Latest Pens Buzz
TIOPS STORYLINES
*Replacing what Guerin brought to table not easy task
*Kessel’s ‘steep’ 5vs5 Regression Penguins bought into
*Another season of around 18 ESP for Galchenyuk would be a disaster for PIT
*Scouts Buzz on Penguins Depth, Onus on Evgeni Malkin shouldering heavy load
1. Based on the chatter, the Minnesota Wild naming Bill Guerin General Manager this week didn’t catch many by surprise, but when this job immediately opened up, NHL executives were certain the Wild wouldn’t go the ‘No’ General Manager experience route again.
And that was believed to be the Wild’s thinking going into this and it says a lot of how Guerin went in and won this job with the Wild’s owner citing Guerin having that “IT” factor.
As mentioned before, Guerin’s ability to command a room, communicate at all levels was a big drawing point for him being named General Manager and these are important characteristics a GM needs to have to install confidence throughout the organization. But, this knock on Guerin that he can’t evaluate talent is grossly inaccurate.
Over the last four years, few worked harder in the Penguins organization in getting out there and scouting all over the hockey world and the last year or so saw Jim Rutherford really lean on Guerin with some around the league going as far to say Guerin was a strong presence in keeping Rutherford in check.
Sources say Guerin was a driving force in the Penguins making an attempt To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”! He was the go-to executive in targeting To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”! “It’s not easy to replace those type of guys.”
2. With Guerin being named General Manager of the Wild, it would have been something if Phil Kessel had accepted a trade to the Wild in June and Guerin inherited Kessel in Minnesota.
Guerin was among several others in the organization front and center who felt trading Kessel was a must for the organization dating back to the summer of 2018 and was said to be ecstatic about the possibility of acquiring Jason Zucker.
After almost being traded twice by Paul Fenton, Zucker and his family should now feel some job security in Minnesota for the first time in a year with Guerin at the helm.
3. Beyond the obvious off-ice concerns the Penguins privately had about Phil Kessel for years that were building and building, the team prior to trading Kessel in June also talked themselves into that a regression in 5-on-5 play was only going to continue. During the course of their pro scouting meetings in April and May, the Penguins coaches were often vocal of how they felt Kessel’s 5-on-5 play had regressed so much Kessel was tracking to be nothing more than a p[hide]ower play specialist in the coming years. Some of coaching staff’s beliefs of a significant regression from Kessel was backed up in the Penguins player tracking system that proved Kessel was playing much slower in several key areas.
Still, this is a production business and replacing 40+ 5 vs 5 points sounds easier on paper than it actually is.[/hide]
Meanwhile, the view in Arizona from an analytic obsessed front office is that playing away from a dominant puck carrier in Evgeni Malkin will actually help Kessel be a more impactful 5-on-5 player in 2019-2020 that will lead to him playing faster. Arizona’s models did not backup Pittsburgh’s belief Kessel is on a steep decline at even strength.
4. The Phil Kessel – Alex Galchenyuk swap was also a situation of two coaches in Mike Sullivan and Rick Tocchet that spent one and a half seasons coaching together who couldn’t wait for their front office to get rid of the particular player.
How long the honeymoon lasts between Kessel and Tocchet remains to be seen as an assistant coach/player relationship is much different than an head coach/player relationship, but few see Alex Galchenyuk, a notoriously bad defensive zone player, being a Mike Sullivan type of player when it’s all said and done.
For Galchenyuk this season, his 5-on-5 production is going to have to out-weigh everything else if he’s going to be trusted in a top-9 role, let alone a top-6 role where he’ll get an opportunity early on.
Producing just 18 points at even strength (5-on-5), Arizona coaches viewed Galchenyuk as a 4th line level player by the end of last season.
5. SCOUTS BUZZ
Nothing the Penguins have done this off-season has moved the needle by any means, but there has been praise around the league this summer for a team that looks for now to be trying to get back to being a four-line team that has a mix of skill and two-way play.
It started last winter when Pittsburgh turned two duds in Derick Brassard and Riley Sheahan into long-term players in Jared McCann and Nick Blugstad. Cheap labor is also a little bit of a theme with the likes of Jared McCann, Zach Aston-Reese, Dominik Simon, Dominik Kuhn and Teddy Blueger making $1.25 million or less.
“They’ve put together To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
Brandon Tanev getting a six year deal certainly raised eye brows around the league as it should have, especially when the agent was somehow able to net a 10-team no trade list, but Tanev plays the type of hard-nosed style that makes him a favorite among old school scouts and coaches.
