Your own 'Future Power Rankings'

[abj]

Top:




Bottom:

 

[DangerDarrin]

STL will be closer to top 5 than bottom 5

People sleeping on STL and their prospect pipeline

 

[crackdown44]

Man I was trying to figure out why the flames were catching so many strays then I realized it was from the summer and honestly I get it

 

[Czechboy]

Top 5 ... hmmm... 5 years from now

Anaheim, San Jose, Detroit, Montreal and Minnesota

Bottom 5

My Oil, Jets, Nucks, Bruins and LV

 

[Oneiro]

Top: NJ, DAL, CBJ, CAR, SJ

Bottom: PIT, BOS, VGK, VAN, STL

 

[centipede2233]

Top: NJ, Utah, Stlouis, Columbus, and Sam Jose.

Bottom: Vancouver, Pitt, Boston, Toronto, buffalo

 

[gtrower]

It does have the real possibility of going this way. I tried to maintain objectivity.

It's a good question, and I like the way I framed it with roster + economics otherwise it is just a "which teams have the best young players/prospects" discussion which we have seen before.

I guess we could factor in quality of management, but I think that ultimately has a lot to do with economics too.

Bowman in Edmonton is a wild card. I don't like that hire, but Jackson is still there and seems to have done a good job.


Yeah, the only possible way to avoid this is to sell off Crosby, Malkin, Letang and Karlsson but that is not the direction. I understand this too. Take another shot while you have Crosby. At least the upcoming drought follows cup victories...a trade off most fanbases would happily make.

This “take another shot while you have Crosby” mantra that still floats around these boards is so weird to me. People seem to think he’s still a superstar that’s being drug down by the team around him. Crosby leads the league (forwards) in ES goals against this season. He leads the league in ES goals against dating back to last season. He leads the league in ES goals back to 2022. He can still put up points but has been a sieve the other direction.

I fully understand not wanting to trade him - his value to the Pens org transcends W/L. But trying to build the team around him at this stage of his career is a big reason why they are where they are - likely out of the playoffs again and hemorrhaging goals against (2nd worst in the league).