OT: If not Letang, why Malkin?

[Dan1911]

Published reports are saying the pens and Letang are still far apart in negotiations. Let's say they can't/don't sign him. Is there any reason to sign Malkin?

The Pens would really be hurt by Letang's void on D. I would guess they wouldn't make the playoffs.

If that is the case (just my opinion) what point is there to sign Malkin? Why saddle yourself with an aging, diminished Star who is a huge liability on 5-5? None. Time to begin the rebuild. They'd have the money to sign Rakell, Rodrigues, a goalie and more.

We'd have at center:
1. Crosby
2/3 Carter/Rodrigues (if re-signed)
4. Bleuger.

I think a 2nd line with Carter/Rodrigues and Rakell is an improvement over a Malkin line without Rakell.


What do you think?

 

[hoclaw]

signing Rakell should be a priority

 

[Section 509]

I would love to see the pens sign Vincent Trochek to be our 2nd line ctr and rakell, time to let geno go we need to get younger

 

[JD1976]

Losing Letang would create a domino effect on the blue line that would be impossible to replace. The problem is he is 35 and has an injury history (though in fairness he was healthy and looked great this year). Giving $6-7m for more than 2 years would be a killer down the road. I don’t envy Burkie and Hextall here.

If Letang walks, you don’t necessarily need a right-shot D to replace him in free agency, but if that’s the direction they go in then the pickings are slim. The top guy John Klingberg will command $9m a year from someone — and that someone won’t be Pittsburgh. Tony DeAngelo might be available, but who wants his headache. Maybe the Pens could sign PK Subban for a year just to run the PP.

This is definitely a crossroads moment for the franchise.

 

[PittPharm2002]

Yeah / letang is the one to sign of the 2.

 

[redbyrds]

Letang is still really good but you guys are overrating him big time ala Big Mouth Mark Madden.

Pens won the cup a few years back without Letang. The time has come to put the huge amount he wants at age 35 into younger, faster, healthier, hungrier players. I hear he wants 5 years at $7.5-8M per. He is about to break down physically as all do in their upper thirties.

Same with Malkin. He takes the 2 year deal at our price or we move on.

 

[PittPharm2002]

Letang is still really good but you guys are overrating him big time ala Big Mouth Mark Madden.

Pens won the cup a few years back without Letang. The time has come to put the huge amount he wants at age 35 into younger, faster, healthier, hungrier players. I hear he wants 5 years at $7.5-8M per. He is about to break down physically as all do in their upper thirties.

Same with Malkin. He takes the 2 year deal at our price or we move on.

I think that may be fair - but Letang has played really well the last 2 seasons

 

[redbyrds]

I think that may be fair - but Letang has played really well the last 2 seasons

And we paid him well for his success. Now is not the time to pay the same type of money and years for when a player typically declines and becomes injury prone. 2 year $15M OK. 5 year deal must be with declining salaries as he ages. Word is he wants guaranteed now that his performance level will maintain for 5 years.

 

[The Ole Six-Fiver]

Playing devils advocate, they may feel they need one or both of those guys to buttress Crosby as a regular season attraction, especially in the event that Crosby (again not getting any younger) goes down for significant periods. I really only pay attention in the playoffs either way, but the team needs to provide reasons for sustained interest and attention from sufficient numbers through the whole season, both season ticket purchases and walk ups. Say Crosby gets hurt and misses a few weeks, I don’t know there’s sufficient star power for the average fan to make the effort to attend a Tuesday night game in February without these two.

 

[h2p_5150]

Published reports are saying the pens and Letang are still far apart in negotiations. Let's say they can't/don't sign him. Is there any reason to sign Malkin?

The Pens would really be hurt by Letang's void on D. I would guess they wouldn't make the playoffs.

If that is the case (just my opinion) what point is there to sign Malkin? Why saddle yourself with an aging, diminished Star who is a huge liability on 5-5? None. Time to begin the rebuild. They'd have the money to sign Rakell, Rodrigues, a goalie and more.

We'd have at center:
1. Crosby
2/3 Carter/Rodrigues (if re-signed)
4. Bleuger.

I think a 2nd line with Carter/Rodrigues and Rakell is an improvement over a Malkin line without Rakell.


What do you think?

I don't think we need to bring either guy back but if the plan is for Jeff Carter to be our 2nd center next year we might as well trade #87. Carter looked his age last year- asking him to play more minutes would be a disaster.

 

[PittPharm2002]

I don't think we need to bring either guy back but if the plan is for Jeff Carter to be our 2nd center next year we might as well trade #87. Carter looked his age last year- asking him to play more minutes would be a disaster.