“The coaching staff is going to love Brandon,” To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
With the Penguins in a bit of a cap crunch and needing to move a salary, Bryan Rust has been a popular name among the fans and some pundits as a player the Penguins should look to move in a deal similar to the type of move they made with the Olli Maatta.
Decision makers, though, I’ve heard from beg to differ.
“Look [hide] back to 16 and 17……when the Penguins are going well in playing fast and being hard to play against, Bryan Rust was their engine,” the scout said. “Go ask Barry Trotz what he thinks of Rust,” the scout exclaimed.
A former NHL assistant coach I spoke with recently also sung the praises of Rust.
“What’s not to like,” the coach said of Rust. “Taking 80 points [Phil Kessel] out of your lineup like Pittsburgh has, have to act with caution in getting rid of guys like Rusty that [you know] will give you 17-18 goals.”
And that’s one of the questions with the makeup of this forward group.
It’s an intriguing group that the makings of a bunch of 10-12 goals, 30+ point type players, but expecting 3-4 role players to make up Phil Kessel’s production can be a risky proposition, especially if Evgeni Malkin has an encore of last season.
A consensus among evaluators this summer is that the onus of this believed deeper forward group Pittsburgh thinks they have is going to fall on the shoulders of what Evgeni Malkin shows up. Does he get anywhere close to the 2017-2018 level or was last season a sign of things to come?[/hide]
One thing that gets overlooked with Phil Kessel is you knew he’d be there for all 82 games. With Evgeni Malkin you know he’s going to miss 10-15 games each season and Malkin’s past five seasons show the percentages are greater of expecting another 70 point type season than a 90+ point season.
Malkin has topped more than 72 points just once since the 2013-2014 season. [hide][/hide]
Hey npl how is your new friend treating you have you guys played hide and seek yet ?
this is what the liberals are good for
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/quebec-bill-21-school-boards-1.5264235?cmp=rss
I hope they all move to Edmonton
I do to, far too many fucken idiots like yourself that are fine with words like God or crucifixes worn but become card carrying members of the KKK and other racist groups when a woman wears a headscarf.
Thought you’d enjoy this… your party sammich… I guess I’ll tip my hat for removing him but he’s not the first nor last and there is a good reason this party attracts this type
https://globalnews.ca/news/5835470/neo-nazi-u-s-peoples-party-of-canada/
You must be happy eh ?
Liberals will be giving 250m to Quebec for the asylum refugees that came to Quebec another typical trudeau ,liberal move elections gets close they start handing out money in order to get votes
You’re right… this country gives wayyyyyyy too much money to Quebec as is. While we pay for daycare everywhere else you motherfuckerrs get it free. Quebec gets wayyyyyy too much money in general. Bunch of fucken leaches every last fucken one of you.
Still, what does that have to do with the neo-Nazi love your favourite party fosters?
Ben Lovejoy retires after 11 years and 1 Stanley Cup.
1 more than Therrien
1 more than Brisbois
1 more than the Entire Habs Franchise since they chased Roy out of town
1 more than Rick Nash
1 more than Joe Thornton
1 less than Kessel 🙂
Sam thinks the Pens should sign Lovejoy.
Does anyone here smoke cigars
any cheap cigar sites that i can order from ?
I usually get my Cigars from PA but looking for cheaper place to order from
Have tried Florida cigar places must say they have Good Price but like every other Florida people they are Dumb and Stupid often time makes mistakes on my orders
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/419DTjIkxAL._SX355_.jpg
Is that what you put in your mouth when you don’t feel like having dickss instead
Now go outside and play with your new friend Dorian.
Apparently he loves to blow hard
This may be your worse joke yet.
I swear to god its not a joke
Ok
Go back making donuts buddy
Stick to stuffing your face with your buckeye donuts.
I have a strong suspicion the mistakes are on your end and not the “Florida people.”
Right ordering box of 10 oliva cigars and receive 200 no name Garbage cigars
Penguins need a better back up goalie Cant rely on fraud Murray.
Maybe cam ward
Cam Ward retiring in 3..2..1…
Really ?????
Thanks for the update
I guess I have to drool over another washed up player then
You think penguins can sign markov lool
Montreal will take him back.
Julien doesnt like Russians ever since he joined the team all the Russians are gone Galchenyuk,Radulov,Markov,Emelin,sergachev to name a few
Must be a coincidence
What is a coincidence is all those names were on the roster the last time the team made the playoffs…
What a coincidence Box score expert strikes again
Maybe habs were making the playoffs with the Russians because price was playing like price. Last year habs played good reason they miss playoffs prices wasnt that good up until December
Yup, that clearly has to be it… all those names were on the roster and the Habs were a playoff team in spite of them. Now with them gone its a fucken mystery why they havent won all the cups. You are a motherfucken retard!!!
