Penguins/NHL
Monday’s Penguins Buzz
The Pittsburgh Penguins losing out in the Jimmy Vesey sweepstakes was an expected development as the team went into their sales pitch a major longshot to land the coveted free agent.
Vesey went into the meetings last week leaning towards three particular teams, the New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils and Chicago Blackhawks.
He came out of the meetings still leaning towards the Rangers and signed with New York on Friday afternoon. Rangers GM Jeff Gorton is earning praise around the league for a bit of retooling with his forward group in adding Mika Zibanejad, Jimmy Vesey, Michael Grabner, and Nathan Gerbe.
The Rangers have got quicker in their bottom-6 and Zibanejad at 23 years old brings a blend of speed, size and skill that will better suit the Rangers down the middle to matchup against the likes of the Penguins for the present and future.
If Gorton can somehow find a way to add a Kevin Shattenkirk and address the biggest black hole on the roster, New York’s blueline, the Rangers could re-emerge as a Cup Contender.
On the Vesey front, the Penguins never had much of a chance. Sources close to the situation say the Penguins even getting a meeting with Vesey was more about the agents being intrigued about Pittsburgh as an option than Vesey having a genuine interest in playing for the Penguins.
While the Penguins made a professional presentation, that included a phone call from Sidney Crosby and Penguin officials making it clear an opportunity would be there to win a spot on Crosby’s left wing, a prime opportunity for Vesey to do well on a second contract, a source close to the player said Vesey left the meeting feeling Pittsburgh’s interest was more about an opportunity to add another asset for nothing than believing they needed him.
For teams that lost out on Vesey, some attention is now turning towards [hide] winger Jiri Hudler on the free agency front.
A league source says calls on Hudler immediately picked up over the weekend after the Rangers signed Vesey with four calls coming from teams that also met with Vesey. New Jersey is one of the teams that circled back. Sabres and Islanders also interested among the pack that didn’t land Vesey.
Penguin scouts are big fans of Hudler who was a trade target of the Penguins prior to the Phil Kessel acquisition.
However, as of Saturday there’s been no contact from the Penguins end this summer.
Penguins GM Jim Rutherford insists the Penguins are done adding to the NHL club after missing out on Vesey and resigning Matt Cullen.
Pittsburgh’s left wing situation continues to be a position that has its share of question marks outside of Carl Hagelin.
Conor Sheary will go into the season being counted on for a top-6 role. There’s been flashes from Sheary in pressure situations but can he hold up?
Over 67 combined games last season (regular season/playoffs), Sheary produced 11 goals and 9 assists. The Penguins believe there is 17-20 potential in him if he can hold up physically.
Chris Kunitz turns 37 in September. Can he replicate a 17 goal, 40 point, +29 season? Kunitz found a fountain of youth in in the post-season but he obviously enters the season as a question mark on what the Penguins will get out of him due to his age and starting to lose his hands.
In Tom Kuhnhackl, his offensive ceiling should be in the 8-10 goal range, which would be a win for a 4th line player who is a factor on the penalty kill. In 66 combined games in 2015-2016, Kuhnhackl had 7 goals and 20 points.
The intriguing player going into the season will be Scott Wilson. From college to the American Hockey League, the 24 year old has been the most productive goal scorer among the group of Wilkes Barre players who moved into full-time roles last season.
Wilson averaged 0.46 goals per game in his first two professional seasons in the AHL and scored four goals in a five game stretch with the Penguins before fracturing his ankle.
Penguins coaches love the knack Wilson has to find the soft spots around the net.
Top 10 Goaltenders Ranked
NHL Network ranked the top-10 goaltenders over the weekend that has been met with criticism. Marc Andre Fleury came in at No. 9.
1. Braden Holtby
2. Carey Price
3. Jonathan Quick
4. Ben Bishop
5. Cory Schneider
6. Henrik Lundqvist
7. Corey Crawford
8. Martin Jones
9. Marc Andre Fleury
10. Pekka Rinne
[/hide]
Hope Fleury can carry the pens to a second straight cup.
Well at lest make it possible to be IN the playoffs like he did last season
Fleury helps them get there, then zatkoff shuts the door. Recipe for success.
#SomethingSpecial
Instant Buzz: Pirates fall to 2-11 in Cole’s last 9 starts… Classic DePaoli.
Sam is his math guy.
