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Matt Vensel's Penguins chat: 09.03.20
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Matt Vensel
12:29
Good afternoon, Penguins fans. Pumped to talk puck with you today. We'll get started at 1 p.m. but go ahead and leave your questions now. The queue is already filling up, which is awesome. Talk soon.
12:56
OK, let's get this party started. I plan to go about a half hour today.
Matt O.
12:56
Given Rutherford's penchant for setting the market, is moving a goalie more likely now than at the draft?  And is a draft pick the most likely compensation?
Matt Vensel
12:58
Matt, I don't know about setting the market. I think the bigger concern should be unloading one of these goalies before the music stops on the game of musical chairs. I expect to see several goalies change teams via free agency or trade. We just saw Jake Allen get dealt from St. Louis to Montreal yesterday. As for compensation, I think the Pens would be interested in both veteran players and draft pick compensation. They could dangle a pick in a different deal if they want.
KJ
12:59
Hi. It’s been reported in the past that Mario wants Malkin to retire a Penguin. Given that, and regarding GMJR’s statement that he intends to move forward with the core, how much (if any) of that is mandate from ownership that they want the core to spend their entire careers with the Pens?
Matt Vensel
1:00
KJ, that is a fair thing to wonder with the Penguins posturing that they plan to keep their big three. I can't say that's the case for certain. But it would not be a surprise if ownership expressed a desire to see the Pens try to win another Cup with those three still here.
Clark from Virginia
1:00
When the Penguins won their last two Stanley Cups, the team as a whole was fast but not physical.  They ignored the punishment they often took, but that’s something that wears on you and can’t be ignored forever.  When they had Jamie Oleksiak paired with Jack Johnson, they had more grit than they do now.  Do you think that’s something they need to add in order to compete for a Cup again?
Matt Vensel
1:03
Clark, good question. The past couple of years, I've brushed aside questions about the team needing to add more brawn. But I think after two playoff flameouts in a row, it's fair to question if the Pens need to change their on-ice identity, especially with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malking closing in on 35. Keeping Mike Sullivan behind the bench and trading for another speedy winger in Kaspari Kapanen signals that they believe they can still win by playing a speed game. I am skeptical but will reserve judgment on their offseason moves until the puck drops on 2020-21. Or simply 2021.
Guest
1:03
Do you think the 2 new coach hires are going to bring enough new voices to the team and provide the pushback to sully ?
Matt Vensel
1:06
I have no issue with those hires. Todd Reirden has a history with the big three and has orchestrated some pretty good power plays over the years. Him having a little bit of head coaching experience now helps. And I think people are kind of glossing over Mike Vellucci. He's an impressive guy with an interesting backstory who has won everywhere he goes. He's a bright, thoughtful guy who won't be afraid to respectfully challenge ideas and push new ones. And if there is a change with the head coach during the season, I'm not so sure that it won't be Vellucci who gets the interim nod.
1:07
I wrote last summer about Mike Vellucci's road to the Penguins. Some good life lessons and cool nuggets in here, such as Vellucci nearly having his playing career ended after breaking his back in a car accident with junior teammate Al Iafrate. He kept fighting, had a decent career then GMJR came calling. https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/penguins/2019/09/09/mike-vellucci-...
Clark from Virginia
1:08
Taking nothing away from Crosby who has been the best player on the planet for a long while, but I thought the team was better while he was injured.  Malkin played better and the team played with more desperation.  Is it time to consider trading him instead of Malkin?
Matt Vensel
1:08
You serious, Clark?
Guest
1:09
It sounds like teams in the bubble were not happy they didn’t get a shot at the pens first round pick, wouldn’t it have made sense to wait for more teams to bid on that and maybe get a better return ?
Matt Vensel
1:11
This question is in reference to the Kaspari Kapanen trade. I haven't done a chat since the deal went down so I'll share my thoughts. I think he is a fine player who should help. And I have no issue with the Pens making win-now moves before the window closes on the Crosby era. But I think the Pens gave up too much -- maybe way too much -- for a middle-six winger whose scoring potential might top out at 50 points. GMJR said he wanted to strike and grab a player he really liked before someone else did. But I wonder if they could have gotten a significantly better return on a deal for the No. 15 pick had they waited until all 30 other teams were able to make an offer.
