we accept NJ trade.
CBJ and ANA decline
nieto probably going to LTIR or WBS

Pretty “meh” for Laine. We don’t need POJ, and Smith as a rental (assuming CBJ aren’t in his NTC) doesn’t do much, particularly since the motivation for CBJ to move Laine is, in part, because they have too many young Ws who need roster spots.

I’d rather hold onto him and gamble for a comeback to pick up his value.

Easy decline for Anaheim

1. A future 1st isn’t going to work if you want to try and get Zegra south of Anaheim
2. Verbeek traded Ricky because he didn’t want to sign him to that contract — essentially negative value to us at this point
3. Where is the top end prospect that it’s going to take for Z??

Probably more of mid or late round pick for coach...and that is being generous. If Sullivan departs for NJ...its probably a mutual split.

You will find zero ANA fans who will think that Zegras trade is remotely close. Frankly PIT doesn’t have the prospect pool to acquire Zegras

this statement has no ground base. we have at least 2 prospects (yager and blomqvist for sure and I wouldn't trade koivunen as well he is special) that we wouldn't even swap 1 for 1 with zegras... what are you talking about

plus any combo of pickering or broz plus some other assets is plenty for a guy like zegras.

That's not close for Laine. We don't need to move him, so if we don't get a top-line winger return, we'd just hold onto him and hope he returns to the top-line winger form he's shown when healthy.

If we're doing conditions on picks and retention, it would need to look more like:
Laine (~$2.2M retained) for Smith, 2024 PIT 2nd*, 2026 PIT 2nd*, 2025 PIT 3rd
*becomes the 2025 NJD 1st if Laine plays 50+ games next season
**becomes a top-5 protected 2026 PIT 1st (slides to 2027 unprotected if top-5) if Laine plays 100+ games combined in 2024-25 and 2025-26.

Smith would be purely for cap/contract reasons, we'd likely immediately flip him with retention. for a 2nd or so.

You can't devalue Laine because he can't stay healthy, then give picks with conditions on him being healthy, and expect to get the high-risk/buy-low return. It's either a lowball return with conditions, or a full return and you take the risk. Otherwise we're keeping him.

No, that isn't, those prospects are nothing special compared to guys in Anaheim system already, we have a flush system with tons of players with that potential, not an empty well like Pittsburgh, quantity trades have zero interest to us, and that's all Pitt has, and not much of it either.

To claim there's anything in Pitts system that you wouldn't trade 1 for 1 with Zegras because that piece is special is just fantasy land on your part bud. I am actually embarrassed for you.

talking like zegras is some star lol

if you don't know the penguins prospects it's ok don't be mad about it.

I mean, Yager is a top 30 prospect having a fantastic WHL playoffs with Moose Jaw right now. Anaheim should absolutely be interested in him as a part of a Zegras trade. But you’re right that there isn’t anything else on their pool of interest to a team like Anaheim.



lol what? Zegras is a star. One that Pittsburgh would be very lucky to acquire. And it would absolutely cost Yager plus to get him. I know Anaheim games are on past our eastern time zone bedtimes and he missed most of this season to injury, but he is absolutely a star.

I wish you all the best with those prospects. That comment put not a single hint of doubt in the statement I made.

In your talent pool it’s Yager, then Blom (who is of no interest to ANA because we already have a great goalie pipeline), and then a cliff drop to the nexT guy. Glad you’re hyped on those guys though

you'll see next season already... don't worry about it.

and please explain how you're goalie pool is great when your best goalie prospect is the one we traded to you knowing he wasn't close to be as good as Blomqvist ....

no cliff after yager and boom. koivunen is a top 6 sure thing and broz and ponomarev great third line centres (broz has more margin to be top 6 guy).

obviously we don't have a deep pool considering we have won 3 cups in the last 15 years and always contending. but quality over quantity. always. is better to have 1 Blomqvist than 4 Calle clang

Dostal. He just played his rookie season and looked great (sadly that’s a .902 behind this ANA team). He’s ready to be a 1A at 23. Our next best prospect is Clara. On top of that we also have Suchanek, then Clang and Buteyets. We really don’t need more, as promising as Blom was. It makes zero sense to open up a top 6 hole for someone to compete for a 1A that you already have filled, especially when 1B has a $6.4M veteran logjam and plenty of promising players who already look the part to compete for that in the next few years

Yager looks great. But he’s playing in the WHL right now. We have a 3rd round D+1 sitting above him in the WHL playoff stats leaderboard right now. It’s just never even close to a sure thing that translates to the NHL. Zegras was a 60+pt scorer at center in his age 20 season. Yager is 19. Let’s see how next year goes, I’m hopeful for him, but not 60+ points hopeful

Koiv definitely surprised this year looking at his stats, but I haven’t seen a single Liiga game, have you? Or are you saying he’s a sure bet because you looked at his stats annd anssumed it? And again, he’s about to turn 21. Zegras was in his 2nd of back-to-back 60+ pt NHL seasons.

That’s my point. No 3rd line ceiling players thank you though

I think you’re taking this as a disrespect, which isn’t how it’s meant. PIT has been competing for years, and now has a bottom 10 NHL pipeline because of it. Thats a trade any GM would gladly make. But it does mean that (especially with the positional strength in the limited pipeline they have), that they just don’t have the assets to acquire Zegras 🤷‍♂️

Seeing all the Debates on something I just put together within a few mins is the funniest thing I can't lie its good entertainment looking at all the messages a few days later