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Matt Vensel's Penguins chat: 11.08.24
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Matt Vensel
10:42
Good morning, Penguins fans. Looking forward to chatting with you again today at noon. You can submit questions at any time. Got a bunch in the queue already, so we are already off to a good start.
11:45
Going to get started a little early today since we have so many questions. Keep them coming, though. I plan on going until 12:30.
11:46
Then I have to finish my drive down to D.C. for tonight's game.
Dan
11:46
Hey Matt! Do the Penguins this season have a chance to have a winning season?
Matt Vensel
11:47
Sure. There are still 67 games left, so there is plenty of time for them to work their way back above .500. But would I bet on it? I would not, not with how poor the team is defending and playing with leads.
Michael
11:48
When do you see the Penguins going back to the Stanley Cup finals, and winning the stanley cup
Matt Vensel
11:48
My crystal ball is at the shop getting polished, so I will just guess 2032.
ScottyG
11:48
The late collapses are concerning, especially when the Pens seemed to get a few good games together. Is the season salvagable?
Matt Vensel
11:50
Depends on what you consider salvageable. Can they get above .500 or even squeak into the playoffs? Sure, if the defense and goaltending improve, the power play gets going, Sidney Crosby stays healthy, they start protecting leads and winning division games, etc. But do I see this team winning at least one playoff round? No. Simply too flawed.
Strobester
11:51
Is there ever a point around a hockey match when the coaches meet, either before or after puckdrop, or do teams generally keep to themselves and visit a city without actually interacting with the host team.  I know some players/coaches are friends outside of work but just wondering what the general protocol is.
Matt Vensel
11:53
Interesting question here. There is definitely a fraternity of sorts among NHL coaches and it is pretty common for coaches to check in with coaches with whom they are friendly for thoughts on the game in general, upcoming opponents, etc. As for game day, coaches bump into each other at the rink if both teams are having morning skates, and oftentimes they will at least have a quick chat, even if it's just to catch up and say hello.
Jeff
11:54
Matt, the Penguins are losing and losing a lot. Why not just go young and speed their development? Yes, I realize you have Sid and Geno but the team is already losing with these lines.
Matt Vensel
11:57
Jeff, the team's plan was to give the veteran group a chance to do something this season, while also giving young players like Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen more development time in the minors in the hopes that there is no doubt they are ready when they do get a real chance to become regulars. If the Penguins continue to play like this for another month or two, I think we start to see underperforming vets get sent down or moved out to make way for prospects. But if the Penguins regroup here and start to climb the standings, it might take injuries for some of the prospects to get an opportunity.
Jason
11:58
Hi Matt. If this trend of being in the cellar continues do you think it might be time to move some of the marquee players such as Malkin, Letang or maybe even Crosby at the trade deadline? Might be time to seriously rebuild this team including the coach?
Matt Vensel
12:00
Jason, they didn't sign Sidney Crosby to a contract extension just to trade him a few months later. Plus, Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang all have full no-trade clauses. So will only leave Pittsburgh if they are on board with it. As for Mike Sullivan, it is possible they make a change if the losses and embarrassing moments continue to pile up for the Penguins. But as far as I know that is not even a consideration at this point. Ownership remains very high on Sullivan.
Mark
12:01
"Bonfire of the Vanities" doesn't even begin to describe this team and organization.  Outclassed, outmaneuvered, and outplayed by bigger, faster, more determined--and yes, more talented--opponents.  Some adult in the room needs to state an ultimatum:  get into a playoff spot by New Year's--or we pull the plug on everyone and everything possible.
Matt Vensel
12:03
Mark, I think there is an unspoken ultimatum here. The players saw what happened last year, with Kyle Dubas trading Jake Guentzel away when the team went into a nosedive. And players know Dubas will consider selling again if the Penguins remain out of playoff contention. As I noted above, I don't see any of the Big Three getting traded away. But pending free agents such as Marcus Pettersson and Lars Eller? Definitely a possibility, given they would net them a good return.
Kris Peterinelli
12:05
Matt, thanks again for these.  Two quick questions.  Do you think anyone takes Karlsson at the deadline if we eat $5,000,000?  Along the same vain, if this continues do you see a clearing out at deadline and who goes possibly?  Thanks!
Matt Vensel
12:09
Hey, Kris. Good to hear from you. I just touched on your second question in my previous answer. So let's talk Erik Karlsson. If the Penguins were to decide it was time to pull the plug, I think he would be a difficult player to move. For one, he has a full no-trade clause, so he isn't going anywhere unless he wants to. And then his contract itself would not be easy to move during the season because so many teams are tight against the cap. You do mention retention. That's a lot of cap dollars to retain. But if the Penguins are trading Karlsson, it probably suggests they are going into a full rebuild. So maybe they would be willing to eat some of the contract if the price was right. Regardless, Karlsson needs to play better, whether that is to help the Penguins win more games or to build back up his trade value.
Joe
12:10
Karlsson hasn’t been good. But Letang and Grzelcyk have been worse overall so far this season. But they get a pass? Why does Dubas get a pass for assembling one of the worst D corps in the league?
Matt Vensel
12:13
Joe, I feel like I have seen criticism of both Kris Letang and Matt Grzelcyk, but not any intense scrutiny of their play. I would guess the difference here is that with Karlsson it looks like a lack of effort. Obviously, it's impossible for us to know what goes on inside of his head, and he may still be dealing with the injury that sidelined him during camp. But there have been a bunch of moments when he has looked completely indifferent when it comes to playing defense and at times even in the offensive end. He is simply not a winning player when he defends like that. I don't care what the expected goals or Corsi says. Last night's game was a perfect example.