OMG! Sam wants another retired player. What a loser!
Trumps loans are co-signed by Russian oligarchs. Thats not good.
Wtf this site broke again
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/maxime-bernier-billboard-immigration-peoples-party-1.5107132
hope this guy gets a chance to get elected if not this time im sure next election
Racist sam loves the openly racist PPC lol
Whats funny is he has openly denied he paid for that billboard, not only is he a bigot but he is a fucken coward. If he loses his seat here he is done and he is such a terrible candidate that the CPC candidate brand new to that riding is polling ahead of him. Mad Max committed career suicide by pandering to the sams of the world lol
If he gets the chance I will vote for him while you will vote for your beta male
Lol, Bernier couldn’t even win a party leadership race against weak fucken Andy Hahahahahaha!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UAH5wksmCM
invite them to your house fool
Look, sammich agrees with the bigoted sentiment that islam and Christianity are what matters… Reality? Religion doesnt dictate our laws you fucken moron. I couldn’t care less which version of the same myths you choose to use as the excuse to be a fucken cuntt at the end of the day its exactly that. 99.99% of the Muslims that come here are good people doing more than you could do in 20 lifetimes for their communities. “Invite them to my house” – Some of my best friends are muslim. I attend islamic holidays at the house of some of these… Read more »
Ahaha you like the sharia law. I’ll be the first one stone your wife to dead if she not good. Our priests are bad typical sheep that gets fed by the Jewish liberal media. You have no idea how many kids get raped in the muslim. Same goes about the synagogue. Haven’t you noticed every movie you watch shootings happens in churches and never in mosque or synagogue. It’s all designed for sheeps like you lose faith and open the gate of hell but making these animals thinking can be part of us. And Islam is not a religion its… Read more »
In Ontario you can vote for sharia law.
How hypocrite is trudeau
Loves gay community and never misses any parades yet allows sharia law Group that one of their view is to kill gays. Or your beta male is stupid like every other liberal or democRATS. Or he is a scum bad that wants to create tension within the country
Sigh… you’re in rare form today sam… even for you its impressive how fucken retarded you are. I am all for separation of Church and State… I dont believe in “Shiria Law” or ANY laws written with “god” in mind you fucken moron. The point of that statement… well I don’t even need to touch on it. The paragraphs of unrepentant bigotry was exactly my point with that statement. Have you been huffing gas? I swear you have become far less intelligent than I can say I recall you’ve ever been the last 24 hours. You are using movie shootings… Read more »
Best part ” they have booklets that are printed in Saudi and distributed across Arab world” 1. its called Arabic and it is widely spoken among much of the Islamic world. 2. Saudi Arabia is somewhat unique in the fact that the entire region is ruled by a caliphate that is responsible for the birth of the most radical sects of Islam. Wahhibism is a very concerning interpretation of that ideology that has been used to create some of the most dangerous people we have seen come out of the region. Still its a small amount 3. On that note… Read more »
Oh and while we are talking shootings.. how about for real? Wasnt this a friend of yours?
January 29th 2017 in Quebec city a friend of yours killed 6 people in a shooting of the Great Mosque of Quebec City.
Stupid fucken French HAHAHAHAHAHAAHA
https://thehockeynews.com/news/article/on-the-20th-anniversary-a-look-back-at-the-night-that-sealed-patrick-roys-fate-in-montreal
“Mario Tremblay still believed his team had a chance to catch up. It’s hard to blame a rookie coach for being overconfident.”
https://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/1819528/max-domi-habs-fans-a-whole-other-level-compared-to-leafs-fans
sad day for museum lovers
Impressive seeing as that fucken garbage team hasnt done shit since they chase Roy outta town…
How well has the Oilers done since the great one ?
Who cares… unlike you I am a fan of the team this page is based on you fucken simpleton. This is a very hard idea for you to grasp isnt it?
Although to play your game:
post Roy: 0 cups; 0 finals
Post Gretzky: 1 Cup; 2 finals
You fucken lose again HAHAHAHA
I will add…
Gretzky cried HARD when he left… it was one of the most difficult moments of his career and he still says that.
Roy “I’ve just played my last game with the Canadiens.” He couldn’t fucken wait to leave
This discussion is PRICEless.
Roy won 2 cups with habs moron. 86 and 93
LMMFAO… you really struggle at EVERYTHING hahahahaha.
