LA/Pit Rumor.....

[Kraftster]

Staal is locked up and we don't need an upgrade on defense. You don't trade talent under contract...

Brown is really locked up, though. Four more seasons at an incredible $3.175.

[K2]

Dustin Brown is my favorite NHL player not in a Pens uniform.

But there's no way in Sam Hell that happens. Not now...maybe 2 years ago or even last year. But two contending teams would be incredibly foolish to mess with success. And if Jack Johnson and his father are the cancers they're made out to be I don't want them.

Furthermore, it even says "proposal" on the link, as if the fact it was from an Eklund site wasn't enough to signal that this is baloney.

EDIT: not shooting the messenger, just those foolish enough to think this is happening

[NJ5934]

Staal is locked up and we don't need an upgrade on defense. You don't trade talent under contract...

This is the salary cap era......you do trade talent under contract. Even more likely, the salary going both ways would likely balance each other out. Why? because contracts are certain. Every player being discussed in this rumor (minus Letang) is under contract into next season. Brown's contract is one of the best in the NHL. Even though I don't put alot of weight into this particular rumor, or anything else from Eklund for that matter, you have to recognize that two teams are likely to move key pieces if they can balance their overall lineup better. Moving Staal for Dustin Brown would do just that, for Pittsburgh and LA.

[Va Beach Pens Fan]

I don't put much stock into this "rumor" as well, but you realize that GMRS has a crapload of UFA's, not to mention RFA's Letang, Connor and yes, Bourque.

Guerin, Feds, Cookie, Bayda, Sarge, Eaton, McKee, Skoula, Engelland, Guenin, Lee and Johnson are all UFA's. Lovejoy is a Class VI UFA.

Plus, I think there's going to be increased movement before the Olympic freeze, because there's only a few days between the Gold Medal game and the trade deadline...

So while this one probably won't go down, Shero's got his hands full this year....

[columbia]

This is one of the few fake rumors (parse my language as you wish) involving a Pens trade (and especially a Staal trade) where the consensus seems to be "hmmm, maybe...".

I find that to be very interesting.

Probably not going to happen, but a fun thread to read through.

[pronovost19]

Maybe when Letang is gone RS can get busy finding a good point man to play with Sarge on the other side of the PP.....anything that has Letang going away from here is good for me

[K2]

anything that has Letang going away from here is good for me

[dagny]

Dustin Brown is not going anywhere.

[Noise]

Brown is way more skilled than most realize, I think. I don't know, at least all of the Kings games I've watched this year and last, I'm always very surprised by his puck skills. Hey may not be a sniper, but, he'll get the tough goals to go along with a fair amount of solid finishes. Not advocating for a hypothetical deal like this one way or the other, just saying that Brown is >>> Kunitz and I get the sense that some equate the two.

I'm not equating Brown to a Kunitz.

Kunitz is a top six energy/grinder type guy. Brown is a bonafide power forward.

My point is- If Caputi or Tangradi are crashing the net in a year or two- would Crosby/Malkin be able to wire a pass to Brown for him to snipe it in from the the top of the circles? Of course if you have Brown, you put him on the top line, then Tangradi with Malkin, and Caputi with Staal. He's such a good player you make room for him. But the Pens still need snipers in their top 6, which is what needs to be addressed. Even though Dustin Brown is better than any energy/grinder/power forward in the Pens system, it doesn't really address the weakness in the Pens system- lack of snipers.

[columbia]

My point is- If Caputi or Tangradi are crashing the net in a year or two- would Crosby/Malkin be able to wire a pass to Brown for him to snipe it in from the the top of the circles? Of course if you have Brown, you put him on the top line, then Tangradi with Malkin, and Caputi with Staal. He's such a good player you make room for him. But the Pens still need snipers in their top 6, which is what needs to be addressed. Even though Dustin Brown is better than any energy/grinder/power forward in the Pens system, it doesn't really address the weakness in the Pens system- lack of snipers.

I realize that you are dealing with a variety of hypotheticals, but it seems a bit much to assume that either Tangradi or Caputi will definitely be impactful power forwards. That's the hope, but we've all seen a lot of hopefuls that don't quite get there.

[Nihar]

I honestly can't believe this thread exists. I literally had to check the date of the original post 2 or 3 times to make sure it was not from 2006.

[DrBoni]

Brown is way more skilled than most realize, I think. I don't know, at least all of the Kings games I've watched this year and last, I'm always very surprised by his puck skills. Hey may not be a sniper, but, he'll get the tough goals to go along with a fair amount of solid finishes. Not advocating for a hypothetical deal like this one way or the other, just saying that Brown is >>> Kunitz and I get the sense that some equate the two.

I'm not equating Brown to a Kunitz.

Kunitz is a top six energy/grinder type guy. Brown is a bonafide power forward.

