I like Lowry and his versality. He's big, plays 1st PK, hits, blocks, skreens on the PP2, can be a left wing. But I'm not sure if he is fast for us enough, can win enough face-offs. I'd rather have him on a wing with Malkin than being a 3C honestly. But we virtually have ZAR here who I hope would be a better player. But I'd take Lowry now if price is right but I doubt WPG value him that way.

I also like Sceviour. He loos like a 10-years younger Cullen, maybe less attacking but more tough. A Right shot, is good at face-offs, in PKing, got some speed, durable. Would have been an ideal 4C for us instead of Cullen, but also could show something on the 3rd. I don't think they will acquire 4C in a trade right now. We have Rowney, Bluegers and I believe McKegg who could be even top of two through the season, he's got more experience to go with. But I would be very very glad if we had Sceviour in March as pending UFA and signed him in July.

Speaking about FLA there've been talks about Bjugstad but what about Trocheck? I know the price is high but maybe not that high? I believe FLA is in rebuild mode and lacks depth. Maybe a roster player (Maatta, Sheary?), another bottom 6 as well, a prospect and/or (high) pick(s)? He's young, can play a scoring wing, PKs as well, has good contract on him, can be TOP6 and possibly could replace Sid and Geno long-term??

Yes II think we'll trade for Eakin if we solve another task besides filling a C position. I hope they'd prefer a more obvious choice in a better player and rather prefer temporary player than just Eakin. I like an idea of taking a good D in a trade, maybe smth else. BTW how about Neal-Hornqvist swap? We could get a winger for Geno who he really liked playing with, who plays both left and right, making possible Kessel play with new 3C and becoming more deep. And VGK get a more expendable player at the deadline bearing in mind Hornqvist's SCF experience and character.

What do you think about Anisimov? A CHI fan posted a team here where he traded him for Cole straight up and than aquired Vermette for a young D plus. I really don't know but they could be interested to trade Anisimov pending cap issues?

Lowry speed is my only concern as I haven't seen him much. He looks good on his skates, and a guy that size usually looks slow even if he's not( Jordan Staal). At 23 he's speed can improve over over the summer or season.

I don't believe you defend back-to-back cups with a rookie 3rd line center who's never seen the NHL. I think they have to address it. Eakin is 26 and under contract for 2yrs. I don't consider that temporary. 2 season is good amount of time to get out of a trade and on the other end of those 2 years he's 28, so it's not like he's 36 and expected to retire, just that you might lose him as UFA.

Hornqvist is the better player and cost less. He can play with a 3rd line and still put up 20g and 40pts, is our leading checker, net front on PP, and a heart and soul kind of player, who takes no penalties.
Neal is much less versitle, and takes REALLY stupid penalties all the time. He's basically a wild stick a that slashes and shoots. Trading him for Hornqvist was the best thing the Rutherford has done. He might have cost NSH the cup with the penalties he takes. There's a reason they let him be taken for nothing, and that goes beyond cap space.

Anisimov is often hurt and I don't believe his value is at 3C because he's more offensive, and what it takes to get him won't be worth getting him. At 29 with 4yrs ... why not just have signed Bonino for $4.5m then? To much risk in him for not enough gain. His number are playing with CHI top 6. He'll be playing with our bottom 6. Does he maintain the production?

Vermette ? He's in ANA and 34yrs old. Cole can resign or you can get better then Anisimov or Vermette for him. Who are you replacing Cole with? He's the most physical Dman with have so it's got to be some physicality and not just another puck mover. I start negotiating with Cole now on a 3 to 4 yr extension at $3.8m to $4.2m. If you can't get that done I still want him for the playoffs this year over a 3rd line center. We have other assets to move including picks, that don't hurt us for this year, which might be the last best chance to make a cup run before Malkin/Crosby show age. Concussions, etc

Torchecck would be amazing ... For his production, defense, and age at the salary and term ... we're going to give up to much for him. He's their leading scorer. We have Crosby and Malkin, we only need to complement them. Not replace them now for when they go 4 or so season from now.

Bjugstad... from what I seen, I'll take Lowry. He's never played a full season. His production is low and his salary high and his term is long. He's being paid for potential and we need to keep our contracts reasonable if we want to keep playing for cups. I can see us getting stuck with a lump of his contract just to get rid of what we can, same withAnisimov ... or worse they can be our David Clarkson for years to come.

Besides ZAR, Johnson, Bulger ... are going to come along. Would it be easier to move Lowry (1 yr RFA) and Eakin (2yrs UFA at 28),who can both play wing when those guys step up or Anisimov/ Bjugstad with 4 yrs left and @ over $4m per year with injury history?

