They're not going to sell like this.

That's a very strong offer to Los Angeles, and the Kings would do well to consider it.

Looking at the schedule it looks like 6/12 remaining games before the trade deadline are against teams outside the playoffs. Am I missing something - or is that not one of the easier stretches of their schedule so far?

Probably not but I think they should

Well first we have Colorado, that will be a very tough game I think. On that trip we also have Ducks and Sharks, who should be easy but gave us problems this year. We also play Kings, who are good and usually win one at least against us in a season. Then we have Islanders first game back and NJ in a back to back. Both will be tough. Then we've got Islanders again, Oilers (tough), Blues (should be easier), 2 Lightning (tough), Predators (play us tough), and Panthers (will be tough to sweep them 3/3 times). So pretty brutal to me. No game is an automatic win and even though teams like Islanders and Panthers are out of playoffs, they will be difficult opponents. The only easy wins should be San Jose and Anaheim, but neither are because we got outplayed by both this year.

You play the three California teams in four nights, and if you don't win at least two of those games and Buffalo wins two of their next three in regulation, you're on the outside looking in. (I'm assuming the resurgent Avalanche at home are going to be very tough coming out of the break.) That's nowhere near saying that your season is over, by any stretch of the imagination, but then you have the 8 games mentioned by @pensfan21, so there isn't a whole lot of room for error there. And you've got the Islanders lurking, now with Horvat. My point is that you should be far from comfortable.

what is Kapanen's cost?

Free

Agreed. I assume we'll lose at least one to Islanders. For sure the one after the western trip I think. And the NJ back to back will be tough. I think on the western trip the Avs and Kings are L's. Sharks and Ducks wouldn't be shocked if we drop one of them. And then we have a stretch of really tough games for the rest of Febuary/start of March. And March isn't easy by any means. Have tons of games against the Rangers. I dont think we make playoffs tbh

Yeah but with this outlook you could say every single team has a brutal schedule the entire year. There's only like 4 or 5 teams that would be considered awful and easy wins in the league - so every stretch will be difficult. I'm just trying to compare it to what they've played so far this year, to me it looks like their easiest stretch so far. I'm not saying it's definitely going to be easy, just comparatively speaking. Helps to have Letang and Perty finally healthy again too

Yeah but what you two are describing isn't a difficult stretch in the NHL, at least compared to what the Penguins have played so far. It's very rare in the NHL to get a 12 game stretch where half your games are against teams outside looking in. Just because you're out of the playoffs doesn't mean you're an awful team, especially in the Metro - but there are like 4 or 5 teams who can be considered truly bad and nobody is going to get a stretch where you only play them.

Nowhere am I'm saying I'm comfortable - believe me haha. My point was just that this is probably the easiest stretch of the season so far for the Pens so I don't agree with the "difficult stretch we should sell" argument. Especially with Letang and Petry finally healthy. Just my opinion on it.

I think our schedule in January was much easier, as was our schedule to start the season. It's very difficult going on a western road trip then coming back and playing Islanders and New Jersey back to back. It's not just that they're tough teams in general, but Oilers and Lightning twice in the next stretch I think are very bad matchups for us.

I can agree it was maybe equal - definitely can't agree it was much easier. 6/12 games to start January were against teams currently in the playoff picture - so pretty similar to the upcoming stretch. Work is slow so let me take a dive into it lol

For the start of January, at the time of the games they played the 1st, 3rd, 8th, 2nd, 3rd, 17th in point %. And then some not good teams in the Coyotes, Ducks, Sens. For the start of the season they played teams that are currently ranked 4th, 13th, 12th, 7th, 1st, 7th, and then some not good teams like MTL, CBJ, and Arizona. For the upcoming pre deadline stretch, they play the 14th, 13th, 3rd, 12th, 4th, 4th in points % - plus some bad teams like Anaheim and San Jose.

Sure western road trips and back to backs play a part - that's a good point. There's more to it than just the teams - I get what you're saying. But we also had a western road trip and a back to back to start the year as well. Like I said I'm not trying to say the upcoming stretch is necessarily easy - but I think compared to what the Pens have played so far it's not any more difficult in my opinion.

I'm also judging though based on how we usually do versus certain teams and on western trip etc. Like Avs and Kings I think are L's. Avs we wont handle their speed and Kings we beat them earlier and they're good, usually we split. Then NYI with Horvat and New Jersey back to back is brutal. We also beat Lightning earlier so they'll at least take one of the two, Oilers just way too fast for us, and Preds we usually split. I'm factoring in more than just whether the team is in playoffs currently or not. I feel there's lots of built in L's coming up and a few easy teams that we should beat, but have struggled with this year. Cant see us going better than .500 this month, but I'm guessing we'll only win like 4-5 games.

Again - fair points. Although we absolutely embarrassed the Kings earlier this year - as you touched on. There's a good chance that COL is still missing several big players too. I just don't give any weight to the "we usually split" with any Western Conference team playing any factor - I really don't think it holds weight for non-division Eastern teams either like the Lightning.

Like I wouldn't consider "we already beat this team" as a built in L. Idk - just seems overly pessimistic - sounds like you're assuming we are going to lose every game to anybody that's half decent for some reason. And maybe even bad teams too. It's possible to beat teams that are good too

I mean that has also worked against our favor as well, I had trouble thinking we'd lose 4/4 to the Hurricanes and we did. But all the teams you mentioned like the Kings, Colorado, and Lightning are all playing much better hockey than us right now. Colorado and Oilers are just so so fast. I dont think there's any way we keep up with them. And Lightning I think are justa better all around team. Kings playing very very good hockey at the moment, will be a different story when we play them this time. And Islanders much tougher with Bo Horvat. They also play a defensive system than forces teams into mistakes, something we are very prone to. So everything you said aside these are very very tough matchups for us, regardless of the team's records.

