The Penguins have been a foolish organization the past few years going all in. They have a lack of talent at forward on that team produced from their farm other than Crosby and Malkin. They have done very little considering they have those 2 players. One cup is not enough. You have to be careful when you do that. IMO, Buchnevich, Kreider, Duclair and Miller can provide the speed and skill that fits this system going forward. So, Zucc and Hagelin can be moved for pieces the team lacks. However, I'm not all that impressed with what is currently out there. Zucc I can see them trading for a bigger player. However, Hagelin is a guy they might move in the off-season for a couple of NHL ready prospects at forward with size that they want to attempt to develop and roll the dice. I keep going back to a Hagelin for Dwight King deal. Now that is something I would have interest in.
We agree to disagree on the Pens. Now the results have not been there, but I like teams that are aggressive....smartly aggressive. The Perron move was a steal for them, I would love to have him here. I think you need to be smart about it for sure, but still not be afraid. I have said it 100 times, sometimes you play for the future and the future never comes. There are WAY too many variables to say I can't go for it now becuase 3 years from now I love these guys. I just don't think that works. And when I say be smart about it, that means don't deal the guys you mentioned Buchnevich, Kreider, Duclair and Miller. That means don't deal for any stupid long term terrible contracts. I agree with you 100% there. But even with that being the back drop, there are plenty of moves we can make to improve. We can deal Fast, or Lindberg, or McIlrath, we have two 2nd round picks, we can deal Hags or Zucc for some top 6/9 size. We have moves to make to greatly improve this team. Sather needs to make them. If he pulls a 2012, or adds on small little pieces at the trade DL this season I will flip out. The dude is on the hot seat with regards to improving the team. We all know what we need, a top 9 forward with some size and some grit/toughness for the 4th line, now get it done. There is plenty Sather can do to improve this team. If he fails Hank again he should be fired on the spot (which of course we know never will happen). Right now this team will lose in round 2 against the Isles. It is on Sather to make it better than that.
Sorry Chuck, but there is nothing to disagree about. If you think that team hasn't been stupid and done little with those 2 players, you're on crack. You have 2 of the best 10 forwards in the world and they haven't been out of the second round in 5 years. Their roster has been poorly constructed with stupid moves. Many at the deadline.
That is not what I said. Of course the results haven't been there, as I said. That is why Shero was fired, but I do like the fact they aren't afraid to make moves and go for it. In terms of the right moves we agree as I said, they haven't made those. They haven't added that element of toughness they have needed. Their D is even worse now after losing the guys this past summer. I think they are done in round 1 against us this season. So I agree overall. Where I disagree is I like that they are aggressive and not afraid to make moves. That is my point. I like teams that do that. Sather needs to do some of that this season. That is my point here. Not whether or not their trades have been good trades. Some have and some haven't, but they aren't shy about making moves to try and get the right mix, and I like that.
The Pens issue is their big deals. Crosby at 8.7. Malkin at 9.5. Letang at 7.25 (I said that was a bad resigning the second the deal was agreed to). MAF for 5.25. Too much tied up in 4 players. Really hard to win in a hard cap league when you have 4 players making that much combined. That is their issue IMO. MAF is not a good playoff goalie. For my money he is one of the most overrated goalies in the league. You cannot trust him in big spots. I would have let him go and went after another goalie rather than bring him back at 5.75 per long term, but that's just my opinion. They would have been much better off letting Letang walk. Bring in a tough physical dman for 4/5 mill per, use the rest of the money to get a tougher dman for the 4 or 5 slot. Then spend 4 mill or so on a better goalie, someone that can win big games. That is the Pens issue, not their trades IMO.
