I'm hearing the Pens want a physical defenseman - What about Brendan Witt? He is extremely physical, and very intimidating. I know he's going to be suspended for a few games for the elbow he threw last night, but whatev. He's signed for the next 2 years at 3 mil/per.I know Lemieux has mentioned he would like Witt on this team. Generally, whatever Lemieux wants - he gets. This guy is a beast - Just throwin' this out there:
To Pittsburgh: Bill Guerin Brendan Witt
To New York: Pascal Dupuis Mark Eaton Pittsbugh's 3rd round draft pick(from Tampa Bay)
I know the Islanders have interest in Dupuis, so i think this could fly.
Not to mention he's a good ol' Humboldt boy - can't lose!!
These are the trades so far. This years trading deadline looks to be very busy ...doesn't it always though? This is my Christmas v2.0...love it (especially when my team is a buyer). I will keep this updated as fast as possible....
Click on picture to see a bigger version (from TSN)
Ryan Whitney has (finally) been traded - to the Ducks for Chris Kunitz and prospect Eric Tangradi.
Chris Kunitz:
ASSETS: Has savvy offensive ability and overall polish. Is a deft playmaker with a little bit of a mean streak. Skates very well and provides some grit. Stanley Cup winner.
FLAWS: Isn't very big by today's NHL standards and is vulnerable against physical defensemen, since he tends to wear down over time.
CAREER POTENTIAL: Complementary top-six winger.
Eric Tangradi:
Big power forward from Philadelphia...he plays for Belleville (OHL) and leads the team in goals (38), assists (49) and points (87) [leads the team in points by 14 while playing 5 less games] and leads in +/- at +43...he's got all the tools...it's a matter of putting it all together...he's a strong skater, good vision, scoring touch, plays pretty physical game when he wants...lot of tools, but the toolbox isn't fully pieced together yet...rated as Anaheim's #2 prospect...Compared to Todd Bertuzzi in his prime.
In my opinion, Whitney's play forced this trade. Originally considered one of the teams "core", but his error filled play sealed his fate. Became expendable with the emergence of Kris Letang and more recently Alex Goligoski. I also have a reliable source stating he had a bit of an attitude problem as well (thnx Shaun) Looks like a fairly good trade on both sides...as always, time will tell.
It looks as though a deal involving the Pens and the Avs is peculating......from what I'm hearing the trade could include Ryan Smyth (and his spectacular mullet) and possibly Chris Stewart (18th overall pick 2006). going the other way will include either Staal or Whitney (hopefully Whitney) Now Smyth isn't a stud scorer, but he does bring some interesting intangibles to the table. He is a friend of Lemieux, and I think he would mesh really well with Crosby. Not to mention he has more heart than some entire teams (coff coff...no names). They don't call him Captain Canada for nothing.
Stewart - the younger brother of Florida Panther prospect Anthony Stewart, has started to emerge out from under his brother’s shadow. As each month passed his stock has risen as scouts began to notice what a great talent he is. Stewart is a big power forward who is a strong skater, is hard to knock off the puck and is not afraid to get physical when it is necessary (118 PIM this season). He has great hands for a big man and plays in all situations. Stewart’s size, physicality, and soft hands, combined with excellent work ethic, make him a force to be reckoned with.
I'm not sure this is the best trade out there for the Pens - but it is definitely intriguing...
When I got married last September, I wanted to have some sort of Penguins homage - or black and gold somehow incorporated into the wedding. I mentioned it to my bride to be, but she just chuckled it off, and I dropped the idea - you know, out of respect for my wife. Well, in my normal internet cruising of Pens related stuff, I came across something very cool - some stories and pics of Pens related weddings and proposals. Here are some of the cool pics:
Wedding #1
2 Stanley Cups a Zamboni, and a Pens puck topper - awesome
Grooms cake
Wedding #2
Grooms cake
Stanley Cup shots
Now, in my opinion, these weddings are are all pretty cool, I am proud to say I did have a few Penguins mentions in presentations and speeches at my wedding, but the best moment was when my sister gave her "welcome to the family toast" to my new bride. She started off by saying how much off a Penguins fan I am (duh) and that my wife had better get used to me watching all Penguins games, and how our schedule will revolve around those games. Then my sister said to help break her in to get used to all of this, she presented my wife with a new Pens jersey with her new last name.....very cool.
Here's the link to the website with the Pens wedding stuff:
It looks like it's true - if you pray hard enough, wishes do come true!
Michel Therrien has been relieved of his duties as coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins
Somewhere an angel just got her wings
From Pittsburghpenguins.com:
Dan Bylsma Named Interim Head Coach of Pittsburgh Penguins
Dan Bylsma has been named interim head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins, replacing Michel Therrien, it was announced tonight by Executive Vice President and General Manager Ray Shero.
Bylsma, 38, has been serving as head coach of the team’s American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He will coach his first game with the Penguins Monday at 2 p.m. against the New York Islanders at Nassau Coliseum.
Therrien was relieved of his duties this evening, and assistant coach Andre Savard was reassigned within the organization.
