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Matt Vensel's Penguins chat: 09.05.25
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Matt Vensel
12:57
Happy Friday, Penguins fans. Can't believe we are only a few weeks away from the start of the regular season. Lots to discuss. Let's go.
Guest
12:57
Hi Matt, why is EK still here?
Matt Vensel
1:02
I expected Kyle Dubas and the Penguins to trade away one of Erik Karlsson, Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell. Obviously, they've been quiet. The whole league has been actually. With the Pens, I do wonder if the looming sale of the team to the Hoffmann group is a factor. With Karlsson specifically, I've been writing all year about why he is a difficult player to move. First off, he has a full no-trade clause and this spring he publicly signaled he won't hesitate to use it if he doesn't like the destination. So that limits the Pens' options. Then he has a $10 million cap hit over the next two years. Pittsburgh could eat some of that cap hit to facilitate a trade but it's still a big number to fit in. Finally, how many contenders or playoff hopefuls are going to look at him and say, "This guy is the missing piece"? We've watched him play here the last two years and he has not looked like a winning player. So, with all those factors combined, a trade hasn't materialized. Could still happen.
Dave S
1:04
Assuming no trades are made, what is the realistic option to open playing time for the yound talent? What do you do with Hayes, Acciari and such.
Matt Vensel
1:07
Dave, the Penguins simply have to commit to playing Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen in the top nine for an extended period. To your point, the Penguins seemingly have about 28 fourth-line players. But there will be openings in the top nine. As for the likes of Kevin Hayes and Noel Acciari and Danton Heinen and Connor Dewar, the Penguins will have to decide which guys they keep and whom they will put on waivers and possibly stash in the minors. The salary cap is not going to be a factor; they are well below the ceiling. But they will want to try to trade veterans fairly so they don't get a bad reputation around the league. It will be an interesting dynamic to monitor these next few weeks.
Dan N
1:08
Matt do you think the possible sale of the team has been holding up possible trade talks ? Also is this the quietest off season you can remember ?
Matt Vensel
1:11
Dan, I touched on this earlier, but I am wondering the same thing here. I expect an announcement regarding a sale to come here over the next couple of weeks. And while I don't know for sure if that has been a factor in the quiet summer for Dubas, it's reasonable to suspect it might be. But the whole league has been idle. There was a minor trade yesterday. It was the first by an NHL team since late July.
RobertosCousin
1:11
Hey Matt! Any whispers yet on who's improved over the summer and can be expected to make a run at a roster spot? Specifically, I'm thinking of Brunicke, PIckering, Avery Hayes, and Hallander. Thanks for the chat!
Matt Vensel
1:13
I think these are all good names, in addition to the obvious rising prospects in McGroarty and Koivunen. Another name I would throw in here is Tristan Broz. He might have made it to Pittsburgh in the second half of last season had he not gotten mono, which mucked up his season.
Mike
1:13
Name the 1guy you would be surprised to make the team and the 1 guy you would be surprised to not make the team barring any trades.
Matt Vensel
1:15
Mike, there are dozens of players who if they made the NHL roster it would be a seen as a surprise. As for a surprise cut, how about #87?
Guest
1:15
Have our recent defensive woes been a lack of defensive talent, or more an effect of the forwards/centers not providing support?  I understand the goalie issues we've had but they've been hung out to dry plenty.
Matt Vensel
1:19
All of the above? The personnel isn't what it was even a few years ago, in part because veterans like Kris Letang have inevitable suffered physical decline. The Penguins made a big investment in Ryan Graves and he's been a massive disappointment. And then I think you can point to the defensive scheme and overall team strategy employed by Mike Sullivan. He was and likely still is an elite coach but it was glaring the last couple of years that the Penguins no longer had the personnel, forwards included, to play the way they did when they won those two Cups. You can also point to individual players who didn't display enough focus and pride when it comes to defense. Throw in subpar goaltending, and you get one of the NHL's worst defensive teams.
Guest
1:20
Hi Matt, help me understand Dubas' pick of Ben Kindell at #11. I love his other picks, this one seems a needless reach. Multiple early reviews.."...below average skater, small, gets dominated in the corners and in front of the net, ceiling of middle-line center...".  Geez, #11 pick?
Matt Vensel
1:26
Time will tell. It's cliché but true. The Penguins had conviction with Kindel and took him ahead of consensus. There were actually whispers that they tried to move up a few spots to ensure they landed him. Given that it was viewed as a reach, at least among fans and media, Kindel will be under a lot of scrutiny over the next 18 months. That is evidenced by the fact that you are asking about him today. It's a little unfair, in a sense. He's an 18-year-old who just wants to live out his dream of being an NHL player. He's not the one who made the pick. As for his skill set, no, Kindel's not the biggest player and might end up moving to the wing as a pro. But the Penguins were high on his hockey sense, his skill level and his competitiveness. And they believe their player development staff can help clean up things like skating and strength with all of their prospects. They've invested a lot in that area.
JVPG
1:27
I am concerned about changing ownership of the team. The Hoffmann group has done well in the minor leagues but, the NHL isn't. It costs way more to field a team and I am leery of an owner coming in with the league doing better and just keeping the status quo to gain revenue and not take any risks. A'la Nutting. How would you see this ownership group if it came to fruition? And what changed for FSG?
Matt Vensel
1:34
Frankly, we still know very little about the Hoffmann group and how they plan to run an NHL team on and off the ice. You really can't compare the ECHL to this and you can't draw any conclusions about these guys right now, other than the fact that they are passionate about hockey and have been trying to get an NHL team for years. As for FSG, let's assume they are selling the whole team. I don't know if anyone from FSG will ever comment on the record about why they bailed on the Pens after just four years. It's quite possible they really did plan to sell only a minority share but that changed once they saw the dollar signs being flashed in front of them. FSG has gotten a bad rap when it comes to the on-ice product. Remember, they inherited Ron Hextall and a declining core and knew a rebuild was looming. It was inevitable. But if they do get out, it validates all the criticism and concern about FSG being a soulless corporation in Boston that didn't really care about the Penguins, hockey and Pittsburgh.
1:37
Any more questions? Don't want to end it on such a sour note. Haha
1:39
Let's go, people. Hit me with another hockey question or two!
RS
1:49
What is the expected goal to once again compete for playoff/cups and will it still be in the Crosby era?
Matt Vensel
1:54
Kyle Dubas has moved those goal posts. Last offseason, he spoke in press conferences about why he believed a full-fledged teardown wasn't the way to go and pointed as the Rangers and Kings as examples of teams that did quicker rebuilds while hanging onto core veterans. I heard around the trade deadline that Dubas viewed 2026-27 as the target date to ramp back up toward contention. But then we got into this offseason and Dubas publicly said he didn't want to put a timeline on rebuilding. He parted ways with Sullivan, presumably because the two of them weren't on the same page about the direction of the franchise. And then Dubas did absolutely nothing this summer to improve the NHL roster. So, I can't picture the Pens making the playoffs in either of the next two seasons. Then Sidney Crosby will be 40 and a free agent. We'll see if he keeps playing, and if it will still be with the Pens.
1:56
And that will do it for today's chat. Thanks for stopping by and stick taps to those of you who asked questions. My writing will ramp up here very soon. This time next week I will be in Buffalo for the annual prospects tournament. After that, it will be time for training camp. This summer flew by, but I'm excited to get back to the rink. Talk soon.
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