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Jason Mackey's Penguins chat: 9.14.17
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HB
12:56
I saw my boy sprong lining up on the left on the power play now is he more of a kessel and will wrist it or more of an ovi and one time it
Jason Mackey
12:57
He honestly may be a little bit of both. I saw him take both types of shots in Buffalo. If you made me pick one, though, I'd say more Ovechkin. But it's not by much.
HB
12:57
Was there a prospect challenge last year because I don't remember hearing much about it
Jason Mackey
12:58
There was a rookie tournament, in London, Ontario.
HB
12:58
If we got shenan id be disappointed because I thought we got rid of sundqvist because his offense wasn't what the pens wanted but one goal
Jason Mackey
12:59
Actually, two. Ha. He had a pair in the season finale. ... But you can't just compare goal totals. I'm in favor of the Sheahan move. I think it makes a lot of sense. A 3C in Pittsburgh is different than a 3C elsewhere because of Crosby and Malkin. ... Plus, Sheahan produced a decent amount -- in DETROIT, no less -- before last year. I would bet on being able to fix Sheahan, and if you can't ... well, you could let him walk after the season.
HB
1:00
goal over the entire season is ok (sorry i accidentally sent the first half of this thought/question)
Jason Mackey
1:00
Also, knowing he'd be gone if you wanted him to be, you could still pursue something in-season. That would take sending $$$ out, of course, but at $2 million and change, it wouldn't be crippling.
OHIO412FAN
1:00
Jason, with training camp in full sight now, who do you see making the biggest jumps to the NHL player wise, Aston Reese, Sprong, another prospect/player?
Jason Mackey
1:02
I think those are the biggest two, along with Thomas Di Pauli; he's right with Aston-Reese and Sprong, IMO. I think Adam Johnson needs more time. I think Teddy Blueger is close and could surprise some people. I'm curious to see whether what he did at the Prospects Challenge translates. ... Tiffels, Bengtsson, ZInk, Lauzon and Prow are a decent chunk away from what I saw.
OHIO412FAN
1:02
Regarding the third line Center gap, I'm hearing strong rumblings about Ryley Sheahan. How do you think they approach their third line Center moving forward? Possibly work with what they have and have Archibald take puck drops?
Jason Mackey
1:04
Curious where you heard those rumblings. ... Archibald won't move into center. As I understand it, Detroit wants to know they have with Andreas Athanasiou before making a decision on Sheahan. I've heard Friday for that. I think you could be looking at Riley Sheahan as a Penguin very soon. But it won't be Archibald. Could be Rowney. Could be Jay McClement. Could by Teddy Blueger or Jean-Sebastien Dea.
OHIO412FAN
1:04
Looking towards this upcoming season, what do the Penguins need to do in order to successfully maneuver themselves all the way to another Stanley Cup?
Jason Mackey
1:05
Stay healthy, for one. That's the biggest thing. And it starts in net, in my opinion, with Matt Murray. Other than that, they have the horses. ... They could stand to kill penalties better than they did at times last season, and they need to continue to get depth scoring to ease some of the burden on their stars.
OHIO412FAN
1:05
Correcting an earlier question, do you think the Penguins could work with Rowney, not Archibald, their third line Center?
Jason Mackey
1:05
They could work with Rowney, not Archibald. But it would certainly not be ideal.
MackeyTheKnife
1:05
First of all, big ups to you for taking the high road and showing a great deal of class in your comments about your former employer, in spite of him taking the low road. Your rational approach to journalism is appreciated in this "hot-take" world we live in. Hockey question: With Ryan Reaves' allegedly improved skating ability, do you see him taking an occasional shift with Sid and/or Geno? Sort of a message to other teams to not take liberties as they say. Thanks for the chat.
Jason Mackey
1:07
Trying to let the other stuff go. I don't publicly insult competitors, I have a tremendous amount of respect/admiration for Dave Molinari, and I don't make hiring/staffing decisions at the PG. That's it. Done. ... As for your question, yes, as odd as that might sound, I do. Do I expect him to have a regular role? No. But I think it might give a different look from time-to-time. I also think it might make the other team think a little bit if things are getting chippy. And I think the Penguins are genuinely interested in some untapped ability that Reaves may have. He's not going to score 20 goals or even 10, but I could see them flexing up into the top-six on occasion.
