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Matt Vensel's Penguins chat: 08.08.24
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Matt Vensel
11:03
Hello, hockey fans. Looking forward to chatting with you today. We will get started at noon. In the meantime, you can submit any Penguins or general NHL questions if you've got them. I imagine there will be one or two about a certain not-yet-signed superstar...
12:02
Alright, let's get this going. Only a few questions in the queue currently. So feel free to send one in if something's on your mind.
Sunner in Orlando from Lebo
12:02
Any chance Crosby does not sign an extension? If he does not, is it time for the "rebuild" to start?
Matt Vensel
12:08
For a bunch of reasons, I fully expect Crosby to re-sign with the Penguins. He has said many times over the years that he wants to finish his career here. He has strong loyalty to Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang, who signed back here a couple of years ago to try to win another championship together. Fenway Sports Group wants him to retire in black and gold. I'll admit I thought it would be taken care of by now, and I understand why some fans are starting to get antsy. (As an aside, the signing on his birthday thing was merely a fictional deadline made by some media folks and fans, not something that was on Sid's radar, obviously.) But I wouldn't worry about his status unless we get to training camp six weeks from now and Sid has not signed an extension. I have not spoken with a single person who doesn't think this will get done. So I recommend directing any anxiety towards the Brandon Aiyuk trade saga. Haha
12:11
As for the second part of the question, if Sidney Crosby were to stunningly tell the Penguins he doesn't plan to re-sign, it would absolutely make sense for the Penguins to work with him on a trade elsewhere, assuming he was receptive. Do right by a franchise icon and gather some assets for a rebuild. But, like I just said, I don't see this hypothetical scenario playing out.
Alex Rowan
12:12
Not a full fledged penguins question but isn't it a shame that nobody gave phil kessel a chance to get to 1000 points.  He is so close....
Matt Vensel
12:14
Alex, respectfully, Phil Kessel is not viewed as an NHL player anymore. No one signed him last season and he remains a free agent today. He hung on long enough to set the NHL's ironman record. That's quite an accomplishment, perhaps enough to nudge him into the Hockey Hall of Fame eventually. But I don't fault any team for not signing him just so he can chase another milestone.
Guest
12:14
Hey Matt. Any chance Dubas is working on a trade for Patrick Laine? Seems it is our only hope to acquire a scorer this year. Thanks Carl
Matt Vensel
12:19
Hey, Carl. Before the draft, I pegged Patrik Laine as a player the Penguins should go after. Thought he would make sense as a win-now piece where the acquisition cost wouldn't take away any of their premium future assets. He could definitely help their power play. But I don't know if the Pens ever seriously explored a deal with Columbus. One complicating factor was that Laine remained in the NHL's player assistance program, making it tough for NHL teams to get a read on his status going forward. He has since been cleared to return, but I would be surprised if the Penguins pursued him now. Making it work financially would be tough, unless they convinced the Blue Jackets to do a 1-for-1 trade with Rickard Rakell going back the other way, or something similar with another roster player.
Safety grunts
12:20
Anyone ever ask Sid and Geno why they are the only Penguins' players that have ear protection attached to their helmets? It makes sense to me that Sid and Geno would want to be protected - but NO ONE ELSE has ear protection. Is this super star = super treatment or super star = ability to play with a slight hearing disadvantage that no other player in Pittsburgh could possibly overcome?
Matt Vensel
12:21
This question made my head hurt. Moving on...
Guest
12:21
Who are the most likely players to be brought up from WBS this season ?
Matt Vensel
12:25
I actually did a piece on that a couple of months ago, identifying the prospects most likely to suit up for the NHL club before the end of the 2024 calendar year. Jack St. Ivany is the most obvious candidate. He has a good shot to start the season on the third pair. Beyond him are young forwards Sam Poulin, Vasily Ponomarev and Jonathan Gruden. If there is an injury in goal, we should see Joel Blomqvist. I had top prospect Brayden Yager low in the list I did in late April, because of the fact that he is ineligible to play in the AHL and would have to go back to juniors if he got cut. But I was not considering the possibility that the Penguins might give him a few NHL games first. Not saying it's likely or anything, but it probably shouldn't be ruled out.
