Fifth Avenue Forum

DK mentioned in his Friday Insider blog that he thinks Comeau will be back for cheap.

Here’s guessing that bringing back Blake Comeau will get done very quickly, if not first. He talks like a man who’d stay here for close to NHL minimum. Feels that strongly.

(2000 edits later....) Second point from his Insider blog: Burkle/Lemieux wanted Niskanen signed to a long-term deal last year (or the year before). DK noted this again because of the Caps' success this year.

DK mentioned in his Friday Insider blog that he thinks Comeau will be back for cheap.

Here’s guessing that bringing back Blake Comeau will get done very quickly, if not first. He talks like a man who’d stay here for close to NHL minimum. Feels that strongly.

He then pointed out that, in light of the Caps' success, it sounded like Burkle/Lemieux wanted Niskanen to be locked up to a long-term deal last year. *Shrug*

This confused me at first and then I realized it was an allusion to Shero not resigning him the year before...

DK mentioned in his Friday Insider blog that he thinks Comeau will be back for cheap.

Here’s guessing that bringing back Blake Comeau will get done very quickly, if not first. He talks like a man who’d stay here for close to NHL minimum. Feels that strongly.

Edit: As an aside, his next point in the Insider blog is that, in light of the Caps' success, it sounded like Burkle/Lemieux wanted Niskanen to be locked up to a long-term deal last year. *Shrug* Edited to make it clearer.

I bet they did want him to stay, but who knows how the Shero/Bylsma cannings weighed-in in his decision.

Edit: That sentence is a train wreck. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Meanwhile, from Netwolf's Talking to Myself...

Rutherford did a better job than I expected (as you'll see as you read further), but I still don't get the hire, especially from the Botterill angle. If he leaves the organization (and Jason Mackey of the Trib said he thinks both Botterill and Tom Fitzgerald are gone this summer on Stan Savran's show last Monday), then I have even more questions.

No idea why Mackey thinks Botterill's gone. Trying to listen to the Savran show & see why...
- Mackey says ownership gave Rutherford a mandate of "win now," hence the many trades at the deadline.
- Apparently Botterill was against adding Spaling to the Neal/Hornqvist trade, as well as against picking up Winnik.
- Botterill's contract is up, & Mackey thinks someone will pick him up over the Pens. By committing to Rutherford & Johnston, they'll lose Botterill & Fitzgerald. I don't buy that, but whatever.
- Different point: Mackey wants management to see what they can get for Malkin (not advocating trade, supposedly, just sending out feelers). Or, conversely, pick up a Russian winger.

I'm know I'm asking too much, but if you're supposedly a reporter, you shouldn't be offering opinions. I guess those days are gone, however.

Meanwhile, from Netwolf's Talking to Myself...

Rutherford did a better job than I expected (as you'll see as you read further), but I still don't get the hire, especially from the Botterill angle. If he leaves the organization (and Jason Mackey of the Trib said he thinks both Botterill and Tom Fitzgerald are gone this summer on Stan Savran's show last Monday), then I have even more questions.

No idea why Mackey thinks Botterill's gone. Trying to listen to the Savran show & see why...
- Mackey says ownership gave Rutherford a mandate of "win now," hence the many trades at the deadline.
- Apparently Botterill was against adding Spaling to the Neal/Hornqvist trade, as well as against picking up Winnik.
- Botterill's contract is up, & Mackey thinks someone will pick him up over the Pens. By committing to Rutherford & Johnston, they'll lose Botterill & Fitzgerald. I don't buy that, but whatever.
- Different point: Mackey wants management to see what they can get for Malkin (not advocating trade, supposedly, just sending out feelers). Or, conversely, pick up a Russian winger.

Could this just be an instance of Mackey "Tribbing it up" (i.e. manufacturing controversy from dubious/no evidence)? Last summer, it seemed pretty clear that Rutherford was brought in as a caretaker GM for a couple years until the younger guys were more seasoned and ready to take over.

Molinari tweeted after Shero was hired by the Devils that Fitzgerald could potentially go there. And it's not a big secret Botterill's contract is up. It's also not a leap to imagine the cap guru being concerned about the GM potentially putting the team in salary cap hell.

Botteril is supposed to be some sort of Cap whiz and it was bad management the last two years. We only got lucky in 2013-14 that Vokoun went on LTIR the entire season, otherwise we would have had to make a painful move. Two years in a row two we signed a defensemen we didn't really need for money we didn't really have. If he goes, fine.

Fitzgerald is supposed to develop talent. Granted he hasn't had much to work with but no one in WBS is really banging on the NHL door right now except for Pouliot and that's because he's just that good and anything else is probably more to do with Hynes.

I'm not sure what any of the assistant GM's add to the team except for Guerin who I get is really just a player liason to gauge where the locker room is which does have some value.

I can see Botteril, Fitzgerald and Tocchet all gone this summer and then Rutherford will have Karmanos and Guerin to assist and Johsnton will get to pick his own PP guy.

I fully expect Tocchet to continue to be imposed upon Johnston.

lol

JR's Wikipedia Page

That's why they don't let monkeys on the Internet (yet it still happens).

CG found a new place to repeat the only three things he says about the game I see...

its both funny and sad someone would do that to Rutherford's wiki page. I am sure they are trying to make it go viral like the people who put Patrick Kane as owners of the Minnesota wild on the wiki page.

The best part is one of the citations listed is a direct link to HFBoards. Someone needs to edit that garbage.

Meanwhile, from Netwolf's Talking to Myself...

Rutherford did a better job than I expected (as you'll see as you read further), but I still don't get the hire, especially from the Botterill angle. If he leaves the organization (and Jason Mackey of the Trib said he thinks both Botterill and Tom Fitzgerald are gone this summer on Stan Savran's show last Monday), then I have even more questions.

