Confirmed with Link: [PIT/OTT/VGK] Brassard/Dunn/Lindberg/3rd for Gustavsson/Cole/1st/3rd for Reaves/4th | VGK ret. 40%

[Honour Over Glory]

You don’t want to put your D in the wrong spot

 

[Honour Over Glory]

By space I meant a spot in the line-up. But yeah, after the TDL, the cap doesnt matter.

This is the Pens, chances are Sheary slips on the knife Sid uses for his Peanut butter and Jelly pre-game sandwich and slides into a workout machine that falls on him.

Then moments later, somewhere in Czech Rep, Martin Straka flinches.

 

[Tom Hanks]

By space I meant a spot in the line-up. But yeah, after the TDL, the cap doesnt matter.

The cap still matters until the playoffs. Remember in 2014/15 we got injuries on D and couldn’t bring anyone up because we had no cap space. Had to play 5D at times.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

That's a pretty slick goal by Not-Oscar.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

I doubt we’ll be able to guess what D they’ll be after. They’re like truffle sniffing pigs with that.

I feel like the only way we wouldn't win is if we had some epic meltdowns by our stars.

Eh, shit happens. Injuries, bad breaks, etc. I think a lot hinges on what Letang they get going forward. If he’s 80-90% of 2016 Letang and they use him properly they should be scary.

 

[Riptide]

We just have to hold off until Monday do we not? Then the cap isn't of any concern?

Uhh not quite.

By space I meant a spot in the line-up. But yeah, after the TDL, the cap doesnt matter.

Ugh... we still have to be cap compliant at all times until the POs start. Remember 14/15 when JR took a chance, and it didn't pan out and we could only dress 5D down the stretch? That's the cap.

Edit. I see Tom beat me to it.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Lol, that Micah fella should do that thing reporters these days sometimes do, called fact checking.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

I doubt we’ll be able to guess what D they’ll be after. They’re like truffle sniffing pigs with that.



Eh, **** happens. Injuries, bad breaks, etc. I think a lot hinges on what Letang they get going forward. If he’s 80-90% of 2016 Letang and they use him properly they should be scary.

Letang playing well would be great, but as long as our blueliners can simply get the puck to forwards, we're in awesome shape. Between sustained pressure on cycles and off the rush, we should be incredibly dominant offensively--so much so that we can overwhelm the opposition.

In any event, this is the best forward group we're likely ever gonna see in the Sid/Geno era, and our defense is infinitely better than last season with the addition of Letang, Big O, and Maatta having turned his game around.

 

[SHOOTANDSCORE]

Lindberg has been playing C this season on the 4th line with former Penguin great, Brett Sterling.

“He's always been a winger, and I think he's been a better centerman. I think that move to center, once he's gotten adjusted to it, has really brought another element to his game. He's very responsible without the puck."
Lindberg has been excellent defensively this season and has earned a spot in the penalty-kill rotation. He doesn’t win many faceoffs, but to be fair, he's a natural winger. His shift to the center position is going about as well as could be expected, especially as he's turned his offense around.

Wolves Weekly Wrap-Up: Happy New Year, Chicago

 

[Crafton]

i'm all about the fancy stats but one thing that drives me crazy about the analytic community is an inability to acknowledge the league is still an old boys network. you can disagree but refusing to acknowledge it exists and stating "oh this makes no sense," doesn't really reflect well on their ability to analyse.

idk could be influenced by my work. i work as an attorney on energy policy. every day i have to deal with both numbers and politics. and every day it's frustrating to deal with numbers people who refuse to acknowledge the role of politics and political people who don't want to know numbers.

GMGM was prob doing GMJR a solid for the Fluery deal, and preventing a rival from acquiring a good player. that's politics. but it's also based in gaining a slight statistical advantage of having a competitor not being able to add a good player. idk why its so hard for people to get on board with Vegas' decision-making here.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

i'm all about the fancy stats but one thing that drives me crazy about the analytic community is an inability to acknowledge the league is still an old boys network. you can disagree but refusing to acknowledge it exists and stating "oh this makes no sense," doesn't really reflect well on their ability to analyse.

idk could be influenced by my work. i work attorney on energy policy. every day i have to deal with both numbers and politics. and every day it's frustrating to deal with numbers people who refuse to acknowledge the role of politics and political people who don't want to know numbers.

GMGM was prob doing GMJR a solid for the Fluery deal, and preventing a rival from acquiring a good player. that's politics. but it's also based in gaining a slight statistical advantage of having a competitor not being able to add a good player. idk why its so hard for people to get on board with Vegas' decision-making here.

I have zero doubt that you are right. People forget how small a club that is, and longevity means that you develop relationships. If you do not you will not last in the job.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Letang playing well would be great, but as long as our blueliners can simply get the puck to forwards, we're in awesome shape. Between sustained pressure on cycles and off the rush, we should be incredibly dominant offensively--so much so that we can overwhelm the opposition.