Assistant coach Mike Yeo and goaltending coach Gilles Meloche will remain with the coaching staff. Tom Fitzgerald, the Penguins’ director of player development, will join the staff as an assistant coach.
“We believe we need a change in direction and, with 25 games remaining in the regular season, our goal remains to finish strong and qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs,” Shero said. “Dan Bylsma is one of the bright young coaches in the game and has done an exceptional job as the head coach in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season.
“We also would like to thank Michel Therrien for his significant contributions to the Penguins organization.”
Bylsma (pronounced BYLE-smuh) played nine NHL seasons as a right winger with Los Angeles and Anaheim from 1995-2004. He played 429 NHL regular season games and also played in the 2003 Stanley Cup Final with Anaheim. He retired as a player following the 2003-04 season.
The native of Grand Haven, Mich. began his coaching career as an assistant with the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks of the AHL in 2004-05. He made his NHL coaching debut as an assistant with the New York Islanders in 2005-06.
Bylsma joined the Penguins organization as an assistant to Todd Richards in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2006-07. In two seasons, the Richards-Bylsma coaching tandem led WB/S to a 98-49-5-8 record. The Baby Penguins won the AHL East Division and Eastern Conference championships in 2007-08 and advanced to the Calder Cup Final.
When Richards accepted a job as an assistant coach with the NHL’s San Jose Sharks in the off-season, Bylsma was elevated to head coach at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
This season under Bylsma, the Baby Penguins are 35-16-1-2. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton defeated Worcester today, 5-2, for its eighth straight victory.
In Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, assistant coach Todd Reirden will continue to be a significant part of the coaching staff. The Penguins organization will announce further plans for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton staff on Tuesday
With the recent huge win over the Sharks, I figured this was the most important game of the year for the struggling Penguins. With a win over Toronto, the Pens would've gained momentum, and some ground on the, ugh, Hurricanes and Panthers.
Well, that didn't work out so well. Giving up 5 goals (and the lead) in the third period against a loser team doesn't cut it at this time of the year. The Pens showed little urgency, and even less passion against one of the Eastern Conferences cellar dwellers. It seems to have become a bad habit.
The Penguins and their GM are in a precarious position....On one hand Shero has a team that isn't playing like they deserve to be a buyer at the trade deadline - on the other hand Pens ownership has made it known “missing the playoffs is not an option”.
Well, in my humble opinion - the ONLY way Pittsburgh makes the playoffs this year, is to
FIRE MICHEL THERRIEN
(hm - if I put Godard and de trainer on de 1st line wit Sid...)
I don't care if you brought in Ovechkin, and demi-god Lemieux himself laced up - this team will not succeed with this ass-clown behind the bench. Therrien does not know how to handle young players. Therrien alienates veterans to the point that they want off the team. Word is Bill Guerin wouldn't wave his no-trade clause to Pittsburgh solely due to Therriens' handling of vets in the last few years.
Pretty bad when someone turns down a trade for a possible cup-run from the lowly Islanders.
ouch
The Penguins' current team reminds me of the Washington Capitals when coached by Glen Hanlon. That team had a bunch of really good players, but they inexplicably played a semi-defensive game - and they sucked. They had no identity.
Along comes Bruce Boudreau, and BAM! It was like watching a butterfly emerging from a defensive cocoon. He is coaching the team to play to the strengths of their players. And what do you know - they're leading their division, and are one of the favorites to come out of the East.
Therriens' coaching expertise is a three trick pony:
1. Shuffle the lines as much as humanly possible. This way the players have a 0% chance of creating ANY chemistry whatsoever.
2. Another awesome coaching tactic - nonsensical healthy scratches. Two of 7,000 examples - sitting veteran Hal Gill last night, after he played a solid defensive game, and actually led the team in minutes played against the Sharks - WTF?? Also, him constantly sitting Goligoski, and playing Boucher. If Gogo played all the games, he would have around 27 points - as a rookie! How do you keep that off the ice when your two offensive dmen are gone for most of the year?
3. Therriens favorite trick...Putting Crosby and Malkin on the same line. Pure Genius. This isn't even working now - so what does that mean? See #1 - Shuffle the lines as much as humanly possible.
A different coach would do wonders for this team. I don't hate MT, or even think he's a bad coach. I just think his act has worn out its welcome in Pittsburgh. He's totally lost the locker room. Because he really doesn't know how to get things going, he has the Penguins PLAYING A TRAP!! The Pittsburgh Penguins playing a trap - with the 2 leading scorers in the league!!
(and Jesus wept)
I understand Shero's reluctance to fire him though. Shero was forced to give the coach a 3 year extension because they came with 2 victories of the Cup. I really like Shero as a GM, but I'm getting frustrated because MT is still coaching this team. After every loss, I anxiously wait for the news he's been fired - but alas that hasn't happened.
Allegations that Roberto Alomar was raped by 2 dudes when he was a teenager, and has AIDS were swirling around the sporting world the last few days.