“POST ROY” means after he left you stupid fuckk….I am really embarrassed for you right now
Oh and because you’ll likely fuckk this up… it specifically means what the Habs did after Roy left in anger in fury at the organization…
The contrast was what the Oilers, who you struggle to not talk about as well, did after Wayne was traded in what was the worst, hardest moment of his career
So since its post. Wayne never won the Stanley once he left Oilers. He went finals once and that was in 93. So correct that too
I was talking about the Oilers you fucken impossible idiot.
1990 they won without Wayne and went to the finals again in 06
This was the premise of the entire argument you fucken moron hahahaha one you introduced lmmfao. Why are you and Yoda in a race to prove how fucken absurdly dumb you can be
I was wondering how long it was going to take you to post that link.
Where is that empty Bell center pic that u have posted
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EC5Me_wXkAAj8k5.jpg
Even Melania likes Trudeau more haha
In this picture I think Melania more closely represents sam… its not that Trudeau is a beta… its that he attends Pride Parades but still wont answer sams DMs which are usually just dick pics and quotes from 50 Shades of Gray
Why would she like that beta male more when she is with alpha male.
She’s not a democRAT like you do settle down with a beta
You can really tell a lot about your psyche based on your hero’s sammich…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIdmx742obA
this is the way npl treats his GF or BF
D I’m glad you noticed our Russians annual vacation only thing you forgot he has another dozen of games he plays that he is still on vacation mode. In one word a ghost on the ice
In one word, youre an idiot
Sorry fatso I’m not a democRAT
You don’t even know that the word means…
In only 68 games Malkin matched the output of the best player on your favourte team… Yes Malkin had a subpar year.. for him. He was clearly not in it mentally and we have been given reasons why. That said as a 1B C for this team his primary goal is to contribute. He did… he also set records in penalties which he needs to be better at but you seem to forgive Letang for having his two highest GA seasons over the past 2 years (had he played as many games this season as he did the previous year… Read more »
malkin is going to suck. who else heard on the ryan whitney podcast when he joked with sid that malkin doesn’t know the names of half the young guys on the team. malkin does not care. he says he cares, but he don’t care.
He only cares $$$$ like every other Russian. Now you have galchenyuk. Penguins traded a cancer for another cancer. That is not a team player guy in the locker room and has a lot if issues off the ice girlfriend problem. Problem with his own that list goes on. Oh yeah and he loves cocain and drinking.
Funny how you two agree on so much.
Throw in Dusty and you have the hat trick of idiots on here.
Coming from a guy that watches the game half way. Throw in tbj and npl in that mix
Wrong again Sam. Loser.
These guys are all about Ryan Whitney yet Malkin is a problem BAHAHAHAHAHA JFC
Did RDS tell you that information?
It’s true I forgot you get your hockey updates from this website
Yes, Ryan Whitney is the man to pay attention to. Guys a fucken moron…
Dude predicted that Pittsburgh would easily beat Washington last year… There is a reason the team took that next step after he left lol.
it was confirmed by crosby, i guess that makes sid a moron too. once again, you try to cover for everything wrong with the pens. you are a paid blogger on the pens staff. it’s obvious.
A fake Canadian
And a a wanabe Russian / american.
I guess we all know who is zeroTools new favorite penguins player
Says the guy who spends more time talking about American politics and American events then he does spell checking his posts.
Youve been swinging from the US presidents nuts for 4 years…
You mean this you fucken donkey https://www.barstoolsports.com/boston/when-youre-as-good-as-evgeni-malkin-is-you-dont-need-to-know-your-teammates-names JFC context matters you dipshit!; I am not unaware of the story but it’s a non-story for those who are not total fucken idiots. 4 years… the story is fucking October 2018… so go back to 2014… what happened between 2014 and 2018? How did Malkin do in that period you stupid fucken moron? Thta’s right he was instrumental leading the Pens to 2 straight fucken cups you fucken idiot!!! The fact Whitney brought it up like it matters is a fucken joke. Jesus Christ how do you function without a chaperone all… Read more »
BAHAHAHAHA -15… why because I showed the board your both lying sacks of stupid shitt again hahahahaha.
Yoda: “He doesnt care, he doesnt even learn players names… Crosby Said so”
Reality: That was shortly after he arrived and Crosby flat out said that is no longer an issue, one that occurred due to not knowing English.
Sam: “boooooo damn you for pointing out all the places our personal biases get in the way not not being a fucken idiot”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA so fucken dumb.
Blugstad
Dominik Kuhn