What do you think the Pens will do with Jake by the trade deadline

[KG]

Really curious to see how this all plays out with Jake. Dubas has a good relationship with Jake's agent. He knows what type of contract Jake wants. Do we re-sign him and keep the dream alive? trade him for both present help and futures? Or let Jake be our UFA rental and play it out after the season?

I personally think they will re-sign him, but I think they should trade him. What say you?

[Daniel]

Really curious to see how this all plays out with Jake. Dubas has a good relationship with Jake's agent. He knows what type of contract Jake wants. Do we re-sign him and keep the dream alive? trade him for both present help and futures? Or let Jake be our UFA rental and play it out after the season?

I personally think they will re-sign him, but I think they should trade him. What say you?

8x10 full NMC.

[Toke]

Trade him for Zegras

[FLPensFan]

I don't think there is any one move this team could make at the deadline that will turn them into a strong contender.

But I do think the delusion that keeping Jake for the rest of this year ( for a single playoff run) with a strong likelihood of losing him this summer, versus trading him for several young assets or high picks, could set the team back a year or two.

If Guentzel is out of their range, wants too much trade protection, or simply tells them no matter what he wants to test the market this summer...you MUST MOVE HIM.

I'd take a package including Zegras from Anaheim. (but more likely we'd have to trade Guentzel elsewhere to get assets to ship to Anaheim)
I'd take a package from Vancouver of Lekkerimaki, one of Hoglander/Podkolzin, and a 1st
I'd take a package of picks from Arizona, or see if they'd let go of Cooley for Jake.

There are a lot of options that could add quality younger players to this team. Even if these younger players age out before the next rebuild, they are still young assets that will have a high trade value of their own.

[BurghThing]

Trade him and start the rebuild. Trade Sullivan too if you can find a sucker.

[Pens4Life]

I would rather trade Rakell or Smith before Jake.. just re-sign him for 5years, 8.5M and you can easily trade him down the road when rebuild time will come

[Pitts]

I say they go the dumb route of deal with it after the season. It's just the Pens way unless Dubas really is a different kind of GM. And, perhaps he is with new ownership and all. I just have this gut feeling he's gonna walk for nothing. Or they will do a sign and trade just before July 1. What I want, is to move him at the deadline regardless of playoff indications and get some good young assets for him. Do something different for a change.

[DeHaven162]

Hope they deal him at the deadline, but have a feeling they will wait until the offseason, and eventually sign him 8x10, full NMC.

[KBone]

I would rather trade Rakell or Smith before Jake.. just re-sign him for 5years, 8.5M and you can easily trade him down the road when rebuild time will come

You think Jake is going to leave about $40 million on the table? I don't.

He'll end up close to an $80 million dollar deal.

Heck, even if he doesn't quite hit 10 million per year, he's not taking only a 5 year deal. He'll get 8 from the Pens or 7 from someone else.

As much as I don't think it will happen, the right move is to trade him and cash in.

[FLPensFan]

I would rather trade Rakell or Smith before Jake.. just re-sign him for 5years, 8.5M and you can easily trade him down the road when rebuild time will come

You think Jake is going to leave about $40 million on the table? I don't.

He'll end up close to an $80 million dollar deal.

Heck, even if he doesn't quite hit 10 million per year, he's not taking only a 5 year deal. He'll get 8 from the Pens or 7 from someone else.

As much as I don't think it will happen, the right move is to trade him and cash in.

I pointed out in another post...everybody says just sign him. What if Jake doesn't want to sign here? I'm not saying he "hates the team" or anything, but Jake is 29 years old and if he's a smart guy, he should pretty plainly see his best to win another Cup is not staying here.

A player of Jake's caliber, you typically would have wanted to see a new deal in place already. I know Dubas was cautious on his side, wanting to see where the team was going, but it sounds like Jake's agent is pushing even more to go to market.

Jake is the best player the Penguins have outside the core. There is a definite market for him. It would be a grave mistake to keep him for one distant chance at a last Cup at the cost of hurting the future team. We won't get nearly as much for him if his rights are moved at the draft. Quite honestly, if it looks like 70% we are going to lose Jake...picking up someone like Zegras, or Hoglander and Podkolzin...or 1-2 other young players would actually set us up to make a much stronger run next year. Add in maybe a long-shot like Yager and/or Pickering making the club to DOC, Puustinen, and Poulin...and maybe we get the youth we really needed to surround the core.

[Wyopen]

I would rather trade Rakell or Smith before Jake.. just re-sign him for 5years, 8.5M and you can easily trade him down the road when rebuild time will come

Not if they give him a NMC which they will.

[Pitts]

I would rather trade Rakell or Smith before Jake.. just re-sign him for 5years, 8.5M and you can easily trade him down the road when rebuild time will come

Not if they give him a NMC which they will.

I'd rather trade all three of them honestly.

[pens_CT]

I would rather trade Rakell or Smith before Jake.. just re-sign him for 5years, 8.5M and you can easily trade him down the road when rebuild time will come

You think Jake is going to leave about $40 million on the table? I don't.

He'll end up close to an $80 million dollar deal.

Heck, even if he doesn't quite hit 10 million per year, he's not taking only a 5 year deal. He'll get 8 from the Pens or 7 from someone else.

As much as I don't think it will happen, the right move is to trade him and cash in.

I pointed out in another post...everybody says just sign him. What if Jake doesn't want to sign here? I'm not saying he "hates the team" or anything, but Jake is 29 years old and if he's a smart guy, he should pretty plainly see his best to win another Cup is not staying here.

A player of Jake's caliber, you typically would have wanted to see a new deal in place already. I know Dubas was cautious on his side, wanting to see where the team was going, but it sounds like Jake's agent is pushing even more to go to market.

