Greetings, hockey fans.
Here’s the promised second part of our May mailbag, which took me so long to write that it’s now June.
Much offseason coverage is on the way. But first, the mailbag (Part 1 can be found here).
Away we go.
Are they going to try and bring Guentzel back or not? (I need to know for my own sanity.) — @Jesse_L58
I’ll go out on a limb and presume you’re inquiring about the Penguins bringing him back, and not the Hurricanes.
I won’t say it’s impossible, but I’d be surprised if Jake Guentzel signed with the Penguins this summer. Yes, he loves it here. Yes, he and Sidney Crosby are like peanut butter and jelly. And maybe, just maybe, he’d be willing to take a slight discount to return to Pittsburgh.
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However, Guentzel was pretty angry about the trade, and I think even angrier that, in his view, the Penguins never made a legitimate attempt to sign him to a long-term contract. Then, consider this: The Penguins don’t have much cap space and have holes to fill throughout the lineup.
Guentzel played really well in Carolina and his value is off the charts. Someone will throw huge money at him, probably at least $9 million annually for six-plus years. I don’t see the Penguins matching that unless they could rid themselves of a ton of unwanted salary.
If you had to predict, generally, the biggest roster move for the Pens off-season, what would it be? Position? Salary? Internal player? Free agency? Trade? By all means, interpret this question to whatever complexity and meaning you want. — @TheOlleFan
This is an impossible question, but you amused me with your wording, so I have to answer it.
The Penguins are going to be active this summer. When he last met with the media, Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas acknowledged the Penguins need to get younger and faster. That’s easier said than done, but it means changes are coming.
I don’t see a lot of turnover upcoming on the blue line, though you never know. Same with between the pipes. I envision much change to the Penguins forwards, especially the bottom six. But I don’t know that the top six will stay intact, either. They will look much different up front come October.
In a dream world, if Dubas were able to clear Smith, Jarry and Graves off the books, what would you do with the available cap space? — @HollywoodSpenc
That would be some kind of a dream world indeed. I do think he’ll find a way to unload Reilly Smith. As for Tristan Jarry: If Dubas wants to trade him, I’m sure there would be a taker. But although I would certainly consider moving Jarry, you do have a potential problem in goal if you do that.
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Ryan Graves? That would be a bigger miracle than the Trevor Daley/Rob Scuderi deal.
But if the Penguins could unload that $15 million of their books, a move like signing Guentzel would make much more sense. That way, you’d have Guentzel, Michael Bunting and Drew O’Connor on your left wing — that’s some left side.
Top three realistic free agents the Pens should target? — @BrunoPittsburgh
How realistic he is because of the Penguins’ cap situation is tricky, but Jake DeBrusk would make a ton of sense for the Penguins. They want to get younger? He’s 27. They want someone who can skate? He can. They want straight-line players who aren’t afraid to get their noses dirty? He fits the bill.
I have to think DeBrusk will command a very pricey, long-term deal. He’s a good player. But I think he would make a ton of sense.
Max Domi is a free agent, and the Maple Leafs may well keep him. If they don’t, I’d think he’d be of interest. He has so many ties to Pittsburgh that his name always pops up in rumors. He’s not a great player, but he’s a good one. He’s tough, only 29 and possesses a decent amount of skill. He’d probably be a nice fit.
Anthony Duclair is somehow still only 28. He might be well-traveled, but he’s a good player and the kind of guy the Penguins could use.
Are the Penguins going to make moves to try and compete for a Cup one more time with this current core? What do you believe the plan is? —@baseballjake081
This is a valid question. On one hand, Dubas has said the Penguins need to get younger and faster. This can be construed as rebuild language.
That said, I’m under the impression that, so long as Crosby is on this roster, the Penguins still consider themselves in win-now mode. We’ll know a lot more by about July 5, but I’m under the impression Dubas will be reasonably aggressive this summer.
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What’s the price for Drew O’Connor and would the Pens even listen to any offers? — @blakewheeler08
I would hardly say he’s off-limits. He’s not Pavel Bure or anything.
That said, the Penguins want to get younger and faster. He’s young and fast and appeared to come into his own late last season. Moving him doesn’t make much sense.
Is Kyle Dubas going to go look for a top-line left wing to replace Jake? Or are they content with using DOC at the start of the season? — @Jclark1817
I don’t know that they’re looking to bring back Guentzel. My sense is that it won’t happen. However, I don’t think they’re against the idea of landing a top-six type of player and sliding a player like O’Connor down the lineup. That kind of activity only makes a team better.
When it’s all said and done, who will be the most hated person in Pittsburgh this year? Matt Canada, Todd Reirden or Derrick Shelton? — @Jason_HH2283
That probably depends on your favorite sport of choice. But I think the civic rage that we witnessed toward Canada will be tough to top. That was something to see. And hear.
What’s the difference between assistant and associate head coaches? — @AngryNHLFansPgh
About $300,000. Nothing else, really.
What were your thoughts and feelings going into Game 7 vs. the Red Wings at the Joe? And were you stunned the Pens got the win that night? — @cmupensfan
I wasn’t covering the team full-time until the next season, though I had been around them a good bit during that postseason. Not to sound like a prophet, but I wasn’t surprised that they won that game.
If anything, I was surprised by how they won it. Crosby just had so much magic about him from the beginning, it just struck me as the kind of game he’d find a way to win. As it was, Crosby had very little to do with that win, missing the second half of the game with a knee injury.
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It’s one of the great series of all time. It could have gone either way, but I wasn’t shocked at all. That team was special and, if you were paying attention, you knew it.
When will the schedule be released? — @lfusco85
The league usually doesn’t let you know in advance, so I can’t say for sure. But I can tell you that, in recent years, it’s been released the day before the draft. So, if history holds true, June 27 would be the day.
How is Pittsburgh in comparison to other major cities? NYC, Chicago, Miami. I know they all have their weather, swagger, etc, but what does Pittsburgh offer that they can’t? — @ToddNY25
This is a tough one. Every city is so different. I always say, in terms of the people, Pittsburgh is a lot like Chicago. It’s just about 10 times smaller. But the people are similar, which is meant as a compliment. I assure you that people in Pittsburgh and Chicago, for instance, are friendlier than people in New York, Miami, Boston or Washington D.C.
Pittsburgh just has a soul about it that’s difficult to explain. But if you’ve spent any time here, you understand. It’s not flashy, but if you look, there’s much more going on here than people realize. But I’d suggest the people are what make it special.
Gravy or cheese with fries? Favorite Primanti’s order? — @TheDarekHorton
I love both. I actually prefer gravy.
Double bacon, cheese, fries — no coleslaw because it’s gross.
In your opinion, how badly divided is the USA right now? Politically, culturally and morally? — @cgibson724
There are no words to describe how divided America is. We’ve certainly never seen anything like this in our lifetimes. It’s not good.
Maybe I’ll run for office someday to make life better on a third-party ticket. My policies: no instant replay, hockey season ends Memorial Day weekend, referees are made available to the media, high-sticking on the puck is OK, a former player who wasn’t a goon and who has a concussion history to be in charge of the Department of Player Safety.
Yohe in 2028.
Have a good week, everyone.
(Photo of Jake Guentzel: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
Josh Yohe is a senior writer for The Athletic covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. Josh joined The Athletic in 2017 after covering the Penguins for a decade, first for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and then for DKPittsburghSports.com. Follow Josh on Twitter @JoshYohe_PGH