Sunner in Orlando from Lebo
12:26
Any chance Jarry gets traded before the start of camp?
Matt Vensel
12:29
I would say the odds of that are pretty slim. They were not opposed to trading Tristan around the NHL draft but understandably he does not have much value at the moment. So the Penguins plan to keep him around and try to get him back on track. If that happens, his trade value naturally will go back up and maybe something materializes if the Penguins are not pushing for a playoff spot.
Guest
12:29
Any chance Dubas can obtain another top 6 forward prior to the start of the season ?
Matt Vensel
12:31
Doubt it, because I believe Kyle Dubas is committed to not giving away any more future assets for short-term fixes (maybe that changes if they look like contenders again this winter). His two biggest moves this summer were acquiring draft picks in trades. I think more likely he tries to get a young NHLer who can grow into a top-six winger over time, but there are 31 other teams looking for those players, too.
New Kid in Town
12:32
Local hockey leagues (roller and ice) seem to be very clandestine about how to get involved and actually play when one is not already currently on a team and known commodity. Is there a website that is current and offers guidance to people who left town to - you know- have careers, and now came back and want to -you know- play some hockey. Most rinks and sites give team based registration info only. The Burgh seems a lot snobbier than bigger burgh's that know individuals move and change areas within the region and out of it - and offer round robin activities to allow introduction/re-introduction to the various leagues. Some even have potluck teams specifically for journeymen. It seems a lot less clique based than these local rinks appear to be with team only registrations/info. Any info? Local Pure hockey stores seem to be clueless on this as well.
Matt Vensel
12:35
If you still have Facebook, there is a group you should join called "Pittsburgh Adult Hockey." I'm a member. People are always looking for players for beer league teams or players for their private pickup groups. Since I moved back to Pittsburgh in 2018, I have become a regular member of a couple of private groups. Pop in there and introduce yourself and you should soon find some places to play.
Guest
12:36
Hi Matt. Why does P.O Joseph spell his name like that?
Matt Vensel
12:40
Think he is just trying to be fancy. It's a little confusing, though. The PG decided we would use his full name, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, whenever we wrote about him, much to the chagrin of Penguins PR. Anyway, he's a really friendly and engaging kid and I wish him nothing but the best in St. Louis. Very cool he gets to play with his brother.
Guest
12:41
What are the most likely defensive pairings to start the season and what is your assessment of them ?
Matt Vensel
12:44
The X-factor here is Ryan Graves. Will he perform well at camp and get re-inserted back into the top four? If so, we will likely see the Penguins try it again with Graves and Kris Letang and keep the Swedes, Marcus Pettersson and Erik Karlsson, together. If Graves cannot turn it around, that's a massive problem. It potentially leaves the Penguins with only one strong defensive pair, depending on how they shuffle it. Maybe at that point they play Graves on the third pair and move newcomer Matt Grzelcyk up the depth chart to play with Letang or Karlsson. Overall, the defensive core projects to be average, despite a strong top trio with Letang, Karlsson and Pettersson.
Guest
12:45
Does Sid have an agent?  He can ask for anything he wants without negotiating.  Also, he doesn't need anyone to spin his image.  Seems like a waste of 10% if he has one.
Matt Vensel
12:47
Yes, Crosby's longtime agent is Pat Brisson, who has more NHL clients than anyone in the business, per PuckPedia. There is a very strong relationship there, and the player-agent dynamic is so much more than negotiating a few contracts over the years.
Guest
12:48
What are your thoughts on how Kyle Dubas should best use the 3.5M in cap space he has available at present ?
Matt Vensel
12:49
Wrote about this two weeks ago. Here's a link: https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/penguins/2024/07/24/kyle-dubas-nhl...
12:50
My apologies to those who didn't get their question answered, but I've got to run. Free-agent pickup Blake Lizotte will be on a Zoom call with local media in a few minutes, so I must hop on that.
12:51
We will do this again in a couple of weeks. By then, I should also have an idea of when we will do these chats during the season. We plan on having a regular weekly Penguins chat. Just have to pick a day.
12:52
Have a great afternoon, everyone. And like I said, don't sweat the Sid situation unless he is still unsigned when we get to camp!
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