Équipe: 2016-17 Penguins de Pittsburgh

Date de création initiale: 31 mars 2016

Publié: 31 mars 2016

Mode - plafond salarial: Basique

Let's pretend that....
+Tocchet Gets Fired (heh, heh).
+Pens make a nice deep run through the Second Season (like, say, losing to the Kings in the SCF?*)
+Bennett remains healthy and plays well though the above.
+Sullivan gets brave and gives Kessel his own line even after Malkin returns, beginning a (reasonably) successful experiment (see Team Title above...).
+SCUD Missile flies off into the suns-- err, retires with the cup in LA after beating all those yoofz on D in da 'burgh* whilst averaging somewhere around 1:03 TOI/G in the SCF.

What do we do from there to improve for next year? No need to worry too much about the Dreaded Expansion Draft until next year's TDL, at least, so those kinks can be worked out through next season, and as that situation becomes more solid, more real, more clear. If Line 1A looks good (i.e. Kunitz doesn't need a wheelchair to play into June), and Line 1C keeps rolling like it has the last week-plus, maybe just a little skill upgrade on the wings for Line 1B....

(Puoliot becomes a problem; he's definitely better than either Cole or Jultz; but how do you fit him in on the LD side, which is possibly the only way HCMS will play him on a regular basis? I'd bring Lovejoy back or pull in a replacement if possible, but the monies are tight, tight. And there's that Expansion cloud over his future as well. Ugh!)

*See: https://twitter.com/IneffectiveMath/status/715644664607596545