NHL Rumor Mill – April 16, 2024
More speculation about the Penguins goaltending plus the latest on the Sharks in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
QUESTIONS PERSIST OVER PENGUINS GOALTENDING
THE ATHLETIC: Rob Rossi believed Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas must fix his goaltending during the offseason, even if it means making a bad trade to shed Tristan Jarry’s contract.
Rossi noted that Jarry isn’t playing to the level expected when Dubas signed him last summer to a five-year contract with an annual cap hit of $5.375 million. The 28-year-old netminder lost the starter’s job down the stretch to Alex Nedeljkovic. Jarry has struggled with consistency throughout his NHL career.
Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry (NHL Images).
Promising Joel Blomqvist is ready for his shot in the NHL. Rossi believes he should get it.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jarry did well during the first half of the season making Dubas look smart for re-signing him. However, the decline in his performance over the second half can’t be ignored.
It could take a bad trade to shed Jarry’s contract. Dubas will have to retain up to half of his cap hit, package him with one of the few good young players in the Penguins’ prospect pool, or take back a toxic contract as part of the return. Jarry’s 12-team no-trade clause further complicates things.
I’m not saying it’s impossible but it will be a daunting challenge for Dubas.
LATEST ON THE SHARKS
SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sheng Peng reported Sharks head coach David Quinn is excited about the possibility of his club winning this year’s draft lottery and the right to select top prospect Macklin Celebrini.
Quinn also wants his team to be harder to play against next season. He’d like to add more hardness and grit to the lineup.
THE MERCURY NEWS: Curtis Pashelka believes the Sharks need to gain an identity, something they’ve lacked since 2018-19 when that roster’s high-octane offense nearly led them to the Stanley Cup Final.
Pashelska agreed with Quinn’s remarks. He noted that the Sharks have sufficient salary-cap space to bring in players who can assure this club doesn’t get pushed around next season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Quinn’s remarks suggest the direction the Sharks could take with their roster during the offseason. They are rebuilding and adding promising young skill players. However, those youngsters could flourish by surrounding them with experienced depth and grit.
Dubas also thought Jack Campbell and Matt Murray were stellar.
Not surprised at all when he emptied the Brinks truck to resign Jarry. Now just like he did to move Marleaus contract he’ll have to add assets (which he doesnt really have) to any deal to move out Jarry.
The real question is, is it Jarry? Or the complete lack of defence thats the issue?
Same kinda situation in Ottawa. Is Korpisalo that bad or is it the complete lack of structure and dreadful team defense the isuse?
Sometimes I feel like I would like to see if Korpi can be solid with some predictable defense in front of him. Some games he’s looked gangbusters… and others… not so much.
Weirdly, some of the games he’s looked the best are the ones where he got peppered with shots.
With the way the situation is shaping up I can’t really see a viable approach other than going with Korpisalo for one more go-round, while at the same time solidifying the total defensive system – including forwards who can spell the word “check” – and acquiring – somehow – a proven back-up in goal.
And it starts with the D corps. Including last night’s game here’s the way the D stacks up after 81 games – and I’ve divided them in terms of their +/- records
On the + side
Sanderson – 77gp 10 -28 38 +7
Brannstrom – 74gp 3 16 19 +4
Zub – 67gp 4 20 24 +3
On the – side
Chychrun – 80gp 13 27 40 -30 (MINUS 30!)
Hamonic 48gp 2 4 6 -10
Bernard-Docker 70gp 4 10 14 -8
Chabot 49gp 9 21 30 -3
Clearly, regardless of who he’s paired with (and he’s had several over the season) Chychrun is a defensive liability. If there’s a taker and the return is at least useful in some area, he should go.
Chabot’s biggest problem this past season was staying in the line-up. Dealing him and his $8 mil per deal is problematic in the extreme, so the effort should be the acquisition of a partner who can cover his gaffes and hope he’s able to stay reasonably healthy – sort of a Mark Methot type who played that role with Karlsson when he was here.
There’s no room for Hamonic and if there’s someone available seen as an improvement over Bernard-Docker – go for it. Kleven and Guenette will have to show the new coaching system they belong at training camp.
In other words, 3 new faces on the D and perhaps 4 if Brannstrom is included in one of the deals.
The biggest changes up front will likely be concentrated on the 3rd and 4th lines, including skaters who can improve the pk.
But that’s not to say there isn’t room for improvement defensively on the top 2 lines where, in comparison with the likes of Tkachuk, Greig, and Pinto, the stats of Stutzle (-17), Batherson (-10) and Giroux (-15) stick out like sore thumbs. Something – system? – must change there.
@ George
I agree. I was still iffy on Chychrun when the trade deadline was looming… but the more I have seen him play, the more okay I am with him going.
