Dennis Reynolds
I have to have my tools!
Never liked POJ. Three first names is too much for a fella.
POJ moves feels like a big f*** you to Sullivan because Dubas isn't allowed to fire him.
Pretty sure Sullivan didn't want POJ back this past summer, which is why he wasn't tendered. Petts gets hurt, bring back POJ for free, piss off Sullivan cause now he has to play him.
I don't think that is the case. I mean, Sullivan played POJ with Letang on the top pairing for much of the year. You don't do that with guys you hate.POJ moves feels like a big f*** you to Sullivan because Dubas isn't allowed to fire him.
Pretty sure Sullivan didn't want POJ back this past summer, which is why he wasn't tendered. Petts gets hurt, bring back POJ for free, piss off Sullivan cause now he has to play him.
This is the answer. Dubas flat out said they wanted him back and offered him a contract, but they ultimately punted because of arbitration.I don't think that is the case. I mean, Sullivan played POJ with Letang on the top pairing for much of the year. You don't do that with guys you hate.
POJ was a RFA and was arb eligible. I would guess that the Pens wanted him back in the $1mil range for 1-2 years but he was eying that $2-2.5mil range for 2 years+. So I think they elected to not qualify him based on that. Then turning attention to FA, I would imagine he got "ERod'd" a little by his agent thinking that there would be a bigger market for him than there was only to settle in STL where his brother was. So I'd be willing to bet it was more POJ pricing himself out of Pittsburgh rather than it being because Sullivan didn't like him. There's just no evidence of that.
And if you have to play someone new, who would you rather play - a guy who's been with the team and the system before? Or a guy starting from literally square one?
I would've climbed the Arch and not looked back.Wonder if he was like "cool" or "damn it, I thought I escaped" when his agent called
Yes. St. Ivany too.I assume Sebastian Aho is injured down on the farm? I doubt they make this move had he been available.
That said, I still think Joseph has some untapped upside as a defender. So I am happy.
Aho is injured, though he appears to be close to returning. St. Ivany is injured. Hollowell is going to the Spengler Cup. The only guys on NHL contracts are Clurman, Kral, and Belliveau. Belliveau isn't remotely close to being ready for the NHL. Kral is all offense. And Joseph is far superior to Clurman.I assume Sebastian Aho is injured down on the farm? I doubt they make this move had he been available.
That said, I still think Joseph has some untapped upside as a defender. So I am happy.