My point is- If Caputi or Tangradi are crashing the net in a year or two- would Crosby/Malkin be able to wire a pass to Brown for him to snipe it in from the the top of the circles? Of course if you have Brown, you put him on the top line, then Tangradi with Malkin, and Caputi with Staal. He's such a good player you make room for him. But the Pens still need snipers in their top 6, which is what needs to be addressed. Even though Dustin Brown is better than any energy/grinder/power forward in the Pens system, it doesn't really address the weakness in the Pens system- lack of snipers.

How are you going to do this when Staal is in LA?

[Three Stars]

I think that the first time we can legitimately consider a Staal trade will be the summer before his contract expires.

[jeffshly]

Bad idea from where I'm sitting. Of course, I thought Zarley Zalapski and John Cullen were guys we shoulda kept, too.

[pfim]

Brown is way more skilled than most realize, I think. I don't know, at least all of the Kings games I've watched this year and last, I'm always very surprised by his puck skills. Hey may not be a sniper, but, he'll get the tough goals to go along with a fair amount of solid finishes. Not advocating for a hypothetical deal like this one way or the other, just saying that Brown is >>> Kunitz and I get the sense that some equate the two.

I'm not equating Brown to a Kunitz.

Kunitz is a top six energy/grinder type guy. Brown is a bonafide power forward.

My point is- If Caputi or Tangradi are crashing the net in a year or two- would Crosby/Malkin be able to wire a pass to Brown for him to snipe it in from the the top of the circles? Of course if you have Brown, you put him on the top line, then Tangradi with Malkin, and Caputi with Staal. He's such a good player you make room for him. But the Pens still need snipers in their top 6, which is what needs to be addressed. Even though Dustin Brown is better than any energy/grinder/power forward in the Pens system, it doesn't really address the weakness in the Pens system- lack of snipers.

The Pens aren't making trades for next year. While they need to have an eye on the future, most deals are for the present. No one knows if Caputi and Tangradi are even NHL players let alone top 6 players.

Having said that, I can't see LA trading Brown. This doesn't seem all that realistic.

[K2]

It'll be nice to see Staal reunited with Malkin in LA

[meecrofilm]

I honestly can't believe this thread exists. I literally had to check the date of the original post 2 or 3 times to make sure it was not from 2006.

Same. Don't forget, Brown is the team's captain too. Which makes an already way unlikely trade even less likely.

[pfim]

It'll be nice to see Staal reunited with Malkin in LA

Brown and Zubrus will look great with Crosby.

[largegarlic]

I honestly can't believe this thread exists. I literally had to check the date of the original post 2 or 3 times to make sure it was not from 2006.

I did the exact same thing when I opened the thread and saw the proposed trade. I was sure it a thread from 2 or 3 years ago that had been re-animated for some reason.

[guins87]

Obligatory:

Kunitz - Crosby - Guerin
Fedotenko - Malkin - Brown
Cooke - Talbot - Kennedy
Dupuis - Adams - Rupp

Gonchar - Orpik
Eaton - Johnson
McKee - Goligsoki

Nice the Penguins are a worse team. If this happened people, i bet people would complain that the Pens are only getting scoring from the top 2 lines. The Pens have a gream 3 line "Team" right now. No reason to make this trade.

[Billkamm]

I personally don't see the purpose of doing this. What really would be the advantage for either team?

[Billkamm]

On another note I'd rather Staal/Letang than Brown/Johnson.

[dagny]

Dustin Brown is not going anywhere.

[Das boot]

If the pens and kings make a deal obviously it will be Malkin for Kopitar...

[Kraftster]

Brown is way more skilled than most realize, I think. I don't know, at least all of the Kings games I've watched this year and last, I'm always very surprised by his puck skills. Hey may not be a sniper, but, he'll get the tough goals to go along with a fair amount of solid finishes. Not advocating for a hypothetical deal like this one way or the other, just saying that Brown is >>> Kunitz and I get the sense that some equate the two.

I'm not equating Brown to a Kunitz.

Kunitz is a top six energy/grinder type guy. Brown is a bonafide power forward.

My point is- If Caputi or Tangradi are crashing the net in a year or two- would Crosby/Malkin be able to wire a pass to Brown for him to snipe it in from the the top of the circles? Of course if you have Brown, you put him on the top line, then Tangradi with Malkin, and Caputi with Staal. He's such a good player you make room for him. But the Pens still need snipers in their top 6, which is what needs to be addressed. Even though Dustin Brown is better than any energy/grinder/power forward in the Pens system, it doesn't really address the weakness in the Pens system- lack of snipers.

I agree the Pens lack skill guys, including "snipers," but, it's been that way since RS arrived in town. He hasn't really done anything to address yet (particularly in the draft) outside of a guess Sykie and Satan signings. I think we should expect more of the same on that front -- Shero simply likes big bodies with grit. I think getting a guy in the Shero mold as talented as Brown for as cheap as he's signed for is about the best that could ever be expected skill wise (under a Shero-created team).