Penguins/NHL
The Perfect Storm
As the NHL draft kicks off tonight in Chicago, there’s still an after effect of the expansion draft.
Some clubs like the Pittsburgh Penguins got off very well with the expansion draft and some didn’t.
The Predators losing James Neal for nothing was terrible asset management by David Poile of the Nashville Predators.
The Senators losing Marc Methot for nothing was terrible asset management by Ottawa.
A player selected in the expansion draft can’t be traded back to their former club until Jan 1, so any opportunity to make a deal with Vegas is lost for those club.
Surveying some around the league, the consensus is the Penguins got off very easy.
Nothing against Marc Andre Fleury who Vegas has valued to make the early face of the franchise and he’ll be great off the ice for them, but Pittsburgh had nowhere to trade Fleury without keeping some of the cap hit or taking a bad salary back. That’s been the case for several months.
One NHL source says Vegas let Pittsburgh off the hook and it’s caught many by surprise the Penguins didn’t come out of this having to surrender a first round pick and at least an NHL ready prospect.
Everything broke the Penguins way in how this whole Vegas situation played out in the months leading up to Wednesday night.
The Penguins were of the understanding in late March that if the Colorado Avalanche [hide] were going to expose Semyon Varlamov, Vegas would be selecting Varlamov to make him the goaltender they would be building around and there would be no assurances that Fleury would be selected.
The Avalanche, though, indicated to Vegas in April that Varlamov would be protected and that started the behind the scenes process where Pittsburgh and Vegas started to set the wheels in motion that Fleury would be the expansion selection or would be traded to Vegas.
A Penguins source indicates Vegas asking price to take on Fleury was much higher in April than it became in late May.
Indications are Vegas owner Bill Foley started to became enamored with Fleury in watching how the Penguins playoff run was going and the personality he would bring to the team and the community. Foley met with Fleury in Washington during the second round and from there this was going to happen.
The perfect storm played out here for both sides, especially the Penguins who gave up a second round pick three years from now.
Draft Day in Chicago
The Pittsburgh Penguins enter the 2017 draft with six selections.
2017 Draft Picks
1st Round (31st overall)
3rd Round (93rd overall)
5th Round (152nd overall)
5th Round (155th overall, acquired from Mike Condon trade)
6th Round (186th overall)
7th Round (217th overall)
For a team that just won back-to-back Stanley Cups and obviously in win-now mode, quite impressive the Penguins still have a hold of their first round picks for the next four drafts and Pittsburgh came out of the expansion draft holding on to their 2018 and 2019 second round picks as trade ammunition for upcoming trades. [/hide]
Heard the Pens have traded their 1st.
Pens trades a brewin according to chris johnston
Keep seeing Ryan Reaves
Great inside Info during the draft. Not one thing about who the Pens should draft. Thanks, D. You fraud.
Montreal takes an American.
It’s good to see Mstatari and a few other new posters. Needed some fresh blood.
Ovi to Pens talk heating up
Still waiting for a draft preview article.
Why?
Anyone else put off by the idea the yodas probably just lurking and is simply thumbs downing his opponents with the sammich?
Not me. Since he lied and didn’t kill himself off, I ignored him so I don’t see his dumb posts anymore. And I looooovvvveeee it!
Caps in 5
Anyone else find it strange that Sam still refers to himself as Same 2 years later?
At this point no? I am more amazed he knows to spell his name starting with an S
Hes French. Everything about him is strange.
He’s gay too. They do some silly shit.
As same said fleury was traded during the playoffs they were just waiting playoffs end to tell the public. That 4thperiod site must be amazing. Right Stan
What did we trade him for? Please explain.
Also… he was “traded” March 1. Another swing and a miss, Sam.
Can’t be that amazing if it said he was traded.
Last you checked.
The craziest part… Fleury wasn’t traded for one and two you pleaded with everyone all fucken playoffs to believe you that Murray wasn’t the guy and the Pens need to keep Fleury as if he wasn’t moved yet.
Great, yoda fux off and the sammich takes his spot as the biggest liar on the page lol
Don’t forget, Dusty was there with him.
