Penguins/NHL
Latest Penguins/Free Agency Buzz
LATEST
[Is Olli Maatta still in play for “amateur hour” Avalanche?]
[Daley to land a 4 year deal?]
[Preds eyeing Bonino as long-term Fisher replacement, Habs making big push]
[Multiple Clubs circling on Kulikov, evaluating medicals]
[Did the Penguins reach out to Girardi’s camp?]
— Unless each side is trying to keep things dead quiet for whatever reason, there continues to be no indications the Penguins are pursuing Joe Thornton or are going to be a player for him.
A big time market has evolved for him and teammate Patrick Marleau. If it’s not going to happen in San Jose, some chatter the two would still love to finish their careers together and try to be a packaged deal somewhere else but that would be difficult.
One executive mentioned Toronto as the one team that could potentially pull it off (a destination where both players would go) and go all-in with many of their top young guys still on their rookie deals.
Thornton wants a three year deal but the belief is he’s going to land a 2 year deal in the $6.5 million per range if he decides to leave San Jose.
There’s a lot of contenders willing to gamble on him for two years.
— Nick Bonino and Chris Kunitz are not the only Penguins off a back-to-back Stanley Cup champion in high command.
Defenseman Trevor Daley is a popular person on the market.
A wide range of teams (10) have reached out to Daley since the free agency window opened with the Sabres, Red Wings, Devils, Maple Leafs [hide] and Bruins among five teams making a hard push.
Daley plans to cut his list down to 3-4 teams within the next day.
He’s going to land at least a three year deal. One Penguin source said don’t be shocked if he gets four years.
If Daley returns to Pittsburgh, he would be taking a significant discount based on how his market is evolving.
— A strong mutual interest between Nick Bonino and the Nashville Predators who have keen on Bonino as their long-time replacement for Mike Fisher. Nashville’s been in hot pursuit of him since the free agent window has opened and have made Bonino’s final list but if ends up in Nashville, I think he’ll be turning down some bigger offers elsewhere, which is certainly possible to play out.
I continue to hear Montreal is going to throw big money at both Bonino and Martin Hanzal and see if they can land one of them.
Bonino was considering taking two visits before Saturday.
Buffalo has been a team on the outside trying to also lineup a visit.
— Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov is one of the more interesting blueliners on the market. This was a pretty good defenseman prior to last season where a back injury wrecked his season and some feel the Sabres season.
He’s only 26 and 13 clubs including the Penguins made contact since Sunday and lot of clubs are investigating the medicals.
Pittsburgh liked Kulikov a lot at the deadline but they got intel his back was so bad that weren’t willing to offer more than a conditional fourth round pick and Tim Murray stubbornly wouldn’t move Kulikov for anything other than a second round pick.
Kulikov’s agent Mike Bogdan tells me the back is fully healed and no teams have expressed concern to this point.
“Teams that we are talking to are doing their due diligence on the injury and I haven’t heard any concern going forward,” Bogdan told Inside Pittsburgh Sports.
My sense is the Penguins would have interest in a one-year, build your value up type contract but it sounds like Kulikov has better options elsewhere.
More Buzz
— One rumor making the rounds today is the Penguins checked in on Dan Girardi who was recently bought out. Though, Mike Sullivan is said to be a strong admirer of Girardi, I’m hearing for now there might have been a discussion through talks with the agent (who reps Girardi) about a player on the Penguins roster they are trying to resign but nothing more than that.
Fire up the Matt Duchene Rumors Again?
— The Penguins as widely noted here in February went hard after Matt Duchene but never got close to acquiring him despite putting Olli Maatta in play.
Until today, It’s been crickets on Duchene.
A Penguins source says dealing with the Avalanche prior to the deadline was like “amateur hour” where Joe Sakic has frustrated many teams including the Penguins in talks.
It’s believed the Penguins have not re-engaged much with Colorado since the winter, other than making it known to Colorado at the trade deadline, ‘that if you want to have a serious discussion we’ll be open to it in the summer.’
NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman threw out the Duchene possibility again in his 30 thoughts segment:
[15. “Low-key Matt Duchene possibility: Pittsburgh. The Penguins have circled around him before. Both Glen Sather and Phil Jackson (before he decided to ruin the Knicks) talked about adding new players to championship teams. You prevent a staleness, and if the newcomer is popular, the group rallies around them so they can win, too. Everyone’s frustrated: Colorado GM Joe Sakic, Duchene and agent Pat Brisson. Could Olli Maatta plus more pieces get the Penguins into this?”]
I asked around about Duchene during the week of the draft and some feedback was if the Penguins re-entered the mix, what the Penguins were willing to offer in February would be less now.
However, maybe things reach the stage where Duchene eventually falls into the Penguins lap like Kessel did. It is mindboggling to other clubs that Duchene hasn’t been moved. [/hide]
“I heard of ‘Dushane’, the Pens should get him.”
LAME has a “Dushane” jersey.
Out of curiosity, without yoda here to scream blow it up, are you gonna jump back on that for us samdiego? You were, of course, riding that train almost as long as yoda
#housewife
Computer programmer.
I am still at a loss as to where you came up with this. I know you’re a moron but this is just odd. Besides, even if I was a programmer what would be the insult?
If you had to wear one jersey with another man’s name on the back who would it be?
Your mothers
computer programmers make a shi* load of money……and wearing a jersey will never be “gay” some of us are comfortable enough in our sexuality that wearing another mans name on our back to show support of a team isnt going to make us want to have sex with them…..are you the new retard?
The offseason is for guys that wear replica game jerseys with another man’s name on the back.
So fuckoff for several months… spends years coming to the rescue of a moron on a pay site, gets weird about NHL marketing
He doesn’t know anything about anyone outside of Pittsburgh, which is why he doesn’t like it. During the season, he is at least able to see scores, which allows him to blame goaltending for all the losses.
Same hijack your account? That was incomprehensible.
Only for you.
With yoda gone and unable to draw fire I imagine malorons comments will stick out more.
so, that’s a yes … how many jerseys?
Seriously, we don’t need you crying like a fucken ***** over a massive piece of NHL revenue because you find it weird. No one gives a ****.for years you rode in like a white knight defending one of the biggest idiots online in a homoerotic manner yet wearing a jersey seems to be where you draw the line? It’s pathetic that it’s an issue for you. Don’t like it, don’t buy em. Problem solved. End of the day you’re still not as far from yoda as you like to pretend which should burn you up because even you have to… Read more »
So easy to hook the Angry Little Man. ALM.
You’re a clown, you really are. An attention whore, nothing more. Like yoda, like Sam… you open your mouth and say very little except “look at me, I’m a fucken idiot”. Really, with yoda finally gone we are almost free of the same broken record bullshit that has existed for years. Why are you even here? No one cares for Your posts, no one gives a shit about how much you don’t like hockey jerseys, no one is interested in how little you care about the post season. Leave, go find your bum buddy… he’s no longer posting so he… Read more »
Plus or minus 6 jerseys, just answer the question ALM.
So that’s what, 4-5 jerseys? Who’s name is on the back?
What’s Duchene like as a penalty killer? With your top 2 centers being Malkin and Crosby and not being used on the PK, being a top penalty killer is a must for our 3C.
The better question is would he be a guy you root for? Because you said you don’t root for the team just the players. That was a Yoda like comment. Sam gave you a thumbs up I bet.
Don’t matter because unless Sakic will eat a third of the salary it’s a move that doesn’t make sense
All the positive thumbs have been downgraded… we had a lot of good actual hockey talk today and it’s no surprise based on the absence of two… one of which is clearly lurking with his accounts and is likely to make his presence known shortly I imagine
I’ve barely been on this site. Does Yoda still post or did he “kill himself off” like he said he would?
He has actually been quiet since he martyred himself in a bizarre “i told ya so” type exit which was full of the same deluded rhetoric we usually see. Things have slowly been returning to actual discussion since… all that is left is the sammich but he has been scarce the last couple days and we again see more hockey related chatter.
I have no doubt he moved to Vegas.
I bet he’s sitting on an inflatable donut at the Cromwell right now playing $5 blackjack, bitchingg about how high the table limit is.
Just killing time waiting for Maloron to give him that full BJ he’s been giving him virtually for years out here
Thornton to sign with LA on Saturday.
