fewer but bigger hits.

Hits arent all to measure that. He is big and can body people off the puck. That doesnt count as hits.

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

My take is the only one that matters, and I approve it. As long as we add another good piece upfront it's been a banner off season for Dubas.

But he's sleepy and a nerd, purple monkey dishwasher.

 

[3ladesof5teel]

Hits arent all to measure that. He is big and can body people off the puck. That doesnt count as hits.

He definitely isn't that physical

It is something we have for a while lacked on the offensive and defensive side of the puck

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Graves is still huge but can actually move the puck.

Dumo couldn't clear the puck at all last year. And Smith will be much better than Ruh as well at it.

I also guess I'm just not seeing what others are seeing in Rutta. Fair to say that he maybe had his season derailed by injury and never got going to show what he could do. I can buy that. But he was just kinda... there. Big but not really physical. Didn't help out much in the dirty areas of the ice. No transition game or offense to speak of. I don't know if they will actually feel that loss so much.

Though I WOULD love for them to get an actual bignasty dude on the blueline. I'm not saying they couldn't use that element. I just didn't really think Rutta was it.

 

[K Fleur]

Full crease or cleared doesn’t matter cause Jarry ain’t making the save come February anyways.

 

[Headshot77]

God bless Kyle Dubas.

We sent almost all of our middling meh crap for the best offensive defenseman since Bobby effing Orr. Legendary trade. Even if it doesn't work out at least we're actually trying to go for it.

We got Karlsson at 10m and still managed to gain 3.1m in cap. That's pretty miraculous if you ask me. The only actual player we gave up that I gave a modicum of a shit about was Rutta. I wanted to keep him on the third pairing but what has to be done has to be done.

Kyle just undid about 75% of the garbage our previous twatwaffle of a GM did in one trade. Bravo.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

If Tatar isn't coming, I would bring Heinen back for a mil and use him with Crosby until Jake returns.

He'd only need to hang in there for 10-20 games. Totally doable, no matter what his haters say.

 

[Ulf5]

I think it was Friedman. But early on in the process he said Dubas isn't done whether he gets EK or not

 

[pistolpete11]

Ignoring the fact that they don't have cap space to sign anyone else, why would Tatar sign with the Pens? If he's taking a cheap contract to try again next year, he's going to want to go somewhere that can give him prime minutes so he can pump his numbers. Great, he gets 10 games with Crosby or Malkin while Jake is out. Then what? 70 games getting 70% d-zone starts with Lars Eller?

 

[AuroraBorealis]

I think it was Friedman. But early on in the process he said Dubas isn't done whether he gets EK or not

Friedman didn't know how much the EK trade would entail at the time.

 

[Chuck Norris Trophy]

I'm so f***ing hyped. Beautiful. Let's go.

 

[AuroraBorealis]

Ignoring the fact that they don't have cap space to sign anyone else, why would Tatar sign with the Pens? If he's taking a cheap contract to try again next year, he's going to want to go somewhere that can give him prime minutes so he can pump his numbers. Great, he gets 10 games with Crosby or Malkin while Jake is out. Then what? 70 games getting 70% d-zone starts with Lars Eller?

I think he'd get a lot more than that in the top 6. Our injury luck from last year will run out.
Plus I wouldn't be surprised if Jake's out til December. They said he'll be re-evaluated at the end of October, nothing more.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

Honestly I don't really see much of a risk for this to backfire.

1. I think the Penguins are too good (or not bad enough, however you want to word it) for 2023-2024 to give San Jose a super high 1st with their 2024 1st
2. Karlsson falling off doesn't really close the Penguins window because their window is already closed without hitting on adding a guy like Karlsson.

If they would have given up more, I think there would be a lot more risk here. But with only trading a 1st, I don't quite see a high level of risk here. The worst case scenario is that Karlsson regresses and you're stuck with his contract, but it's not like that would be preventing the Penguins from winning at that point. It's just dead money that FSG will need to fork over.

Fair enough. Then I am super stoked about the move.

 

[Malkinstheman]

Pens really dont have the cap to do anything major right now. Go into the season, evaluate what you have and accrue some space.

 

[Sticktape]

So is Nedeljkovic the backup now? Who else is waiting in the pipeline?

 

[Ryder71]

Friedman didn't know how much the EK trade would entail at the time.

Maybe, but we need another quality forward.

 

[3074326]

f*** YEAH GUYS WE GOT EK

 

[Malkinstheman]

So is Nedeljkovic the backup now? Who else is waiting in the pipeline?

Jarry
Ned
Hellberg
Blomqvist
Gauthier
Sparks

Thats what the depth chart looks like right now. Hellberg is a decent AHL/NHL tweener

 

[Pancakes]

I can’t wait to watch a PP with 3 or 4 future hall of famers continue to be mediocre while Todd Reirden gets another promotion.

Man I am hoping beyond hope that EK can fix the abomination that is our powerplay but like you I do have some reservations about it actually working out that way.

I will say that depending on how they deploy it EK brings a level of poise up top that we have not had since Gonchar. All due respect to Letang who has compiled great PP numbers but he's never been a calming influence at the point on the PP. Karlsson is. He's going to settle things down up there in a way we haven't seen since Gonch.

 

[Peat]

Pens really dont have the cap to do anything major right now. Go into the season, evaluate what you have and accrue some space.

Major, no. But they could still try and shuffle guys on the edge. Maybe they try to swap one of POJ and Smith for a more defensively orientated guy.

Also if Dubas is feeling psycho, maybe he finds a way to clear Carter's cap, or maybe he's even willing to trade Rakell. Or maybe he's considering a Pettersson-Hanifin trade.

There's always a way if a GM is feeling himself. Call it the Rutherford Rule.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Has there been anything on whether there will be a press conference to discuss this trade? I imagine Dubas probably wants to go on vacation after all of the work he has done in the last month, but they probably want to talk about this trade before that.

 

[Pancakes]

I think it was Friedman. But early on in the process he said Dubas isn't done whether he gets EK or not

I read that as Friedman meaning that Dubas would try to get Karlsson but if he couldn't get him he'd find a way to get someone else.

Now that EK is here I think Dubas is mostly done unless he can squeeze out the tiniest bit more cap space to sign a veteran forward.