theathletic.com
Thank you.Mike Sullivan wants Penguins to acquire defenseman Jakob Chychrun. What about Ron Hextall?
Reportedly prized by multiple NHL teams, Chychrun could fill a short- and long-term need for the Penguins.
That's it. That's the solution!!!
Really… Talk about sticking your neck out…. All they need to do now is cut a few more players…
I agree that he’s a good coach. This team has not listened to the coach, any coach, for the last 30 years, though. In the years they’ve won, it’s largely due to the players’ own willingness (and by that I mean the stars) to dial back the flash at the end of playoff games, and grudgingly play responsibly (and physical). Most seasons, they haven’t been willing and they lose to far less talented teams.
The Penguins simply made the same mistake every franchise in every sport makes over and over. They stuck with aging stars who cost a lot of $$ and are well past their prime.
They also didn’t trust their fanbase to stick with them through a rebuild. They have 40 home dates to sell tickets and fill a building and sell concessions, and they must have concluded that not enough fans will do that on frosty January and February Tuesday nights unless they have guarantees of seeing stars like Malkin and Letang in the lineup. Who knows, maybe they’re right. As fans we forget that this a business, I guess. It’s not just about making the playoffs and going deep.
There certainly is an element of truth to this. This town has been spoiled badly when it comes to hockey and the stars we have had dating back to Mario in 1984. Anyone old enough to remember what it was like prior to his arrival can attest to the fact that it is a business, and you need stars to fill seats in the Burgh.
And everyone knew someone who worked concessions there (at least in the south hills crowd). We got tons of freebies. They eventually started counting soda cups and nacho containers. And even then there were ways around it.