DW
1:07
Seeing Schultz doing a Q&A on reddit got me thinking-  what's your favorite Schultz Chug meme?
Jason Mackey
1:09
I don't have one, sorry. I think that stuff is funny to a point, but it makes me a little uneasy having a little guy of my own who was at that parade and will probably worship the ground these guys walk on one day. I'd prefer to not have the most indelible image of Penguins hockey for him be a dude chugging a beer in the middle of the street.
Billy
1:09
Puck Daddy recently wrote that the only true contenders to come out of the East are Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay.    Do you agree?   Still too soon for the Leafs?   The Pens went from a first round exit in '07 (like Toronto this past year) to conference champion in '08.
Jason Mackey
1:10
I don't think it's too soon for the Leafs. I have them in my Final Four along with Columbus, coming out of the East. But I think that Tampa's just a better team right now, regardless of when the Leafs will "arrive."
Dave
1:10
Is Teddy ready?
Jason Mackey
1:10
It sure looked like from everything that I saw. Who knows if that translates, but man did he look solid in Buffalo.
Lukas
1:10
Is Jordy Bellerive or any other ATO worth contracts from the prospects challenge?
Jason Mackey
1:11
I think Jordy Bellerive would be worth a contract, I do. Nobody else, though. I don't understand why Bellerive went undrafted. I think a lot of people don't. But after what he did in the rookie tournament, I wouldn't be surprised that he gets offer. Based on his love of the Penguins growing up and how they've developed guys, I think the Penguins would be Bellerive's preferred destination, but I do think he's going to get some interest from other clubs.
Steven
1:11
Any update/tip off on who gets the 2nd A? Letang would seem the obvious answer, but Hornqvist also has a history of wearing one in the league.
Jason Mackey
1:12
Right. I asked Sullivan last Saturday in Buffalo, and he told me coaches/management would make the call and that meeting hasn't happened yet. I'd think next week some time. And I agree with you. I think it has to be Letang based on the fact that he's going to finish his career here, was drafted here, is a franchise pillar, etc. Hornqvist is as much of a leader as anyone, but he's entering his third season with the organization ... and it'll probably be his last.
Jordan
1:13
When are the Penguins going to sign Bellerive to an ELC? He probably deserves it.
Jason Mackey
1:13
I would think soon. "We're discussing different things," was all Billy Guerin would tell me Monday when I asked about it.
Buzz
1:13
Any trade rumors? If give us some players name going and coming
Jason Mackey
1:14
I wrote yesterday about Riley Sheahan, but that was more than a "rumor." That was actual info from sources, people in the industry.
Dave
1:14
How long will JR continue this charade of saying he is fine with going into the season with kids and PTO vets as his third line center?
Jason Mackey
1:14
Probably until he gets the third-line center he really wants. What? You never bluffed before? ... And what do you expect to say? "Oh man, we're really screwed if we go into the season with kids and PTO vets as 3C options."
Jtown
1:15
Why so few offer sheets on rfas in nhl?  Are the GMs that scared to offend each other?  AA from the wings is ripe for the picking, speed is what the Pens want.
Jason Mackey
1:15
The NHL is an old league with old conventions, and many of its GMs are afraid of upsetting the apple cart when it comes to this stuff. That said, have you ever looked at what constitutes an offer sheet? It's highway robbery.
Dave
1:15
Who gets the first call up on defense when the injuries start?
Jason Mackey
1:18
Does Derrick Pouliot count? Sorry, couldn't help it. ... You know who has looked really intriguing at informal skates? Jarrod Tinordi. Dude's huge. And he can also skate a little bit. I think they'd also like to see what they have in Frank Corrado as well.
Guest
1:18
Jason, do you think Blueger has a shot to be third center at least to start the season? What does the team want to see from him?
Jason Mackey
1:19
Eh, that makes me a little uneasy. I think I'd shoehorn Rowney into that role first, then take what I get from Blueger. ... I worry about putting Blueger into a spot where he could potentially have Hagelin and Hornqvist as linemates -- assuming 59-87-43 and 17-71-81 -- and be counted upon to produce offense. Might be asking a bit much. I think it's asking too from Rowney, to be perfectly honest.
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