Chabot…man I want to like him. He can be very solid, but then does stupid crap. And his health is almost reaching Norris levels.
I could see Staios shedding Chychrun to a team wanting him, and then slotting in a newer guy and maybe drafting another D. There are 2 or 3 RD right shot players in the top ten this year I think…
I wonder if Staios would have the cojones to to try to stick a team with Norris if they want Chychrun. I think Pinto has all the makings of a number one centre, and Greig a solid second.
JBD has upsides. One more year on the cheap to see how he develops.
Brannstrom has actually surprised me. I had almost written him off.
Sanderson is a beast. Another year of experience and I think he will come in hard next year.
But yeah, definitely some changes needed just to keep a consistent roster/lineup from game to game.
I am glad Staios will at least have SOME cap room now, and he doesn’t seem to be quite as hypnotized by shiny objects the way Dorion was.
theSaint, we also can’t overlook the possibility of moving up – or down – in the draft as part of a trade scenario. I’m sure the wheels are already turning.
PIT isn’t a terrible defensive team, they are middle of the road. They aren’t a terrible offensive team either, middle of the road. Their goaltending isn’t terrible, it’s middle of the road.
Their PP sucks, and they might just miss the playoffs, or just get into the playoffs.
The other tender who has struggled with inconsistency in his career is Nedeljkovic and almost every other tender, except for maybe 5 or 6, that have been in the league for more than 3 years.
If it was me and I couldn’t trade Jarry without eating half his salary I would keep him and try to get him turned around. Seems to me the odds of that happening is just as good as some UFA you sign and hope he plays well. This year’s Korpisalo sure looks like Nedeljkovic. DET thought he might be the guy a few years ago. He wasn’t. But hey, he could be this time, who the F knows with tenders. I sure don’t.
Hey I would have liked to see Crosby and the Boys get in and give it another go, but all the data suggests PIT is a bubble team. Including their record. An older one at that.
Not sure what Dubas or anyone else can do to change that. They can try to hang on and get in next year, or change course and start moving vets. It’s been a good run and this was gonna happen sooner or later.
Hey Ron,
your Right….
Thats one thing for Sure the Pen’s / XLeafs GM
Kyle Dubas
Cant pick goaltenders worth _HIT…..⁉️
But he sure can pay them Well…..$$😂
Full Re-build coming soon for the Pens….
I feel Sorry for Sid Stuck in the mess
Jarry has struggled with inconsistency in his career. I would not put all blame on him.
The Penguins’ defense is a glaring problem. Their defensemen do not clear the puck out of the defense zone and make bad plays to allow the goals that lose games. Todd Reirden, who coaches defense and power play, could be responsible for bad coaching. He could help the Penguins solve the problem with his job termination.
Hey George,
I watched the highlights from the Sen’s Game last night
Korpisalo played & looked Just Horable.. ❗️
He was not trying to save anything…
They need to send him to Alaska to get his game back for 4 months…. if he comes back and dose well …? Great…. if not send him back to Alaska and forget about him
if they dont Fix Goaltending in Ottawa next year its going to be the same old same old as this season…
Maybe trade there 2nd 1st round pick around 20th spot to a re-building team sending out Korpisalo with it……❓
They should pick, 5th, 6th, or at worst 7th in the NHL Draft and go after one of those top RD/men that are ranked in the top 10…
Parekh, or Levshunov, or Yakemchuck to pair up with Sanderson in years to come
Pens UFA Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic
GP, 37 GA, 2.91 SV% 0.904
could be a nice option for the cash strapped Sen’s
williew, here’s Korpisalo’s stats over his past 10 games
https://www.statmuse.com/nhl/ask/joonas-korpisalo-stats-last-10-games
If Winston Churchill was still alive and an Ottawa hockey fan he’d describe Korpisalo as a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.
Hey George
that sums it up pretty good, 👍
Ottawa / Steve .S have a number of issues to deal with he really got left a Huge Mess….❗️
1/-Moving Korpisalo
2/-Trading A LD/man Chabot or Chychrun… at this point it sounds like 25 yr old Chychrun could be the one moving on❓
Maybe for a RD/man of simmilar age Or
A Good top 15 X 1st Round and A 2nd Pick
They do need to draft a Very Good RD Man with offencive Skills, with the Sen’s 1st pick, 5th,6th, or 7th to develope with young Sanderson and we will find out tonight….👏
If we could get a Scoring RW with the d/man trade for the 2nd line that would also be very good….
like A Big
-Liam Greentree 6′ 2″/210 lbs RW from Windsor…..
-Michael Brandsegg-Nygard’s 6’2 RW from Norway
-Beckett Sennecke RW for Oshawa
as they need more size in the top 6….
then the extra 1st pick they can give back to the NHL for the Dorrian screw up he made…🙈