I am not in favor of sending any Penguins to the far north. I know it's a business, but it is not fair after winning the cup. The Penguins still want to overwhelm there opponents with speed and offense. We want all 4 lines to be able to score and have several players to be good at the PK. This is why the 3C good fit is Tyler Bozak. He wins faceoffs, has good chemistry with Kessel and would add so much offense it would make the other teams sick. Toronto would like to move some of their forwards for defense and less salary.

I also would trade Sheary and another minor piece to Vegas for Eakin and a defenseman to have the PK depth.

I agree with Dennsib's comments above. Also a shout out to Wolfbeer 714. What a name. A wolf drinking a beer and the 714 for ludes. Check him out.

I didn't mean we could go through the season with the rookie on a the 3rd. I'm sorry for my English there. I meant a pending UFA as temporary 3C, a nominal Tyler Bozak, yes. And Rowney, Bluegers, McKegg, maybe Simon (better be a winger?) battling for 4C. By the way I believe they signed Johnson for WBS only. He is pure offensive forward to carry the WBS 1st and PP1 and looks like he'll be signed for PIT in case of massive collapse or armaggedon up the middle. Anyway, I think they want to have three equal scoring lines and a competetive checking line that could score goals and suppose will solve the issue that way or another. I'd be happy with Lowry as 3C/top 6 winger and Sceviour as 4C/3C/bottom 6 winger.

I'm confused. Do you KNOW that Lowry is to slow? Beyond that I want to know his value to WPG.

What i've seen he looks like a Jordan Staal type but more physical and a little less skilled. Staal is fast enough. Is Lowry? And what would it take to get him, as at 23yr old RFA to be, who wins faceoffs, PK, and has decent point production playing with WPG, so a raise in team talent could mean he scores 30-40 pts with the Pens. If he's not the right fit he's an asset moving forward. He also plays wing and can be net front and this is potentially Hornqvist last year. So unless he's below average speed or has to much value I'd be interested in having him on the team.

Only reason to trade Sheary is if his cap hit is to much or the value you're getting CAN'T be had for lesser parts. Why trade Shear to a non-team? He'd get you more from a team looking for a winger to make a run or a upcoming team that can't attact the UFAs. Vegas would be fine to take much much less IMO. Hagelin and Kuhhnackl and a 3 rd pick for Eakin and McNabb or Schmit. We can cover Hagelin with prospects, which we seem to have a handful of, which also makes Kuhnackl expendable. Keeping Kuhnhackl another year is cruel. The guy needs to play somewhere.

Bozak is a rental for 1 year. At 32 a UFA has to try to cash in. Are we going to pay him? I don't think so. Kessel DOESN'T need him. So why give up current and future assets when there is much more responsible fixes out there? There are other teams that could use Bozak more, which means you have to top what they're offering and again ... one year. Are you banking on Bozak resigning or a prospect (one you didn't trade for him or trade to replace a hole left to get him) filling that role next year, or do you do through the same process next year, but with fewer assets?

I don't bother with anyone that I don't know will be an asset on for the team to play or move in the future, Bozak is not viable IMO. I can win now AND win later with other moves.

I posted about Bozak above. I just assume have a guy who's an actual asset rather then give up assets to lose him to FA. He's great, but with a expiration date. Just doesn't look like a good move for the franchise IMO.

Johnson played every skating position last season in college, that includes defense. He's can't be pure offense. He's numbers don't reflect that. He's a smart 2-way guy like Rust or WIlson with potentially more offensive upside like a Sheary. He impressed as much as Aston-Reese and Sprong at rookie camp. I don't think Pens sign a guy for JUST for scoring in the AHL (@ $925k?) when they have 5 or so forwards on the cusp of the NHL.

College guys typically can't afford to have an attitude like Jr players. They are coached, and coach-able players. 2 way is the way of life in college hockey.

Yeap, missmatched Adam Johnson with Colin Smith, the C of WBS. Johnson is a TOP10 college prospect, my bad. They have already done a great job with the signings to make me do that.

The Penguins are in a win now, 3peat while we have Crosby/Malkin mode. Bozak is perfect for winning now. We have room under the cap this year and next year there could be free agents who want to come win a Cup.

They have a 3-4 year window with Crosby/Malkin ... Bozak might help one, but severely limits the chances of wining from there on.

TOR has a chance to cash in on their young forwards on entry level deals. TOR is in to win now mode too. What do you give for Bozak?

Think the 'regular' the price could be a 2nd and a prospect but guess in this case it's more complicated. There're MTL, NYR in need of C besides us, and TOR is in need of D. Maybe they could be interested in Holden + pick + prospect from NYR. That would suit both NYR and TOR if they don't find a better option. You know we don't trade our Ds in that deal especially Cole before we get another one.

And they have also a pending UFA JVK besides Bozak, so think they'll be searching for a better offer and would rather have a better return for a scoring winger (they are deep there) than trade a center to conference rival.

