How do we turn ship around?

[Pensfan4life8771]

So looking into the offseason we have 16 players signed with $14M to spend.

If we can move Riley Smith that would be another $5M to spend with a roster of 15 guys.

Who can we get so this team can compete next season? One person that comes to mind for me is Jake Debrusk. Thoughts on anyone else?

[KG]

First and foremost we need a new coach and style. Then we need to start bringing in players with a lot more energy and physicality. I'm sick of the Pens constantly being the easiest team to play against. You can have skill and also be physical. They need to be a much more complete team going forward.

This system just doesn't work anymore. They still have the talent to compete next year and have the cap space to bring in some legit talent.

They also need to figure out the Geno situation. It's not going to get any better. Maybe they can make a trade for a 2C and move Geno to wing. He is a defensive liability out there most nights.

I think if the Pens bring in a new coach and system and make some good moves, they can do a quick re-tool like LA did. They kept their core but they brought in some younger talent to surround them with.

[thehockeyguru]

I'd love to see Poulin at 3C to see if he can be a contributor next season.

[Pensfan4life8771]

First and foremost we need a new coach and style. Then we need to start bringing in players with a lot more energy and physicality. I'm sick of the Pens constantly being the easiest team to play against. You can have skill and also be physical. They need to be a much more complete team going forward.

This system just doesn't work anymore. They still have the talent to compete next year and have the cap space to bring in some legit talent.

They also need to figure out the Geno situation. It's not going to get any better. Maybe they can make a trade for a 2C and move Geno to wing. He is a defensive liability out there most nights.

I think if the Pens bring in a new coach and system and make some good moves, they can do a quick re-tool like LA did. They kept their core but they brought in some younger talent to surround them with.

Huge fan of moving Malkin to the wing. I think we'd get more out of him at this point honestly.

Question is what center do we get? Preferably someone young with speed.

[thehockeyguru]

First and foremost we need a new coach and style. Then we need to start bringing in players with a lot more energy and physicality. I'm sick of the Pens constantly being the easiest team to play against. You can have skill and also be physical. They need to be a much more complete team going forward.

This system just doesn't work anymore. They still have the talent to compete next year and have the cap space to bring in some legit talent.

They also need to figure out the Geno situation. It's not going to get any better. Maybe they can make a trade for a 2C and move Geno to wing. He is a defensive liability out there most nights.

I think if the Pens bring in a new coach and system and make some good moves, they can do a quick re-tool like LA did. They kept their core but they brought in some younger talent to surround them with.

Huge fan of moving Malkin to the wing. I think we'd get more out of him at this point honestly.

Question is what center do we get? Preferably someone young with speed.

Trade for Shane Pinto

[KG]

First and foremost we need a new coach and style. Then we need to start bringing in players with a lot more energy and physicality. I'm sick of the Pens constantly being the easiest team to play against. You can have skill and also be physical. They need to be a much more complete team going forward.

This system just doesn't work anymore. They still have the talent to compete next year and have the cap space to bring in some legit talent.

They also need to figure out the Geno situation. It's not going to get any better. Maybe they can make a trade for a 2C and move Geno to wing. He is a defensive liability out there most nights.

I think if the Pens bring in a new coach and system and make some good moves, they can do a quick re-tool like LA did. They kept their core but they brought in some younger talent to surround them with.

Huge fan of moving Malkin to the wing. I think we'd get more out of him at this point honestly.

Question is what center do we get? Preferably someone young with speed.

Trade for Shane Pinto

Good one. Trevor Zegras is rumored to be available. Big time talent. Only 22.

[FLPensFan]

First and foremost we need a new coach and style. Then we need to start bringing in players with a lot more energy and physicality. I'm sick of the Pens constantly being the easiest team to play against. You can have skill and also be physical. They need to be a much more complete team going forward.

This system just doesn't work anymore. They still have the talent to compete next year and have the cap space to bring in some legit talent.

They also need to figure out the Geno situation. It's not going to get any better. Maybe they can make a trade for a 2C and move Geno to wing. He is a defensive liability out there most nights.

