Forums are that way ---->

I don't think you'll ever see a situation where 87/71 aren't in Pittsburgh. People need to remember, they've won 3 cups here and multiple individual awards. Neither of them have given any indication that they want to leave. They've never had a hard time negotiating, they've always taken less money to stay. They should retire as penguins and I believe they will. 58 is another can of worms, but I'm not against keeping him for the Crosby/Malkin tenure and having him retire as a penguin aswell.

As for trading futures to make the team better - there isn't any other option. If you want to keep the first round picks going forward, I'm okay with that - however the prospect pool in Pittsburgh is....awful. Neither one of Legare or Poulin are going to be impact players by the time the Penguins need them to be with this current group. I'm completely okay with moving them both. Who knows if they'll ever even be good top 6 players in the NHL? I don't. I'd also move on from Matheson (asap if possible). P.O Joseph playing as well as he is, allows the penguins to move on from one of Marcus Pettersson or Brian Dumolin. This will make the top 4 either Joesph Letang - Pettersson Marino OR Dumolin Letang - Joesph Marino. This is a pretty good top 4 IMO for Pittsburgh to help carry them threw the end of 87/71.

They need to look at probably making a deal with Seattle to take Matheson. That will be costly. They might have to give up Tanev + a pick just to get them to consider taking Matheson. I don't foresee that happening, but it would be great for Pittsburgh if it did.

The Penguins (this year) should look at trying to acquire a skilled 3c or a skilled top 6 winger. I'd lean more towards trying to bring in Taylor Hall. I don't think it's realistic for Pittsburgh to acquire Hall - but it would cost Dumo + probably Legare / Poulin + a pick and I'd like to see it accompanied by a contract extension that runs until the end of Crosby's contract (I believe Malkin and Letang will sign extensions to bring them to the end of Crosby's contract). Bringing in Hall could have the Penguins top 9 & top 4 look like this;
59-87-16
4-71-17 73-58
46-53-42 28-06

I know this is alot of information, but I think it's what gives them the best chance to win towards the end of the Crosby/Malkin era without giving up a first round pick OR leveraging any more of the future than they absolutely have to.

I know.. but people are so much more active here hahah

They never had any reason to want to leave, since it was always a win now team. This has been a playoff/competitive team for years. I think if we take a retool approach and Geno wants out, you fulfill his wish. I get your argument with adding a guy like Hall or a rental at the deadline, but if we are already struggling to win games with this core, I doubt a rental is what will make us start to win games comfortably. Matheson has been good this year and I get his contract is iffy, but if you need to pay a premium to move him, I don't do it. If this team really does retool, we will have the cap space to pay him. I get still wanting to win but this is no longer the same team. Its still early in the season, yes, but we have usually been solid in the regular season. I know we have a tough division, but to win it all, you need to beat the best to be the best. I just dont see it anymore. I am all for making a run with this core and maybe making a few player swaps along the way, but I don't think moving out picks/prospects should be the move anymore.

Matheson has not been good this year. He’s actually not been good...any year. I’m not advertising to bring in Hall as a rental. I’m advertising to bring him in until the 25-26 season.

Trading Malkin does nothing. If you’re trading him two years ago, sure. Trading him this year or next? For what? A first round pick that will probably hit a ceiling of being AS GOOD as malkin is at the end of his career? I’ll pass.

Also, keeping Legare and Poulin while you’re saying the penguins can make a run with the core is.. not happening lol.

You don’t keep guys who will maybe be middle of the pack wingers in 4 years instead of winning now.

If this team retools it will be from FA.
I have to think the coach goes before any players at this point. He's lost the room. I just don't think they want to make that move mid season. Which is the real issue.
I don't see him here next year. But I think next year this team looks totally different on the 3rd line because Hextal will pick better bottom 6 players than JR did.




This isn't true at all. Matheson has looked good so far.
If he continues playing that way Seattle will take him, most the penguins add is a 2nd or 3rd to make sure.

Lets see how the year finishes on Matheson first. It's way to early to tell. Hell last year if JJ didn't totally melt down in the playoffs he might have been moveable as he wasn't a total eye sore on the ice.

If Matheson continues playing like he is now, I don't think it will be hard for him to be moved to Seattle at all.
He might be their best available player from the penguins. I don't think they will be nearly as concerned with the cap hit as we are, and might look at him as a piece that can be flipped down the road.
They also need to hit cap floor. The real question around that revolves around how many cap dumps they can take for 1st round picks etc.. I'm sure there will be some. But I imagine the VGK model of stocking up on D and then trading it out shortly after is probably high on their list.

Every single underlying number that we use to evaluate a player shows us that Matheson has been bad this year.

He’s made a couple nice plays over his last two games. It doesn’t excuse him from being a below replacement level defender in the nhl his entire career.

none of this is true.
you just make things up and try to run with them.
totally abject of all reality.
His 5v5 corsi is 55.4 with 44.6 Ozone starts. His FF is 57.6.
He's a +7 in the last 4 games, it's not surprise with those underlying numbers.
His play has been rock solid so far. There are many people on here who watch the games who are all saying this.