Ron
12:14
Greetings from Baltimore from a displaced yinzer and Penguin fan since 1967. Reading Karlsson’s comments after the game I can’t help but wonder if he is delusional. Does he really think that his game is “not bad”? I can’t believe he thinks that he is not playing badly.
Matt Vensel
12:17
Hey, Ron. I love Baltimore. Lived there for several years. Was actually in town last night visiting friends. Anyway, I am also at a loss when it comes to Karlsson's comments. I would guess he is aware that his mistakes killed them last night. How could he not be, right? But, yeah, you would like to see more accountability from him. Admit you had a rough game, say you will try to be better and move on.
Jm
12:17
When everyone is healthy witch forward goes on waivers
Matt Vensel
12:20
Bryan Rust is nearing a return to the lineup and it looks like Matt Nieto is close, too, though I wonder if Nieto will be sent on a conditioning stint first. Would make a lot of sense for both the player and the team. But if they do activate Nieto to the NHL roster, which I believe is a probability but not a certainty, I think the first to go would be Valtteri Puustinen. He has suited up the least amount of games and hasn't done much with the minutes he has gotten. Could he get claimed by another team? Maybe. Wouldn't be the end of the world.
Sunner in Orlando from Lebo
12:21
With the Pens going nowhere, is it prudent to see what you have in Jarry? The rebuild is rapidly approaching and the Pens need to know what they have in their goaltender IMO.
Matt Vensel
12:26
Sunner, thanks for joining another chat. Appreciate your questions. I expect Tristan Jarry to get recalled from his conditioning stint in the next 24 hours, with Joel Blomqvist getting returned to the minor leagues. Blomqvist will start tonight in D.C. first. Jarry has gone 4-0 in the AHL and allowed seven total goals. He has done his part. There are a couple of reasons why the Penguins have to hope Jarry is back on track. One, it would obviously help them win games right now. But two, and this is probably more important, it would demonstrate to other teams that Jarry is a capable of NHL goalie and increase the odds of being able to trade him for a positive return. He has no value right now, I suspect. But if he looks like an All-Star again for a couple of months, perhaps the Penguins will get an opportunity to trade him and hand the reigns over to Blomqvist. To be clear, this also depends on where the team sits in the standings. If they are in the hunt and Jarry is a big reason why, he presumably stays.
Richy
12:27
In all team sports you need a solid defense up the middle. It appears with the Pens that is the main problem, and it can’t be just one thing. What is your take on the top 3 problems in that area for the Pens and are they fixable during this season. Thank you as always for these chats and your insights.
AnglinJ
12:27
Matt, is this team incapable of playing solid defense?  Meaning, do they not have the proper players to do it?  The numbers do not lie.  Should they be trying to target defensive players in the AHL or as trade targets?
Matt Vensel
12:31
There are a lot of factors at play with the poor defense, and while some individual defenders have had rocky moments, a lot of it is team defense. Couple of examples... One, poor decisions at the offensive blue line coupled with defensemen being asked to charge into the offensive zone are resulting in odd-man rushes the other way. Two, the Penguins have too often been spread out while defending down low in their defensive zone and no one is covering the slot. That is either an issue of tactics or attention to detail. Anyway, those are the two biggest issues that I have seen. Another would be the annual issue of net-front defense. Not much muscle, and that's the trade-off with how the Penguins have been built and coached for years now.
jochia
12:32
You have to scratch Karlson tonight, right?
Guest
12:32
Matt however we do it Karrlson has to go. I personally didn't want him in the first place. Even if we have to give up a #2 draft pick!
Jim (Cosmo) K in Jax
12:32
Hi Matt, appreciate your (and the PG) coverage of the Pens. I'm assuming you're getting lots of Karlsson questions. Has he cast a pall in the locker room? He doesn't seem to fit in - I know he's a free spirit, and the team needs effort and discipline to compete. He seems to lack both as well as accountability.
Matt Vensel
12:36
A lot of Karlsson frustration today. Totally understandable. It would be very surprising if Mike Sullivan made Karlsson a healthy scratch. During my seven years covering the team, I have not seen him make an example of a star player like that. You could justify it, sure, but history says Sullivan will not do that. As for his fit in the locker room, as far as I can tell Karlsson is well-liked on a personal level. You often see him tagging around with the Big Three. But, and this is just a hunch and not something I am reporting, I have to imagine veteran players question whether Karlsson is someone they can win with at a high level. The effort and resolve and assertiveness wax and wane.
Billy
12:36
Matt, how ya doing? Are Rakell and Pettersson trending to be moved at the deadline and is there anybody else that could be in that group of potential pieces to sell?
Matt Vensel
12:38
I suppose Rickard Rakell could be a trade possibility if the Penguins become sellers and he keeps scoring goals. But he still has three years left on his contract beyond this season, so that could give prospective trade partners some pause given he turns 32 in May.
Joe Blow
12:38
At what point does Dubas blow this up?  Move out whatever veterans you can for picks and call up younger players like Koivunen, Ponomarev, McGroarty & Poulin to inject some energy and speed into this old, slow team.  How much longer does Sullivan have?
Matt Vensel
12:40
Touched on this earlier. But I will just add that even if the struggles continue I wouldn't expect major changes until the calendar flips to 2025. I think Dubas will give Crosby and the Penguins some runway here. You kind of owe it to the captain and the other Pens lifers.
12:41
OK, that does it for our chat. Bunch of great questions today. Love the passion. We'll do it again next Friday. Have a great weekend!
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