current team

I don’t see the St. Ivany signing as a defining move in regard to our defense for this season as you have alluded you do. The first two years of his new deal are 2-way with a pretty low AHL salary. Only the third year is 1-way at $775k. This leads me to believe that they are trying to incentivize him to make the jump, but aren’t necessarily banking on it. If he excels in camp then that’s nice, but I wouldn’t be surprised if some sort of signing or acquisition is made on the back end come July, likely a relatively small one, but a move nonetheless.

A top AHL pairing of Pickering and St. Ivany could be what’s in order, and I don’t mind it at all. Unless someone truly has an outstanding camp, then I think the best bet is to let all of the young guys grow together and build a confident, winning game on WBS. That goes for Broz, Koivunen, Ponomarev, Pickering, etc. If during the season they earn their way to a call up to the point where it simply can’t be ignored, then we act accordingly, only if they’d be getting the proper role. The following year I expect some NHL ready players.

As for Rakell, now just isn’t the time to trade him. I’m okay with keeping him and letting him play his way back to a higher value this season. I’m confident that he can do so to some extent. That may not mean the 60 points of two season ago, but he’ll be better than this year. If we see a repeat of this season from him, then he would still be easier to move because another year of term has gone by. It’s not like we need the cap space anyway. Might as well be patient with him and strike while the irons hot. We could use his services this year anyway.

As much as I would love to say they will actually fix the defense, I think it's a done deal at this point.
They will resign POJ and the LD is done. I would be nice if they signed someone to play RD, but I don't think they want to spend the cap there or get caught up in any term. People will over pay for a 3rd pairing defenseman this FA. I don't think Dubas wants to do that. The league is increasingly top heavy, no one wants to pay a 3rd pairing more than 1-1.5 million. But that's what will happen in FA.

I agree as far as the prospects they shouldn't rush anyone, but I think by midseason it might be hard to hold a few down to be honest.
I think when the team is failing by some point in the season they will try to jump start it if guys look ready. What choice do they have. They aren't a real contender so they shouldn't be spending assets.
They may also be moving guys out by that point as well. I would not be shocked to see a few guys like Smith and Eller be moved out. Those deals are expiring a contender might want the depth, PIT can retain to make them cheap and collect a few picks. Someone has to replace them.

It would be nice if Rakell can bounce back. But Malkin is 38 in July.
I think you are going to be hard pressed to see much improvement on that 2nd line. If anything it's only getting harder for that line. I think 2025-26 might be the last year of Malkin in the NHL. I think he will want to finish in the KHL not just go to another NHL team. Then retire.

I'm not even sure they could trade Rakell, but if they can, they should. I think it's harder to move him next year after 2 bad seasons. They will have to figure it out some way shape or form. If I was the GM on this team, he's the one contract I'm trying to move. As it's the one that I think is the hardest to move. Lots of the other issues solve themselves. But his contract doesn't.

I honestly don't see this as a playoff team, and I don't think they do either. It's not 1-2 pieces away anymore. Which is why I don't see them trying to automagically fix it.
2027-28 is probably the end of the Crosby years. He'll be 40, I don't see him playing past 40.

Malkin will have already retired. I would not be shocked if they went out together which means he would go earlier. Dare I say it the end of next year.
He might look at it, say he doesn't want to play for another team, and realize a rebuild needs to happen and not want to be around for it. So just hangs it up.
I'm not sure how that looks. But I'm sure he probably puts his health above the game. He'll be 38 then. If it sounds odd, Bergeron hung it up after 37.

I get what both of you are saying, in particular I would try and keep the young guys starting in WBS an grow there this year to be impactful at the end of this year and very impactful next year as you guys were suggesting.

from a fan point of view I really don't get the 'starting the rebuild' this year. with 2 years left on geno's deal and 1 on sids I would try to go for it even if it is a long shot and even if it means just to make the playoff and lose round 1 or 2. they deserve it. Obviously there is the company side of things with revenues, sustainability and all of those topics that fans shouldn't bother talking about but I'm pretty sure they will play a role in the direction that dubas will choose to go.

i do agree that it is not easy to make up a contending team for next year but imo it is not impossible. you have still top end talent that needs to have a better supporting cast, better then past years considering the stars age but there are some nice opportunity in FA. (very stupid example if you manage to change rakell into a teravainen, without caring of picks and whatnot, it would be already a huge upgrade)

imo if you manage to use the smith rakell greaves cap hit into players that play and produce for that cap hit we are already a much better team. and if that means 'wasting' good picks personally I dont care. (obviously my opinion matter 0) if this means wasting more years on a longer rebuild again I dont care, we will suck after sid retires and if it is for 3 years or 5 years who cares? nobody will bring those players back and I'm afraid we will regret just starting the rebuild now.




the realistic answer is: f'''ck whatever you think this is a business and money commands on everything. same happens in my 1st sport (⚽️) and it is what is ruining the sport.

I look at it this way:

With Nieto starting on LTIR and assuming (I think it's likely) Smith or Rakell are moved, Dubas has $19M to fill his roster. Poulin, Ponomarev, Blomqvist can all fill some spots and there is still a solid chunk to make some improvements. Definitely can find a competent top-four LHD.

They aren't going to drop a top 10 pick just to move Rakell. Nor is that the right thing to do for the team. Nor does it help them turn the team around. The only thing you do is gift talent to another team.

The biggest issue here is you are clutching onto a 38 year old Malkin thinking you are going to get the same play out of him like when he was 30.
You're not. The teams 2nd line struggles aren't just Rakell. It's the center who drives the play. The whole line has looked bad last year.
He's gone from a FP, to a 1C to a 2C level pretty rapidly. By that final year he'll probably be a 3C or should be.

This team is fundamentally flawed. The second line is always going to be slowed down at this point. The best they could do is go after a 2C next year in Drai, but why bother condemn the team to mediocrity afterword when Crosby slows down. It's better to tank out instead.

You also have to convince those guys to come here.
A 37 year old Crosby isn't a draw. Especially when there is no other talent on the team near that level.
We have to accept some realities here. The "one last show" phantasy is over. No team wants to spend all those assets just to make the playoffs. They spend them to win a cup.
We aren't winning a cup any time soon. Even with every move you add in, we aren't winning.

There is neither a FA class capable of turning this around, a draw for players like that to come here, or the cap space to make it happen.

Part of me wonders if they can even get Teräväinen to sign here next year. All things being equal. These small cities aren't draws, especially with aging rosters looking like rebuilding teams. We are basically CBJ now.
You are going to have the same issues up and down the FA market.

The only guys you'll be able to bring in are the ones who are older like Eller and Acciari, and are looking for that check they can't get elsewhere.
That's not going to build a winning team. We saw that last year.
They youth isn't ready. It needs 1/2 to 1 year to even get a glimpse of what it can do and it really is the only real hope of improving this team.

This team is stuck right now. It's like being at the top of the roller coaster waiting for it to speed up as it goes down. We all know it's going to happen, it's just when.
Having your star players as guys who are 38-37 years old isn't a winning formula. You must come to terms with that.