Penguins/NHL
League Chatter: Hornqvist gets fair market deal
1. Feedback around the league on Patric Hornqvist’s 5 year, $26.5 million extension is that Hornqvist got a very good deal for himself.
This extension was all about the Penguins going five years.
The Penguins have known for a while that any deal below five years in term wasn’t going to keep Hornqvist from hitting the open market.
Around January when numbers were starting to get exchanged, the Hornqvist camp according to a source was seeking a 5 year, $27.5 million contract from Pittsburgh.
The final deal is 5 years, $26.5 million.
I know there’s some saying Hornqvist left money on the table, but a few executives, scouts I heard from don’t think Hornqvist would have got much better of a deal from another contender and a place he actually wanted to play.
Hornqvist turns 32 next season, plays a rugged style and those with other clubs say no way he was going to get a Milan Lucic type offer (7 years, $42 million).
Some have tried to draw the Lucic comparison to Hornqvist but Lucic was 27 when he got his deal.
For Pittsburgh, this was the price of doing business in going a year longer than they initially wanted.
And for Hornqvist, holding out for a 5 year deal saw him win out as you just never know what’s going to play out on the free agent market for a non-star 30’s not far away from his mid-30’s.
Last off-season in particular, teams were very cautious about giving out deals longer than 4 years.
2. Derick Brassard will make his Penguin debut tonight and with Brassard now centering Phil Kessel, the Penguins feel they have the luxury to move Jake Guentzel back up to Sidney Crosby’s line where Guentzel will play tonight.
Getting some continuity with Crosby’s linemates has to be a priority for the coaching staff moving forward.
As for Brassard, the coaches also plan to use him in a number of situations and that even includes getting him a few shifts at wing in certain spots with Crosby or Malkin.
Tonight Brassard will center Sheary and Kessel.
3. One thing the Penguins learned this trade deadline:
Conor Sheary has little To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
4. Another thing the Penguins learned in trade discussions with other clubs:
Daniel Sprong doesn’t have that ‘top prospect’ trade value mystique about him that could have got the Penguins seriously in the mix for some bigger things they looked at yesterday, namely To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
5. Pittsburgh was so serious about re-acquiring Matt Cullen that the Penguins informed Minnesota Monday morning they were prepared to offer a roster player to Minnesota for To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
Sources say Cullen also made it known he recent days he preferred to stay in Minnesota and felt a trade to Pittsburgh with the Wild playing so well lately would have been looked at as him quitting on his teammates, one source indicated.
To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
Only Letang can turn over a puck when no one is near him.
No grit, no hitting, no desperation, no chemistry, terrible defense, DeSmith looked out of postition… the lose of Cole is going to bite this team in the ass hard! I know it is only one game but this proves my point, when goals are not being scored the D does not come through.
26 hits? Brassard needs a little time. Sheary was awful. The guys still threw 38 pucks at the net despite that. Kinkaid played very well. It happens. Hunwick actually didn’t have a bad game for once so this is the spot right? The one spot that will be the demise of the team? And it wasn’t the weak point last night? Deep breath
Predicting that Brassard will be a top six winger come playoff time.
Thank you GMJR for that horseshiit defense.
I know it’s only the first game but there was absolutely no chemistry on that 3rd line.
Brassard will need a couple games to adjust. He’s been playing that 1-3-1 in Ottawa so he will need to remember to go more. He’s seemed to be on a different page most of the night. Not unexpected
Yeah, crazy how some players adjust right away though. Grabner looked like he has been playing with the devils all season.
More similar style between the two clubs I guess
What is it with Kinkaid? Did he not beat the Pens earlier this year too? 38 shots… 0/2 on the PP. Pens kind of gave it away
No #75 No Wins 🙂
Pens need 4 goals with DeSmith in goal. Sam Sucks.
Hunwick is the GOAT. Goaaaaalllll
She wants to sell my monkey!
what would you do for companionship?
Hey npl help wanted for carpenter 15$ you can get your minimum wage there
Sam sucks
Brassard goal and assist tonight
Him and Kessel, instant chemistry, put Pens fans on notice that the rumours of their death have been grossly exaggerated!