Classic DePaoli with an edit of his mistake. Must have been typing while trying to change a diaper.
Hey fat pig npl Are you enjoying Donald trump in Florida ? Soon you will be forced to go to work and not rely on your lazy ass staying home and get more fat
PS fat slob
#BlackLivesDoesntMatter
Just like your
#obamaDoesntCare
Health care
Now enjoy living in your shithole
United Shades of America
Your anger turns me on. Im getting longer #AndMoreFat if you know what i mean.
Typical gayy. Democrat
Stop it, i cant take it anymore. Im gonna explode.
Eat less fatso and you won’t explode
Says who?
#SamIsFat
Nuh Uhhh. You more fat.
Yeah okay only in your wildest dreams
Youre always in my wildest dreams.
Trump in tampax Florida today
hudler to the stars 1 year 2 mil
Ladd Hudler? Big loss for Florida.
haha!
They still have zatkoff though.
Will say the same about Nova now as I did when they got him. I like his chances of being a good starter for them but it will definitely be moot if they miss the playoffs then not try to sign him.
New record low score!
Steelers talking with Lewis.
Ray?
Keenan
http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/leave-your-guns-at-home-canada-tells-u-s-visitors-1.3038867
this shows how dumb Americans are coming to Canada with guns as if they are at war
little that they know Canada is 10 times safer from the shitt hole they live
It should be 10x as safe. It’s 1/10 of the size. There’s no f’ing people there. Begs the question – with 1/10 of the people, why is their obesity rate tripling? Embarrassing fat fuckks. Just drinking maple syrup by the gallon and shoving poutine into their pie holes. Disgusting.
excatly then why you fat fuckss bring guns here if it should be safer since we are 10x less people
Sam you realize that make your country look like a short bus, right?
His pov is all over the map and utterly inconsistent. He’s very special but I do have to remind everyone… He’s from French Canada and the rest of us are not happy with them either lol
POV, lol
This isnt’ even an intelligible thought.
NHL ’17 also has Fleury ranked as a top 10 goalie for the 2016-2017 season. Being ranked in the top 10 in 1 ranking is a fluke, once it starts happening in multiple rankings it becomes a fact.
I wonder how he’s so bad, yet they managed to make the playoffs largely because he was lights out for three months while Sid was on holiday.
Pens really screwed the Rags when we took Bengtsson out from in under them. Vesey was a distraction, the Pens did better getting Garrett Wilson and Di Pauli. Pens were the only team that did not offer a guarantee to Vesey for a NHL roster spot. In fact they told him, some time in the AHL would be best.
A distraction from what? All the other shit going on NHL-wise in the middle of fucking August?
So they did better getting 2 guys that may never be NHL players and at best project to be bottom 6 role players than getting a guy that may end up being an impact top 6 player? I never was as high on Vesey as many others were but getting 1 Vesey is better than getting 10 Dipaulis or Wilsons.
Garrett Wilson is already an NHLer – played a bunch lat last season for FL.
He’s played 34 games and has 0 points. You’re almost that much of an “NHLer.”
I hope the Pens didn’t hurt Jimmy’s feelings because they definitely don’t NEED him.
NHL Network’s gaolie rankings met with criticism. Hmmm. I wonder where that criticism came from?
i called them and bitched up a storm
Did they then laugh at you and point out how you wanted to blow up the team 2 months before it won a stanley cup?
no, they said the guy who wrote that article smokes crack rocks
I doubt he smokes more crack rocks than the guy that, not only couldn’t see stanley cup potential, but felt that the only way forward was to start over again from ground zero months before a championship. THAT guy is a special brand of stooopid.
Any word on Malkin’s elbow?
NHL season approaching so he must be still injured he is making up for the place that he played too many games in the playoffs since 09
Any serious answers?
Yes, sams a stupid fucken c u n t… I’m dead serious
Did the Saints cut Lewis?
Who cares. The Saints have the worst defense in the league, if he couldn’t cut it with that D why would we want him back here?
Lack of options? And the report was that he didn’t get along with the D Coordinator
Actually, their issue is the same that the Steelers might have – he has a supposed hip problem – now bad it is, i’m sure we’ll soon find out.
I think that we saw the same report. He is a solid CB, and with them not a dime a dozen a hip injury gets put on PUP or IR if severe…not released.
Was it the last year of his deal? Maybe hanging on to him while he’d be on the pup caused some sort of cap issue?