No idea why Mackey thinks Botterill's gone. Trying to listen to the Savran show & see why...
- Mackey says ownership gave Rutherford a mandate of "win now," hence the many trades at the deadline.
- Apparently Botterill was against adding Spaling to the Neal/Hornqvist trade, as well as against picking up Winnik.
- Botterill's contract is up, & Mackey thinks someone will pick him up over the Pens. By committing to Rutherford & Johnston, they'll lose Botterill & Fitzgerald. I don't buy that, but whatever.
- Different point: Mackey wants management to see what they can get for Malkin (not advocating trade, supposedly, just sending out feelers). Or, conversely, pick up a Russian winger.

Could this just be an instance of Mackey "Tribbing it up" (i.e. manufacturing controversy from dubious/no evidence)? Last summer, it seemed pretty clear that Rutherford was brought in as a caretaker GM for a couple years until the younger guys were more seasoned and ready to take over.

It's not just Mackey regarding Botterill. DK has pretty much said the same thing. I think part of it is, Shero went out, Botterill kept his job, but the Pens still gave the reins to someone else. Another piece is Rutherford said he was going to be more in the background and an advisor, but it's been clear he has been the main GM running the show. Finally, I believe DK mentioned that Billy Guerin is much more visible around Rutherford than the others. Botterill is still seen as a top up and comer in the league, so it makes sense that he would look elsewhere after seemingly being passed over by the Pens.

Looking at the way some of the deals have played out I value Botteril's opinion more than those of Fitzgerald and Guerin. Unfortunately for the Pens it seems that their voices are louder at the moment.

While this is the game of hockey, i look at this from Botteril/Shero perspective like I would any other job

If i am Botteril, yes I probably can go move under shero, but its a lateral move, i am not gaining a new title or responsibilities by doing it. I know my role with the pens, not clue what that role would be with the devils. Remember uncle lou is still around so its not like is "guys" will be leaving the org any time soon. If everything is true about Botteril's opinion on players, those wont go unnoticed by upper management.

If i am Shero, why do i hire someone that will most likely be only around a year or two and has his own opinions on how to run things. I want guys that will come in and i can shape and model (They might have their own opinions), but its more like having an input into a decision rather than a guy questing a decision (if that makes sense)

If I'm Botteril I'm also considering that Shero is 52 while Rutherford is 92 or something like that.

As I've learned in my professional career, few bosses like to be questioned by the hired help.

Was watching some of the highlights of the last regular season and playoffs and man do i really like Ian Cole. I really think with him your looking at a top 4 over the next few years as

Letang-Maata
Cole-Pouliot (I like this pairing i think Cole allows Pouliot to do this thing and they are both young and can grow together)

Outside of Letang, that is a cheap blueline over the next few years

Was watching some of the highlights of the last regular season and playoffs and man do i really like Ian Cole. I really think with him your looking at a top 4 over the next few years as

Letang-Maata
Cole-Pouliot (I like this pairing i think Cole allows Pouliot to do this thing and they are both young and can grow together)

Outside of Letang, that is a cheap blueline over the next few years

It won't stay cheap for long, though. Maata will get an extension that kicks in for the 2016-2017 season. I fully expect it to be in the 3-4mil range. Pouliot's extension would could during the 2016-2017 season, and can't really make a judgement on his potential yet. In 4 years, with those same players, I could see the salaries looking like this:

Letang: 7.25M
Maata: 5.5M
Pouliot: 3.5M
Cole: 4M

Purely speculative and subject to players continuing to play/improve, but I think Maata will get a 2 year deal for 3-4M sometime this year, and jump up in the 5M range after those 2 years. With Pouliot, I see the same type of thing, only I would go 3 years with him....that way, Pouliot and Letang will both be up at the same time, and the Penguins should have an idea if Letang's play has dropped, is Pouliot's play close to Letang's level, do they keep both, etc.

Was watching some of the highlights of the last regular season and playoffs and man do i really like Ian Cole. I really think with him your looking at a top 4 over the next few years as

Letang-Maata
Cole-Pouliot (I like this pairing i think Cole allows Pouliot to do this thing and they are both young and can grow together)

Outside of Letang, that is a cheap blueline over the next few years

It won't stay cheap for long, though. Maata will get an extension that kicks in for the 2016-2017 season. I fully expect it to be in the 3-4mil range. Pouliot's extension would could during the 2016-2017 season, and can't really make a judgement on his potential yet. In 4 years, with those same players, I could see the salaries looking like this:

Letang: 7.25M
Maata: 5.5M
Pouliot: 3.5M
Cole: 4M

Purely speculative and subject to players continuing to play/improve, but I think Maata will get a 2 year deal for 3-4M sometime this year, and jump up in the 5M range after those 2 years. With Pouliot, I see the same type of thing, only I would go 3 years with him....that way, Pouliot and Letang will both be up at the same time, and the Penguins should have an idea if Letang's play has dropped, is Pouliot's play close to Letang's level, do they keep both, etc.

I'll say the same thing I said about Letang prior to his signing. Thats a lot of money for someone who hasnt proven he can stay healthy / shake the injury bug. I dont like paying players based on perception rather than reality and the reality is he needs to stay healthy.

Yeah. Letang really needs to stop being cheap shotted by Shane Doan. He needs to prove he can stay healthy.

Yeah. Letang really needs to stop being cheap shotted by Shane Doan. He needs to prove he can stay healthy.

Cheap shot? Thats certainly debatable. You act like that was his first concusstion / extended time on the IR.

It was a completely needless hit that served no purpose.