Yeah he’s a 3rd liner at best

 

[HailToPitt725]

I’m still holding out hope they can re-sign both. I think they should prioritize Letang because I believe Malkin can be had for much less. I’d be fine with 2-3 year deals for both of them, nothing more than that.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

I still don't understand why Hextall was compelled to bring back Carter at $3.8 million over the next two seasons. I mean, if there was ever a need to get younger, that was it.

Personally, I would not resign Geno. I mean what is the definition of insanity, if you lost 5 straight playoff series, why would you bring back the entire core who was part of this?

Vancouver has some issues, JT Miller will be an UFA next year, I would see if you could move a John Marino and maybe a Samuel Poulin to Vancouver for Miller.

I would try and resign Letang, but term is important, I ain't going 5-6 years, especially with an NTC clause. I would look at resigning Rackell if the price is right.

I would tell Sullivan in no uncertain terms, PO Joseph is getting a promotion and you will play him. You need guys on entry level contracts.

I would upgrade backup goalie also.

I don't have that much faith in Hextall. While Rutherford was ridiculously overreactive to everything, Hextall seems to be asleep most of the time.

 

[HailToPitt725]

I still don't understand why Hextall was compelled to bring back Carter at $3.8 million over the next two seasons. I mean, if there was ever a need to get younger, that was it.

Personally, I would not resign Geno. I mean what is the definition of insanity, if you lost 5 straight playoff series, why would you bring back the entire core who was part of this?

Vancouver has some issues, JT Miller will be an UFA next year, I would see if you could move a John Marino and maybe a Samuel Poulin to Vancouver for Miller.

I would try and resign Letang, but term is important, I ain't going 5-6 years, especially with an NTC clause. I would look at resigning Rackell if the price is right.

I would tell Sullivan in no uncertain terms, PO Joseph is getting a promotion and you will play him. You need guys on entry level contracts.

I would upgrade backup goalie also.

I don't have that much faith in Hextall. While Rutherford was ridiculously overreactive to everything, Hextall seems to be asleep most of the time.

I agree with most of this, particularly about playing young guys on entry level deals, but I think ‘keeping Letang and Malkin’ and ‘remaking the roster’ can be mutually exclusive. A good example that comes to mind is how Rutherford radically changed the roster around the ‘core four’ in his first two seasons. The only way I see Malkin interfering with that initiative is if his contract limits the ability to change the roster.

 

[dk16000]

Who are the young guys that we are going to play on entry level deals?

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

Who are the young guys that we are going to play on entry level deals?

 

[JD1976]

Who are the young guys that we are going to play on entry level deals?

Not many options, but PO Joseph and Drew O’Connor seem like they are ready to assume regular roles. Beyond that… not much.

 

[Pittisit4me]

They are just too damn old. I would not sign Rodriguez for anything. He cost them the Rangers series with that dumb retaliatory penalty in game 5. It was over until he did that. It doesn't matter what they do, the window has closed. Had they had a decent goalie or healthy goalie either of the last two seasons, there is no telling how far they go. That is what needed addressed. It is frustrating as hell losing multiple playoff series when you are the better team.

 

[wbrpanther]

Published reports are saying the pens and Letang are still far apart in negotiations. Let's say they can't/don't sign him. Is there any reason to sign Malkin?

The Pens would really be hurt by Letang's void on D. I would guess they wouldn't make the playoffs.

If that is the case (just my opinion) what point is there to sign Malkin? Why saddle yourself with an aging, diminished Star who is a huge liability on 5-5? None. Time to begin the rebuild. They'd have the money to sign Rakell, Rodrigues, a goalie and more.

We'd have at center:
1. Crosby
2/3 Carter/Rodrigues (if re-signed)
4. Bleuger.

I think a 2nd line with Carter/Rodrigues and Rakell is an improvement over a Malkin line without Rakell.


What do you think?

They should have dumped Malkin 3 years ago and they should sign Letang yesterday.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

They are just too damn old. I would not sign Rodriguez for anything. He cost them the Rangers series with that dumb retaliatory penalty in game 5. It was over until he did that. It doesn't matter what they do, the window has closed. Had they had a decent goalie or healthy goalie either of the last two seasons, there is no telling how far they go. That is what needed addressed. It is frustrating as hell losing multiple playoff series when you are the better team.

It's not just that, it is just the same old same old. It's stale. The Pens have gotten stale. They need different players as simple as that sounds.

 

[Pittisit4me]

It's not just that, it is just the same old same old. It's stale. The Pens have gotten stale. They need different players as simple as that sounds.

I wouldn't mind a different head coach as well.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

I wouldn't mind a different head coach as well.

He's a great coach. As is Tomlin. Neither would be unemployed for an hour if fired by their own choosing. But both guys also may have their "term limits" expired with their current teams.

 

[dk16000]

He's a great coach. As is Tomlin. Neither would be unemployed for an hour if fired by their own choosing. But both guys also may have their "term limits" expired with their current teams.

I like Sullivan better than Tomlin.