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Matt Vensel's Penguins chat: 10.17.19
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Matt Vensel
2:03
Hello, Pens fans. Man, what a week for the Penguins since we did this last Friday. Plenty to talk about today, including spider bites. Let's go.
Joe
2:03
What’s this I hear about Galchenyuk being bitten by a spider? How very Penguins-esque of him. You guys confirm that? What type of spider? Any chance he can now shoot webbing from his wrists?
Matt Vensel
2:04
Joe, Mike Sullivan was just asked about the report from NHL insider Bob McKenzie that said Alex Galchenyuk had an allergic reaction to a spider bite, affecting his recovery from his lower-body injury. Sullivan confirmed that Galchenyuk had an allergic reaction to something, but he wasn't sure if it was a spider. Galchenyuk went to the ER on his own at some point over the last week and is fine. Sullivan added that he didn't think this had or will have any impact on his rehab.
2:05
I can add that Galchenyuk has not yet turned into Spiderman.
Joe
2:05
if every forward gets healthy (and I know that’s a big if), who will be traded, waived, demoted etc in your opinion? They’re not going to keep 14 forwards up since they have 9 D men.
Matt Vensel
2:07
I think Sam Lafferty is making a compelling case to stick around. Adam Johnson and Joseph Blandisi have provided energy and a little bit of offense. But I'm not sure they'll be on the team if Malkin, Rust, Bjugstad, Galchenyuk are all back at some point. But they still have time to make an impression. Certainly, if, say, Johnson can keep on progressing, it may make it more palatable to part with a guy like Rust. Not that I'd personally advocate for trading that guy.
RPK
2:07
I have been critical in the past of ZAR.  I have to give him credit for playing well the last few games.  What changed?
Matt Vensel
2:09
I'd guess that he is probably thriving because he is playing more out of necessity and feeding off Teddy Blueger and Brandon Tanev. Zach has shown flashes in the past then always seems to get hurt, setting him back. We'll see what he can do if he can avoid this injury bug.
burt reynolds
2:09
Well, I asked a couple weeks ago about a D playing forward and we got it. Considering the weak market for d-men - especially with unwieldy contracts, and the Penguins' need for a forward, do you see Gubrandson being sent through waivers?
Matt Vensel
2:09
I'd think it's more likely they send down Chad Ruhwedel, unless they are praying that someone will take his contract off their hands.
Jimmie
2:10
How much longer must we put up with Letang's undisciplined play?  He was responsible for the Avalanche's first goal and was on the ice for the second.  Does his offensive skill really overcome the undisciplined play?  What do the stats reveal?
Matt Vensel
2:14
Jimmie, I'm not ready to pin either of those goals solely on Letang. The first one, he and Adam Johnson covered the same guy, leaving Matt Calvert to find a soft spot in the D. The second one, the puck hopped over Brian Dumoulin's stick, putting Letang in a tough spot of racing back to prevent a 2-on-0 for Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. He tried to push up on Rantanen inside the blue line, perhaps in part because he lost his footing. The ice was not great at PPG Paints Arena last night. But I didn't have a problem with that play. He uses his speed like that to break up chances all the time. He just didn't make the play. As for his game overall, Letang had been really good in the three or four games prior to last night, and it's not just the points. I get that his gambles cost the Pens sometimes, but he's still one of the top dozen or so defensemen in the NHL and his salary is actually pretty team-friendly compared with the NHL's other All-Star blue-liners.
aljohn
2:15
Anything you're hearing about the trade market? Gudbranson would presumably be the guy to go, but any idea if anyone's asking
Matt Vensel
2:17
I think the Penguins are and should be open to trading either Jack Johnson or Erik Gudbranson. But with their salaries, it may be hard for them to find a deal. Gudbranson is one of their top six blue-liners and actually was solid in the first few games. If he was left-handed, he would be playing. Alas, he's not. And he did not look comfortable at all playing on the left side, no surprise considering he hadn't practiced on his off side.
RPK
2:17
The young players in the line-up are bringing speed and energy.  Are you concerned that will be lost when players come off of IR?
Matt Vensel
2:19
That is a very fair concern. They've brought speed and energy, yes, but they have also been playing a relatively cautious game and have capitalized on the mistakes of other teams. It will be interesting to see if the injured guys, notably Malkin, fall in line with that or if the Pens will have a clash of sorts between the two playing styles.
BVA
2:19
I’ve heard The Pens and Habs are talking trade
Matt Vensel
2:20
Is it a good one? Hopefully it's not Crosby for Max Domi.
2:21
Got a new question? Send it over! We're running low today.
Joe
2:21
If Malkin, Rust, Galchenyuk, Bjugstad all come back and only A.J and Blandisi are sent down, then the Pens still have too many forwards. Someone still will have to be waived or traded. Thoughts?
Matt Vensel
2:22
They aren't going to carry nine defensemen all season. I'm honestly surprised they've all been here this long, though the injuries have lessened the need for them to free up salary space for now. I still think the Penguins would like to move Johnson, Gudbranson or another veteran to break up that logjam and give them more flexibility with both their roster and salary-cap situation.
aljohn
2:22
How do you and Mike split up the games? Do you get to pull seniority and pick the road trips you wanna do?
Matt Vensel
2:23
I said, "Listen here, kid. Familiarize yourself with Western Canada."
2:26
No, Mike DeFabo and I will have a pretty even split this year. I hope that will give you guys different perspectives after games since we see things a little differently. But I told Mike to give me a list of cities he wanted to go to and it worked out with ease. The only tough call was we both wanted to go to Las Vegas and Nashville but the schedule wouldn't allow it. I got Vegas and he got Nashville. Probably better for our lives that it worked out that way. My first pick was Minnesota by the way. I lived there from 2014 to 2017 and love it. I brought my gear to skate with some old friends and ate like 300 burgers. It was a blast. Oh, yeah, I guess I covered some fun hockey games, too.
Joe
2:26
Wasn’t there a rumor that the Habs were interested in Riikola? What would he be worth?
Matt Vensel
2:28
I think I saw that rumor, too. Riikola is still unproven. He has the tools to be a decent third-pair guy who can chip in on the power play. But he hasn't put it together yet and given his age, 25, it's fair to wonder if he will. That said, he's cheap. The Penguins aren't in a position to be trading away affordable depth options right now.
Andy
2:28
Is Marino even good?  Or at people just happy that one of gudbrandson or Johnson aren’t playing?  Best thing about him is that he is certainly cheaper.
Matt Vensel
2:29
Heck yeah. I mean, it hasn't been perfect. He's coughed up the puck a few times in bad spots and he has taken some penalties. But he can skate, he has a little size, he defends well and he plays with a lot of poise for a 22-year-old. He is patient with the puck and looks for passing lanes instead of throwing it off the glass, which led to those giveaways. But usually he's making the right reads and accurate passes. I really think the Penguins got a steal here.
Joe
2:29
Do the Pens think Bjugstad fits this team? Or is he someone they would like to move? I don’t see his fit anymore on this team when there are bottom six players like Lafferty and McCann who can play center for a lot cheaper.
Matt Vensel
2:31
I like Bjugstad, especially as a third-line center. With his size and skill, he adds a different look to the forward group. But, yeah, he's not a great finisher. I suppose it's fair to question how he fits with the type of straight-ahead hockey the Penguins have been playing over the past week, but I wouldn't be in a rush to simply get rid of him.
Any more questions today, guys? Or are we calling it a day?
2:33
OK. Thanks for joining us today and submitting questions. We'll do this again next week. Enjoy the games this weekend!
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