Whom should be voted off the Island

[nossagog]

Well here we are after Christmas, and the Pens are struggling mightily.   Worse than previous seasons, the Pens are in a hole they may not be able to dig themselves out of this time.  Cup hangover, slump,  whatever other excuse here.   It really doesn't matter.  The team right now is not playing at a level that they deserve to make the playoffs.   

 

Their game is really MEH, with a capital MEH.  Dump in's aren't getting deep enough. Breakouts are losing pucks in the defensive zone. Puck battles are routinely being lost. Faceoffs are terrible.   Its not one major thing, its a combination of all the little things. Slow starts to games with little energy. They've lost the attention to the details that win games. And now their losing those games they used to win with regularity.

 

So it may be time for a shakeup.   Not something little, something big.  Something that tells what is left of the team you're not safe.  To make that kind of statement, it would have to be a major player.   So who would that be:

Crosby- Never, zero percent chance

Malkin- As much as he is a part of the problem with a lot of the problems of laziness and bad passes, again probably never. 

Kessel - Probably one of guys on the team that IS actually giving his all every shift. So no

Hornqvist - See Kessel, not a part of the problem

Hagelin - Maybe, fits the bill as it would be a shocker. But he's valuable on the PK, and not really playing below his level. Don't think so

Shultz - Been injured, but has been playing fine. Probably not

Murray - Never, no goalie option and he's not the problem 

 

Well that's probably it for the shakeup trade guys,  except for

 

Kris Letang. A great a puck moving defenseman as he is, he's just not playing at that dominant level that he was.   Is it too many injuries? Don't know.  But he's one of the guys that is making way too many mistakes. He's not the offensive threat that he was and is losing time on the Power Play.   He's just not that guy making end to end rushes any longer. 

 

His value is still high. It may be time to find him a new home.  This may shake up the team enough to start playing to their potential, and if they can get a return for his worth, it could help them for the future too.   May all depend on how Shultz is doing, if he is coming back soon, we will have room on defense to make a move. 

 

We'll have to see, but something has to change.   Sorry Kris but

 

[mojo1917]

I would imagine the return for trading 58 would be pretty substantial.

Used to be the Pens were a very average team without him, but last year's playoff run proved him to be cashews for the sundae and not the ice cream. 

So, would trading him be a true shakeup ? He hasn't been a main cog for nearly 2 years. 

It would be weird to see him playing for another team.

I will miss his hair, even though it's been cut short, the memories remain.

There are guys on the roster that would return other really good players and picks so a retool/rebuild from the current group may not be super terrible. Just beware the $.75  on the dollar pu-pu platter of players for the superstar though.  

I was scarred by the Charles Barkley trade. 

 

[yave1964]

I think Letang is becoming part of the problem and no longer the solution and other teams have caught onto that as well. His possession numbers have taken a hit in recent years and with 7.25 million a year for the next four years trading him for anything of value is going to be near impossible. Still a good player, some nights very good but no longer feared. He is where Mike Green was a few years ago in Washington, fingers pointing at him as the culprit for their erosion when in truth players of a certain age start to slide and he is the norm and not the exception.

 

   To me, the Penguins biggest mistake was allowing both Hainsey and especially Daley to leave as free agents. Hainsey is one of the underrated types, he seldom scores but is on the ice for all defensive zone faceoffs and does the heavy lifting with no fanfare, Daley is a Swiss Army knife, if you need him to stay at home he can, if you need him to rush the puck and play the second power play, no problem, jack of all trades guy. Losing them decimated the Pens defense.

 

  So to me, you cannot trade Letang because of contract, at least not getting a fair return, IMHO as well as he has played if you are going to deal anyone it has to be Kessel. You have other wingers in the (ahem) wings begging for more and better situational ice time, I would look into moving Kessel for defense, pure and simple. Either that or wait until the deadline andpick up a couple of Daley/Hainsey types for 2nd or 3rd rounders and hope for the best.....

