theathleticuk
PITTSBURGH The dog days of the NHL offseason have finally arrived.
Things are ..
quiet.
Perhaps a double serving of mailbag will satisfy your desire for hockey analysis.
Thank you, as always, for the questions.
Two mailbags are coming your way this week.
Lets get started with Part 1.
Away we go.
Josh, do you know if the Pens are interested in Shane Wright? @MarcieWodlinger Funny you should ask, Marcie.
Advertisement In the past week, two different sources in the Penguins organization, who spoke anonymously because they do not have permission to discuss the subject publicly, told me that general manager Kyle Dubas and the front office are intrigued by Wright.
And really, why wouldnt they be? He checks every box.
Hes 22.
He was the fourth pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.
Thus, hes got talent.
Hes apparently not that happy in Seattle.
Even better, hes a center.
And other than Ben Kindel, the Penguins dont have any sure things in the pipeline down the middle.
(Bill Zonnon probably projects as a left wing at the NHL level.) Wrights career has been slightly disappointing so far, but it hasnt been a disaster by any stretch.
My guess is hell have a long career as a No.
2 or No.
3 center.
So, yes, I have heard that Dubas likes him.
And remember, former Seattle Kraken GM Ron Francis just returned to the Penguins organization, and few people know Wright better on a personal or professional level than Francis.
The Penguins have also hired several front-office employees who recently worked for the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League, where Wright played his junior hockey.
Wright makes all kinds of sense for the Penguins, but its the same old story.
From what Ive heard, the asking price for Wright is, to put it lightly, substantial, and possibly more than Pittsburgh is willing to pay.
Whats the plan? @PensFan1977 I appreciate the bluntness.
The Penguins would tell you that the plan is to get younger and become a championship contender as urgently as possible.
That sounds great, and I believe that is their sincere desire.
Of course, Evgeni Malkin turns 40 this summer.
Sidney Crosby turns 39 this summer.
Kris Letang is 39.
Erik Karlsson is 36.
Bryan Rust is 34.
Rickard Rakell is 33.
The recently signed Trevor van Riemsdyk is 34.
The recently signed Andrei Kuzmenko is 30.
Tommy Novak turns 30 next spring.
Advertisement The players I just mentioned represent nine of the Penguins presumed 18 skaters on opening night in September.
Dont get me wrong: Dubas, by and large, has done terrific work over the past couple of seasons, adding young talent like Egor Chinakhov, Elmer Soderblom, Kindel, Zonnon, Will Horcoff, Harrison Brunicke, and Liam and Markus Ruck.
So, hes getting there.
But its time to do some cord-cutting.
Bringing back Malkin is nice for nostalgia, but how does it help build a team for the future? Letang is a great warrior, and we see all the videos of him training this summer.
Thats great.
How will giving him top-four minutes help develop a future contender? Karlsson was spectacular last season.
Is he really coming back when his contract expires after next season? Dealing him for a significant asset or two might make more sense.
Rust is a franchise giant, but at some point, perhaps it would be wise to gather assets for him and get younger? Rakell doesnt have Rusts stature in the organization, but the same point applies to him.
I respect all of these players, but at some point, if they stay too long, theyre going to slow down the rebuild.
That might already be happening.
Crosby is different.
He wants to play a few more years, and hes a living legend.
You cant rebuild around him.
Im not sure you can reasonably build something with a group of players this age.
This is my long-winded way of saying I think Dubas is a bit restricted by the teams veterans.
Many of those guys are beloved, larger-than-life figures in Pittsburgh, which makes Dubas job very tricky.
What is an actual fair deal for Jason Robertson? Rakell, first-round pick, Brunicke, Rutger McGroarty? @_j_a_k_e_d Great question.
I would assume it would take something like that to land him.
The Penguins would be very unhappy to give up Brunicke, as I know they have high hopes for him and hes their only top-tier prospect on the blue line.
To get a star of Robertsons caliber, though, would require quite a payment.
Im not sure its one the Penguins would be willing to make.
