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Matt Vensel's Penguins chat: 10.09.20
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Matt Vensel
10:27
Happy Friday, Pens fans. Looking forward to talking hockey with you all before the start of NHL free agency at noon today. We'll get this party started at 11 a.m. Feel free to send over questions now.
11:04
Alright, let's get started. Apologies for the delay. Wish I could say I was working sources just now but I was taking the dog for a walk.
Clark from Virginia
11:04
I know the Penguins are trying to find the right pieces to win another Stanley Cup, but do you think the constant turnover is doing more harm than good?
Matt Vensel
11:06
Clark, that's certainly a possibility. The Penguins weren't going to be able to pay everybody who contributed to the back-to-back Cup teams. And there is something to changing some things to keep a team from getting stale. But you can definitely make a case that they have made too many moves over the last three years and that affected team chemistry.
Nick
11:07
who do you think the penguins will go after
Matt Vensel
11:08
Nick, Jim Rutherford has said the Penguins will probably have to settle for players "who slip through the cracks" because they have less than $4 million in cap space right now. So we will have to see who exactly is unspoken for after the first wave of free agency. What I can tell you is that Rutherford would like to add another center, a RHD and another goalie, giving them three to get through the season.
Greg
11:09
Did adding Scevior hinder the Pens chances of pursuing a free agent forwards?
Matt Vensel
11:10
I wouldn't necessarily look at it that way. He was not some throw-in that the Pens had to take on. They think he will be a good fit for them and maybe a better option than they might get on a comparable contract in free agency. He's a right-shot winger who hopefully brings energy to one of the bottom lines and kills penalties. Need guys like that.
Cam
11:11
Hi there Matt! I think Duclair, Fast, and Namestnikov are out of our budget (would be my FWD targets personally) but do you see Kahun returning? He could play on LW or C w/ McCann, and slide up during an injury. Incredibly fast. How about Lucas Wallmark, not qualified by Florida?
Matt Vensel
11:14
Cam, I've been surprised by the folks clamoring for Dominik Kahun to come back to Pittsburgh. I would be even more surprised if the Penguins brought him back. To me, it seems pretty clear that they didn't value him that highly for whatever reason. If they did, they would have kept him around for last season's Cup run and beyond. As for the others you mentioned, none of them really excite me. Maybe Wallmark.
DCPensFan
11:15
Not a free agency-related question if I may. What is the rule on sticks - both intact and broken - on the ice? It's the only sport where players are in danger and play is impacted by debris. Does it need to wait until a stoppage in play?
Matt Vensel
11:17
Interesting question. You may know this part, but if a player's stick breaks, he has to drop it immediately. And if he intentionally makes a play with a broken stick, he will be penalized. As for the twigs that get snapped or dropped, the officials will remove them during play when possible. But they're not going to turn their back on the action to go grab a stick laying in the corner or something. Hope that helps.
Nicholas Marshall
11:18
Now with Matt Murray gone, are the Pens really comfortable with Casey DeSmith as the back up?  With all the free agent goaltenders out on the market I think the Pens could solidify a better backup.
Matt Vensel
11:22
Nicholas, do I think they're comfortable with that? Yeah. Do they think they could potentially do better than Casey? Sure. It comes down to the cap and whom they can fit in. I know there's been buzz about Fleury coming back. And that definitely solidify the goalie situation and bring life to the locker room. But I don't know how realistic it is given that they have less than $4 million in space and other needs. Ditto for signing a FA goalie. Casey was really good two seasons ago and has the ideal makeup for a No. 2, as GMJR has previously noted. So, barring something expected, they can go into the season with Casey as the No. 2. And if there's a problem during the season, maybe they swing a trade.
Nathan
11:23
Hi Matt...it’s being reported that Fleury may be interested in returning to the Pens.  What have you heard and what effect could this have on Jarry?  Thanks.
Matt Vensel
11:25
As I mentioned in the last answer, it would be a great story and I'm sure both sides haven't shut the door on a return. But I just don't know how realistic it is. For one, Vegas by all accounts does not plan to buy out Fleury or just give him away. They would want a decent return for him, especially if they retain salary. I know GMJR has pulled rabbits out of his hat before, but I don't see it happening this time around. Maybe Fleury winds up in Minnesota with his old buddy, Bill Guerin.
Nicolas
11:26
how do you feel about the murray trade
Matt Vensel
11:27
A trade seemed inevitable once Murray was benched during the playoffs. The pandemic and the resulting flat cap forced the Penguins to pick a goalie perhaps a year earlier than they would have liked. Moving Murray, the more expensive player, made sense. As for the return, I think it's probably about as good as the Penguins could reasonably expect given how many goalies are available via free agency and trade. I know Matt has those two Cups on his resume, but he has been so up and down the past three years. Maybe he can get back on track in Ottawa.
Guest
11:29
My gut instinct tells me Dom Simon will be back with the penguins. He could sign a 1yr/950k-1m deal right?
Matt Vensel
11:31
The door is open for Dom to return if he's willing to take less than what the qualifying offer would have been. And that could very well happen. But I'm not sure where he fits in if he does come back. There is no longer a spot for him in the top six and I'm not even sure he should be skating on the third line. And while he's no slouch defensively, he's not exactly a fourth-line grinder. I know there will be injuries, so depth is important. But in my opinion I think it's time for everybody to move on.
Clark from Virginia
11:31
Once upon a time ZAR was billed as the new Hornqvist.  I have seen no evidence of this, which is not to say that ZAR doesn’t do a good job.  With Hornqvist gone, who gets in the opposing goalie’s face?
Matt Vensel
11:34
Yeah, my read on that is that it was one of those deals where a coach or exec says a player can play a similar role to another player. The media hypes that guy up. And suddenly we all think he's going to be a carbon copy of Patric Hornqvist. Obviously, they are similarly sized and Zach Aston-Reese is a load along the board when he's engaged. But he hasn't yet displayed the same kind of consistent fire, nor does he have Hornqvist's knack for tipping shots and tipping over goalies. That doesn't make ZAR a bad player. It just means that he doesn't play the same kind of game as one of the league's most unique players.
Yuri
11:36
Matt, is there any player in the Penguins’ minor league system that you feel has a chance to be a star in the next few years?  Thank you.
Matt Vensel
11:38
Yuri, good question. I'm not a scout but based on what I read from people who track prospects and also what I've heard from Penguins execs, Nathan Legare might have the most upside. Samuel Poulin and Pierre-Olivier Joseph look like locks to make it to the NHL, possibly this season. And the Penguins believe both of them will ultimately be solid players. But I don't know if either will end up being a star. Legare, a 2019 third-rounder, is an imperfect player. But with that shot, he might end up being special if he rounds out the rest of his game.
Clark from Virginia
11:39
Much has been made of the Penguins search for the perfect third line center.  With the first two lines better than most teams first line and a pesky fourth line, isn’t it time to just let the third line alone and blame the first two lines for the Pens underachieving in the postseason?  No team has four perfect lines.
Matt Vensel
11:44
Are you serious, Clark? Sorry. Had to get that "Christmas Vacation" reference in. To your point, why shouldn't teams try to find the right guys at every position? It's hard to win the Cup without a deep lineup.
11:45
Any more questions? Or are we already obsessively scrolling Twitter?
11:48
OK, we'll call it a day. Thanks to everyone who joined us today and stick taps to those of you who submitted questions. We'll do this again soon. In the meantime, be sure to check out our coverage the next few days as the Pens put the finishing touches on their offseason overhaul.
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