Condon signed in Ottawa – 3 years, $7.2M – $2.4M AAV
He wants to be a starter lol
You mean condom.
Hilarious.
4.35 per for Brendan Smith. Schultz is gonna get paid.
He was a UFA… little more negotiating power here
Agreed but I’ll still be surprised if they get him signed for under 4.25M-4.5M, I think he would stand a good chance of getting close to that through arbitration if it goes that far.
I wouldn’t be surprised – I’d be downright floored. Schultz is getting between $4.5 and $5.5M
Agreed, I had him at min 5 myself but in comparison to Smith it’s fair
and that number is far too much for Schultz. Del Zotto or Girardi may be cheaper if they wanna chase cups. Id offer 4 per but I wouldn’t feel to good about having him and Maata at 4 per. and to think we got letang at 7 per, could you imagine what he would command nowadays.
You wouldn’t feel good about having Shultz & Maata at 4M & 5M but you would be ok with Del Zotto & Girardi(who will both get close to that but on shorter term) who aren’t even half the players of Shultz or Matta? That’s Eric at his finest right there.
if were talking cheaper players then yes. maata was a hot mess in the finals. he got worse as the playoffs went.
I yet again, don’t understand how in the world Schultz at $5 million makes no sense to you with his 51 points, yet an additional $1M annually, + all the assets it would take to obtain him, make sense for a 41 point Duchene that was the focal point of an Avalanche offense, who also got significant PP time (which Schultz didn’t receive for half a year when Letang was healthy) – your “logic” just baffles the living fuckk out of me. Schultz is 26 years old. He’s worth every penny.
I wasn’t talking about Duchene. and as far as that chatter goes JR wont offer up near what he was before in order to get the guy. What I said was I just don’t see the pens giving Schultz that kind of money. he’s a rfa who needs a raise yes but I don’t see them paying him 5 mill per year. he is a good player indeed but I just feel like he is gonna want way more than were gonna pay and hence he will be gone. he hasn’t resigned yet so whats that tell you? id bet… Read more »
Sheary and Dumo also haven’t signed yet. Going to suck to lose all three, I guess. Per your logic.
those guys are the ones I would sign first. not that we were talking about them.
Why? Schultz is easily more important to the team than either of them. And it’s not uncommon guys to wait until after free agency starts to sign. And maybe Letang would get that on the open market, but he wasn’t much help to us this year and his health seems to take a different, yet horrendous turn every year. Schultz is an absolute priority and it’s not even a question.
Ya I fully disagree, the guy stepped up big when Letang went down. He was a bigtime performer despite a broken rib in the playoffs giving timely offence on the PP. He will get money from the Pens, At the very base of the argument there is nothing better on the open market to replace him
and I said if they wanna chase cups. they could possibly be cheaper.
Always this belief that player will simply take less money to play for a contender… while it does happen its the exception not the rule
what was said was they could be cheaper if they wanna chase a cup. nobody said they would.
Girardi is shit and Del Zotto is basically the same guy albeit not as good in the offensive zone
So since it was brought up below I thought I would go through and give a little list of the FA centers who will be available on the market and see who you guys would consider as replacements to Bonino & Cullen if they don’t return. Rowney could be an option as the 4C to replace Cullen if he does infact retire but I can honestly saw that I’m not sure I would really want any of the other available guys at the price they’ll probably command because the demand is high and the pickings are slim. Thronton Laich Fisher… Read more »
I know Sam Gagner is listed as a winger but he has spent alot of time up the middle… concerns are he is soft but he is rather skilled coming off a 50 point campaign at only 650M he possibly could be had relatively cheap. Thats predicated on the idea that we feel he could be capable as a C again… his FO% is near Boninos anyway
I just came back to add his name once I realized I forgot it but you beat me to it. He would be another in the category with Burmistrov & Grigorenko that I would consider on a reasonably priced prove-it deal but my feel is that with the market being so thin someone is going to take the risk and offer him a bigger deal(especially in term) once the bigger name guys sign.