Maybe, he was just interviewed on Sirius Satelitte and said he sees himself as day-to-day, but he’s close. No other health issues. Meeting in Pittsburgh today, may talk to Arizona and a couple of others .
Where has the article that ranked the goalies faced criticism? I’very literally only seen 1 person criticize the article and he’s a fuckface fraud the knows nothing about hockey.
there is no GM in the NHL who would take st.bleury over matt murray. the author of that article smokes crack rocks.
troll!
“I don’t like what this author said so they must be on crack”
Must be an alien.
Even if that were true, and I’d probably bet my house that it wasn’t, it doesn’t exactly equate to “Murray is a better goaltender.”
Believe Freese extension is exactly what I called for with the Liriano money (truth be told I said either freese or joyce)……. not saying it makes everythign right at the deadline, but a RARE re allocation of money saved..
Good signing!
It’s a good start, for sure. All around good deal. Now let’s hope they use the rest of it wisely elsewhere.
It is a good deal. It’s unfortunate given how they had to whore themselves out to Toronto in order to “be able” to sign a bench guy, and this likely results in them Vogelsonging themselves with someone else this summer, but it’s a good signing nonetheless.
This time next year the rotation will have Cole, Taillon, Kuhl, Glasnow, maybe kingham, another prospect, or sure maybe a vogelsonging in the 5th spot in the rotation…. I know you are a hockey buff, the 5th spot in the rotation is similar to the 4th line in hockey only the 4th line affects every game. Sometimes a 5th starter isnt even necessary……. And for crying out loud vogelson is the least of the pirates problems (the more you say it the less credibility you get around here). cutch, liriano, cole, are the reason they are on the outside looking… Read more »
Ah – so now we can compare the NHL and MLB. Got it. You know what else is like the 4th line? Signing a bench player / swing guy to a contract. And the Penguins never had to move a big contract and two prospect in order to have “financial flexibility” to do it.
stanch, just stop. You can’t compare 2 different sports. I was trying to make things easy and provide an analogy to something you actually can understand, a positional comparison if you will. Then you go back to trying to compare a cap regulated league to non cap. I think anyone here can agree a 5th starter is akin to a 4th liner…. When your entire team costs the same as 2 MLB all stars, not exactly apples to apples. So you can keep looking foolish driving home an irrelevent point that I actually agree with from the salary dump being… Read more »
Just for fun, I do remember a time when they kept a guy who should be starting in the minors for salary reasons. MAF, but it was before they were good so you probably weren’t paying attention, we understand you are a front runner w perfect hindsight!
Well, I’ve had season tickets since the early 80s, that I inherited from my father who first bought them in 1973. And MAF is 31, so….. And as pointed out to you before (I do love how you keep ignoring this), this had a lot more to do “money wise” with them being in a 50 year old arena with 8 luxury boxes, rather than a in a new taxpayer funded building which allowed them to put back into the team, rather taking 15 years of that pretty new stadium, crying poor left and right, and cutting a bigger shareholder… Read more »
blah blah blah, excuses are allowed to be made for the penguins (the building wasnt generating enough revenue), but TV contracts and salary caps are off the table. Crosby, the best player in the league, wouldnt even be the highest paid player on the team. 2nd behind cutch and just ahead of that “swing/bench guy” they just signed in Freese. Do you see how you hurt your own point there? Penguins spend sooooooo much, yet for the best player in the league you may get a good closer in MLB. Again, I AGREE PIRATES COULD SPEND MORE, but you can’t… Read more »
Why are they excuses. It legit happened. Like all of that is factual statements taht you throw by the wayside because you don’t like it, and it make your stupid cheap team look even more pathetic. And Crosby’s “cap hit” might be just about that swing bench guy, but his salary has been $12 million for a few years running – you know, on par with that Liriano contract that was such an anchor that they had to give prospects away just to make payroll, apparently. So, no. I don’t see how i hurt my own point there. As for… Read more »
they did what they promised and spent which is easy to do with a CAP. So yes more to my point Crosby at his peak is making what Liriano is making (so technically the Pirates invested the same amount in to their best player)….. thats how easy it is to PROVE WITH FACTS THAT doing what they promised is easy when the league puts a limit on what the team can spend… And legit tv deals are the difference maker between big market vs small market. You keep saying I am avoiding the facts. Let me put out a fact… Read more »
Let’s pick this up when the day comes where the pirates are in first place at the deadline and do not make that move to put them over the top. That is how I would run a team, put together a core that can win the division and add to that team to make them a world contender…. Not go for broke for a Wild card game where anything can happen, then become the Brewers who faded real quickly after taking their one shot way to early
Forget the Brewers – I like their patented move whereby they dumpster dive in the offseason and then sell off at the deadline to complete their self-inflicted destiny. “Oh – we did a shitty job in the offseason – guess we can sell off assets now and profit more.” The best part, lemmings like you still rush to defend that. Pure gold, Jerry!
