Yeah Sullivan Sucks, but Dubas needs to be talked about too...

Zbynek

Jarry friggin sucks dude
Jun 6, 2011
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Madrid, Spain
I think it’s okay to admit we got taken for a ride on the Jake trade.
But but but Ville Koivunen might score 20 goals in the NHL one day! It will never happen in our current system, with this roster and much less under this coach but Dubas is filling the cupboard man!

I’m saying taking on Bunting with 2 years left and 4.5 cap hit, and as bad as he is, should have cost the Canes an extra asset on top of the sack of magic beans we got for Jake.

It’s quite likely the Canes got the 2 most valuable assets in that deal: Jake and out of Bunting’s deal. Given we got paid a 3rd and 6th to take on Glass when he only had 1 year left at 2 million less, it should have cost the Canes at least a 2nd, if not a 1st, to get out of the Bunting deal at that time.

Bunting is not returning a 3rd barring some miraculous revival of his game. He’s like Beauvillier, who gets traded for a 5th every year.
Unfortunately for us Dubas actually coveted Bunting because he's his guy and once again failed to assess objective trade value
 

Duffy13

‎(ノಥ益ಥ)ノ ┻━┻
Feb 16, 2013
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I don't think Bunting will matter at the end of the day in the Jake trade, it would be nice if was able to score more and for Sullivan to let him be an antagonist like he used to be. But whatever.

Cruz Lucious, Koivunin and I can't remember if the Pick acquired ended up being Brunicke or Howe... Either way, I believe those 3 players will determine if the trade ends up positive or not.

However, in a win now public declaration, that trade does not pass the sniff test.

I hope it does not hit the levels of Beech and Sivek lol
 

Empoleon8771

Registered User
Aug 25, 2015
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lollllllllll you underestimate how hard people went on that deal last year. It's a point of pride, I think.

It wasn't the worst deal, honestly. As in... like... I readily cop to the fact that Jake kinda f***ed things a bit for the Penguins and rentals have their value essentially chopped in half. But I also think the idea of quantity over quality was intentional and I think that Dubas seriously thought he was being clever with Bunting. And to me at least those are two pretty big negatives and prevent it from being much of a win... if you can consider trading a 40 goal scorer a win.

That's the issue I have here, though. I think calling it a poor/mediocre return is totally fine, but saying they got killed in the deal is something I just don't understand. Especially when so many arguments about the Guentzel trade being bad come down to "I don't like Koivunen and Ponomarev so I'm going to pretend they don't exist".

It was a mediocre return that Dubas made a mistake with acquiring Bunting in. It wasn't a good deal but people acting like it was this massively horrid deal are also wrong. It's even more weird because if the Penguins had drafted Koivunen themselves (or didn't acquire him in the Guentzel trade), people would be really excited about him based on how well he has started the year with WBS. But because he was in the Guentzel trade and people want to be mad about the Guentzel return, they'll talk trash on him.
 

Gurglesons

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Dec 18, 2009
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That's the issue I have here, though. I think calling it a poor/mediocre return is totally fine, but saying they got killed in the deal is something I just don't understand. Especially when so many arguments about the Guentzel trade being bad come down to "I don't like Koivunen and Ponomarev so I'm going to pretend they don't exist".

It was a mediocre return that Dubas made a mistake with acquiring Bunting in. It wasn't a good deal but people acting like it was this massively horrid deal are also wrong. It's even more weird because if the Penguins had drafted Koivunen themselves (or didn't acquire him in the Guentzel trade), people would be really excited about him based on how well he has started the year with WBS. But because he was in the Guentzel trade and people want to be mad about the Guentzel return, they'll talk trash on him.

Guarantee in a few years when Koivunen is waived like Puustinen was today you’ll be using the same arguments you are using about Puustinen while defending the trade because of Koivunen.
 

Empoleon8771

Registered User
Aug 25, 2015
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Guarantee in a few years when Koivunen is waived like Puustinen was today you’ll be using the same arguments you are using about Puustinen while defending the trade because of Koivunen.

I mean it's entirely possible that Koivunen ends up another soft Euro SHL/AHL scorer. You are aware people can change their opinions when more information becomes available, right?

I think it's totally a possibility that Koivunen can produce well in the AHL but just can't cut it in the NHL. But as is, he's a 21 year old producing really well in the AHL. It's silly to not be excited about him because Puustinen ended up failing for what could be similar reasons.
 

BusinessGoose

Registered User
May 19, 2022
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Sacramento, CA
Guentzel screwed the return

We should have shipped him out well before the TDL

But clung onto the hope of playoffs

Then he got hurt

We lost all leverage

The return on the trade at the time with the injury, might have been the best possible

But it should have happened the second his camp said they wouldnt negotiate in season
 

BlindWillyMcHurt

ti kallisti
May 31, 2004
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That's the issue I have here, though. I think calling it a poor/mediocre return is totally fine, but saying they got killed in the deal is something I just don't understand. Especially when so many arguments about the Guentzel trade being bad come down to "I don't like Koivunen and Ponomarev so I'm going to pretend they don't exist".

It was a mediocre return that Dubas made a mistake with acquiring Bunting in. It wasn't a good deal but people acting like it was this massively horrid deal are also wrong. It's even more weird because if the Penguins had drafted Koivunen themselves (or didn't acquire him in the Guentzel trade), people would be really excited about him based on how well he has started the year with WBS. But because he was in the Guentzel trade and people want to be mad about the Guentzel return, they'll talk trash on him.

I'll be honest I make it a point to NOT talk trash on any of them because they are just scratch offs and it's not really fair to expect much otherwise.