Another Overrated overpaid bust got traded good job Rangers to ruin Derek stephan
How weird is it that the Hawks traded a russian that makes $4.5 million less and averages 25 points more than Toews?? Most overrated…in history.
Stephan?
https://media.giphy.com/media/zGoih513CXrb2/giphy.gif
Anyone else get the feeling something big will happen today? We’re in in a win now mode with a first round pick and a ton of cap space. I’m hoping we can match something up with Colorado. I don’t like duchene and his contract, but Barrie would be an awesome land.
I’m with you on Barrie – if you can find a way to land a Barrie, Vatanen (if he’s available as he’s rumored to be) or a Trouba today – man will that be pretty nice.
I wonder if there are amy GMs that value maatta as a top 4 with upside. Pairing him with our first could land us something that would really help us. And yes to all those guys.
If the Pens could get on any of those three… wowza! Would be a great start on the road to try for three
TIOPS is #fakenews
At best. You’d think you’d get some trade speculation, from his “sources.”
Instead – “hey! let’s see how long i can drag out my Anti-MAF agenda!”
A rehashing of teh Fleury situation is a great article – no way i’d rather have a draft assessment or analysis of the trade market. Then again, I guess it’d all be bs anyway.
This is just the beginning of the Fleury updates. Bylsma has been gone for 3 seasons and we still get updates on his every move.
Fuckk. You’re so dead the fuckk on here.
Or we get them daily from Samantha.
all these people shocked that the Penguins didn’ thave to give up a first round pick – THAT’s shocking – not that Anaheim got to keep Vatanen without surrendering a first. The teams that surrendered a first round pick did so to sacrifice crap from their roster instead of a real player – we sacrificed a real player. The notion is asinine.
Panarin to cbj saad to chicago
So funny… That Toews contract is a killer. 55 points and a whole bunch of intangibles for 10.5 million.
I have no doubt he used some of that money to pay NBC to join the “all-time greats” panel with Lemieux, Gretzky, Orr, and Crosby. The only other plausible explanation for his inclusion is NBC has no effing clue.
Hey box score how is Parise and his contract.
“Hey Marc, great game. You’re carrying us. We can’t put two Fu-ing passes together. Oh, can you meet with the Knights after the game. Trying to figure out how to get rid of you.”
So, in the middle of the Caps series, when Fleury was carrying his team, he had a meeting in Washington with the Golden Knight’s owner to discuss his future. Seems plausible. I can totally see how the Pens would let that distraction happen.
That explains the sudden change in net.. preserving MAF after the deal was worked out. It’s all falling together. Sly dealing JR
Surprisingly good assessment. Didnt think you had it in you. Golf clap.
https://media.giphy.com/media/KsgLFgQp7Elj2/giphy.gif
Ive been saving it up for you Nippples.
Any intell on the RFA market?
Legitimate insiders have heard from multiple legitimate sources that this deal was in place at the March 1 trade deadline. So the Varlamov “decision” in April, and Fleury’s run through May had nothing to do with any of this. Thanks anyway, D.
https://twitter.com/pierrevlebrun/status/877711622718017536
Beauty… Lebrun is gospel! You’re out of your element D
Nashville rumoured to be in on Duchene in hopes he can turn things around there… which he probably can with good coaching and a solid supporting cast. This has apparently been discussed for a bit now, if you believe the rumours. This would also mean this is why Neal was allowed to walk… although it is hockey feed “breaking” so fwiw
You know what, on second thought, disregard this. Hockey feed is fucken trash lol
Too late. You posted it.
ok
GM GM stated after the expansion draft that their plan all along was to take MAF. The 2nd pick was essentially unneeded and stolen by Vegas.
That should have been called the extortion draft not expansion draft.
Bullshitt D! Every other outlet on the planet had Vegas quite excited to take a player like MAF as their starter. Christ the guy is gone and you’re still throwing dirt on him. Yoda didn’t die… he just killed off his comment section persona to focus on articles
“McPhee is going to be cut-throat at the draft” was effectively the commentary on the subject but we somehow establish he has a soft spot for Pittsburgh and JR so he gave the Pens a gift. Good grief man.