Latest Penguins Buzz
[1. Pens, Sabres talking more than just Kulikov?]
[2.Yakupov available for a 6th rounder]
[3. Rust Latest]
[4. Julien lands massive deal]
[5. Fleury drops on trade bait list]
Multi-player deal being mulled?
Is there more than just a potential rental trade acquisition brewing between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres?
[hide]I’d put this in the unlikely category for now but one league executive tells me the Penguins are said to have looked into the asking price for winger Evander Kane as Pittsburgh scouting the Sabres heavily goes beyond just defenseman Dmitry Kulikov.
Kane, 25, has one year left on his deal with a $5.25 million cap hit.
Kane with 18 goals and 28 points on the season, has not evolved into the premier 30+ goal a year power forward many thought he would three years ago but Penguin scouts regard him as one of the best fore-checking wingers in the NHL and the organization has always been intrigued about Kane, despite the off-ice baggage.
While Pittsburgh has made Olli Maatta to specific teams, there’s no indication at this point Buffalo is one of them.
Nonetheless, the highest scoring team in the NHL continues to poke around at the winger market beyond Matt Duchene who tops their wishlist.
Yeo not a fan of Yakupov
— 2012 1st overall pick Nail Yakupov is a healthy scratch for the fifth straight game tonight and is available for as low as a sixth round pick, per NHL sources. St. Louis wants to move any salary they can off their books for this season even. Yakupov has 3 goals and 3 assists in 31 games and carries a $2.5 million cap hit. He is a restricted free agent at seasons end and surely won’t be tendered. The Penguins had some interest in Yakupov early in the 2014-2015 season but have not pursued Yakupov since.
Will Therrien emerge in Vegas?
Therrien/Julien is quite the surprise. All the messaging emanating out of MTL for last days/weeks has been no chance of a coaching change.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) February 14, 2017
— Despite all the chatter leading up to his dismissal on Tuesday, the Michel Therrien firing did come as a shock to many and even caught top NHL insiders like Bob McKenzie by surprise.
It will be interesting if Therrien gets another NHL look quickly as in the summer or is waiting a while for another shot. Opinions about him from General Managers are all over the map. Say what you want about the guy but he can build teams up quickly.
Vegas should be first in line but Golden Knights GM George McPhee is keen on hiring Jack Capuano or Gerard Gallant, the two front runners for the job.
Maybe things play out and Therrien ends up replacing Dan Bylsma in Buffalo within the next year or so.
Rust Update Coming
— An update on Bryan Rust is expected from the team tomorrow or Friday, a source says. Prior to getting a second opinion on Tuesday, the team had been bracing for Rust to miss at least six weeks, if surgery is not needed.
Julien lands major deal
— Coaching salaries are seeing a significant spike since Mike Babcock’s 8 year, $50 million mega contract with the Leafs, something Babcock had hoped would happen when he was a free agent in the summer of 2015.
Pierre LeBrun reports Claude Julien got a massive 5 year, $25 million coaching deal with the Canadiens that makes him the third highest paid coach in the NHL. Julien was making $3 million with the Bruins. Therrien’s salary was around $2.5 million.
6 Games for Nyquist
— NHL Department of Player Safety never surprises in how they rule.
Detroit’s Gustav Nyquist suspended six games for high-sticking Minnesota’s Jared Spurgeon. https://t.co/L7m2cxliA6
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) February 15, 2017
Fleury No. 20
Fleury drops to 20 on TSN’s Trade Bait List
1. Kevin Shattenkirk
2. Matt Duchene
3. Martin Hanzal
4. Patrick Eaves
5. Michael Stone
6. Radim Vrbata
7. Gabriel Landeskog
8. Ben Bishop
9. Evander Kane
10. Brian Boyle
11. Patrick Berglund
12. Patrick Sharp
13. Thomas Vanek
14. Anthony Duclair
15. Ondrej Pavelec
16. Dmitry Kulikov
17. Jordan Eberle
18. Shane Doan
19. Jarome Iginla
20 Marc Andre Fleury[/hide]
Yakupov taken 1st overall (2012) in 31 games and six points; Sheary not picked in that draft has 35 points in 42 games.
Is Kane an upgrade for Rust on Sid’s LW or Wilson/Kunitz on Geno’s LW? Absolutely.
#FatLivesMatter
Hey npl you slob
Is it too late to apply for Obama doesn’t care health care plan?
Sam posts “#FatLivesMatter” twice a day in every thread. #ValueAdd. Fat frog is so fat.
tonight, with st.bleury in, the pens need 4 to win! all hail st.bleury!