The Jake trade more or less had to be made. So I'm glad they at least pulled the trigger on SOMETHING. But I can't get too much more enthusiastic as of right now than that. Bunting was a huge miscalculation. Obviously I hope these guys do great and make me look dumb for doubting but on the surface I think the draft pick they used for Burnicke looks like maybe the most promising thing out of that whole raft of whatever.
 
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Empoleon8771

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Aug 25, 2015
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Guentzel screwed the return

We should have shipped him out well before the TDL

But clung onto the hope of playoffs

Then he got hurt

We lost all leverage

The return on the trade at the time with the injury, might have been the best possible

But it should have happened the second his camp said they wouldnt negotiate in season

It was also weird that there didn't seem to be that big of a market for Guentzel last year. It seemed like it was mostly Carolina, Vancouver and NYR, while Vancouver kinda blew their load on Lindholm. It was an unusually bad market for sellers all around the league, the Penguins weren't in any different of a position with Guentzel.

I obviously wouldn't have targeted Bunting in the deal, but beyond that, I'm skeptical they could have done much better than what they got in the Guentzel deal. Maybe they could have given up Ponomarev to upgrade that 2nd into a 1st, but they ended up getting Brunicke with that 2nd anyway. Carolina wasn't going to trade Morrow or Blake for a rental Guentzel that only ended up giving them like 20 games.
 

Empoleon8771

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Aug 25, 2015
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I'm sure they'll get the last laugh when one of those prospects who were like 6th or 7th on Carolina's prospect pool pans out as a 3rd line player in 8 years.

Carolina got a grand total of 28 games out of Guentzel.

This whole idea of "the Penguins got smoked in the Guentzel trade" would hold more weight if Carolina didn't only get him for 15 regular season games and 2 playoff rounds where they lost.
 

Gurglesons

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Dec 18, 2009
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I mean it's entirely possible that Koivunen ends up another soft Euro SHL/AHL scorer. You are aware people can change their opinions when more information becomes available, right?

I think it's totally a possibility that Koivunen can produce well in the AHL but just can't cut it in the NHL. But as is, he's a 21 year old producing really well in the AHL. It's silly to not be excited about him because Puustinen ended up failing for what could be similar reasons.

It’s fine to change opinions.

It’s also fine to criticize the Jake trade because it was a bad trade and not be gaslighted about how it was actually a decent trade.

Montreal got a better return for Monahan and Calgary got a better return for Lindholm.

Dubas was indecisive and focused on a mediocre former Soo (like he has for literally his entire career) and got a bunch of scratch offs and a 2nd.

It’s a detrimental trade to our rebuild to effectively return potentially nothing for our best asset and Bunting is losing value and eating up cap.
 

Empoleon8771

Registered User
Aug 25, 2015
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Redmond, WA
It’s fine to change opinions.

It’s also fine to criticize the Jake trade because it was a bad trade and not be gaslighted about how it was actually a decent trade.

Montreal got a better return for Monahan and Calgary got a better return for Lindholm.

Dubas was indecisive and focused on a mediocre former Soo (like he has for literally his entire career) and got a bunch of scratch offs and a 2nd.

It’s a detrimental trade to our rebuild to effectively return potentially nothing for our best asset and Bunting is losing value and eating up cap.

People disagreeing with you completely disregarding Koivunen and Ponomarev isn't "gaslighting" you. It's having a different opinion than you.

The Penguins got Bunting, Koivunen, Ponomarev, Lucius and pick #44 for Guentzel. The Habs got pick #26 and a 2027 3rd for Monahan. The Flames got Kuzmenko, Brzustewicz and pick #28 for Lindholm. I think the Guentzel trade was more value than the Monahan trade and I think the Lindholm trade and Guentzel trades were about equal in value.

That's not "gaslighting" you, that's having a different opinion because others value Ponomarev and Koivunen higher than you do.
 

Gurglesons

Registered User
Dec 18, 2009
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People disagreeing with you completely disregarding Koivunen and Ponomarev isn't "gaslighting" you. It's having a different opinion than you.

The Penguins got Bunting, Koivunen, Ponomarev, Lucius and pick #44 for Guentzel. The Habs got pick #26 and a 2027 3rd for Monahan. The Flames got Kuzmenko, Brzustewicz and pick #28 for Lindholm. I think the Guentzel trade was more value than the Monahan trade and I think the Lindholm trade and Guentzel trades were about equal in value.

That's not "gaslighting" you, that's having a different opinion because others value Ponomarev and Koivunen higher than you do.

1st overall pick for your 40 goal rental is the expectation IMO.

Especially in a year when you lost your 1st and are “rebuilding”.
 

Sidney the Kidney

One last time
Jun 29, 2009
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Carolina got a grand total of 28 games out of Guentzel.

This whole idea of "the Penguins got smoked in the Guentzel trade" would hold more weight if Carolina didn't only get him for 15 regular season games and 2 playoff rounds where they lost.
I don't believe I said anything about the Penguins "getting smoked". I'm saying that the return they got was underwhelming, particularly the prospects in return.

If any of them turn into a legitimate top line player, then I'll have misjudged the return. Until then, it seems like a classic case of quantity over quality.
 

McGroarty2

Registered User
Sep 28, 2017
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I don't think Bunting will matter at the end of the day in the Jake trade, it would be nice if was able to score more and for Sullivan to let him be an antagonist like he used to be. But whatever.

Cruz Lucious, Koivunin and I can't remember if the Pick acquired ended up being Brunicke or Howe... Either way, I believe those 3 players will determine if the trade ends up positive or not.

However, in a win now public declaration, that trade does not pass the sniff test.

I hope it does not hit the levels of Beech and Sivek lol
Brunicke, also Bunting most likely gets moved for pick(s) at next season's trade deadline.
 

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