Advertisement Did Dubas trade for Nick Robertson because he really liked the player or was it part of a bigger plan to entice Jason? @EuphoricDot Dubas wouldnt have made this move if he didnt believe in the player.
Ive heard he absolutely likes Nick Robertson and thinks the left winger has an offensive upside that he hasnt yet reached.
That said, I think wed be terribly naive if we didnt consider that having Nick in Pittsburgh has to make the Penguins more attractive to his big brother.
What was the rationale behind hiring Ron Hextall when he didnt have a plan? @steelcurtain817 Youre getting the story mixed up.
He was already hired when his bosses, a couple of years later, asked what his plan was.
He didnt really have one, it seemed.
The worst move Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle made as Penguins owners was hiring Hextall and Brian Burke to run the show.
Karlsson is a year away from free agency.
Hes 36.
Hes never won a Cup.
Unless the Pens drastically improve, that figures to stay the same.
Without a surefire defensive prospect in the system and Letang seemingly cooked, whats the plan here for the Penguins and Karlsson? @letangcult Good question.
If they arent having a very good season come January or February, Karlsson should almost certainly be traded, especially if hes performing at a level remotely close to last seasons.
This is a no-brainer.
But what if the Penguins exceed expectations again next season? Thats where things get tricky.
Id be surprised if they give Karlsson a new deal after this season, despite his brilliance.
Hed be 37 at the start of that deal and wont come cheap.
It just doesnt make sense.
So, if theyre good, I assume theyll keep him and let him walk next summer.
If the postseason looks unlikely, I believe the organization will trade him.
Advertisement Has anyone ever explored parallels of Messi and Crosby? Both incredible and still doing it at 39; soft spoken and private, no controversy, etc.
@beancantfly As fans on social media often remind me, Im no soccer expert.
But there do seem to be plenty of similarities.
Will the Penguins go for Elias Pettersson? @MacFanJohn3 I think they would, but only if they could acquire him for next to nothing and the Vancouver Canucks would agree to cover a substantial amount of his contract.
Is that scenario likely? I doubt it.
Everything Ive heard suggests that Pettersson has no interest in leaving Vancouver.
With us bracing for the next helping of Dubas magic, can you guys help the layman understand why Ryan Graves was so preposterously bad? We know he was awful, but why was he seemingly unsalvageable? (Yes, this is me hoping Graves gets unloaded.) @RFVila3 From the moment he arrived in Pittsburgh, Graves has looked almost as if hes never played hockey before.
I know former head coach Mike Sullivan was done with him after the first season.
I dont think the current staff is all that enamored, either.
Just a wretched contract.
I have no clue what happened to him.
You have/get to travel a lot for work.
When you have time off, do you still like to travel or do you prefer a staycation of sorts? Since you have to mostly fly for work, when you travel for leisure, do you prefer other modes of transportation? @stefdin As far as transportation goes, I prefer anything that isnt an airplane.
I do enjoy traveling, but I have a girlfriend, two children in Canada and four cats, so I cant just snap my fingers and do it anytime.
That said, sure, I love seeing the world.
Im always happy being around water.
The Outer Banks in North Carolina is my happy place.
Whats your favorite road arena? @XHL_Hockey 1.
Bell Centre, Montreal.
Its still a fabulous building, the best atmosphere in the league and just a special place.
Advertisement 2.
Little Caesars Arena, Detroit.
Its the most beautiful building in the league, the best of the new places.
The game atmosphere isnt always great, but those poor Red Wings fans havent had much to cheer for in a long time.
Regardless, its an awesome place to see a game.
3.
Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle.
What a building.
Its just spectacular.
Everything about it is architecturally pleasing.
4.
Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio.
Other than that rotten cannon, this place has held up beautifully.
5.
Grand Casino Arena, St.
Paul, Minn.
This place has the best concourses in the league.
Just a great spot to watch hockey.
Love the people there, too.
Thanks for reading, everyone.
Come back Tuesday for Part 2!.