I think if the Pens bring in a new coach and system and make some good moves, they can do a quick re-tool like LA did. They kept their core but they brought in some younger talent to surround them with.

Huge fan of moving Malkin to the wing. I think we'd get more out of him at this point honestly.

Question is what center do we get? Preferably someone young with speed.

Trade for Shane Pinto

Good one. Trevor Zegras is rumored to be available. Big time talent. Only 22.

Geno and Zegras on a line together might cause a black hole to open up in the defensive zone.

[Skatingpen]

The way this team looks right now, I am not sure anything can help them. That is one dysfunctional organization. Not sure how the culture could have changed this drastically, this quickly

[IntangibleBeer]

First and foremost we need a new coach and style. Then we need to start bringing in players with a lot more energy and physicality. I'm sick of the Pens constantly being the easiest team to play against. You can have skill and also be physical. They need to be a much more complete team going forward.

This system just doesn't work anymore. They still have the talent to compete next year and have the cap space to bring in some legit talent.

They also need to figure out the Geno situation. It's not going to get any better. Maybe they can make a trade for a 2C and move Geno to wing. He is a defensive liability out there most nights.

I think if the Pens bring in a new coach and system and make some good moves, they can do a quick re-tool like LA did. They kept their core but they brought in some younger talent to surround them with.

Huge fan of moving Malkin to the wing. I think we'd get more out of him at this point honestly.

Question is what center do we get? Preferably someone young with speed.

Trade for Shane Pinto

Good one. Trevor Zegras is rumored to be available. Big time talent. Only 22.

Geno and Zegras on a line together might cause a black hole to open up in the defensive zone.

Bigger than the current one? Cripe, I can see Alpha Centari from my front porch right now!

[offsides]

The way this team looks right now, I am not sure anything can help them. That is one dysfunctional organization. Not sure how the culture could have changed this drastically, this quickly

FSG?

[Tico Rick]

1. Tank, then draft high
2. Trade Graves, Smith, and maybe Jarry for young prospects.
3. Sign Guentzel
4. How do you handle a problem like Evgeni? I think he knows he's slipped, but he doesn't know how to adapt. I'm not sure moving him to wing is the answer. Maybe he needs speedy wingers to make up for his lack of speed. Or maybe we trade him to a KHL team.

[Admin]

The way this team looks right now, I am not sure anything can help them. That is one dysfunctional organization. Not sure how the culture could have changed this drastically, this quickly

FSG?

False.

“At Fenway Sports Group (FSG), we have a 20-year track record of taking cherished and iconic clubs to new heights.”

https://fenwaysportsgroup.com/

Has to be true if it’s on the Internet.

[Daniel]

The way this team looks right now, I am not sure anything can help them. That is one dysfunctional organization. Not sure how the culture could have changed this drastically, this quickly

I think it's dysfunctional because Sullivan is past his expiration date and no one will do anything about it. I also think it's not as much of a collaboration as it was when he first came to the franchise and his way just isn't working anymore. I don't think he's a bad coach, but there is a reason coaches have a shelf life and I think continual playoff failures isn't something most coaches can get past with the same franchise (actually Sullivan seems to be the only one who has survived lately).

[IntangibleBeer]

Yeah, ANY serious rebuild must start with replacing Sullivan.

[thehockeyguru]

Looking strictly at UFAs if Dubas could move out Smith I'd target Debrusk, Duclair and Mantha.

Bunting Crosby Rust
Duclair Malkin Debrusk
Rakell Eller Mantha
DOC Accari Puljujarvi

[mariojr]

How about if they finish in the lottery? It's certainly possible.

Looking at the standings, no way they finish below Chicago or San Jose. Anaheim is also unlikely to catch them. However, it does seem possible, at 64 points with 19 games left, that they could finish below everybody else, meaning they slip behind Columbus (54 pts, 18 games remaining) Ottawa (54 pts, 20 GR, Arizona (57 pts, 18 GR), and Montreal (58 pts, 18 GR). So they could end up drafting as high as 4th, and perhaps getting a franchise player from that.

