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Matt Vensel's Penguins chat: 08.13.20
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Matt Vensel
12:21
Good afternoon, Pens fans. A lot to talk about today after the early playoff exit last week, changes to the coaching staff and GMJR's interesting comments about the team. Go ahead and leave your questions now and we'll get going here around 1.
1:00
Alright. Time to get started. I hope to keep this party going for a full hour. I'll need your questions to do that. So fire away.
Ron J
1:00
Good afternoon Matt . It seemed to Me after the first 8 minutes of game 1 when We didn’t sore . I got the impression that They thought it isn’t gonna be as easy as We thought .
Matt Vensel
1:03
I really don't know if they took this team lightly. Only they can say that. For me, the series came down to Game 3. I agree with the coach and the GM that the Penguins were the better team in the first two games and probably should have won Game 1. And even though they didn't have their A game in Game 3, they led, 3-1, midway through the second. And they crumbled and never fought back. It's doubtful they would have survived another round had they beat the Habs. But they can point to that sequence there as the turning point.
Kevin
1:05
Didnt realize clicking enter automatically sends the question lol
If the Penguins are going to be a low to mid 70s team as far as the cap goes (According to an article from the Athletic this morning), how do they plan on legitimately changing their roster with those given constraints?
Matt Vensel
1:08
Kevin, it is understandable if the Pens are hesitant to pay up to the salary cap ceiling to open the season given the financial landscape. But I would be very surprised if they were significantly below the cap ceiling. Even if they wanted to get there, I honestly don't even know how they would do it unless they straight up dumped a highly-paid cornerstone like Evgeni Malkin or Kris Letang. Per CapFriendly, their current 2020-21 cap commitment is $68,275,175, and that's with just 15 players projected on the roster currently.
Angie
1:09
How’s Sid feeling after his team got kicked out of the playoffs on his birthday? Shame that the rest of the team didn’t show up. He was one of the few that still was trying... His post-match interview was perhaps the most devastated I’ve ever seen him... and the admission that it’s a possibility the window may be closing? That hurt to see him so down.
Matt Vensel
1:10
Angie, Crosby hasn't spoken publicly since the post-game press conference but I'm guessing he probably still feels the same.
Tom in Dallas
1:11
Is Marino the next Lethang?  I see him as developing into a solid offensive threat on the PP.  I think in a couple of years when Kris is gone, his lead role will be filled by Marino.
Matt Vensel
1:13
Tom, last week Jim Rutherford told me that the Penguins see John Marino as a top-pairing defenseman "in a short period if time." I'm not sure exactly what Jim meant by that, but that transition could occur next season if they do move Letang. Marino was excellent as a rookie, plays with so much poise and fits their defensive style (at least the one they preferred last season). The question for me is offensive upside. He showed this season he could be a 40-point player. But can he make a big leap there with more opportunity, particularly on the power play? We may find out here shortly.
Marc
1:15
In your opinion what can GMJR do to make this team a contender next season without trading the core three?
Matt Vensel
1:16
Marc, I really have no idea. I'm still trying to envision how this team can be drastically different if the same coach and the same core remain, especially since Mike Sullivan suggested to us yesterday that he still thinks the Penguins can contend playing a similar style.
On the Road
1:16
If a team were to offer a 1st round pick and a bottom six forward or a 2nd or 3rd pair defenseman for Letang, would GMJR make the move?
Matt Vensel
1:17
I can't speak for Jim, at least not at this point, but I do think there is something to the idea of making a trade that 1) shakes up the core and 2) potentially makes the team more balanced across the lineup. The Phil Kessel trade last summer at least tried to accomplish that goal. It was essentially Phil for Alex Galcheyuk, a prospect in P.O. Joseph and the cap space to sign Brandon Tanev.
Monk
1:19
Good Afternoon Matt.  No team is winning in the playoffs without grit.  They can win enough during the season with speed where grit is less of a factor than in the run for the Cup.  If Sullivan insists on speed, they're going to have to infuse some grit players on both the back end and front end with enough speed to make Sullivan happy. If that doesn't happen the Penguins will continue to be a mid level playoff team that gets dumped in the early rounds of the playoffs because to win in the playoffs requires the sand the current group of Penguins lack.
Matt Vensel
1:21
I'm not sure how to define "grit" honestly. If you're saying the Pens need a bunch of guys to go out there and knock people around, I don't know that I agree. But if you're talking about mental toughness as part of your definitely, then we're on the same page there. If you could describe with one word the Penguins in the first half of the season, it would be "resilient." Nothing seemed to rattle them, both at a macro and micro level. And then that faded away for some reason and was completely non-existent after the series turned in Game 3. That is the biggest head-scratcher to me.
Guest
1:22
What do you think of gmjr calling out Schultz like that ?  That seemed kind of cruel to just call him out especially when he is on his way out anyhow
Matt Vensel
1:24
Well, to be fair, I believe Jim was asked directly about the third pair and I'm not going to give him grief for answering it honestly. Look, it's no secret Justin Schultz stunk in that series. Everyone who was paying attention could see it. So why sugarcoat it? My takeaway there was that Rutherford was also probably doing some asset management with Jack Johnson by trying to take a little of the blame off of him. You know, in case they try to trade him. And let's be real here: Jack was bad but there was plenty of blame to go around. He was being asked to put out fires at times and isn't equipped to do that.
Ron J
1:26
Any team that traps always beats the Pens in the playoffs . Do u agree ?
Matt Vensel
1:26
Or the traps just stand out more to folks when they actually work?