Low scoring games are overrated.
you mean “daddy” in. you little girl, you.
Fleury and Wilson for Kane and Kulikov. Throw in Pouliot if you have to.
throw in craig adams and there is no way coach dicksco dan could say no to that deal.
Ha. Good point.
Fleury would never want to play for that moron DB. Already Lehner getting fed up from that clown
Evander Kane’s speed, skill, and physicality would be a great addition for the playoffs – if he shows up.
You only want him because he is black and will help your black lives matter movement in Pittsburgh. We don’t need him or his arrogance in this team
Who’s “we?” We’re talking about the Penguins trading for him – not the Habs, chubbster.
Same is racist, yet hates racists. He hates bandwagon fans, yet he’s a Montreal fan who only roots for the pens because they win. He hates old players, yet he wants to bring in joe Thornton, and quite possibly, Martin St Louis.
As far as Kane goes, I feel pretty much the same way. His skill set and toughness, along with the possibility for 30 goals, make him a guy that could really help us. Downside is that he seems completely self destructive. He’s never been on a team though that has the talent and veterans the Pens have.
I think that’s a big consideration too – he’s also never been on a winning team- which can do wonders for your psyche. I’m really split down the middle on this one – i love what he brings on the ice – i’m worried about what he brings off of it.
Ya I cannot get around that either, granted winning could help adjust the attitude but I see a guy like this clashing with the other, established egos on the team like Sid, Letang and Geno.
It could depend on the asking price of either player. Both have similar stats, its a crap shoot. Kane only has one year left at $5.25M while Duchene has two more years at $6M. I’m leaning towards Kane because I think his cost will not be near Duchene’s, also the current culture of this team and HC will not tolerate his off ice behavior. I have to agree maybe being on a winning team with a winning culture can change him.
Jets were a winning team and culture he was a cancer dragging the team down
Winnipeg was introduced in 2012… they won 37 games. They won 24 the following year which would be the equivalent of 41 in a full season and they topped 37 the next year. Their franchise high of 43 was achieved in his last season with the team. They were hardly a “winning culture”. Winnipeg has been mediocre at best since returning to the NHL. They have never had a solid starter in net and that has been one of their biggest holes. Evander Kane is an asshole and may be hard to play with yes but your claim that it’s… Read more »
oh yeah – i can just remember all of the winning Winnipeg has done over the years. But when I think of winnipeg having a winning team and culture, i remember Dale Hawerchuk. Not Evander Kane.
Somebody thumbs down this fool already
Done… I am number -3 for ya sammich
Looks like several people picked the right fool to “thumbs down.”
-9. Whats your record again?
His attitude scares me. But hard not to like the talent and forecheck capability. I do wonder what the cost would be vs. Duchene. I like both players for different reasons, but I think Kane brings two elements Duchene doesn’t – one good – the other gives you incredible reason to pause.
I’m with you here, despite the skill set the guy comes with a ton of baggage. When you look at what he has actually accomplished I believe its holding him back. I really dont see a reason to chance IMO especially when the real concern is the back end.
Besided what this team really needs is an 8 minute a night nobody with career highs of 6 goals and 12 points. That will put them over the top, that and his bad penalties. Honestly its a shock they won last year without this type of a guy
And is a fraud often injured
If his stock is down enough, meaning no Sprong/ Guentzel/ 1st round pick sent the other way, you have to take the chance imo. Low risk, high reward.
He’d show up just like Hillary did.
I see Kane as more of a Trump-type. Stick him on Geno’s line and watch him follow the Russian leader.
Yup both conning and taking vacations we need more of those in the team
All hail st bleury!
I’m honestly surprised you don’t just call him “daddy” on here, given your history.
Zero, can you please come stand in the middle of the room and lead us all in the pledge of allegance.
More pure entertainment… thanks, you keep the board interesting with your dynamic contributions.
But you do know every word of “our” anthem don’t you.
I know quite a lot of it… guess that comes with being a sports fan and not a fucken idiot.
You know when you piggy back off of sammiches attempts to burn you look silly, then again you’re probably the biggest hypocrite on the board so I guess that doesn’t bother you much.
Apparently Lehner not to happy with clown DB. His days with sabres are numbered . That fraud will never coach in NHL again
But he is on the list…. lol
Justin Schultz 2016
Nail Yakupov 2017
If we are able to move fehr, I’d give up a 6th for him. He’s still young with a minimal cap hit
Yakupov is a bust stay away from that cancer
Same way they should have stayed away from Kessel the cancer, right?
And gone after Marty St Louis!
He has as many goals as jumbo joe.
2 of which were empty netters lol