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Matt Vensel's Penguins chat: 05.21.20
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Matt Vensel
11:18
Good afternoon, Penguins fans. Hope you are all staying safe and sane. Excited to talk hockey today, especially with signs that a playoff format could be agreed upon in the coming days. We'll get today's chat started at noon. In the meantime, feel free to send over any questions you've got. I'll try to get to all of them today. Talk to you then.
11:59
Alright, folks. The kids are in the bounce house and I've grabbed a cold can of Diet Coke. Let's get started. Fire away.
PM
11:59
Hey Matt! Hope all is good! As it right now, it seems like the playoffs will happen and the Pens will end up facing the Canadiens. Assuming we have a healthy team, what is your lineup look like? Also, do you give Murray or Jarry the nod?
Matt Vensel
12:02
PM, thanks for the question. In case anyone needs context, the NHL and NHLPA appear to be close to finalizing a playoff format that would include 24 teams. In that format, the Penguins would have a "play-in" series against the Canadiens that could be five games. If they survive that, they would play Philly. Nothing is set in stone and a second wave of COVID-19 outbreaks could thwart their plans. But that's reportedly what they've been focused on this week.
12:03
As for the lineup, a few days ago I laid out some of the questions Mike Sullivan and Co. must be pondering right now and it tackles a lot of lineup stuff in there. Here's the link: https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/penguins/2020/05/19/Pittsburgh-Pen...
12:04
Some highlights of that: Jake Guentzel is expected to play with Sidney Crosby, Matt Murray is probably the guy in goal for Game 1 (and I agree with that) and I don't expect any surprises on D.
Chief Powhatan
12:06
Could a healthy Jake Guentzel be the difference in winning another Stanley Cup?
Matt Vensel
12:07
I do not have a crystal ball, but obviously getting an All-Star back is a good thing. It remains to be seen if Jake will truly be 100% if and when the season resumes. He had major surgery and it's been a long layoff. But even if he's 80% of his old self, that gives the Pens a pretty strong nucleus up front. Only a few teams can match the top-end talent they have in Crosby, Jake, Jason Zucker, Evgeni Malkin, etc.
Snack
12:08
What do you make of Bjugstad? One on end, I see them wanting to hold onto him for another season to really give him a real chance at that 3C position, but it might affect the cap. On the other end, I could see them moving him for a 4th (similar to the Namestnikov, Scandella, Frolik deals) and getting just north of $4M in cap freed up.
Matt Vensel
12:11
Snack, he's a massive question mark. I like Bjugstad's game a lot despite so-so production prior to this injury-riddled season. But it's fair to wonder how he fits here in the short term and long term. He's not exactly fast or hard-nosed. Which is not a knock on him. I just don't know if he meshes with the way the Pens want to play. He should be ready to roll for the playoffs and I'm curious to see where he plays. Is he the third-line center? Does he move to the wing? Is he a healthy scratch? How all that plays out will no doubt crystallize how the team feels about him heading into the offseason. If Nick still struggles, I don't know how much trade value he'll have.
Robbo
12:12
Whether they can get it done via trade or FA, what seems to be the most concerning need for the Pens? A 3rd line center, a natural RW for Sid or a depth 3rd pairing right handed dman?
Matt Vensel
12:13
Robbo, let's worry about the playoffs here first. That's probably going to impact the team's offseason decision-making, don't you think?
Pat
12:14
Recent reports have said that Jarry has similar value to Grubauer and he could fetch a late first. If there is no CBO, do you think the Penguins should try and throw JJ in with one of the goalies and lower their return?
Matt Vensel
12:19
Pat, I have not seen these reports that you're referring to. But I could see why one would speculate that Colorado's Philipp Grubauer is a comparable player. Now, Tristan entered the NHL with a better pedigree and more talent. And Grubauer had three seasons as a backup under his belt before the Capitals traded him to the Avalanche. But the situations are similar for sure. I could definitely see a team dangling a late first-round pick or an early second for the right goalie. The question is whether any team sees Tristan as that. It will be a buyer's market for goalies this offseason with a number of good ones available. We'll see if a team offers Jim Rutherford a deal for either of his goalies that he can't refuse. It's not out of the question that both guys are back to start 2020-21.
12:20
BTW, I took a deep dive into the Pens' goalie situation last month. It should be the story of the offseason here: https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/penguins/2020/04/13/pittsburgh-pen...
Bill M.
12:21
Matt, saw some press that suggests that defenseman P.O.Joseph has a decent shot at making next season’s team. Your thoughts.
Matt Vensel
12:24
Bill, I think they will give him an opportunity. We'll see what he does with it. He remains a polarizing prospect among media members who specialize in that area. But WBS coach Mike Vellucci raved about him last week when we talked about Pittsburgh's AHL prospects. For Joseph, the biggest question mark is whether he will be strong enough to play at the NHL level next season. Joseph, who turns 21 this summer, is a lanky kid who in the past had trouble keeping weight on. It certainly didn't help that he got mono this season. But he's a smart, steady player who you often hear get compared to Brian Dumoulin. I don't know that he makes the team out of camp next year. But the Pens sure seem to believe he will be a quality NHLer eventually.
Jimmie
12:25
Would it be worth it to deal Johnson by offering to pay a percentage of his salary in order to get a team to accept a trade for him? Which Pens player would take Johnson's place in the lineup?
