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Matt Vensel's Penguins chat: 09.06.24
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Matt Vensel
9:46
Good morning, Penguins fans. We will be chatting at 11 a.m. today. You can start submitting questions at any time. Talk to you soon!
11:08
OK. Let's get started. We'll go about a half hour today.
TVC15
11:08
Hi Matt,
PSU Class of '80 here. It seems that everyone agrees that the Penguins need to add youth and grit and speed. Have they done that enough? Is it even possible to do that enough?
Matt Vensel
11:11
We are! Anyway, I believe the Penguins added a little of each of those things this summer, but not enough to move the needle as far as the 2024-25 season is concerned. Blake Lizotte is one guy who checks all three of those boxes. Another will be Rutger McGroarty if he makes the team. But projecting the Opening Night roster, the average age is still quite high (inflated by a few graybeards, of course), the Pens won't be one of the NHL's fastest teams and they certainly won't be pushing other teams around. But will the record be better? We'll see.
Peter Kadar
11:12
Matt, would like your prediction of the Pens Wins and losses this year.  Goaltending and defense will determine a whole heck of a lot this year.  Thanks for what you do.  Cheers
Matt Vensel
11:15
Hey, Peter. Right now, I would project the Penguins to again finish in the range of 85-90 points. Would that be enough to make the playoffs? Probably not. For them to outperform that prediction, they will need better goaltending, the power play to get its act together and Sidney Crosby to play at least 75 games, plus probably some other positive developments, as well. I'm not saying it can't happen. But...
Dan N
11:16
Matt how do you see the goaltending situation playing out…Do they keep the 2 younger guys in WBS and the older guys in Wheeling ? You’d think they would want an experienced goalie working with each of the younger guys
Matt Vensel
11:17
Dan, good question. Definitely something I'm curious about as well. I'm not quite sure where Sergei Murashov fits into their plans for the upcoming season. We should get clarity on that next weekend when the Penguins head up to Buffalo for the annual prospects challenge. (The PG will be there.) I would not expect both Joel Blomqvist and Murashov to be in WBS, at least not to start. The Penguins are going to want their young goalies to play, and there is only one starter's net.
Dgf2
11:19
Thanks for the chats. Always very informative. Do you think there's any way Coach Sullivan has lost some of his power within the organization? He really hasn't performed that well, as we all know, for quite some time. But what brings me to the conclusion that he possibly could have lost some power, is the players that are coming in. Coach Sullivan always seemed to play a very passive polite kind of hockey. The players that are coming in lately do not fit that mold. Thanks for your time
Matt Vensel
11:21
Respectfully, I don't see it that way. The fact that he is still here given the team's recent results is proof Fenway Sports Group still believes in him. Now, if the Penguins endure another season like the previous two, perhaps we will see a coaching change next summer. But right now, Sullivan is still very much in FSG's good graces. As for your comment about the players coming in, I'm not sure why you think they are of a different temperament. Don't really see it that way at all.
Richy
11:21
Hey Matt, i’m seeing more question marks on the roster than certainties. Do you believe the bottom six and the PP has improved enough to make a difference?  Thanks
Matt Vensel
11:24
Richy, I think it's fair to see it that way. The bottom six has a few new faces. The Penguins hope that is a good thing, but we really don't know if that group will be meaningfully different. The defensive depth is worrisome, especially given the age of Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang. Tristan Jarry is a major X-factor. Heck, you can even look at the top six as being uncertain. We have been so used to the top six powering the Penguins to the playoffs every year. But Rickard Rakell is coming off a really disappointing year, we don't know who Sidney Crosby's left winger is going to be and Evgeni Malkin is 38. Again, I'm not saying that means the Penguins are doomed to fail this year. It's just that there are a lot more unknowns than what we are used to around here.
TVC15
11:25
Is Jarry permanently broken? Or can he be fixed with the right coaching?
Matt Vensel
11:27
I think he is salvageable, as long as he is willing to take a long look in the mirror and then put in the work. Jarry is only two years removed from a season in which he got Vezina Trophy votes. Obviously, injuries were an issue in 2022-23, and it's fair to wonder if those are still a factor. But if those are behind him, I think he can get back to being an above-average NHL starter. They have an excellent goalie coach in Andy Chiodo. Getting Jarry back to form is his biggest challenge yet.
Guest
11:29
Matt do you think conversations between Sid and Dubas has happened behind closed doors about him being a rental to a contender? I understand they could get a decent return and possibly be more competitive when he returns during free agency. However, I would think the fan base and ownership might not be super supportive of that idea. The money he brings in and the idea of him playing with his buddy McKinnon and possibly not wanting to return seems too risky to be okay with.
Matt Vensel
11:31
I don't think that is what's going on here. I understand why fans are concerned about Sidney Crosby's status. A franchise icon appears to be in no rush to get an extension finalized, but that doesn't mean that it won't get done. Training camp starts in a dozen days. If Crosby has not re-signed by then, then I think you can start to worry.
TVC15
11:32
I am always optimistic about the Penguins as long as they have Crosby and Malkin. Based on no concrete logic I predict them to make the playoffs and win at least one round. Is there any way that could really happen?
Matt Vensel
11:34
Sure. They have been really close to making the playoffs the last couple of years despite their obvious faults and flaws. Let's say the power play is at least average, Jarry gets his groove back, Sid stays healthy and some of the young guys come in midway through the season and make an impact. If that's the case, it's certainly possible they win a round for the first time since 2018. Is it likely? I don't know. It's impossible to say for sure. But it's definitely possible.
Joe
11:35
Do you think Dubas actually has the guts to waive the older vets he brought in and Sullivan prefers to play, namely guys like Hayes, Glass, Beauvillier, Acciari, Eller? I doubt it. Another season where younger player get pushed to the margins with no chance to show they can play. This team is not a contender so why someone like Ponomarev or Puustinen will get waived over a vet is very suspect imo. Another reason this coach needed to be fired already
Matt Vensel
11:38
Joe, good question. I have understood and liked some of the moves that Kyle Dubas has made while trying to make the Penguins younger. But I have stated in previous chats that my main criticism of this offseason was that there a bunch of veterans here today taking up spots on the depth chart. To your point, I think it depends on how the season unfolds and how individual veterans and prospects are playing. I know that sounds like a cop-out, but I do think it's a fluid situation. For example, if the Penguins are surprisingly pretty good and guys like Kevin Hayes and Anthony Beauvillier are helping, youngsters such as Vasily Ponomarev and Sam Poulin could be stuck in WBS. But if the Penguins are out of playoff position, I think the door opens.
Geno
11:39
i Know there is doom and gloom upcoming for the organization. But, when all the big contracts are off the books, won’t the Penguins have money to spend to bring them back to contention in short order?
Matt Vensel
11:41
That's probably wishful thinking. The Penguins have a great reputation among the playoffs, but that is in part because they have a winning environment. If the Penguins bottom out, it will take more than just throwing crazy money around for them to lure players to Pittsburgh. That's why it is so important for Dubas and Co. to build up the prospect pool, ensuing that this remains an appealing place to play.
11:43
That's going to do it for today's chat. Thanks for all the great questions. Apologies if I was unable to get to one of yours. We will do this again two weeks from today. And we will actually have real, on-the-ice happens to discuss. I'm pumped to finally get going again!
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