But who knows... I think the seller here is in a much better position than the buyer. They can do anything right now, trade Bozak for an overpayment and play Marleau with Nylander to help him being C or trade JVR and just play Marleau in stead of him and go to the playoffs being very deep in the middle. Or just wait and trade Bozak at the TDL for a much better return.

I don't think he's worth a player a prospect and a pick. Not for 1 year. Not when the Pens can win 4 more if they make the right moves. They won with Bonino. Get another Bonino. 3C who can score some, plays great D, solid faces offs, and puts his body on the line, for $4m or less. That's not Bozak and he doesn't come back to PIT next season.


Landry is 23yrs old and 1 year to RFA. We can give a player, a prospect, and a pick and have him at C or W for 4 more years, or trade him for something else along the way.

Eakin is 26 yr, has 3 yrs, more physical, has put up 40 pts, and is playing for a team that doesn't NEED anything and therefore what is given for him will probably very reasonable. Vegas could also take a bit of a cap hit to get a deal done. A prospect and a pick ... and again they have a few decent D-men we can try to package as well (McNabb and Schmidt). We're not competing with Vegas in the EAST either.

I don't bother with any 3C that makes more then $4m, is over 30, and doesn't have 2 yrs left with the team. He also HAS to be a solid PKer and face off guy.

Hope they think the same way. We need versality and permutability. I think they would have already acquired Bozak if they wanted to have just a 3C who has chemistry with Kessel. If Bozak goes nowhere and is available at TDL I would rather go for Sceviour.

Really hope they would trade for Henrique. It looks smart if we solve each other's issues with NJ. The same is with Eakin. I think we still could be partners with DAL. Not Faksa now but Shore looks good as well. Although he didn't play PK much but think he's OK with 2-way and he can also be a wing. I'd send them Sheary plus something for Shore and Johns.

Lowry is a tough one. He can fill in multiple slots, he's unique in the same way as Hornqvist is for us. Could be a part of a larger trade as I can't think of an asset WPG would be interested to trade for. Maybe Sheary again for Jets to add scoring on the left as they're very good on RW we deep at.

No new names come to mind... Cogliano, Spooner, Cziczikas, Shaw, Sheahan, Namestnikov, Nolan..? None seem realistic or worthwhile. Hope smth's worked out before Aug 4 when there'll be Sheary's hearing.

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I think Henrique will be harder to get with them adding Johanson from WAS, (which seems like a weak deal. Plenty of teams looking for a guy like him). Hopefully Shearo continues to try to rebuild and Henrique can be gotten for Maatta and some pieces but I think NJ might be buyers really soon. Hall - Johanson- Sheary? I can see NJ still being a trade partner because they're not in the playoff hunt just yet, but a few moves and they might be.

Not sure DAL can afford to take on Sheary's cap hit. They're against it right now so trading guys on entry level contracts is going to be difficult ... Lehtonen's contract is holding them back, they need to dump that salary which will likely require retaining $2m and paying someone to take it. Vegas again seems like the best partner as they should already be shopping Fluery and unless they pickup a goaltender in his trade should still be in the market. DAL might have to move Faksa over Shore if they want to add pieces this year. With Spezza at 34 they might want to make a bit of a push for a player that can help them for a 1-2 years. Sheary or Hagelan could if they can clear cap.

Sceviour looks more like a winger too me. His faceoffs are very limited, though he looks like a great 4th line W with the potential to play up the roster. I'd like to see Wilson - Rowney - Sceviour ...That would be an outstanding 4th line. If the Pens can get Henrique or Eakin or Lowry and Sceviour, and not give up Wilson they'll have some options to move a C up the line up (injuries) with out that much of a hole at 3C.

Most of those guys are in the East and it doesn't make a lot of sense for BOS, NYI, MON, TB, and maybe even DET to trade with PIT. Cogliano was always more of winger, though I haven't seen him in several years. I thought Cizikas might be possible. NYI might be looking to move salary to add another piece trying to convince Tavaras he should stay, but they'll also be helping a rival.

DET has Glendening and Helm. OTT has Smith and Pageau, WSH has Beagle and Eller. CBJ has Jenner, who's more a winger. LA has Lewis, Nolan (winger?), Dowd, and N. Shore (IDK much about him). Vegas has Eakin, Lindberg, and Karlsson (IDK anything about him). STL has Brodziak and Berglund ... there's more but it depends what you're looking for and what you're willing to give up to pry a play away from a team ...

WPG might be moving on from Enstorm next year since he's a UFA at 33, and they don't seem to have anyone ready to step in for him. They get Maatta or Pouliot from PIT and then pick up one of the guys that PIT can't couch in the EAST ... Lowry, Dano, and a 4th for Maatta and Sheary? Slot Dano in for Sheary and go after a McNabb or Schmidt in Vegs with a the 4th and some pieces. I'll Armchair this for a new discussion.