This makes the pens worse, no?

What if the pick is ARI 2018 1st (5th overall)? I think that makes more sense. No point in selling low on Kessel. Really, no point in moving him at all IMO.

I guess my question is, why if your ARZ do you want to trade for Kessel? He's owed $26 million still and isn't going to take the team from a cellar dweller to a even a bubble playoff team. ARZ is a small market low budget team, so I don't see them wanting to commit $7 million (real dollars) for the next two years and then $6 million for the final two when they could spend that money elsewhere. Now if Kessel was a owed $4 to $5 million a season that's a different story.

If Kessel is tied to ARZ in anyway, its as a 3-way deal where they'd retain on Kessel to help them get to the cap floor. Kessel also has a Modified NTC/NMC and I can't see him wanting to go to ARZ.

Sully and Kessel don't get along at all. Not sure how much more you get out of a Kessel deal. Kessel might wave to go to AZ, he has a good relationship with Tocchet. I don't think Pens are worse adding Domi and Mike Green to the mix. I think it is a lateral move at worst, plus you pick up a 1st round pick. Plus would have some cap flexibility to add another winger or depth defenseman.

I like the deal and it does kinda make sense .... BUT
- Pens need to win now and #5 pick in draft ... dont help now
- ARZ would be going backwards in terms of building .... and for the future
- I do love Domi here and think he would become a super star , i just dont think that trade works

I would imagine ARZ, if they were dumb enough to trade their 1st & Domi for Kessel, would require future picks back from PIT. You're not trading a #5 pick and a young 20-something year old with potential for a 30 year old winger - who on ARZ probably won't put up the points expected because of the talent difference. I think ARZ would pass on that deal.

Arizona wins that deal. Domi is stagnant at best, regressing more like it. His value is dropping, not increasing.

Because you are in the locker room and know that. There are many many people who have stated Kessel is well like in the locker room. GMJR is also a huge Kessel fan. He ain't going no where. Stop listening to the I hate Kessel media. The only way Kessel is moved is if it improves the team. And that is very hard to do considering he racked up 92 points last year before Sully made the mistake of putting him on the 3rd line.

The issue was never Kessel, he played 3rd line on HBK, never a complaint. The issue was he went to a 3rd line that had Sheary demoted to it and Brass who frankly isn't an offensive player. Kessel needs decent line mates. The idea is to bring talent around him, not trade him off for half rate players. Brass was no Bonino and Sheary is worthless. He's too small. The obsession with another 5'9 player in Domi is a joke.



You have to be a yots fan. He's scored 9 goals a year the past 2 years. Hardly superstar material.

I would say those guys have more insight than you do. I have no other information to go on. So while you can speculate that it is false, others can speculate that it is true. Of course it is all speculation, until something happens. Plus this is cap-friendly where you create these teams during the long-offseason based on what-ifs.
Brassard isn't an offensive player??? Never heard that before. I would argue he is more talented than any linemate that Sid or Geno plays with. Why did Sully go to Toronto last year to meet with Phil about there relationship? was that fake news as well?

Because you are in the front office and know that?



What team are you a fan of? It ain't the Penguins.

I give you 3 stars because I like the FA signings but Kessel fetches much much much more. Arizona is not gonna want him because that pushes them backwards in a rebuild. Yes it adds scoring but they do not have the team to win now.

No im a Pens fan .... but have watched atleast 40-50 ARZ games each yr ....
and hes scored 18/80gms , 9/55gms, 9/80gms last 3 yrs while only playing wing the 1st yr the entire yr.
and playing C most of the 2 yrs he only had 9 goals, while playing on a s**t team with AHL level line mates most of the time and having bad luck with a horrible shooting %
IDK, but IMO he plays hard AF and still has an insane upside and I think he would be a STAR here and a fan fav rite away
and even ARZ knows that and they aint giving him away

that was fake news. Sully met with several players last year in the off season. He's done it every year. But only one draw attention.

So you know definitively there is no rift between Sullivan and Kessel? It is all fake news. I would say it is more likely true than not, based on the reporters that are around the team every day. They could not like Kessel and still not report there is a problem between the two of them. What do they gain by reporting that there is a rift between the two of them other than being proven wrong if there isn't one?
They loved Cole and said there were problems between Cole and Sully and he was moved.
I would say they don't like each other, does that mean he gets moved. Not sure. If someone of Kessel's talents gets moved to me it is more than just Sully that has a problem with him. It is Mario and JR as well.

You can justify stats all day, McKinnen had no help either. Didn't stop his obvious talent. At some point you are what you produce on the ice. I'm not saying line mates don't help. But 9 goals is more than just line mates.
And why pay a huge contract on a guy like 3 mil plus that is putting out that kind of production? We already have a Hagelin. Most people would like to trade him, but lets be honest no one else wants that contract either.
Truth is I don't think he's a fit. He's like 5'9". You already got a team that is not the most physical. Crosby, Malkin, Kessel, Sprong, Jake, How many more small/non physical players you want to stack on a team? Even Rust is under 6 foot, maybe horny toad too?. I mean at some point you have to pass on that. Getting rid of the least physical player to bring in another 5'9" guy isn't an answer.

Oh by the way on moving cole. His contract was up, they didn't think they had cap space to keep him. They also valued a 3c position more. Lets not mention Coles declining play either. How many penalty minutes did he get? But hey, we ran him off the blue line and had Chad R back there. How did that work out? That's what happens when you run good players out of town

You heard nothing all season about an issue between Kessel and Sully. zero.
Kessel walks out of the locker room on locker clean out day, snubs the media.....KESSELS IS A PROBLEM TRADE HIM!

Sorry, not buying it. I won't jump on the run Kessel out of town band wagon. The guy has been nothing but a pro here and put up great numbers. They did the same crap to him in Toronto. Look how that turned out. Phil got two rings eating hot dogs out a stanley cup. Put up career best numbers. Go on though jump that band wagon.

I see ur concern with his lack of production but ive seen him play alot the last 2 yrs and he has looked just frustrated playing with who he plays with, just playing in ARZ (losing non-stop) and playing C when hes getting over matched every nite by bigger C's (the dude is a winger) ... I truly think he just wants out and if u dont think hes physical?? BC , yes he is small but the dude is a tough SOB - will go to dirty areas, will play net front, will check, will take a check, and will fight anyone (hes kinda not rite in the head & and thats what i love about him)

Domi will cost 2.25-2.75 over 2 yrs and IMO well worth the risk. And BTW there is no way in hell id trade Hags - that PK monster, back checking demon, Best defensive Forward on team, can play on any line, and the most important factor to the Pens team speed. Yah his cap hit is high but the dude is too important of a player.

Cole was a #6 Dman and yah i liked his d play but I was ok with moving him and Big Rig is better and will be cheaper.

I am not saying i want Kessel out of town. I do believe he and Sully don't like each other. Like i said people around the team gain nothing from just manufacturing this out of thin air. I also find it hard to believe they all got together and made it up. Does that mean he will be traded, maybe not for a couple of reasons. 1) Pens are in win now mode 2) The value may not be out there . It doesn't mean people can't have fun trying to gauge the value of what he would fetch on Cap Friendly. That is the point of the ArmChair GM. Not every post needs to be vanilla of exactly what will happen, you can speculate.

They do get something for manufacturing that actually. This is the click bait made you look at my advertisements age. Lets not pretend on that. That's why they write so much garbage news.

You are doing the exact same thing you are accusing them of, manufacturing the exact opposite side and presenting it as fact.

I'm not purposefully misleading you for profit so yeah there is that.

Now you are making up facts again. Stating that you know they are making things up.