Matt Vensel
12:28
Ah, a Jack Johnson question. It's refreshing that we are finally starting to experience a little normalcy around here. Jimmie, I don't know that the Pens will be looking to simply dump Jack's contract this offseason. Obviously, he has enough critics to fill several NHL arenas. But the Penguins are fine with him. He's a good leader, they value him on the penalty kill and they don't think he is as bad as publicly-available advanced statistics would suggest. Does that mean he's untouchable? Of course not. They almost moved him to Minnesota last summer. But I don't think they will look to just kick Jack to the curb at any cost unless the post-pandemic financial landscape necessitates it.
Chief Powhatan
12:29
How is the NHL ever going to figure out the draft?
Matt Vensel
12:32
Chief, the draft does still remain a major question mark. The NHL was pushing for it to take place in June, before the potential resumption of the season, because they wanted to take advantage of the spotlight with a captive audience and try to recoup some of the money they've lost. That was met with plenty of pushback from GMs and other hockey people, as it should. I don't know how you can hold the NHL draft, when so much of the league's transactional business takes place, with the season still ongoing. But I digress. The league has backed off a little and they're still sorting all of that out. It's my understanding that the players have to sign off on this, which could be something that is holding them back. We'll see what is ultimately decided, but I bet there is some kind of middle ground found.
Brad S.
12:33
What does Sidney Crosby do when he can’t do that hockey...?
Matt Vensel
12:34
Brad, are we sure that Sid didn't build a rink in his backyard within 48 hours of the season halting and has been skating ever since?
12:35
To answer your question, Crosby is apparently an avid reader with great interest in books about the history of war. He also likes the TV show "Peaky Blinders" and presumably others along those lines.
GPT
12:36
What's happened to Schultz between 2017 and now?  Sure, he's a little older, but he's not that old.  Just a case of needing the right partner to bring out the best in him, or injuries taking their toll?
Matt Vensel
12:37
GPT, I think injuries have a lot to do with it. After suffering that gruesome ankle injury a few games into the 2018-19 season, he was not the same guy when he returned. He was up and down in 2019-20 then suffered a couple of other injuries that slowed him down. Actually, the last actual hockey story I wrote before the season shut down was on Schultz looking to get his groove back: https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/penguins/2020/03/11/pittsburgh-pen...
12:38
Right around the time I filed that from Columbus, news hit that their next game would be played without fans. Then all hell broke loose.
12:40
Anyway, getting back on track, yeah, injuries have a lot to do with it but they don't explain everything. Perhaps we just saw Schultz at his peak during those two Stanley Cup runs and that level of play was unsustainable? He's really struggled defensively, but I do wonder how many points he could put up if he went to a team that tapped into his offense more. Kris Letang eats up a lot of power-play minutes.
12:43
One last thought on Schultz. To your point, he did really have excellent chemistry with Ian Cole. It didn't work with him and Jack Johnson (which, yeah) and Schultz and Marcus Pettersson had some rocky nights. So I suppose that's probably a factor, too.
Chief Powhatan
12:43
Do you think fans in Seattle deserve a nickname and team colors by now?
Matt Vensel
12:45
I understand why the Seattle expansion team pumped the brakes on revealing all that. The pandemic hit Seattle especially hard. But it's been a couple of months now. You think they could announce it now, right? Maybe I'm just biased because I'm a uniform nut and want to see if they actually plan to name the team the Kracken.
Anna
12:45
What are some of the most badass Crosby moment you’ve seen - on ice as well as off ice?
Matt Vensel
12:48
Anna, good question. Obviously, his accomplishments on the ice and generosity off the ice are well-documented. So I'll stick with what I've witnessed with my own two eyes in my two years on the beat. A lot of his giving off the ice is purposely done without media around. We often get emails from fans detailing the little things he does all the time. When it comes to the hockey stuff, I was there for that crazy OT goal against in Edmonton last season and a couple of his ridiculous backhands. But his performance in Montreal late last season stands out. He kicked a sputtering team into gear. https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/2019/03/02/Penguins-take-control-e...
thad5192
12:49
with the pens needing 2 3d line defenders next year [Shultz and johnson gone ] does a hornquist buy out seem likely
Matt Vensel
12:52
Thad, as noted earlier in the chat, I don't know that Jack Johnson is a goner. Schultz probably walks in free agency but I'm not ruling out a return on a cheap prove-it deal given the ugly financial landscape for everyone. As for Patric Hornqvist, that's the scariest contract on the team, not Jack's. Hornqvist is a warrior who should never have to buy a beer in Pittsburgh for the rest of his life. But with his age, injury history and YOLO playing style, that deal might be a huge problem in a couple of years. All that said, we don't know if compliance buyouts will be available this offseason. They haven't sorted all of that out yet. But with the team in win-now mode and Hornqvist coming off a nice bounce-back season in terms of his production, I would be surprised if he isn't playing for the Pens in 2020-21.
Ron J
12:54
U & Mike are so good on the pod cast . Do u think the 24 teams in the playoffs is gonna work ? I don’t like having to face Price !
Matt Vensel
12:55
Ron, thanks so much for the kind words about our hockey talk on the North Shore Drive podcast! We're actually going to record a new episode in a few minutes. So look for our hot takes on that later today. Appreciate you listening. Hope others check it out, too.
12:56
And on that note, I'm signing off. Thanks so much for joining me today for the chat. A lot of great questions. We'll do it again soon. Stay safe and sane out there. Hockey is on the horizon!
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