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Coaching and management changes around the league

Where there's smoke, there's usually fire. Whether it's a Letang trade or some other significant deal that management wanted to kibosh, it's easy to believe there was a philosophical split between JR and ownership.
 
bustaheims said:
Where there's smoke, there's usually fire. Whether it's a Letang trade or some other significant deal that management wanted to kibosh, it's easy to believe there was a philosophical split between JR and ownership.
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I have Letang in my hockey pool so I know all about his troubles, but I don't see how this could have helped Pittsburgh at all. Between his NTC and teams limited cap space, who would the suitors even be? Boston maybe? Sending him to a division rival for futures isn't going to improve their chances for the remainder of their limited window.

If they're trying to make a hockey trade options would be even more limited. Swapping him for Yandle+ isn't going to move the needle the way Letang finding his game again would.
 
Crake said:
If they're trying to make a hockey trade options would be even more limited. Swapping him for Yandle+ isn't going to move the needle the way Letang finding his game again would.
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Considering the combination and injuries, I wouldn't bank on Letang finding his game enough that it would move the needle much, either. In fact, adding Yandle now would definitely be a faster boost to the team, and possibly similar over the long-term. His age and point production are similar, but he's shown himself to be much more durable. He's not as good defensively, but Letang's effectiveness is diminishing there, too.
 
bustaheims said:
Crake said:
If they're trying to make a hockey trade options would be even more limited. Swapping him for Yandle+ isn't going to move the needle the way Letang finding his game again would.
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Considering the combination and injuries, I wouldn't bank on Letang finding his game enough that it would move the needle much, either. In fact, adding Yandle now would definitely be a faster boost to the team, and possibly similar over the long-term. His age and point production are similar, but he's shown himself to be much more durable. He's not as good defensively, but Letang's effectiveness is diminishing there, too.
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Letang isn't the player he used to be, but neither is Yandle. One guy can still play top pair minutes on a good team, the other can barely crack a roster outside of his power play time.

The athletic is now reporting it's more about personnel decisions in management rather than player moves. The firing of Karmanos and hiring of Dale Tallon especially seemed to be things Rutherford was strongly against and forced into.
 
Crake said:
The athletic is now reporting it's more about personnel decisions in management rather than player moves. The firing of Karmanos and hiring of Dale Tallon especially seemed to be things Rutherford was strongly against and forced into.
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Small note, it was the potential hiring of Dale Talon that Rutherford was strongly against, it didn't end up happening. But yeah I remember when the report came out that they were considering hiring him and as hilarious as it would have been it clearly made no sense.
 
Ron Hextall, famous Philadelphia Flyer and one-time GM, becoming the Pittsburgh Penguins' new GM is the ultimate saboteur.
 
From November:

https://thehockeywriters.com/brian-burke-penguins-championship-window-closed/ said:
Burke, who admitted his love and admiration for Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford, was speaking with ex-Penguin and co-host of the podcast, Ryan Whitney and had this to say about the current state of the franchise:

"It is the same thing Jimmy Rutherford is saying in Pittsburgh "I've got two elite players we're not going to a total rebuild were gonna try and win." I don't think Pittsburgh is good enough to win. No matter what they do now with their cap situation I think that window has closed, for me. I love Jimmy Rutherford, you know that, but I look in the East and I say are they better than Tampa? Nope. Are they better than Washington? Nope. Are they better than Boston? Nope."

The bold takes continued as Burke would also go on to say the Penguins "are not close to championship caliber" during his guest appearance.
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CarltonTheBear said:
From November:

https://thehockeywriters.com/brian-burke-penguins-championship-window-closed/ said:
Burke, who admitted his love and admiration for Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford, was speaking with ex-Penguin and co-host of the podcast, Ryan Whitney and had this to say about the current state of the franchise:

"It is the same thing Jimmy Rutherford is saying in Pittsburgh "I've got two elite players we're not going to a total rebuild were gonna try and win." I don't think Pittsburgh is good enough to win. No matter what they do now with their cap situation I think that window has closed, for me. I love Jimmy Rutherford, you know that, but I look in the East and I say are they better than Tampa? Nope. Are they better than Washington? Nope. Are they better than Boston? Nope."

The bold takes continued as Burke would also go on to say the Penguins "are not close to championship caliber" during his guest appearance.
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Wow, that's quite the quote from their current hire for president of hockey ops.

Crosby to COL and Malkin to WSH.
 
Highlander said:
Bender said:
CarltonTheBear said:
https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1359219305007751169

lol
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I would've missed him if he wasn't such a scowling troll most nights.
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Its good because outside of his comments I thought he had transformed into the Crypt keeper.
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I appreciated "in real-time" his pugnacity, testosterone, truculence and belligerence.
 
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