Guest
1:26
How shocked are you about them letting gonchar go?  He seemed to have a magic touch with the defenseman
Matt Vensel
1:27
That one was surprising. Sergei Gonchar splits his time between Pittsburgh and Dallas. One wonders if they wanted somebody who was more all-in. But you'd think they'd still find some kind of role for Gonchar given his work with individual defensemen.
Guest
1:28
Hi Matt , I think the gm needs to take more blame for this mess and I don’t think I heard him take any personal responsibility ?  His endless trades have to have a negative effect on team moral
Matt Vensel
1:29
Is this Joe Starkey? ICYMI, here's his column from yesterday about this very topic if you want to give it a read: https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/joe-starkey/2020/08/12/Joe-Starkey...
burt reynolds
1:29
Assuming no COVID related delays in the playoffs, when do the free agents actually become free agents, i.e. what is the first day they can sign (not that I'm expecting big moves from teh Penguins, but it's always a fun day to follow the signings).
Matt Vensel
1:30
It's going to be a quick turnaround after the Stanley Cup is awarded in early October. I'd guess free agency will start the first week of November at the latest because you need to give players and their families a chance to move and get settled into new cities.
Guest
1:30
Do the pens win if Jarry starts the series ?
Matt Vensel
1:33
I don't know. Maybe? Maybe Tristan's better than Matt Murray in Game 1 and the Penguins steamroll the Canadiens? But they had so many issues that were a bigger worry than goaltending. And, look, every decision Sullivan made with the goalies was defensible. Neither guy seized the starting gig down the stretch. From Jan. 1 on, Jarry was 7-7-1 with a .901 save percentage. Murray was 9-6-1 with a .905 save percentage. Given that, it made sense to start with Murray. I didn't think he played poorly enough in Game 1 to get benched. And then he was very strong in Game 2. So you go back to him for Game 3. All makes sense to me. Sure, in hindsight it's easy to say they should've played Jarry because Murray didn't get it done.
Kennywood
1:35
It seems to be the JR acquires players, pays them too much, then struggles with the cap issues that he created.  Educate me please.
Matt Vensel
1:38
I think that's an educated take actually. You can say that he has been guilty of overpaying some guys to reward them for past success. I'm specifically thinking about that Patric Hornqvist contract, which isn't going to get any easier to move in the future. And, yeah, some other moves didn't pan out, starting with the Jack Johnson signing. But there have been good moves in there. Getting Marino for a sixth-rounder was a steal and Tanev worked out in the first year. But to your point, Jim has spent a lot of time and assets trying to undo some of the mistakes he has made. Hey, it's hard to win, people! And I'd argue the two Cups outweigh the two recent disappointments.
Monk
1:39
I don't know about the rest of the Penguin fans out there, but I'm getting tired of this "re-tooling" talk. It obviously hasn't worked and if the past is any indication of the future won't work.  It injects to much chaos in the form of player's not being familiar with each other.  Instead, "re-build" a team around Crosby.  He's such an elite athlete and professional that as long as his core holds up, he can lead a champion team into his late 30's.   That's a 5, 6 year window.  Start building for that window instead of retooling for now.
Matt Vensel
1:42
Counterpoint: Crosby is 33, has played a lot of hockey over the years, missed three months due to sports hernia surgery this season and was not dominant like he was a year ago. I by no means am saying Sid is washed up. I'm just saying there are no guarantees he's still going to be an elite player two or three years from now. And do you think as competitive as he is he's going to be cool with the franchise going through an intentional teardown that robs him of a couple of potential Cup runs? Time is running out.
Guest
1:42
Do you think the head coach from wbs could be promoted to assistant coach ?
Matt Vensel
1:44
I've wondered about that. But I'd guess that it's more likely they keep Mike Vellucci with WBS to help with their player development. And if the Penguins were to make an in-season coaching change, Vellucci would be on the short list. He's a very good coach and has a really interesting backstory. It involves Al Iafrate and a car crash. Give this a read if you want to know more about him: https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/penguins/2019/09/09/mike-vellucci-...
Kennywood
1:45
I agree with "Guest" about the cruelty issue.  Some journalists, and fans on social media, talk about players and how they are doing their jobs in ways that regular folks do not have to endure.  I think kindness and respect should always be foremost in how we discuss an athlete's performance.
Matt Vensel
1:47
I hear you. As often as possible, I try to remind readers, Twitter followers and others that these guys are human beings. They're not Madden create-a-players. For example, people were giving Mike Sullivan grief yesterday for saying it was a difficult day for him because he had to fire assistant coaches who are also his friends. These guys have been through so much together, most of it good. How could they not be close? I know the NHL is a results-oriented business that pays well. But show a little empathy.
On the Road
1:48
Matt, In my opinion, GMJR needs to be shown the door.  It should have happened the minute he signed his name to the JJ contract, which was ridiculous to say the least.  Furthermore, moves such as bring Marleau and Sheary in were foolhardy.  Can we hope that his "hot seat" is as warm as Sullivan's?
Matt Vensel
1:50
See above. It's hard to win. He has been far from perfect since 2017, in part because he couldn't pay everyone who helped them win the Cup in back-to-back years. But let's not forget all the awesome moves he made to retool the team and make the Pens a Cup-caliber team again. Who's to say the Hall-of-Famer can't pull it off again? Now, if there's another early exit next season, I think he's fair game.
Guest
1:50
Do you think they try to trade Hornqvist ?  He has a large contract but his enthusiasm is so needed on this team
Matt Vensel
1:52
Hornqvist is a warrior and a champion, but I have a hard time seeing a team actively trying to acquire him given that he is 33, has a history of injuries and concussions and is under contract for a salary of $5.3 million for the next three seasons. Never say never, but...
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