Ray Shero Hired By Lamorello To Replace Himself As GM

[gordie]

Normally, I'd agree. But there's way too many Euros on that team for Shero's liking. I could see him being interested.

Euros + Bylsma does not equal a stable situation.

 

[billybudd]

The idea that Shero will want certain hated Pens back is every bit as dubious as "JR will want that guy on the Hurricanes because he once drafted/traded for/signed him!"

Which is to say that pretty soon we'll have a lot of solid complaining about how Rutherford failed to take advantage of Shero's obvious desire to acquire Scuderi and Kunitz because the Penguins are totally in love with those players.

Normally, I'd agree. But there's way too many Euros on that team for Shero's liking. I could see him being interested.

Yeah, it doesn't seem like he'll be cool with Zubrus or Elias penciled into prominent roles. Pawning Scuds off on him is a pipedream, but Kunitz? I could see him wanting Kunitz.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Yeah, it doesn't seem like he'll be cool with Zubrus or Elias penciled into prominent roles. Pawning Scuds off on him is a pipedream, but Kunitz? I could see him wanting Kunitz.

I could see a fair amount of teams wanting Kunitz.

 

[gordie]

I could see a fair amount of teams wanting Kunitz.

You want to get rid of him because he is slowing down right? What are the chances other teams haven't noticed?

 

[billybudd]

Minnesota didn't notice that Heatley slowed down.

 

[Jacob]

You want to get rid of him because he is slowing down right? What are the chances other teams haven't noticed?

I think there'll be a handful of teams that notice but need some playoff experience and secondary scoring and aren't up against the cap.

 

[Ogrezilla]

You want to get rid of him because he is slowing down right? What are the chances other teams haven't noticed?

There will be teams willing to take the risk that he bounces back. There always are.

And my main reason for wanting to trade him is that I think it would have the biggest impact on the culture in the room of any player outside of our core.

 

[Gurglesons]

I think there'll be a handful of teams that notice but need some playoff experience and secondary scoring and aren't up against the cap.

3.75 for 40 - 50 points a year isn't really a "cap" issue. I could see plenty of teams trading for him. Chris Stewart got a second rounder, I could easily see Kunitz getting that especially given the fact he is pretty affordable in relation to his production.

 

[Gurglesons]

I think it would have the biggest impact on the culture in the room of any player outside of our core.

I think this is the main reason to trade him also. I think Kunitz's "downfall" is far more overrated than anything else on this board. Sure, Johnston shouldn't be playing him the minutes he was, especially with Perron and Hornqvist being added, but Kunitz is easily an NHL player and could be a 5 or 6 in the top six on plenty of teams in the league.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I think this is the main reason to trade him also. I think Kunitz's "downfall" is far more overrated than anything else on this board. Sure, Johnston shouldn't be playing him the minutes he was, especially with Perron and Hornqvist being added, but Kunitz is easily an NHL player and could be a 5 or 6 in the top six on plenty of teams in the league.

If he can bounce back to how he started last year, yes. He was downright terrible the last two months of the year though. Then again, so was just about everyone else on the team.

But yeah, if he's on the market there will be interest. He's been a productive player his entire career, even without Sid and Geno. And we are not the only team in the league that values veteran experience, especially when it comes with two Cup wins.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

3.75 for 40 - 50 points a year isn't really a "cap" issue. I could see plenty of teams trading for him. Chris Stewart got a second rounder, I could easily see Kunitz getting that especially given the fact he is pretty affordable in relation to his production.

His production went off a cliff in the second half this year.

 

[Gurglesons]

His production went off a cliff in the second half this year.

So did literally everyone on the team outside of Crosby and Hornqvist.

If Stafford and Frolik walk from the Jets, I could see them making a push for Kunitz.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

There will certainly be a decent bit of interest in Kunitz. I don't necessarily think they will get a first rounder or anything but there will be interest from more than a couple of teams. The question is whether the Penguins will be willing to make him available or more likely bury their head in the sand and tell themselves the last year+ has been an aberration.

 

[66-30-33]

If Pens took the Devils 3rd round pick for Shero, what pick would we get for Bylsma if they got him? 3rd next draft? 2nd this draft?

 

[Ogrezilla]

There will certainly be a decent bit of interest in Kunitz. I don't necessarily think they will get a first rounder or anything but there will be interest from more than a couple of teams. The question is whether the Penguins will be willing to make him available or more likely bury their head in the sand and tell themselves the last year+ has been an aberration.

This is definitely the big question going into the off-season. Are guys like Kunitz and Scuderi even on the market?

 

[plaidchuck]

On the flip side I could see shero fleecing jr in a trade.

 

[66-30-33]

On the flip side I could see shero fleecing jr in a trade.

He was known for ripping GM's off, he ripped JR off in the Staal trade as Staal was going to go for nothing. Imagine no Pouliot/Dumo/Sutter? Would still have traded Despres and Morrow.

 

[plaidchuck]

Don't forget he also got jr to keep some of jjs contract money. So yeah, if the org was smart they won't even entertain anything Shero offers. The devils and pens orgs hate each other, let's keep it like that.

 

[JTG]

Jordan Staal was seen as the guy who had the highest upside, but the highest bust potential at the time - he was a project. Going back to that time, and not using hindsight, the BPA at the time was Kessel or Staal, IMO. I don't think Toews was ever a consideration.

Hindsight, the pick should have been Kessel. We've been trying to find a guy to do the things he does for the last 10 years.

 

[cygnus47]

Jordan Staal was seen as the guy who had the highest upside, but the highest bust potential at the time - he was a project. Going back to that time, and not using hindsight, the BPA at the time was Kessel or Staal, IMO. I don't think Toews was ever a consideration.

Hindsight, the pick should have been Kessel. We've been trying to find a guy to do the things he does for the last 10 years.

Jordan Staal was the most NHL ready and LEAST likely to bust and also the LOWEST upside of the lot of them. The opposite of what you said.

 

[Rico Fatastic]

Erik Johnson was the consensus #1 pick that year, but it probably wasn't unanimous. The next 4, Staal, Kessel, Toews, and Backstrom were all considered to be in the same tier and could have gone in any order. Say what you will about the pick now, but at the time, Staal was not a reach at #2 overall by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Staal was the #2 NA skater (behind Johnson) in the final rankings.

 

[Shady Machine]

Staal was the #2 NA skater (behind Johnson) in the final rankings.

Yeah I'm not saying he was a reach, I am saying using hindsight (which others have done to defend the trade) it was clearly the wrong pick. Not using hindsight, Kessel was the right pick IMO. You already have 2 potentially all world centers and a game breaking goal scoring winger is available to you. That's a no brainer in my opinion.

Yes I know 3 center model and stuff, but I disagree with that team building philosophy. A guy picked number 2 overall isn't likely to want to stay a 3rd line center their whole career. Staal wanting to leave for a bigger opportunity shouldn't have surprised anyone. You don't get many opportunities at a top 5 pick. When you do and there are 4 guys rated pretty evenly, you go for the best fit for the team short and long term. That would have been a winger IMO.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I generally agree with you, but at the time I don't think we were aware how imminent Geno's literal escape from Russia would be

 

[Shady Machine]

I generally agree with you, but at the time I don't think we were aware how imminent Geno's literal escape from Russia would be

I guess that's true. I don't know how much that factored into Shero's decision but I have a feeling it wasn't the primary factor (just a guess). He just loved him some Staal.