Latest Pens Buzz: Schultz’ Emergence a Game Changer for expansion draft & Latest Trade Chatter
Latest Penguins Buzz 1. A three year extension this week for Penguins’ head coach Mike Sullivan when he had a year and half left on his current contract was all about compensating him properly. The three year contract Sullivan signed last December had him among the bottom-10 lowest paid coaches in the game. Sullivan is believed to have received a significant raise that will pay him around $2 million per season, starting next season, sources say. With the debacle that Mike Johnston was, one of the comments that stood out from Jim Rutherford this week is that he’s come to realized that this is a difficult situation for a coach despite the top tier talent on the team. That’s what
Pipe Dream or Possibility? NHL Insider touting Fleury – Trouba trade
Pipe Dream or Possibility? With the trade deadline just over two months away, the Marc Andre Fleury situation is starting to reach a critical stage. While the Penguins remain unsure whether a trade is even possible before the trade deadline as Fleury’s trade market is limited, league sources contend, Fleury being relegated to only starting against crap teams during the Penguins last stretch of games has Fleury more frustrated than ever with the situation, a source close to the situation says. A meeting is planned [hide] next week between the Penguins and the Fleury camp that could set the wheels in motion on both sides trying to find the ideal trade before March 1. One trade suggestion that’s been floating
Penguins-Blue Jackets Fallout: CBJ are Legit, Derrick Pouliot = AHL caliber defender
The Columbus Blue Jackets extending their winning streak to 11 games with a 7-1 win over the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins, are the buzz of the NHL and rightfully so. In what was seen as a statement game to some, the Blue Jackets answered the bell with a thumping of the Penguins and this is no question a legit team in the east. The Penguins saw first hand as the Blue Jackets come at you with four scoring lines, a quick mobile D and have a Vezina trophy winner in goal. The Blue Jackets forward group lacks that No. 1 franchise center that you need to win in the post-season but this is a group of forwards that likely
Pirates pushing McCutchen trade hard again, targeting Quintana in separate deal
Big Splash to come from Pirates? The Pirates ultimate plan this off-season was to trade Andrew McCutchen and his $14 million a year salary for a prospect heavy return that would have the Pirates putting that money into the starting rotation, via trade and free agency. Today the Pirates resigned Ivan Nova to a three year, $26 million contract, which averages out to $8.6 million per season. The Pirates top trade target, White Sox ace Jose Quintana is scheduled to make $6 million in 2017. It’s still early enough in the off-season where the Pirates Plan A could still fall into place by spring training. Despite the face the Pirates have put on in the past two weeks in telling
Latest Pirates Buzz: Hudson signing has Bucs trying to move a salary in pen
The Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday made their first signing of the off-season for the Major League roster in agreeing to terms on a 2 year, $11 million contract with 26 year old reliever Daniel Hudson. In 70 appearances this year, Hudson had a 5.22 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and has nine saves over the last two seasons to go with 37 holds. But, what the Pirates love about Hudson is an 8.77 K/9 with a fastball that averaged 95.7 mph. Neal Huntington is not a huge fan in putting dollars into the bullpen but what he values is cost certainty and pitchers who can bring the heat. The Pirates get that with the Hudson deal for 2017 and 2018. The Hudson
Latest Pens Buzz: Coaches making decision easier for management on Fehr, Fleury
Latest Penguins Buzz What was most telling from the Penguins 7-0 stomping Monday night of the lowly Arizona Coyotes wasn’t the final score, it was the personnel decisions prior to the game. If there was an opponent to start Marc Andre Fleury and try to boost his confidence, it was the Arizona Coyotes. If there was an opponent to get Eric Fehr back in the lineup to try to get his game going, it was the Arizona Coyotes. Fehr was scratched for a third straight game and Murray made his third straight start and fourth straight appearance. Tonight it will be status quo against the Boston Bruins. Murray will be in goal, eyeing his fifth straight win, while Fehr sits
Current group built to be highest scoring Penguin team in Crosby era?
The Pittsburgh Penguins entering tonight on a four game winning streak, have 24 goals over their last four games. Per Jonathan Bombulie of the Tribune-Review, it’s the Penguins “greatest goal output in a four-game stretch since they scored 26 in wins over Edmonton, St. Louis and the Rangers and a loss to Buffalo in March of 1996.” That 1995-1996 team led by a group of forwards in Mario Lemieux (69 goals-169pts), Jaromir Jagr (62 goals-149pts), Ron Francis (27goals-119pts), Petr Nedved (45 goals-99pts), Tomas Sandstrom (35 goals-70pts in 58 games), averaged 4.41 goals per game, the only team in the NHL to average 4 goals per game that season and interesting enough, 20 years later they remain the last team to average 4
Pirates to leave Winter Meetings with expectation of McCutchen being a Pirate in 2017
In a matter of days, Andrew McCutchen has gone from highly likely to being traded to now likely being a Pirate to start the 2017 season. What happened? Information coming out in the last couple hours is that more than anything, the Nationals just went in another direction and it’s left Pirate officials stunned. The Pirates brass is now planning to hit the reset button, sources say, in reconstructing the roster for 2017. Coming into the winter meetings, Pittsburgh fully anticipated getting the bulk of the $14 million committed to McCutchen off their books as the Pirates anticipated getting a prospect heavy return. The Pirates don’t view Andrew McCutchen as a $14 million a year player, a primary reason they
Latest Andrew McCutchen Rumors
(Photo: David Hague) Latest Pirates Buzz Funny how things work. After weeks of doing nothing to quiet the chatter locally or nationally that they [Pirates] were aggressively trying to trade Andrew McCutchen, Pirate manager Clint Hurdle comes out telling reporters this afternoon the Pirates are not the “aggressors” in trade talks surrounding McCutchen. About an hour later after Hurdle’s comments, the Washington Nationals acquired Adam Eaton. It was clear what was going on. Reality was setting in for the Pirates today that they might not move McCutchen this week or this winter after being certain he would be moved by now. Pirates GM Neal Huntington and Nationals GM Mike Rizzo met Tuesday afternoon with the Nationals giving the Pirates a
Latest Pens Buzz: Handling of Pouliot; Habs tracking Bonino heavily this season?
Latest Penguins Buzz Derrick Pouliot and Jake Guentzel were reassigned this afternoon to Wilkes Barre/Scranton. With Guentzel falling out of the lineup with one bad game, it was inevitable he would be sent down this week to get playing time this weekend. The Pouliot situation takes another twist. The player is as frustrated as can be and as mentioned on Monday, so are his representatives, league sources say. Aside from his role, where there’s some contentions has been the Penguins odd handling of Pouliot’s injury. He was injured on October 20 with the Penguins publicly saying on October 22nd that he was out “long-term.” Pouliot started skating again on Nov 14. Despite being fully cleared to play in Wilkes Barre