Pens Off Season

[fractalsteel]

Might as well have a place to post/discuss the happenings now that golf season is underway.

The first news is the retirement of BFJC.
Had a great career. Hell of a player. Hex did this team a bad by extending him but that is water under the bridge.
Carter said is going to be a 'dad' for the foreseeable future but I suspect he will get a job with the Pens when he is ready to return to work. His family decided to move permanently to Pittsburgh this past Summer.

All the Islanders greeted Carter at the end of the game to shake his hand. I guess it had leaked prior. The Islanders also did a tribute to him.

Way to go out scoring a goal(from Sid) in your last game.

A funny story from the Nashville, Jersey off the players backs game the other night.
Mrs Carter noticed that her oldest son was missing from the box after the game when the players were signing jerseys. Someone pointed out that he was on the ice playing goalie with Nikita Malkin. Turns out that Nikita convinced Caden(sp) to join him on the ice.

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Team evaluations are coming. I'm hopeful for a overhaul of the coaching staff but suspect that only Reirden will be gone. If they bring him back...

[zeke5123]

When can we sign those kids up?

[Ice]

The (undeniably really fun) ride at the end of the season could be used as an excuse to rearrange the deck chairs before bringing pretty much the same group back, in as much as they're able. I'm ambivalent at this point. Getting the rebuild started has to happen at some point, but I've definitely got some serious post-partem Roethlisberger blues that tell me that maybe this nostalgia tour isn't all bad...

[Louis Lipps Service]

Todd Reirden has been fired!

[fractalsteel]

Todd Reirden has been fired!

The BB gun shot across Sullys bow. This should have happened in January. Franchise is so asleep at the wheel.

[fractalsteel]

Lottery draft tonight. Odds are we are losing our first rounder this year.
Would be great to have a shot at Macklin Celebrini. If you haven't seen his highlights go check them out. He is a wickedly good player. I think is some ways he is better than Bedard. Now go watch Chicago land him.

One more thing. Poulin signed a two year deal. So many Pens fans are excited. It is a yawner for me. I just don't think he is going to be more than a bottom 6 guy.

[bradshaw2ben]

Am I alone in thinking the price paid for Karlsson makes it a loser trade?

Nathan Legare, Jeff Petry, Casey DeSmith, Mikael Granlund, Jan Ruuta and the No. 14 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft for Karlsson.

I'll betcha the Pens' power play and GA would have been better with Petry and the #14 pick would probably be at least a solid NHL player for years to come.

IDK, I'll have to let it go but I didn't care for the move when it was made and thought worse of it as the season wore on.

[fractalsteel]

Am I alone in thinking the price paid for Karlsson makes it a loser trade?

Nathan Legare, Jeff Petry, Casey DeSmith, Mikael Granlund, Jan Ruuta and the No. 14 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft for Karlsson.

I'll betcha the Pens' power play and GA would have been better with Petry and the #14 pick would probably be at least a solid NHL player for years to come.

IDK, I'll have to let it go but I didn't care for the move when it was made and thought worse of it as the season wore on.

IDK B2b Petry never worked here. Ruuta was nothing like I expected him to be. Speaking of that i find it interesting that the Pens have gone out and gotten some mid range FA's who we hoped would offer what they did with their former teams but never lived up to that. Hmm...

Pensburg did a look back at the last 12 or so draft years last season and focused on the picks from 11-18, where the Pens found themselves when they held onto first round picks. Very few worked out to be NHL regulars aside from the bottom 6.

They will replace Reirden and bring most of the band back with a change here or there of no consequence. Still stuck on the mindset of being a tweak or fix here or there from contending.

I read that teams in this years playoffs can expect to profit 2-4 million dollars each home game. Mario used to talk about it when he owned the team and I think that drove him to make drastic changes.

[bradshaw2ben]

If it’s going to work with Karlson, they need to move him to PP2, where he can shoot the puck with impunity while the other 4 guys crowd the bet and look for rebounds/tips. Let PP1 go back to Letang at the point, feeding either Malkin one timers or feeding tic tac toe with Crosby. Karlsson isn’t a pass-first guy and it really hurt their chemistry on the PP.

[fractalsteel]

If it’s going to work with Karlson, they need to move him to PP2, where he can shoot the puck with impunity while the other 4 guys crowd the bet and look for rebounds/tips. Let PP1 go back to Letang at the point, feeding either Malkin one timers or feeding tic tac toe with Crosby. Karlsson isn’t a pass-first guy and it really hurt their chemistry on the PP.

Makes sense to me and it should be something given a chance next year. Will it happen? I doubt it after seeing how the HC handled the PP all season.


I'm still kind of in shock(if rumors are true) that they built the PP around 65. Maybe the shine of the new toy blinded the coaches.

[bradshaw2ben]

If it’s going to work with Karlson, they need to move him to PP2, where he can shoot the puck with impunity while the other 4 guys crowd the bet and look for rebounds/tips. Let PP1 go back to Letang at the point, feeding either Malkin one timers or feeding tic tac toe with Crosby. Karlsson isn’t a pass-first guy and it really hurt their chemistry on the PP.

Makes sense to me and it should be something given a chance next year. Will it happen? I doubt it after seeing how the HC handled the PP all season.


I'm still kind of in shock(if rumors are true) that they built the PP around 65. Maybe the shine of the new toy blinded the coaches.

We’ll, they certainly have 82 games of evidence that it didn’t work!

[Pabst]

Puusty extended 2 more years. Yay!

[fractalsteel]

Puusty extended 2 more years. Yay!

Sound move. Much more excited about this extension then Poulins.

I know, the Pens Are still invested in the former 1 pick.