The Pittsburgh Penguins: last in the *East* after *9* games.

[Empoleon8771]

Even if Ownership refuses to let Dubas fire Sullivan?

Yes. Just too much talent on the team for them to truly bottom out to that level.

For them to finish with a top-10 pick, they'd likely need to finish below .500. The Blues were the 10th worst team in hockey last year and finished with 81 points in 82 games. Even if the Penguins miss the playoffs (which is definitely possible), I just can't see them finishing that poorly.

To me, their upside is like 105 points (probably 3rd in the Metro) and their downside is 85 points (probably 20th or so in the NHL). Realistically they'll probably finish somewhere in the mid 90s in points.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I don't see why everybody is dramatising pittsburghs demise , honestly pittsburgh fans seem to be chill about it ,its not like they say they have a great team.... rival fans are licking their chops but can you even chirp a team/fanbase that's 100% more succesful than whatever mediocre team us mere mortals have been cheering for while they won a bunch of cups

What do you expect from HF where we have fanbases whose teams can't even see Round 2 chirping the Pens' core guys.

It's like NFL fans of teams who finally make the playoffs after years of sucking chirping Tom Brady and/or the Patriots.

 

[authentic]

At least Karlsson is improving on his plus minus

Only a -1 , big improvement on his -26 from last season

-17 of that comes from empty net goals against. Actually he managed to break even at 5vs5 while the Sharks were -43 5on5 last season.

 

[EbonyRaptor]

The hawks cup window should realistically be in 5-10 years, if everything goes right and they don't go the direction the oilers appear to be going. They still need to surround bedard with great supporting pieces.

Yep. A lot of things have to go right - prospects developing, no significant injuries, good management of the salary cap - just to name a few.

I think the key to the Hawks rebuild plan is the development of the blue line. Seth Jones is going to be there because he has essentially an unmovable contract, but that's OK because he's actually not a bad d-man. The rest of the d-core may already be in the system starting with the 3 rookie d-men playing this season and a few more getting started in the AHL. I'm not too worried about surrounding Bedard with top notch players because forwards are easier to develop or acquire.

If things go well they should start sniffing the playoffs in 2-3 years and then maybe another 2-3 years after that they may be ready to be in the Cup conversation.

Maybe. If everything goes right.

 

[HockeyVirus]

Yes. Just too much talent on the team for them to truly bottom out to that level.

For them to finish with a top-10 pick, they'd likely need to finish below .500. The Blues were the 10th worst team in hockey last year and finished with 81 points in 82 games. Even if the Penguins miss the playoffs (which is definitely possible), I just can't see them finishing that poorly.

To me, their upside is like 105 points (probably 3rd in the Metro) and their downside is 85 points (probably 20th or so in the NHL). Realistically they'll probably finish somewhere in the mid 90s in points.

But I mean they are already last in the east and bottom 5 in the NHL with 8 games played. The longer this goes, the more crazy of a pace they need to play at going forward.

This team can probably play at a mid 90's pace most of the time. If they do that after a terrible start the first 15-20 games, that's not enough to escape the lottery

 

[Empoleon8771]

But I mean they are already last in the east and bottom 5 in the NHL with 8 games played. The longer this goes, the more crazy of a pace they need to play at going forward.

This team can probably play at a mid 90's pace most of the time. If they do that after a terrible start the first 15-20 games, that's not enough to escape the lottery

They're 1/10th of the way through the season. They could win 3 games in a row and be on pace to finish the year with about 100 points.

 

[Artemi Panarin]

What do you expect from HF where we have fanbases whose teams can't even see Round 2 chirping the Pens' core guys.

It's like NFL fans of teams who finally make the playoffs after years of sucking chirping Tom Brady and/or the Patriots.

Not to mention the fact that the guy chirping Crosby/Malkin/Letang is a fan of a team that hasn't accomplished a damn thing while having 2 top 5 players in the league.

The Pens core delivered and then some.

 

[NVious]

Would Pens fans prefer they just trade away everyone and go for the rebuild or let this downslide continue for another 2-4 years so Malkin, Crosby and Letang can finish together?

 

[sr edler]

Lol. Old and slow team gets tons of PPs from the kind refs, but gets burned shorthanded with 13 seconds left of regulation.

 

[BallardEra]

Well, they surely can't lose to the Sharks on Saturday now.

 

[SomeDude]

Would Pens fans prefer they just trade away everyone and go for the rebuild or let this downslide continue for another 2-4 years so Malkin, Crosby and Letang can finish together?

