Toggle sidebar

GDT: Pens vs Blues (8PM EST)

Again, the Penguins are closer to picking 5th (Seattle with 70 points in 76 games) than they are to picking 9th (Anaheim with 74 points in 75 games). Would losing in regulation be better? Sure, but they're almost assuredly still picking 7th or 8th this year. They can go 3-3 in their last 6 and still almost definitely be picking 7th or 8th. Getting a loser point last night just makes it more likely they're 7th or 8th instead of 6th or 7th.

I think #4 is out of reach because Boston is in absolute freefall, but #5 is no further away than #9 right now. Any talk of them somehow falling out of the top-10 is laughable.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tasty Biscuits and wej20
The pick is not in top 4. But things are always open for a surprise fall or pick that just comes out of nowhere. Pens have to get a center as a priority. Pounding the table for O'Brien for two months. Rangers pick who knows. If 2025 fine as a 14th or so. But do the Pens prefer the chance of a lottery pick in 2026 with perhaps another top 10 pick as well. The rebuild
 
IcedCapp said:
Can someone tell me if our young players are good or not? And should Dubas still be shot for the Guentzel trade?
Click to expand...
Brunicke alone is gonna be worth 20 games of Guentzel. Could be a very important D-man for the organization in the future.
Koivunen also from that trade. Possibly a top-six next year at 800k? Top 10 scorer in the AHL this year.
Then we got 48 points in 79 games from Bunting. That's more than Rakell gave us last year.

Will never understand why people bash the trade to oblivion. If anything it's the best piece of business Dubas has done.
 
  • Like
Reactions: OtherThingsILike, FunkySeeFunkyDo and MeinerEiner
If you want to talk draft pick likelihoods, MoneyPuck has their updated standings projections here:

moneypuck.com

NHL Playoff Odds -MoneyPuck 2025 Playoff & Cup Odds

NHL Playoff Odds updated many times a day. Stanley Cup Odds, Playoff seeding, and Draft Lottery Odds
moneypuck.com moneypuck.com

The Penguins are projected to finish with 78 points and the #8 draft pick, although they and Buffalo are dead even for the #7 pick (Penguins at 78.2 points, Buffalo at 78.0 points). If the two are tied in points, I believe Buffalo has the tiebreaker on the Penguins and the Penguins will be picking 7th.

The NYR have a 31% chance at making the playoffs and are projected to finish with 87 points. If these projections end up correct, the Penguins will be picking 7th/8th and 13th/14th. Ideally the Rangers lose a bit more to have their pick be more like 10th/11th rather than 13th/14th, but there shouldn't be a huge difference between those picks.
 
Le Magnifique 66 said:
I still can't believe he had Mcgroats and Koivunen on the ice for the last 2 minutes of a game down by a goal. Someone needs to check up on MS to see if he is ok!!
Click to expand...
I think the games being "meaningless" at this point has allowed for more rope in this regard. It's more telling that VK wasn't benched after his early o-zone penalty.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cygnus47, Gurglesons, Andy99 and 1 other person
Tasty Biscuits said:
I think the games being "meaningless" at this point has allowed for more rope in this regard. It's more telling that VK wasn't benched after his early o-zone penalty.
Click to expand...
But just last week MS was still talking about playoffs lol

Jokes aside, he has no choice as he knows this is the direction whether he likes it or not. Might as well get on board and pray that KD doesn't fire him... Hopefully he gets canned as soon as the season is done!
 
McGroarty's all around game is so well developed that the only thing holding him back from getting an immediate top-6 role is production. If he's capable of producing at even a 0.5 PPG clip in the NHL, I think he's spending all of next year at LW with Crosby.

I think Koivunen may need to produce more due to the lack of all around game, but McGroarty's a lock to stay in the NHL if he can produce at even decent middle-6 levels.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dipsy Doodle and Le Magnifique 66
Empoleon8771 said:
McGroarty's all around game is so well developed that the only thing holding him back from getting an immediate top-6 role is production. If he's capable of producing at even a 0.5 PPG clip in the NHL, I think he's spending all of next year at LW with Crosby.

I think Koivunen may need to produce more due to the lack of all around game, but McGroarty's a lock to stay in the NHL if he can produce at even decent middle-6 levels.
Click to expand...
I'm hoping with Koivunen that it's a confidence thing. I notice he looked much more confident this game than his first - which is certainly understandable. After a couple games, hoping with a goal or two, he starts to settle in. The talent is absolutely there. Once you get some experience with where guys like to go, who going to be where, and what you can get away with, I do think he'll produce.

I noticed McGroarty on the PK so they've been developing him to be here for the long haul. I imagine their desire to have him here encompasses a lot more than what we see. I saw an article recently that just raved about what a good guy he is and how good he is in the locker room.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dipsy Doodle and Le Magnifique 66
SEALBound said:
I'm hoping with Koivunen that it's a confidence thing. I notice he looked much more confident this game than his first - which is certainly understandable. After a couple games, hoping with a goal or two, he starts to settle in. The talent is absolutely there. Once you get some experience with where guys like to go, who going to be where, and what you can get away with, I do think he'll produce.
Click to expand...
Don't forget that Koivunen is playing without a real C and there is a 3/4 line player on the other wing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tasty Biscuits, SEALBound, Andy99 and 1 other person
Coastal Kev said:
Also remember that Dubas has a ton of draft capital to trade up for a targeted player.
Click to expand...
In theory he could. But if there's an upper tier here with a few players I don't think very many we'll be trying to trade out of those positions without a significant overpayment.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Ad

Ad

Top Bottom