It could go against us for sure. It just seems like you are counting on everything going against us and nothing for us. Yeah but all by 1 goal and 2 in overtime - so all those games were winnable. We have the same number of points as the Kings over the last 10 games. 5-4-1 isn't very good hockey - and probably isn't any better than what they were at the start of the season.

I'm not trying to say they're going to win every game haha. I'm just not seeing how this is any more difficult than either of the other stretches we mentioned. They can easily go like 7-4-1. Like why does us beating the Kings earlier mean they are going to beat us now - but the Oilers beating us earlier doesn't mean the Pens will win now?

I just think this is a rougher stretch, but anything could happen. When you lose 4 games in a row to a team it's not a fluke. That's kind of just how the Hurricane's play. All their games are fairly lower scoring and close. They just play such disiplined hockey, which is basically the opposite of what we are doing right now. I dont know I just feel like watching this team all my life I have a pretty good sense of what games were going to win or lose. Of course I could be completely wrong and sometimes they suprise me, but judging this upcoming schedule and how we've been playing I think we only get 4-5 wins. There's always suprises, I thought for sure we'd lose 1 of the 2 back to backs against Buffalo, I also thought we'd for sure beat the Sharks. Anything can happen, but I get the feeling we are in for a brutal Febuary.

I think it's perfectly reasonable for this to be their next 12 games - in my opinion. But the exact opposit could happen too

COL - L
ANA -W
LA - W
SJ - W
NYI - L
NJD - OTL
NYI - W
EDM - L
STL - W
TBL - L
NSH - W
TBL - W

Record: 7-4-1 15 points

I'm not saying they were flukes - CAR is a better team. I'm just saying the Pens can obviously hang with them and in the playoffs with no 3v3 who knows what happens. Anything can happen is sort of what I'm trying to say haha. ****, they could go 2-10 and I wouldn't even be shocked haha. I'm not expecting some amazing February - but I don't see this being anymore difficult than the previous schedule they've played so far - so I'm expecting similar results. Which would be around 13 or 14 points.

Maybe I'm just trying to speak like an optimist to convince myself that they don't actually suck lol

I think your predictions are very optimistic, given what we've seen. That said, it's fun to predict. Idk bro here's my issue with the team. I dont see them competing for a cup, no matter what moves we make or what happens. I'd rather just bite the bullet and realize we aren't a contender before playoffs, rather than trick ourselves into thinking we are, trade important picks, and potentially keep Hextall with the end result being we make playoffs and lose first round. Last few years we've had awesome regular seasons and still lost first round every year. This year it's been a bad regular season. The fact we've lost 4 first round series in a row makes me think it's impossible we win 4 in a row against potentially better teams then we've faced last few years. Here are my predictions for next few.

COL - L
ANA -W (but could see us losing either this or Sharks)
LA - L
SJ - W
NYI - L
NJD - L
NYI - W
EDM - L
STL - W
TBL - L
NSH - L (I think we lose 1 of NSH or STL)
TBL - OTL

So record 4-7-1 (9 points) putting us with 66 points in 61 GP. I think we'll finish with around 95 points on the season.

They probably are haha. I mean I don't think they'll win the cup either - but there's really only like 5 teams maybe I see that could - so it would be weird for the other 10 or 11 playoff teams to become sellers just because they don't really have a shot at the cup. Plus the management made the decision in the offseason that they are win now mode - can't afford to take any seasons off. And if you're not willing to trade important picks then how is the team going to get better? The playoffs are a different season in my opinion - make it in and you never know what happens. Especially if they're able to improve the roster by then. Everybody here pretty much agrees the 3rd line is the issue. So if you give up some capital to improve the 3rd line - there isn't a lot wrong with this team.

I see what you are saying, but I think there is a difference with us. We are a team that is obviously on the decline, while other teams are maybe not cup contenders yet, but are improving and could use the valuable experience. Like the Sabres or Kraken for example, likely wont win the cup, but are on the upswing and the experience there will help. Just us being an older team and how inconsistent we are I cannot under and circimstance really see us winning 4 series in a row. If I thought the 3rd line was the only problem then I would go all in. But I feel there are many more like system, d-zone coverage, slower players, etc.

Fair point about experience.

I guess the way I see it is they should go all in or blow it all up. If there is zero chance of winning - trade everyone. If there is a chance of winning - give up the picks necessary to get the players that will help win.

It kind of sounds like you want a new coach. Last year I would have called you crazy - but I do think Sullivan is struggling big time this year.

I see what your saying. I think we agree on a lot of this, as I also dont like the approach Hextall has taken of just staying in the middle and not chosing a direction. I think it might be time to blow it up, which is unfortunate because I really think we had a chance to retool the roster around the core last offseason and contend for 1-2 more years. But Hextall I feel just surrounded them with the wrong pieces, many of whom have NTC or are immovable just due to being bad contracts. In terms of coaching I'm not 100% on the fire Sullivan train, but I'm getting there. I think end of this season/mid next season it could be time to make a move there. I get that he is working with not the best roster, but he hasn't really helped matters at all and like you said I think he's struggling big time in pretty much every area.