SJ is either getting this years pick or next years. No real point of tanking when you’re not getting one of your upcoming picks.

We’ll continue to fail with our former stars. Going down with imagined dignity,

 

[LevelingSolo]

Hockey's 2012-2013 Lakers

 

[authentic]

Well, they surely can't lose to the Sharks on Saturday now.

5-0 Sharks, Karlsson -5

 

[Weltschmerz]

Despite major challanges, Kyle Dubas has passed the tests

​

 

[hotcabbagesoup]

5-0 Sharks, Karlsson -5

that would boost our board's morale so much

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Jesus christ, the full erik karlsson hat trick experience

goal
assist
catastrophic unforced turnover directly leading to game losing shorthanded goal with 13 seconds left

 

[Empoleon8771]

I have defended the team a lot but I genuinely think blowing this game to the Ducks just broke me. It looks like Dubas screwed up by re-signing Jarry, but the issues with this team are far beyond just the moves Dubas has made in the 5 or so months he has been GM here.

 

[66-30-33]

I have defended the team a lot but I genuinely think blowing this game to the Ducks just broke me. It looks like Dubas screwed up by re-signing Jarry, but the issues with this team are far beyond just the moves Dubas has made in the 5 or so months he has been GM here.

Jarry is as bad as Campbell. Before the season ended people were saying fire Hextall, I said Sully should be the one to go or even with a new GM shit wont matter. Shit might not matter much with a new coach but holy crap, guy needs to go already. Maybe Jarry might be better under a new coach but maybe not too.

 

[Stephen]

I have defended the team a lot but I genuinely think blowing this game to the Ducks just broke me. It looks like Dubas screwed up by re-signing Jarry, but the issues with this team are far beyond just the moves Dubas has made in the 5 or so months he has been GM here.

Dubas was very hesitant to commit to any goalie in Toronto. He inherited Andersen from the Uncle Lou era, let that contract run out, let the contract on Campbell run out and had Mrazek, Samsonov and Murray at cheaper sub $5 million deals none longer than 3 years. So seeing the commitment to Jarry without having a working relationship with Jarry was quite the surprise.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Dubas was very hesitant to commit to any goalie in Toronto. He inherited Andersen from the Uncle Lou era, let that contract run out, let the contract on Campbell run out and had Mrazek, Samsonov and Murray at cheaper sub $5 million deals none longer than 3 years. So seeing the commitment to Jarry without having a working relationship with Jarry was quite the surprise.

I think what happened is that the goalie market going into last summer was so bad that Dubas didn't want to gamble on any of the UFA goalies. The problem is that giving 5 years to Jarry was absolutely not the solution.

If it was a 1 year deal at the save AAV, I'd have literally no complaints about making the gamble. If it didn't work out, try the UFA market in 2024 instead. But to commit 5 years, basically linking your chances at winning to him? I'm becoming more and more convinced that was a mistake.

 

[Stephen]

I think what happened is that the goalie market going into last summer was so bad that Dubas didn't want to gamble on any of the UFA goalies. The problem is that giving 5 years to Jarry was absolutely not the solution.

If it was a 1 year deal at the save AAV, I'd have literally no complaints about making the gamble. If it didn't work out, try the UFA market in 2024 instead. But to commit 5 years, basically linking your chances at winning to him? I'm becoming more and more convinced that was a mistake.

My only word of warning is Dubas may not be so good with goalies. He seems to have had a track record betting on a lot of guys who fit the profile of athletic, poor technique, poor structure, reflex guys with major up and down confidence levels: Campbell, Mrazek, Samsonov, Rittich (briefly). He also picked Sparks over McBackup in Toronto, though that was more of an age/asset management move gone unusually poorly. Maybe that fits the description of a lot of modern cheap goalies, but for a "goalies are voodoo" GM, you're going to see some bad things in net.

 

[BallardEra]

Number in thread title should be flipped.

 

[Synergy27]

The NHL is a young man’s league.

 

[centipede2233]

View attachment 760644

The NHL is a young man’s league.

The nhl absolutely is a young man’s league. I could post the stats but I’m too lazy, but take a look at the cup teams and their star players age. They are all sub 31 yrs or younger when they won the cup. When players become more expensive and older, they stop winning playoff rounds little own cups. The facts are there

 

[66-30-33]

View attachment 760644

The NHL is a young man’s league.

I'll reserve judgement when a new coach comes in (like BB) and the team still is lottery bad.