Note: It's a safe bet they'll have their first round pick this year. It was a conditional part of the Karlsson deal but stays with the Pens if it's in the top 10. The pick would currently be 7th.

[Skatingpen]

The way this team looks right now, I am not sure anything can help them. That is one dysfunctional organization. Not sure how the culture could have changed this drastically, this quickly

FSG?

False.

“At Fenway Sports Group (FSG), we have a 20-year track record of taking cherished and iconic clubs to new heights.”

https://fenwaysportsgroup.com/

Has to be true if it’s on the Internet.

Maybe by heights they meant lows?

[Three Stars]

They turn the ship around by finishing in the lottery for a few years.

Can anyone point out an example of a team that successfully retooled and became an actual contender after two years of missing the playoffs in the salary cap era?

[KBone]

If Sullivan is kept on into next year for some strange reason, he should have the shortest leash ever.

.500 by November 1st? Gone!
3 game losing streak? Gone!

[Maestro]

Simple 2 step process:

1. New coach
2. New players

[Skatingpen]

Any chance at all they resign Jake? Could that be the plan all along?

[FLPensFan]

They turn the ship around by finishing in the lottery for a few years.

Can anyone point out an example of a team that successfully retooled and became an actual contender after two years of missing the playoffs in the salary cap era?

Verdict is still out on LA right now. They last won the Cup in 2013-2014. They have a 2nd overall (Byfield), a 5th overall (Turcotte), an 8th overall (Clarke) and an 11th overall (Villardi).

Since that Cup victory, they have drafted 14 players with at least 100 NHL games played. 5 of them were drafted beyond round 3. 6 players drafted have played more than 200 games.

Now, none of these players is an elite level player. Byfield right now is likely the best, and Brandt Clarke maybe 2nd.

LA seems like they are going to teeter on being a playoff team but never good enough to be back to a strong contender. Since their Cup win, they have missed the playoffs 5 times, but a string of 3 playoff misses was the longest. They've been bounced in the 1st round 4 times as well.

LA seems to have a better record of at least drafting usable NHL talent. That doesn't mean that they drafting elite top 6/top 4 guys, but they are hitting on a lot more than the Penguins.

I would say the current LA method is a failure, and shows why you are better off completely bombing out, getting a few top 5 draft picks in a row, and rebuilding from there. But the other caution is, you MUST HIT on those draft picks. You cannot afford to draft the Daigle and Yakupov types that have failed, or even the guys that are middle 6ers. I have this experience with Florida...Steven Weiss, Nathan Horton, Boumeester...high draft picks, good players, but not good enough to rebuild your franchise. It wasn't until they drafted Huberdeau, Barkov, Markstrom, and Ekblad that they found a core that mostly worked, and allowed them to trade for other pieces.

3-5 years of lottery picks, with at least 3 years in the top 5 is going to be needed for the Penguins.

[Daniel]

They turn the ship around by finishing in the lottery for a few years.

Can anyone point out an example of a team that successfully retooled and became an actual contender after two years of missing the playoffs in the salary cap era?

Tampa Bay comes the closest by winning the cup in 2003-04, missing the playoffs 3 straight years from 2007-08 to 2009-10 then missed the playoffs in 2016-17 and winning in 2019-20 and 2020-21. It's hard to do but not impossible.

[FLPensFan]

Any chance at all they resign Jake? Could that be the plan all along?

I guess that really depends, or I would need Dubas to clarify his statements. In his presser, he basically said he negotiated a bit with Jake's agent before the season and that was it.

All the writers seem to think he shut down communications with Jake's agent after that and never made an offer. That may be true. The way I viewed his statement (I could be dead wrong) is that DUBAS didn't initiate anything further after that, but left it open for Jake's agent. I don't think Dubas said "Well, we didn't get a contract worked out before the season. Lose my number. I'm not talking to you." I got the feeling he made a pitch before the season, it wasn't accepted, so he left it up to Jake's agent to reach out and restart the process.

Again, I could be wrong here.

[KG]

Well, we want to bottom out this year, not next year. Bottoming out next year just means San Jose gets an even better pick. Bottom out this year. Try to remain competitive next year and get one of the wildcard spots.