Guest
1:12
Doesn’t it seem that the amount of trading Rutherford has done is excessive ?  He seems to be chasing bad trades with more bad trades and now hearing McCann is on the trade block makes the brassard trade look even worse than it already was.  It seems things started to go downhill with the brassard trade .
Matt Vensel
1:15
I think it's a double-edged sword. On one hand, I do admire GMJR for being realistic about his team and not being afraid to admit a trade acquisition isn't working out. Many GMs would fall victim to the sunk cost fallacy and sit around waiting for that player to eventually pan out. But, as you note, many of his recent moves were made to fix others that didn't work out. He acquired Ryan Reaves and traded him in the Derick Brassard deal. Then Brassard was a flop, so he dealt him for Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann. Now both those players can be had in the right trade. When you zoom out and look at the big picture, there has been a ton of turnover and only eight or nine guys (I think) are left over from the 2017 title team. It's wild.
Randy Butternubs
1:16
Hello Matthew. With the goalie market potentially being saturated, do you think a Murray trade will return more or less than what Jake Allen just returned (a 3rd round pick)? I'm assuming "more" but am unsure of how much more due to the number of goalies available. And who do you see as the top suitors for Murray (assuming he's the goalie that'd be traded)?
Matt Vensel
1:18
Randy, I really don't have a great read on the goalie market. But it's important to remember that it only takes one interested team to do a deal. Matt Murray has a resume unlike any other goalie. He has won the Cup twice but has been really inconsistent during the regular season and doesn't appear to be a guy who can play well for 55-60 games every year. I can't see a building team like Buffalo or Ottawa or Detroit coveting him. But what about a team like Colorado or Toronto that has a ton of talent and might be looking for a proven veteran to be the backbone of a playoff team? I could see them going after Murray. I wouldn't think the Pens can get more than a late first-round pick for Murray after this past season. But you never know.
1:20
I'll add that I don't think Murray is finished. It may take a change of scenery, but I expect him to at least be a top-20 goalie again.
Guest
1:20
Why is Jared McCann getting knocked for his scoring quieting down when because they put him at 3c? Jake Guentzel did the same a year ago. Both are cracking good wingers. GMJR should pay up for a 3c, or maybe it's time for Teddy Blueger, who hasn't gotten much of a chance.
Matt Vensel
1:23
You can make all the excuses you want but he did not score in the final 25 games of the season, including playoffs, and was a healthy scratch in Game 3 of the Canadiens series because he was such as mess. That said, I do like Jared McCann as a winger and I would be in no rush to trade him. Prior to his slump, he was one of the team's most important players because of his versatility. And he scored a bunch of goals in his first 80 or so games in Pittsburgh. I'd look to keep him and play him predominantly at left wing. If he had to play center in a pinch, fine. As for Teddy Blueger, if he can take another step offensively and continue to improve in the faceoff circle, I think he could be a real candidate to center the third line.
KJ
1:26
The last two defending Cup champs have fizzled in the first round. The Pens repeated. It was awesome. Doing that has got to take every ounce of blood, sweat, tears, and fight out of you. And it appears it did. The Islanders series was all I needed to see to indicate this group is finished. I didn’t need a repeat in the play-in series this year. Do you agree that last summer was the year to make substantive changes to the group, including possible trades of Malkin & Letang? Now, it may be too late, the mileage is really showing on those guys and the return will be lessened?
Matt Vensel
1:28
I don't know about that. Malkin was one of the top 10 or 15 players in the league last season and Letang was named to the All-Star team again. Both still have plenty of value. It does raise a question I wonder about. Would fans rather the Penguins keep trying to win with the big three so they can see them retire as Penss after another memorable run or two? Or is winning the bottom line and the team should make cold, calculated decisions? I'd really love to see a poll among Pens fans to that. Maybe I'll throw it up on Twitter one of these days.
1:29
Alright. That's it for today's chat. Thanks for all the great questions! We'll do this again soon. Stay safe out there, folks.
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