King Jemison's Penguins chat: 05.28.26
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King Jemison
12:00
Hey everybody! Hope y'all are doing well and enjoying this beautiful day in Pittsburgh. Let's get this started...
Joe
12:00
When will Broz get a real shot on the Pens, and I mean at least 20 games to see what he’s got? He and Avery Hayes are going to be age 24 at the start of the season, and if they don’t make it this year, they should be traded. Forwards who don’t play by 24 don’t have great odds of being anything more than AHL lifers
King Jemison
12:03
I think both of these guys should get a shot next season. And for both of them, circumstances have really led to why they've played so few NHL games ... Broz keeps getting injured right before likely call-ups, and Hayes worked his way up from being an undrafted player. They have both looked really good in the AHL playoffs. Hayes seems tailor-made to slot into a bottom-six role and provide some physicality and scoring. It's less clear where Broz would fit immediately, but this team could use some help at center, and he can provide it.
jwheaney
12:03
Do you think the Penguins will try to sign a top tier or UFA/RFA or trade for a skilled position player this off season? Keep up the good work Bro!!!!
King Jemison
12:05
First of all, thank you!! It was a fun season on the beat, and I'm excited to keep it going. I think the Pens will at least try to make a big splash. Dubas' end-of-season comments indicated as much. They have good-not-great assets to offer in a trade. But they still have so much cap space to add somebody. I would say a major difference-maker is more likely to arrive via trade than free agency. Dubas sounded weary to spend big money in what's a pretty weak UFA class.
FirstTimeLongTime
12:06
Hey KJ - I see the forwards that are locks to be Crosby, Rust, Malkin, Kindle,Chinakov, Lizzotte and Dewar. Other than that between free agency and trades anything could happen and we all have our dreams at different levels (Mathews,Wright, Pettersson, Robertson, Roberts etc.) Dubas is going to do his thing. But how many new bodies do you see filling out those 12 spots.
King Jemison
12:10
Going to skip ahead here, and then we can work our way back to earlier questions. I agree that the players you listed are all locks. I also think Elmer Soderblom has a role on this team. I am not as impressed with Tommy Novak, but he still seems more likely than not to be in the rotation. I would be pretty surprised if two of Rutger McGroarty, Avery Hayes, Ville Koivunen and Tristan Broz are not regular parts of the lineup. So if I'm doing my math right, that would only leave 1 new spot. But you need more than 12 forwards anyway, and some of those younger players could be used in a trade to add someone new. So it will probably be more than one fresh face, and Dubas could go crazy to make it quite a few more. Sorry for the roundabout answer!
Patrick from Peters Township
12:11
Besides resigning their own players (Shea, Chinakhov, etc) who are some players available in Free Agency you could see the Pens targeting?
King Jemison
12:13
I don't think they will be super aggressive in free agency, not that there are many UFAs to get very excited about anyway. But an RFA that I think makes sense for them is Mavrik Bourque in Dallas. He fits the mold of talented players in their mid-20s that Dubas has targeted. The Stars will have a hard time keeping him assuming they re-sign Robertson. I also think Mason Marchment is a UFA to keep an eye on. Dubas said trading him away from Toronto was his biggest regret!
David
12:14
RUST - Crosby- Rackell Malkin-Kindle Chinakhov Zonnon- Novak- Broz Hayes - Lozitte- Dewer Soldenblom - Koivunen- McGroaty-
King Jemison
12:16
That's not a bad group of 15 forwards, though it's hard to imagine that roster outperforming this year's team ... I'd be very surprised if Zonnon makes the NHL roster out of camp. As ready as he's looked in Wilkes, he's still quite young, and I think spending the first part of the season in the AHL would probably help him. If he's awesome in camp, that's a good problem to have. It's hard to say who, but I bet there will be some shakeups from among that group, as well.
Clark from Virginia
12:17
Malkin just signed a contract with incentives.  How does he count against the salary cap if his salary is undetermined?
