Nothing in Ron Heckstall’s profession as a normal supervisor in Philadelphia or Pittsburgh signifies he’d be keen to do one thing like that, however a person can dream, proper?
It is vitally clear that the Pittsburgh Penguins Want a spark now.
Whereas I nonetheless preserve that a whole lot of their present issues may be fastened just by bringing Kris Letang, Jeff Petry, and Tristan Jarry again into the lineup, they nonetheless want a bit extra assist after that. Particularly with regards to their scoring depth and skill to get one thing out of the underside half of their lineup.
Earlier this week Hawks appeared Its some glorious potential choices to assist approximate this depth.
That is the most certainly path the Penguins will take for a variety of causes, from the wage cap, to the enterprise belongings, to the sluggish, methodical, and “affected person” method of the final supervisor.
However let’s faux for a second that Ron Hextall ripped a web page out of Jim Rutherford’s ebook and stated, “Let’s get away!” And you probably did one thing recklessly aggressive.
With that in thoughts, let’s speak about Timo Meier.
On the floor, this does not make sense.
Meyer is a prime notch participant and the Penguins are nicely set with prime stage gamers in the meanwhile. He’s additionally a pending restricted free agent who would require a qualifying provide of $10 million for the season (or a major contract extension) whereas additionally carrying a wage cap of $6 million for the season.
It is also actually good and sharks will not wish to give it up.
All of those info look like potential obstacles.
However the one strategy to overcome an impediment is to truly attempt to recover from it.
Here is what stood out to me concerning the Mayer choice this week: The quoted buying and selling worth will not be that outrageously excessive.
NHL insider Frank Serravalle I reported this week that sharks might not get it like Chicago Blackhawks They have been capable of get out Ottawa Senators For Alex DeBrincat. And when you recall, the Blackhawks did not get a ton in alternate for DeBrincat, choosing up simply three draft picks, solely one in all which was within the first spherical.
Seravalli speculates that Meier might are available at a less expensive worth given DeBrincat nonetheless has a full yr left in his deal earlier than a qualifying provide is required and he is additionally a full three years youthful than Meier.
Assuming that is true, and the argument round it’s definitely true, the place else would you get a chance to accumulate this good participant and this product for such a low worth when it comes to belongings and trial capital?
The reply: most likely not.
So why not go for it? You are already on this season and future seasons due to the best way the Penguins have saved their core, so I am not too involved about shedding the draft choose’s origins. I’ve made this argument earlier than, however there is not a participant picked within the 17-32 vary that might so dramatically have an effect on the Penguins’ future and hasten their inevitable rebuilding when Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Chris Letang all stopped taking part in. . If this choice might help you compete now whereas these three are nonetheless taking part in at a excessive stage, then you must.
So how can this assist the penguins within the brief time period when their best want is deep help?
Nicely, there may be multiple means to enhance that depth.
You will get a deep participant, or you will get a top-tier participant who helps push another person down the lineup.
Would not the Penguins do higher with somebody like Meyer skating within the prime six and relegating somebody like Brian Rust or Jason Zucker to the third row? In fact they are going to be higher. He nonetheless provides one other influential participant to the lineup and helps steadiness issues out. s
The query then turns into what to do concerning the wage cap this yr and subsequent.
like Tampa Bay LightningAnd Colorado AvalancheAnd even the Penguins themselves have proven us over time that there are all the time — all the time — methods round that to get the participant you need. Retained wage, different trades to surrender contracts, and contain a 3rd celebration to take up extra retained wage.
For those who actually desire a participant, you will get it.
This requires a stage of creativity and aggressiveness that Hextall by no means reveals, however the choices are all there.
There’s additionally the truth that the Penguins have some huge cash off the books after this season.
Zucker (who would once more create a prime six opening) and Brian Dumoulin have been the larger two.
Is it attainable? No. However the penguins want some juice. spark. One thing daring to show issues in a unique course now. There is a chance so as to add an awesome star suite at a worth that may be laughably low cost when it comes to enterprise belongings and ones that do not come round fairly often. Attempt to reap the benefits of it when the chance arises.