Brian Boyle, more pluses, i.e., size, PK, defense, some scoring
Brian Boyle as the 3C on a team that’s trying to win another championship? Boyle at 1M to be the 4C is fine and dandy but he’s your 3C then you basically have ZERO chance of winning a championship and maybe not even a playoff team considering the Pens 3C usually plays 12+ games as the 2C when Sid/Geno miss time. Being that 3C is the priority, Boyle shouldn’t even be in the discussion until after the 3C is secured. I only added him to the list to show just how thin the C market was behind the top handful… Read more »
JR has a history of trading for overpaid 3rd line centers
true, but he also has a history of trading away brandon sutter.
He also has a history of signing Jordan Staal and Alex Semin to ridiculous deals that they’re not worth. JR has done a great job – he’s not above critique.
what is Ian Coles status? is he a fa or is he have another year left
Let me google that for you…
https://www.capfriendly.com/players/ian-cole
that’s a neat website. thanks
“have a neat summer” – winnie cooper
thanks Hillary
I think you misspelled ‘winnie’
Pens are in “high command”
Just noticed that too haha, Ds been drinking bath water again
If GMJR isn’t careful he’s going to back himself into a corner and end up in a position where he’s forced to overpaid to fill out the positions of need. As of right now Rowney is the 3C and they don’t even have a 4th C ready to play. Now I’m sure they won’t start the season that way but at what cost?
Free agency hasn’t even started and they have $20 million in cap space. Wtf are you even talking about?
Sheary: 2 – 3 Dumo: 3 – 3.5 Schultz: 4 – 5 so worst case they pay these guys 11.5 million (hopefully it’s worst case), leaves 9. So they need to badly add a blueliner IMO which could be another 3 – 5 depending on what they look at… I would argue closer to 5 based on the idea that they may wants a top 4 and a decent 3rd line C which could also run them 4 – 5 million in the market today… I would like to keep it closer to 3 but… This would eat up any… Read more »
Have you looked at the “available” list?
I probably should put you in your place but since zero already explained it below in a much nice way I’ll give you a pass this 1 time.
I think Rowney is the 4C at the moment, which turns into a 4W if Cullen returns. They still need a 3C.
If we are sending maatta that way, I’d be open to it. He’s overpaid, but maatta is too and duchene has a lot more upside. I wouldn’t be up for giving a whole lot, but then again, the value on duchene is at an all time low. Solves our 3c problem without opening up a new hole (imo maatta is easily replaceable and for much cheaper). It being for two more years is a double edged sword, but if it pans out, it would be a huge boost to our offense with malkin and Sid in their prime.
As long as they could still land a defenceman tho, it’s getting a little light back there otherwise
With that slim return Vegas got for methot, you’d think we could grab one of those guys off them and still have money to sign a free agent. Schmidt would be nice.
Vegas has said they’re keeping Schmidt.
Duchene > Bonino
Thornton > Duchene. Even at 37
Not if Thorton is looking for 2 years at 6.5 mil he isn’t!!! LMAO
He’s also coming off a horrific knee injury. A line of duchene, hagelin and rust would be fun to watch. Good luck catching them.
its 2017. He didn’t have “a horrific knee injury.” He had an injury that happens all the time. And yeah, all things being equal, Duchene is younger, faster, etc. but he’s also less productive and costs you a minimum of three assets, whereby joe costs you a pen from Staples, and whatever his salary is. Not close.
Guentzel Crosby Sheary
Kessel Malkin Hornquist
Haglin Duchene Rust (Love this speed here like you do)
Sprong Cullen/Rowney Reaves
Depth: Kuhnackel, Wilson, Aston-Reese
D: Letang Doumoulin
Schultz Cole
FA/Trade D and Pouliot/Ruwhedal and look for more D at trade deadline
G: Murray and Condon (FA signee) (Jarry on the ready)
What do you think?
This assumes we trade Matta and our #1 pick and the rights to Dayley for Duchene
I think there are too many questions on D, Condon had already signed before this posted and adding Duchene really presses the team up against the Cap. With 3 of the guys in the line up yet to be resigned we dont know what the total hit would be available to the team. Lastly… Sakic has yet to change his stance on playing the hardest ball you’ve ever seen so your trade scenario is impossible… which #1 pick are you speaking on anyway?
Even then, he costs you $500k a year more than Duchene and outproduces him!!! LMAO!!!!