King Jemison
12:19
Good question, though I don't think it will come into play because I doubt they will spend all of their $38 million of projected cap space. As I understand it, they would not count against the salary cap next season. But if his bonuses would push the team over the cap, they would be assessed overage charges the following season. Of course, getting the full $3.5 million in bonuses would require winning the Stanley Cup, so I think they'd happily make that tradeoff.
Alan in North Carolina
12:20
Hi there! My main question is…Why are so many fans and media members going crazy over Kindel? I like him and think he has a future and I get that he played well for an 18-19-year-old BUT people are literally comparing him to Sid when Sid was younger. Kindel is surprisingly good at the 200-ft game and so on but people act like he played like Jordan Stahl in his first couple of years. Also, can they get him a helmet that fits???
King Jemison
12:23
I haven't seen the Sid comparisons. If so, that's crazy. But the rational excitement for Kindel is more about how ready he looked as an 18-year-old. He was the youngest forward in the NHL for most of the season and yet was also a very reliable middle-six player all year. I don't think he will ever be a 100-point player, but he certainly could be Nick Suzuki — a player Kindel looked up to as a Habs fan and who actually just hit 100 points this season. It's quite possible that Kindel won't take a massive leap forward next season. But he's already very impactful. And he has Selke upside.
Bill
12:25
What FA's might Dubas, realistically, go after?
King Jemison
12:29
I talked about Bourque and Marchment above. Going through the list of UFAs, most of them are probably older players than the Penguins would like to add, except perhaps on short-term deals like they gave Mantha last season. Two 29-year-olds who were among the more productive players hitting the market: defenseman Rasmus Andersson (Vegas is going to be up against the cap) and Seattle forward Bobby McMann. But those are just guesses. And I think Dubas will be quite cautious in free agency. He's also going to have to spend some money to keep Egor Chinakhov and Arturs Silovs (RFAs) and Ryan Shea (UFAs). They're nearly certain to retain Chinakhov and Silovs. Shea seems more likely than not to return. I know he wants to.
Oh boy
12:29
RUST - Crosby- Rackell Malkin-Kindle Chinakhov Zonnon- Novak- Broz Hayes - Lozitte- Dewer Soldenblom - Koivunen- McGroaty-
King Jemison
12:32
I'll throw a guess out there for the forward lineup if the season started today. I'll go line by line. Top line: Rust-Crosby-Rakell. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. That said — Rust and Rakell will be coveted trade targets if Dubas decides to make them available. They're 34 and 33, respectively. I think they'll be back, but just because Dubas brought back Malkin doesn't mean he's not looking to make the team younger.
12:34
I like your pick for the second line. Kindel makes a ton of sense between Chinakhov and Malkin. I'll parrot that prediction, though I'll throw in a wild-card possibility: Tristan Broz. He's a heck of a playmaker and has the athleticism to keep up with Chinakhov. I could also see them starting the season with Novak here to try to replicate last year's magic. And if they were to make a huge move like a Matthews (which is highly unlikely), then he might slot in between the two Russians!
12:36
I would also look out for Malkin to slide down the lineup. Dubas' statement after the re-signing talked about "how his role will evolve." It's not reasonable to project that he'll be the same player as he was last season. It seems that part of the understanding the two sides reached is that Malkin has to be flexible with where and how much he plays — which he already showed this season with the move to wing.
12:38
Third line is where it gets tough. I'll go with Broz between Mavrik Bourque and Rutger McGroarty. Of course, Bourque is a huge wild-card there. Perhaps it's Marchment. Perhaps it's Avery Hayes for an all-WBS line.
12:40
Fourth line: Dewar-Lizotte-Soderblom. With Avery Hayes the first guy to slot in when needed. I'll try to write this down somewhere, and then we can track how wrong I was! But I see things pretty similarly to David/"Oh Boy."