yes they dumpster dive in the offseason and until this year managed to improve their record; They made the playoffs and traded hanrahan and everyone said same pirates back to losing, but instead went back to the playoffs the following year and after losing Martin and dumpster diving for cervelli everyone said the same thing as the year prior, they went on to have the second best record in baseball which before you say it I know is irrelevent because they still did not win the division, but then this off season they let Happ walk figuring cole and liriano… Read more »
Well, they made the playoffs one year – they normally just hit that play in game and lose in grandiose fashion.
THESAURUS STENCH! get one please, as you always say you are ignoring FACTS.. its post season which is a synonym playoffs…. and reading comprehension, if they didnt dumpster dive woooooooo they could have hosted the 1 game PLAYOFF! stop blindly saying spend more and get specific, does grienke put them over the top to win the division???? no…. Heyward????? no room in the outfield. a first baseman???? who was available to make up 17 games…. ITS JUST TOO EASY… now please continue to run in circles and chase your tail… lmao. seriously NOBODY IS AHEAD OF THE CUBS, we are… Read more »
Can you even imagine how much they could have improved their record by NOT dumpster diving? But no – you don’t – because you’re content. The Pirates are “good enough.” Being eliminated from a play-in game while you’re still looking for a parking spot – you’re content. Too easy! Shill.
What’s your point then? The Pirates knowingly lied saying they’d spend in order to steal a stadium off of the taxpayers? I’d probably agree with that. Sure – we can say that – Crosby makes what Liriano does. Although Liriano plays the game in a business three times as big as the NHL revenue wise, so tit for tat, Crosby’s paycheck is the equivalent of a $36 million player. Google it. PROVEN WITH FACTS. Nobody is asking them to pay $36 mil for a player. They’re asking them to not cry poor over paying the equivalent of Chris Kunitz. They’re… Read more »
Ill address by paragraph to simplify, Yes LITTLEFIELD/BONIFAY LIED. 2nd paragraph, thank you for acknowledging it is a business, profitable and making the playoffs, why would an owner change anything? nobody is crying poor, as someone who follows and understands (bc again you admittley don’t care about this team) why would you spend more to end up in the same spot at the end of the year? thats not whats best for business. 3rd pragraph, you say they are retarded, then say when it comes to making money (which isnt that what business do) they are smart, maybe your the… Read more »
Ah – only you can do the two sport thing. Got it. So good. Believe me – I understand things just fine. And honestly, I think you do as well. You just choose to take that information and be a shill. Oh – and Matt Cullen gets everyday time and had been great for a different team. The difference is – he’s a footnote, and you Pirate ball lickers treat the Freese signing like they turned the corner in some fashion. He’s a nice, complimentary piece that should have been talked about for 15 minutes. It’s a good signing –… Read more »
The Rangers – with or without Shattenkirk – are nowhere near a Cup contender, by the way.
And why does it have to be A Kevin Shattenkirk and not just Kevin Shattenkirk. Do Shattenkirks grow on trees?
As I said crosby called vesey and Jimmy asked if he can play with sid. Sid said I have my own line so you will be playing on 3rd line with the Russian. And that’s where the conversation ended
Vesey probably saw the writing on the wall that Sid’s best days are behind him. Probably watched that Caps series where Kessel had to carry them.
Or he just followed hockey from October to January and realized he doesn’t want to play with linemates that don’t try for 4 months at a time.
Yeah because Kessel was amazing in the season I think Doan had more goals then him
And Kessel had 14 more assists. Some of them were probably game winner assists. Whats your point here?
Go back to your pokemon go adventures you fat fuckk and don’t come back here
Mean.
He sure does get flustered quickly when you hit him with some facts….
Wait, isn’t Kessel the 3rd liner?
Damnit, make up your mind.
have got quicker