I’d do it

you guys actually would rather have zucker?
From Kessel to Zucker

I think we can expect 25 goals from Zucker on a pens top 6. Strong two way play. He’s got great possession numbers on a terrible team. He’d be a really great fit.

Kessel, by all accounts, could not stay. Jims hands were tied

In fairness, kessel isn’t exactly lighting it up this year. 3 goals in 19 games despite Arizona being 2nd in their division. I knew trading kessel in the offseason was the right move, he was due for a decline. You could see it in his play towards the end of the season. However, we should’ve got a better return. POJ I don’t fancy as a “top” prospect and 1 year of galchenyuk isn’t much of a return. Pens however were placed between a rock and a Hard place. Apparently Malkin wanted kessel gone according to some reports (but I don’t believe that) and kessel stacked his list of possible teams he’d accept a trade to with teams who Pittsburgh would never trade with (ex. Washington), teams who couldn’t afford kessel (ex. Tampa) and Arizona. There really was only one possible trading partner pens had. I said before the kessel Trade, Pens NEEDED to nail the kessel Trade by acquiring a good young player in his early 20’s who hasn’t broken out yet but has shown some flashes of potential. Galchenyuk was a bit too old for that role. Maybe a few seasons ago I would’ve loved him as a return, but he’s already 25. He kind of is what he is. I don’t see any breakouts with him.

Something else to keep in mind is that with the Kessel trade, if chucky doesn’t work out, we’ve opened a ton of cap space, which allows us to go out there and get a top guy, or even to just keep big pieces like Matt Murray. Phil’s contract was about to become a major problem because it was going to prevent us from having room to re-sign other players who are arguably more important

trade malkin. kessel and galchenyuk arent working well with him

Zucker>>>Galch

its just hes playing with bad players. Malkin is overrated

Kessel and Keller have actually been very very good this year, they both should have at least 4-5 more goals each, they've just been two of the unluckiest players in the league

I mean I disagree with that statement. 6.8 million cap hit for a guy like kessel (at least throughout his time in Pittsburgh) is a VERY good value. Pens have the luxury of their top players (Crosby, malkin, letang, Guzental) all signed to very team friendly contracts. If pens can shed some dead weight this offseason (ex. Hornqvist, Jugs, Johnson) we could be MAJOR players in free agency. I would love Taylor Hall in a penguins jersey. I showed on another armchair GM that I created, that it’s definitely a possibility

Quit trolling

... he's a top 20 C tho...

ok, but good luck without crosby. it looks like the Rangers and Hurricanes are about to surpass you. HAHA

Easily top 20. There still aren’t many guys I’d take over Malkin. Malkin plays his best hockey when Sid is injured. I think he’s gonna step up in a big way.

Your @ name literally mentions Crosby...

cause he is the best player in the world. he carries your team

Both those teams were expected to be ahead of us tho... that's not surprising... plus NYR has been absolutely awful this year, their two best players have been hank and Georgiev, I'm really not worried about them rn at least

he's the best player in the world, sure, but it's not like we have no other talent, Murray is an above average starter, Letang and Geno are top 15-20 at their respective positions, Guentzel can still score 30+ without Crosby I'd bet

MURRAY IS NOT ABOVE AVERAGE. He cant save anything with his glove or five hole

Best thing this team can do is nothing drastic.
They were a bubble team before the injury because they weren't winning games they should have won, like NY.
And if they fall below a bubble team then maybe that becomes the point where we sell assets, get something of value in return, and work toward the next off season.
If this team can't win without crosby then they aren't good enough to win a cup. It's that simple.
I'd rather them not panic. If they don't make it in, Schults, Chucky, Bjugstad, DeSmith and JJ can all be moved.
They can get some decent assets from those moves. WPG would love Schultz, Buffalo is looking for forward help, Toronto would like a goalie. Many teams are looking for defense.
JJ plays pretty well in a 3rd pairing role on his natural side. When he moves to his right it's awful, much like against the ranger where he played his right side and Riikola took the left.
They need to stop doing that now. They need to play Chad R. there and be done with that mess. Even then he didn't give up a goal. But it's simply not a good situation for him.

Either way, this team is going to figure out real quick this season what kind of team they are. They can make the changes sooner rather than later and figure out how they want this team to finish out next year. There is an awful lot of talent on the wing available next year. There is also a lot of help at 3RD. They can start to look at internal options for 3LD and go from there.
Worse thing they can do is take on a contract like Zucker who is a 5+ million cap hit for years to come. All it does is hamper what this team could do in the off season if they can't figure it out now.



I think I get it. He's a rangers fan
no wonder he's so mad!

If you look at the numbers, Murray is actual not even weakest on his glove side lol, that was a complete myth made up his rookie year, he's actually good his glove side, now please stop saying random incorrect things that have ) facts to back them up, just bc you hate the pens

I used to be a pens fan I know he sucks

I’m not too worried about it...they’ve strung together wins with lineups that were in a lot worse shape in the past. They’ll hold up fine until Christmas and get going once Sid comes back. I am worried that Galchenyuk might not be a fit though but if he walks in FA along with Schultz that’s a lot of space to go after a top 6 F if they choose to do so.