Jim
12:40
Where do you put the chance of Rakell or Karlsson to be traded to enable the Pens to get younger? Thank you
King Jemison
12:43
Thank you for the question! I'll go with 25% to start the season. They're both more likely than not to be back, but Karlsson, Rakell and Rust are the three best realistic trade assets that Dubas has. He talked about how he knew he would probably someday have to be the bad guy and break things up. It doesn't appear that change is coming to the Big Three this year, unless he finds a trade partner for Kris Letang. Maybe he finds a way to get younger via trading one of these guys. If the Penguins are not in playoff position by the deadline, I'd put the odds over 50% that at least one will be gone.
12:44
I'll stick around until about 1 p.m. if folks have more questions.
12:47
I'll throw one thought out there that hasn't come up yet: I've been very impressed by Harrison Brunicke in the playoffs. His skating is superb. He creates odd-man rushes out of nowhere and isn't afraid to weave through the offensive zone with the puck. And it looks like his defense has been quite sound, as well. He's making a strong push to be on the opening night roster and stick around this time.
Floating around
12:48
With the cap room. They can probably sign another team's RFA. Losing a couple of high picks for a proven NHLer seems let an option for a team that has an abundance of 2nds and 3rds. Heard if the Dubas is willing to tick off the NHL by doing something like that?
King Jemison
12:50
Like your chat name, I'd bet Dubas is floating around a lot of conversations like this. I don't think he would be afraid to throw out an offer sheet at all, though the compensation gets pretty crazy for big-dollar contracts. That's why I keep mentioning Bourque. Pavel Dorofeyev
or Jason Robertson would be incredible, but Vegas and Dallas are going to prioritize keeping those guys with their limited cap space. That could make a guy like Bourque a cap casualty, either through offer sheet or trade.
Sweet Stan
12:50
Who will be between the pipes when the seasons starts?
King Jemison
12:52
It seems quite likely that Murashov and Silovs will be the goalie tandem next season. Dubas pretty much said that Silovs will be back and that Murashov and Blomqvist will be competing for one spot. Murashov has started every WBS playoff game thus far. That's a talented duo, but there's certainly some risk.
Jim
12:52
Do you expect Murashov to be the opening game starter?
King Jemison
12:55
Jumping off that last question: I could certainly see it happening. But watching Murashov in the playoffs with WBS — as good as he's been — he still has a ways to go to reach his full potential. He gives up some juicy rebounds that NHL skaters will pounce on. So I'll bet Silovs is the opening game starter again. But over the course of the season, Murashov could definitely pass him. It's not like Silovs doesn't have inconsistency issues as well. Maybe Murashov dominates in camp and makes it easy for Muse.
Floating around
12:55
Thank you for answering the last question. Been able to watch a few W B Penguin playoff games. Pickering has lot solid, not spectacular. Chance he's a bottom six D next year joining Bruenicke as that pair?
King Jemison
12:57
Of course! I appreciate the questions well into the chat. This is another good one. I agree that Pickering has been very sound, though he's injured now. That hurt the WBS power play last night. He's become a forgotten man among the Penguins' top prospects, but I wouldn't be surprised if he reaches the NHL consistently next year. On a somewhat related note, I'm a big fan of Finn Harding's game. Another solid but unspectacular blueliner.
JK in Jax
12:57
KJ, how do the players address you by name? Have they given you a cool hockey nickname like Jemmer or Jems or Kingy?
King Jemison
12:59
Funny question. I would say most of the players don't really address media members by name. It's not rude, they're just answering questions. Those who do — and I'll give Connor Clifton props as someone who consistently called me by name — usually just say King. No cool nickname yet, and I don't think I'll get one!
JK in Jax
12:59
At these chats going to spring up randomly or will there be a consistent day for them?
King Jemison
1:01
A fair question that I don't have an offseason answer for. They will probably be more sporadic between now and September. I plan to have another one in early July after the draft and initial wave of free agency. But I fully intend to make them a consistent presence next season. I'll probably alternate between mailbags and chats weekly.
JK in Jax
1:01
We need to come up with a hockey nickname for you then...
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