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Jason Mackey's Penguins chat: 6.7.18
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Jason Mackey
2:38
Hmm, good one, Kevin. I'm assuming you mean someone who has never been affiliated in any way with the Penguins. ... My top two would probably be David Backes and Blake Wheeler. ... Non-Penguins, of course, means no Cole, Fleury, Cullen, Niskanen, Orpik, etc.
RPK
2:38
Pens need some grit and toughness.  Will they get any next season?
Jason Mackey
2:38
Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised to see them address that.
TK
2:38
If Kessel was going to be traded, when do you think it would happen?
Jason Mackey
2:39
Either at the draft or that period of time between the draft and the start of free agency.
RPK
2:39
Does Simon live with Coach Sully?
Jason Mackey
2:40
Heard Simon left. Turned over his landlord, too.
guest
2:40
do you think Sully's decision during the season to sit Cole before we traded him had a negative effect on the locker room given how popular he was?   And I am wondering if now seeing Sully battle with Kessel who is also another popular lockerroom player to lead to Sully starting to loose the players?
Jason Mackey
2:41
He's not starting to lose the players, and I don't think the Cole thing had a huge impact on morale, although many players were perplexed by it. ... I do think Sullivan has a specific way he wants things done. And it works, so it's tough to argue. But guys who maybe fall outside of that way of doing things -- Cole, Fleury, Phil -- find it a little tougher here than other places. Not saying it's impossible; it can absolutely work. But the goofiness that exists in Vegas ... let's just say it doesn't exactly exist here.
Drop The Puck
2:42
I think the GM didn't have a great 2017-2018 season.  Several decisions didn't turn out so well (Reaves and Hunwick for example).  Better trades and roster decisions might have put the Pens in better position to repeat.  Thoughts?  Hoping he has a great upcoming season to help the Pens get back to the finals.
Jason Mackey
2:42
I think that's fair, but you shouldn't ignore Sheahan and Oleksiak. Those were very good moves. After what he did the past two years, Rutherford is allowed to give up a couple hits, no?
Guest
2:42
Do you see a Pens trade with LA for Kessel..maybe Toffoli or Pearson along with Muzzin/Martinez?
Jason Mackey
2:43
I don't think L.A. would be willing to give up that much for Phil. I also think the Penguins would like to lessen the amount of NHL salary occupied there, should they decide to make the move.
RPK
2:43
Do the Pens practice skate-bys?  They sure do perform a lot of them in the offensive zone.  Not a lot of forechecking of opposing defensemen.
Jason Mackey
2:44
Are you trying to be sarcastic here? I don't fully get the tone of what you're asking.
guest
2:44
Jason I want to applaud you for your patience, I don't know many Train questions I could answer so politely.......  last I checked this was a Penguins chat and your time is short and valuable....
Jason Mackey
2:45
Never want to insult the readers. You guys enable me to do what I do for a living, and I love it. Don't get the Train stuff, but I do try to have patience for the people who matter.
Guest
2:45
Do you feel that with the loss of a lot of the "Fun" guys (Flower, Cole etc) it effected the dressing room, that it got too serious?
Jason Mackey
2:45
Yes, I do. I think they could use a character or two.
MA
2:45
What are the chances Kuni comes back?
Jason Mackey
2:46
Fairly reasonable, honestly. He'd add a lot. They'd like him. He'd be affordable. But I don't have a great sense for what Tampa thinks about him, whether it's likely the Lightning want to bring him back.
MT Pen
2:47
If the Pens were to trade Kessel, what would you envision them getting as far as return? THX
Jason Mackey
2:47
Tough to say, but I think a high-level pick and/or top prospect would be key. And I don't think the Penguins would want to add a bunch of salary. A potential trade would be made to free up dollars, not add them.
Guest
2:47
What's the most unlikely friendship among the pens that you've seen?
Jason Mackey
2:49
Good question. Reaves and Sid actually got to be very close. That was funny. ... Also Sid and Olli. Kind of an odd pairing, but they spend a fair amount of time together.
JamesinNYC
2:49
I am not a Grateful Dead fan but must help you with these chats.  You have to be the calmest and friendliest host...thanks a lot.
Jason Mackey
2:49
Haha. Thanks, James. Appreciate you hanging out.
Guest
2:49
My point is that, yes, you can expect a PG/GMJR interview before the draft, and also, yes, he's awesome. Very insightful, funny, engaging. Love talking to Jim and how much he takes care of the beat reporters who cover the team. The Penguins on the whole do a very good job of treating the beat reporters who cover them.
Brandon Mciver
2:50
Hey do you think a max domi trade make sense for both sides and what would Arizona be looking at in return from Pittsburgh.Thanks
Jason Mackey
2:50
I don't think it makes sense from Arizona's perspective, to be honest. If I was John Chayka, Arizona's GM, I wouldn't do it in a million years. I'd keep Domi as part of my rebuilding plan.
LK
2:50
Jason you talk about trading Jarry I have a big concern since now we don't have Fleury, Filip Gustavsson, and Murray has never played a full season and seems to have injury issue. Doesn't that leave the system weak at goaltending since I don't see any other good ones in the system.
Jason Mackey
2:51
It does, yes, but sooner or later you have to take the training wheels off, in my opinion. What if Murray does play a full, normal season? Then you have Jarry, who has struggled in inconsistent work, and it could torpedo any possible trade value.
Guest
2:51
Say Simon resigns with the Pens. Does he slot in the lineup over ZAR? I’d really like to see ZAR get a full season this season.
Jason Mackey
2:52
I think he gets equal opportunity. I think we need to see camp and preseason and all that to see who wins out. But I think there's a job there for one of the two.
Brandon Mciver
2:52
Does Max Domi to Pens make sense for both sides
Jason Mackey
2:52
I don't think so, no.
Guest
2:52
If the Pens liked Kunitz so much, why didn’t they make him an offer last summer? Don’t you think the risk with Kunitz is that, while he’d be a pure upgrade to the fourth line, Sullivan will likely keep moving him up, as he did at times with Kuhn, Simon, ZAR? Sullivan likes to have lower skill grinders like he was playing up too far in the lineup
Jason Mackey
2:53
They thought they were getting Cullen and didn't want two old-guy contracts on the books. When he surprised them, he also kind of screwed them because Kunitz, having got no attention, did what he had to do. I do think there's a risk, but I think Kunitz adds exactly what this team missed last season, and he'd check both boxes -- physical player, veteran leader -- for about $1 million. Play him on your fourth line, and there shouldn't be a fan in the world who should complain about that. He's very valuable there.
2:54
OK, folks. That does it. Thanks so much, as always, for participating. Probably skip next week. Talk to you the week after that. Thanks.
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