Gear

Some basic thoughts on the Penguins: - I think Malkin gets brought back for one season. He fills the Sergei Gonchar/Jiri Hrdina mentor role for the younger Russians, even if his skills fade. Perhaps a two year deal, but the second year can be bought out if all goes to shit. - Letang needs a Come to Jesus talk. He was an absolute liability for long stretches of time, even if he was respectable for the final three games of the series. He's trying to play like it's 2016, yet doesn't have anywhere near the athleticism to compensate these days. It's like Polamalu's last season with the Steelers: Just sad. Either he has to change his game to a more reserved style or he's getting a one-way ticket to Robidas Island. Extreme, but shit's dire with him. Thanks for making his last two years buyout-proof, Hextall... - Anthony Mantha can get his bag elsewhere. Let the Kraken sign him to a six by five or something. - Clifton and Dumba, thanks for the second round picks, but there's the door - What happens with the rest of the defense? Do Karlsson and Wotherspoon get traded at peak value? It's obvious it needs overhauled to hell and back, but how much does? - I'd love Connor Dewar and Ryan Shea back, but they're the kind of guys that get drastically overpaid on the FA market. Young enough to not fall to shit, but the fear of Ryan Graves lingers... - Speaking of Graves? Might be time to buy him out. It's a bust. - Noel Acciari might be a casualty due to his age and a bunch of younger guys knocking on the door (Tristan Broz) - I'm hoping Ben Kindel's hurt, because the dude was invisible on the ice most of April - Resting the starters after clinching home ice fucked the Pens in the end. It sapped them of momentum which took them too late to get back. - What happens with the vets? Do the Pens still try to go another year with the old core or start shifting to younger guys? Jason Robertson and Robert Thomas might be for the taking. Do they strike or feel the price is too rich? The Pens can take this offseason in a bunch of different directions. I'm interested to see which path they take.

the penguins haven’t caught enough shit for not winning a round in 8 years with a healthy malkin, crosby, rust and letang

Penguins UFAs: Malkin K. Hayes Mantha Acciari Dewer Clifton Shea Skinner Curious to see what Dubas does. Thoughts?

Anthony Mantha standing at the side of the net during a scrum, in overtime, of an elimination game, after flubbing a wide open look, with his stick on his knees and his mouthguard hanging out of his mouth like nothing is happening is one of the softest NHL plays I have ever seen.

Wasn't Zegras supposed to be on the ice after this Flyers icing? He goes down the tunnel. Comes back immediately after play resumes.