Jake is the best player the Penguins have outside the core. There is a definite market for him. It would be a grave mistake to keep him for one distant chance at a last Cup at the cost of hurting the future team. We won't get nearly as much for him if his rights are moved at the draft. Quite honestly, if it looks like 70% we are going to lose Jake...picking up someone like Zegras, or Hoglander and Podkolzin...or 1-2 other young players would actually set us up to make a much stronger run next year. Add in maybe a long-shot like Yager and/or Pickering making the club to DOC, Puustinen, and Poulin...and maybe we get the youth we really needed to surround the core.

If you're Jake's agent you can state that he has overperformed his current contract, and therefore he isn't leaving any money on the table (or a hometown discount) this time around. If you're the Penguins this has to be handled before the trade deadline. Waiting until after the season (at the draft) is going to net you a really lousy return. Why would any team give you anything close to market value when they can get him for nothing as a free agent? I don't think re-signing him for multiple years at probably 8 million per season (minimum) makes much sense.

[RisslingsMissingTeeth]

Talking to a Canucks fan last night, Rutherford and Tocchet want him there. I could see it happening.

[Cow_Master66]

I think they will mistakingly resign him to please the captain + they think they are contenders.

[FLPensFan]

Talking to a Canucks fan last night, Rutherford and Tocchet want him there. I could see it happening.

I've heard Edmonton wants him too. I think there are several teams that could be hot after him, which only drives up the price. If we were to move Jake, I would love to see us use some of the Jake assets to get Zegras from Anaheim. Getting a 21 year old, two-time 20 goal, 60 point player in return would be a huge help to an accelerated rebuild here.

The biggest issue with Zegras is, his defense isn't good. It was ok in his rookie season, tailed off last year, and was completely in the toilet this year...which means Sully would probably give him 7 minutes a night until he improved his defense and became a 5 goal a year scorer.

[Pruezy11881]

Talking to a Canucks fan last night, Rutherford and Tocchet want him there. I could see it happening.

I've heard Edmonton wants him too. I think there are several teams that could be hot after him, which only drives up the price. If we were to move Jake, I would love to see us use some of the Jake assets to get Zegras from Anaheim. Getting a 21 year old, two-time 20 goal, 60 point player in return would be a huge help to an accelerated rebuild here.

The biggest issue with Zegras is, his defense isn't good. It was ok in his rookie season, tailed off last year, and was completely in the toilet this year...which means Sully would probably give him 7 minutes a night until he improved his defense and became a 5 goal a year scorer.

I don't know if it's worth it at the moment. I'd wait to see how he recovers, and how long it takes, since he broke his ankle and is out 6-8 weeks.

[KG]

We've been waiting for a while for FGMJR to make a trade with the Pens for one of his guys. Hopefully he gives Dubas an offer we can't refuse for Jake. The Canucks definitely have some nice young pieces.

In a perfect world I would like to get a top prospect center. We do need to start thinking of life after Geno, or at least moving Geno to wing. He's a liability out there defensively when he doesn't have his gallop going.

[Pitts]

Talking to a Canucks fan last night, Rutherford and Tocchet want him there. I could see it happening.

It's really such an obvious fit right now. Maybe there are legs...

[Pens4Life]

We've been waiting for a while for FGMJR to make a trade with the Pens for one of his guys. Hopefully he gives Dubas an offer we can't refuse for Jake. The Canucks definitely have some nice young pieces.

In a perfect world I would like to get a top prospect center. We do need to start thinking of life after Geno, or at least moving Geno to wing. He's a liability out there defensively when he doesn't have his gallop going.

More of a life after Sid.. I think Yager and Poulin can be 2nd and 3rd line C for future..

[Pens4Life]

Guentzel is hot commodity, wanted man on trade market..

[Puck-Lurker]

I don't think any action will happen before the deadline.

Pens will (mistakenly) believe they're still headed for the playoffs. They're not. But being near the bubble they'll keep holding on to the guys they have in hopes of limping into the playoffs.

Post-season, Jake walks and signs a hefty deal with a team that is going places. We're not. I've made my peace with the inevitable.

[ahawk9]

I love Jake and all he brings to this team. That said, if there ends up being a bidding war of sorts as the deadline nears, the Pens absolutely have to pull the trigger on a trade. If it's true they want a 1st-round pick, top prospect and a player, then the player coming back would (hopefully) pick up some of the lost offense. Regardless, I think we all agree that this team is not going to make a deep run this year whether they keep Jake or whether they trade him. Picking up that many assets for a guy you could lose for nothing is a no-brainer.

[Dynasty1970]

I hope they trade him and get some return. I love the guy and want him but this era is over. He does no good to us anymore because we will never field a team that can compete with our aging stars. This team has been mismanaged these last few years. They have sweet contracts in place with our big three. That alone should have allowed them to put some quality talent around them. It’s a shame! But would I change anything? No, we won back to back cups not too long ago. That was a treat I wouldn’t give back. So I take the good with the bad, I’m just being realistic. If we can’t compete, then sell off the assets we have. Trim the cap space. Miss the playoffs the next couple three years. Land the next Crosby, Jagr, Malkin or Lemieux. I know that is unlikely but stranger things have happened, look at Chicago……oh yea, one more thing.
FIRE SULLY!!!!!

[BigMcK]

In the end, Jake is another casualty of Sullivan's tenure. What could have been a few more quality (legit) chances for The Cup (and Core) were squandered by Ownership not having any cajones to sheet can Sullivan years ago.

I say trade him at the deadline for the best return, fire Sullivan and his entourage, and start the rebuild. Sid is eventually not going to be on the roster and the Franchise needs to start planning accordingly.