From Yahoo's Big Leauge Stew:
Ilya Dall filed a $15-million suit against Alomar on Jan. 30. Dall has tested negative for HIV, but in the suit claims "Alomar caused her emotional distress and exposed her children to the virus." She and Alomar ended a three-year relationship in October.
As if those details aren't shocking enough, from the Daily News:
In April 2005, Alomar told Dall he was suffering from erectile dysfunction and confided "he was raped by two Mexican men after playing a ballgame in New Mexico or a Southwestern state when he was 17," the suit says.
Roberto Alomar Official Statement February 11, 2009
This is a very private, personal matter and I greatly appreciate all the support I have received in the past few days from my family, friends and colleagues in baseball. I am in very good health and I ask that you respect my privacy during this time.As for the lawsuit, it is filled with lies and I am deeply saddened that someone I cared for would make such terrible accusations and try to hurt me in this way.
This is all stunning stuff, and of course I hope Alomar is AIDS-free - and that he wasn't raped by two Mexican dudes...Sounds to me like some money hungry bitch is trying to garner attention and of course $$$
It looks as though Mario Lemieux is pushing Shero to trade for Marty St. Louis..
From TIOPS:
A source tells me talks with Tampa Bay are intensifying. My source believes Mario Lemieux is highly involved and is pushing Shero to finalize a deal "very soon" that would send Whitney as the centerpiece of a potential deal. St. Louis has not been asked to waive his NTC yet. Mark Recchi and Gary Roberts may be an influencing factor as they both don't like Penguins head coach Michel Therrien. Mario played a strong factor in Gary Roberts waiving his NTC and may have to work that same magic again.
As mentioned a few days ago, the lightning are looking at Whitney, Goligoski, Talbot and Jeffrey. I was told today that it doesn't appear Goligoski will be involved.
The Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche and Montreal Canadiens remain interested in Ryan Whitney. The Penguins have declined an offer from the Buffalo Sabres and the two side aren't seen as good trade partners.
I know last year Mario pushed Shero to acquire Hossa, and we know what happened there. I love the fact that St. Louis knows what it takes to win a Cup, but I'm not sure its wise to deal a 26 year old offensive dman for a 34 year old....Shero also better make sure St. Louis signs an extension before he finalizes this trade.
It sounds like the asking price will be Alex Goligoski. If this is true, I hope Shero doesn't do this deal - Gogo is way more valuable to the Pens than Armstrong would be. I liked Army when he played here, but lets look at him for what he really is - a 3rd line player. If he did join the Pens, he would be immediately reunited with Crosby on the first line. Just what the Penguins need - another 3rd liner on the top line. It seems like there might be problems in the Pens locker room this year compared to the last few - it just doesn't seem like its a very close team. If Army came back, that would definitely help. (He's buddies with Crosby)
Basically, the Pens forwards consist of: 2 of the best players in the world (Malkin & Crosby) 1 good winger (Sykora) 1 good up and coming center (Staal) 8 3rd and 4th liners
This team needs a top winger for Crosby. Right now (for most of his career) his talents are being wasted with lesser talents like Dupuis, Kennedy Talbot, etc. The one time Crosby actually had an elite winger (Hossa) they came within 2 victories of the Cup. I realize elite snipers are difficult to come by - let alone afford - but I believe Shero will do what is necessary.
There's a lot of talk on a lot of web sites about the upcoming trade deadline....There's also a lot of talk about how Shero is willing to move either Staal or Whitney (or both) for an elite winger. Here's a few of the names being thrown around - I'm not saying any of these make sense, just ones I'm hearing about: Martin St. Louis Martin Havlat Bill Guerin Keith Tkachuk and more...
Here's one I'd REALLY like to see - its a trade that makes sense for both teams:
To LA :
Staal - 4 Mill Whitney 4 Mill Satan 3.5 Mill
to Pittsburgh
Frolov - 4 mill Jack Johnson 2.5 Mill O'Donnell - 1.25
Before you laugh - TIOPS (The Insider On Pittsburgh Sports) reported that LA contacted Shero on the availability of Satan (I'm not sure why, but whatever)
AND - the only way I'd do this deal, is if Shero signs Frolov and Jonson to long term deals before the trigger is pulled...
Other moves I'd consider (if my above blockbuster doesn't happen) :
Satan to the Oilers for a 4th round pick
Boucher to Ducks for a 3rd round pick
Bissonette and a 2nd round pick for Antropov (scoff if you will, but Burke really likes Biz)
Whitney & Dupuis for Frolov, O'Donnell and 2nd round pick
Finally! This is the first time in over 2 months that the Pens looked like they were ALL on the same page. If there is a team to beat, a game to build on - this is it. The ONLY bad thing, is this win will enable Therrien to keep his job a little longer - obviously I'm not a fan. Next up T.O. Pens must win this game - to build on - get a streak going.
With Vanek out for 3-4 weeks, this is our chance to leapfrog Buffalo, then deal with pesky Florida. Remember when they used to throw those stupid rats on the ice whenever the Panthers scored?
dude - you're on the wrong team