[nossagog]

44 minutes ago, yave1964 said:

I think Letang is becoming part of the problem and no longer the solution and other teams have caught onto that as well. His possession numbers have taken a hit in recent years and with 7.25 million a year for the next four years trading him for anything of value is going to be near impossible. Still a good player, some nights very good but no longer feared. He is where Mike Green was a few years ago in Washington, fingers pointing at him as the culprit for their erosion when in truth players of a certain age start to slide and he is the norm and not the exception.

 

   To me, the Penguins biggest mistake was allowing both Hainsey and especially Daley to leave as free agents. Hainsey is one of the underrated types, he seldom scores but is on the ice for all defensive zone faceoffs and does the heavy lifting with no fanfare, Daley is a Swiss Army knife, if you need him to stay at home he can, if you need him to rush the puck and play the second power play, no problem, jack of all trades guy. Losing them decimated the Pens defense.

 

  So to me, you cannot trade Letang because of contract, at least not getting a fair return, IMHO as well as he has played if you are going to deal anyone it has to be Kessel. You have other wingers in the (ahem) wings begging for more and better situational ice time, I would look into moving Kessel for defense, pure and simple. Either that or wait until the deadline andpick up a couple of Daley/Hainsey types for 2nd or 3rd rounders and hope for the best.....

I don't think that trading Kessel is in the cards.  Right now, he's probably the most valuable player on the Pens.  Game in and game out, he's giving 100% and is their leading scorer.   WIth the problems they're having scoring at 5v5, moving your leading scorer would be nuts. 

[yave1964]

9 minutes ago, nossagog said:

I don't think that trading Kessel is in the cards.  Right now, he's probably the most valuable player on the Pens.  Game in and game out, he's giving 100% and is their leading scorer.   WIth the problems they're having scoring at 5v5, moving your leading scorer would be nuts. 

Believe me I get that, he is just the most valuable chip that you have to add the much needed defense unless you dip into the kids which I would be loath to do. Wilson and Archibald gone, meh, no big deal but they provided organizational depth. The Pens need a 3C (Sheahan is not the answer) and two solid defenseman, one a stay at home rugged guy, one hybrid puck mover like Daley was, Letang at this point is suspect, Kessel has value. The other option like I mentioned is keep the team intact wait until the deadline and move picks to fill need.

 

  Wow what a fun game last night. My wife and daughter and her boyfriend are all Jacket fans, lots of hate for your boys in this house, lol but that may have been the most fun watching a game all year. I love when two teams are fairly evenly matched and do not like each other.

[nossagog]

1 minute ago, yave1964 said:

Believe me I get that, he is just the most valuable chip that you have to add the much needed defense unless you dip into the kids which I would be loath to do. Wilson and Archibald gone, meh, no big deal but they provided organizational depth. The Pens need a 3C (Sheahan is not the answer) and two solid defenseman, one a stay at home rugged guy, one hybrid puck mover like Daley was, Letang at this point is suspect, Kessel has value. The other option like I mentioned is keep the team intact wait until the deadline and move picks to fill need.

 

  Wow what a fun game last night. My wife and daughter and her boyfriend are all Jacket fans, lots of hate for your boys in this house, lol but that may have been the most fun watching a game all year. I love when two teams are fairly evenly matched and do not like each other.

Yeah, watching Torts melt down on the bench is always an extra positive for us Pens fans.  Would love to have seen his presser afterwards to see whom he blamed this one on.  (hint: Its never his teams fault.  Last game it was the officials)

 

As for the defense, I don't really have a problem with what they have, well, as soon as Shultz gets back.   They have puck moving defensemen with Shultz and Doumolin, not at the old Letang level, but really who has those.    Cole fits the bill with the stay at home guy, and Maatta is having a career year both offensively and defensively.    What they really need is someone else to spark the even strength offense(They are near the bottom of the league in 5v5 goals).  Just not sure where they can find that, and also the reason I don't think Kessel is going anywhere.