In any event, this is the best forward group we're likely ever gonna see in the Sid/Geno era, and our defense is infinitely better than last season with the addition of Letang, Big O, and Maatta having turned his game around.

There’s awesome and there’s dominating. I’d also like to avoid seeing bad Letang try to lose a series all by himself.

It is a ridiculous forward group, though.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I don't think Letang has been that terrible since January, he's been trending towards his old self rather than the first half version of himself just being extended.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

If Letang can go back to being the player that they could count on to consistently carry the puck out of the zone so that they do not get penned in for three minutes as happened tonight, as has happened far too often this year, I do not care what else he does. They need him to return to being a reliable PMD.

 

[Dan E Dangerously]

What's our pk look like the rest of the way with this forward group?

I only ask because Rowney eats alot and Brassard rarely plays on the pk.

Sheahan
Rust
Rowney
Hags
ZAR

 

[harmonica]

To continue with the boys club talk, this is definitely part of it. The main trade boards didn't seem to grasp this at all. Some people were even posting that while things were getting juggled around one GM should have screwed the Penguins.

So silly. If playing in the NHL is an elite club, than GMing is super elite. You don't dick around and burn bridges. You also have buddies and trading partners. Vegas is basically our western BFF right now. Hopefully we never have to play them in the finals.

 

[billybudd]

Huh? Clearly I'm missing something. Wouldn't be the first time.

After the Staal trade, McPhee gave an interview just dripping with bitterness about the fact that he'd have been happy to overbid the Hurricanes for that player but that Shero refused to return his (frequent) phone calls on the subject. Whether he would actually have offered a better package is up in the air, but he was obviously quite aggravated that he was never given the opportunity.

 

[flaneur]

According to Yohe, GMGM wanted to block teams in the West (the Jets) from Brassard so he worked with JR to get it done. Also the two GMs are on friendly terms because of the whole Fleury thing.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

There’s awesome and there’s dominating. I’d also like to avoid seeing bad Letang try to lose a series all by himself.

It is a ridiculous forward group, though.

I don't even think dipshit Letang is bad enough to nullify a top-9 like we can put out. Especially if we use guys like Sheary, Hunwick and Sprong to grab another guy like Kane, Hoffman or Zucc.

 

[EightyOne]

I don't even think dip**** Letang is bad enough to nullify a top-9 like we can put out. Especially if we use guys like Sheary, Hunwick and Sprong to grab another guy like Kane, Hoffman or Zucc.

We dont even really NEEED another player (I always wanted Zuccs or Hoffman though)...this is how the Pens should construct their lines for the playoffs:

 

[Speaking Moistly]

I don't even think dip**** Letang is bad enough to nullify a top-9 like we can put out. Especially if we use guys like Sheary, Hunwick and Sprong to grab another guy like Kane, Hoffman or Zucc.

I think he could against team like Tampa.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

We definitely no longer have a clear need, but if a high caliber player is available at the cost of some of our tradeable but luxury assets, I say go for it. All-in is all-in.

Sid, Geno, Kessel, Brassard, Hornqvist, Rust, Guentzel, Hagelin, Simon, ZAR. That's 10 guys capable of playing top-9 roles. Sheary is expendable. Sprong's situation within the organization is rumored to be bad and while I like him a lot, he's a valuable asset. Hunwick's got a good amount of salary to facilitate a move. You find a way to add a guy like Kane, Hoffman, Zucc or Kreider to that forward corps and it's just unfair beyond measure.

I don't know. We're likely done, and I'm fine with that, but we have the pieces to be able to get another significant player if we find a trading partner. At least we solved the 3C issue for this season and next, got rid of Reaves, and all it took was an impending UFA defenseman who was never going to re-sign here due to a conflict with the coach, a 1st, and a goalie prospect that was never gonna be anything more than third on our depth chart.

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

I think he could against team like Tampa.

Eh, I don't know. I'm not exactly worried about Tampa. They're a damn good team, but outside of that top pairing, I don't see their blueline being able to handle the 4 lines we'll be able to roll. Their top defensemen are better than ours, but I think we have a better blueline as a whole. Forwards isn't even a contest, anywhere in the league honestly.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Eh, I don't know. I'm not exactly worried about Tampa. They're a damn good team, but outside of that top pairing, I don't see their blueline being able to handle the 4 lines we'll be able to roll. Their top defensemen are better than ours, but I think we have a better blueline as a whole. Forwards isn't even a contest, anywhere in the league honestly.

I think he needs to at least not sink them and at his worst they would eat him alive. What interests me with Tampa is if they peaked too early and what Vasilevskiy does.

 

[Son Goku]

Get one more dman and another forward. f*** it trade Sprong or Sheary. Both. Idc.