PENS MAD A MISTAKE BUY NOT ACQUIRING A BOTTOM PAIRING D-MAN THE PLAY WITH OLISIAK..HUNWICH SUCKS MINUS 3 VERSUS FLORIDA..JORDIE BENN JOHNNY ODUYA WRE AVAILABLE THAT COULD COME BACK TO HAUNT THEM
It is a hole that should have been filled but again, this team will not lose because of a 6th defenseman.
They will if someone goes down and they have to go to WBS to find help. There is none.
So I guess many are in crisis mode right now, it seems everyone is hell bent on making sure we wallow in misery of a perceived missed opportunity. I noticed this last year too… I will reserve judgement I guess
They won the cup without their #1 Letang.
https://i.imgur.com/T8KpfzS.gif
This is what I am saying. Letang has had a messy year but he has started to show improvement. If he continues down that path the D top to bottom is at least as good as it was last year. The forward group is at least as good as it was last year as well.
its almost like he was coming off of neck surgery or something? who’d have thunk it would take a while to come back from something like that.
Well it’s tough to say… a lot of people really don’t like Letang overall but a lot of us shit on him just to get sammiches panties in a bunch lol
That said I am not as much sure it was the neck surgery as much as it is him learning to play while protecting himself better. Hopefully that progress continues as the playoffs approach.
Now Hornqvist with an assist from Kingerski. Hornqvist turned 31 this year, Tomas Holmstrom at the same age played 67 games had 15 goals for 30 points. He went on to have better seasons, hit 30 once (almost twice) and scored between 37 – 59 points over the next 5 years. He missed a little time in each of those seasons too. Strong case to be made that while their games were similar Hornqvist is the better player. So the butthurt some feel over the deal because of injury, or the claim that he wouldn’t have got paid elsewhere, or… Read more »
Hope pens can find a way to get rid of tk 2.0 this summer or during next year season and package Zerotool with him as his number 1 fan
Says the kid that will remove his Penguins T-shirt to show the world his Habs under-roos once Letang and Crosby retire lol. You’re right though… we should see if we can pay Rick Nash twice as much for the same production…
Ahahahaha I rather have Nash at 50% salary then tk 2.0 at least Nash can control the puck has proved track record that he was able to carry a shitt team on his back for many years while your sheary can’t even carry shitt. Can’t even carry himself without falling all over the ice
Ya he sure did “carry” the Blue Jackets didnt he, they made the post season once… he had 3 points lol. End of the day we are not talking about Nash when he wasnt trash we are talking about him now
In Rick Nash’s last 2 playoff appearances he had 5 goals and 9 points in 17 games for an average of 0.53 PPG
Sheary in his 42 has had 17 points for .40 PPG
WOW, Nash is awesome still lol, even career playoff Corsi is in favour of Sheary
The true beauty of this is we can, as of today, engage in a debate over “the worth they money” between Nash and Sheary because that is how much your bumbuddy Nash has slipped.
I will laugh hard if he fails to bounce back in Boston
On Sprong “Pittsburgh held the same sort of stance on Daniel Sprong and the refusal to let him go. Here’s guessing he gets another shot before the end of the regular season. Feel like we haven’t heard the last from Sprong.” – Jason Mackey
On Cullen “The Penguins did all they could to add Matt Cullen — without paying some sort of insane price for what truly would’ve been a luxury. Minnesota just wasn’t letting him go.” – Jason Mackey
“Oleksiak said he’s done “a little boxing and MMA training in the summer,” but he’s never taken fighting as seriously as, say, Reaves, who worked on it like Crosby might try to hone one-timers from the circle.” – Jason Mackey
Likely why the team felt comfortable allowing the toughness Cole brought leave
Inb4 sam says something related to not understanding the expansion draft…
Active – “After Monday’s trade deadline expired, general manager Jim Rutherford refused to comment about whether or not he tried to trade Sheary, opting instead for a public pep talk.” – Tim Benz