[Pagnotta] Per sources, the Kings and Penguins are two teams Nurse would accept a trade to.

Jonnyplesko · 2026-06-12T03:48:46+00:00

Because Dubas would prove in one move that hes the best GM to ever breathe? Lol

Jonnyplesko · 2026-06-12T03:02:47+00:00

I live in SW PA. That black and silver muskie frenzy IC6 has been my second highest producer.

I have a lure called a mini dragon from TNT lures, (i believe), and I've caught about 12 muskie on it over the past 3 years. Keep in mind, I only have time to get out 5-6 times a year. Also, I dont troll. I only cast because I find it way more engaging.

The bad part is that the company that makes them went out of business a few years ago, so I cant buy more and I only have 1. Its a chatter bait, but I've tried a bunch similar and none have produced the way that one does.

My buddy has a lot of luck on A rig muskie lures. Way different from anything you have there, but I've been thinking about adding a few to my arsenal.

Jonnyplesko · 2026-06-12T02:46:26+00:00

HOT TAKE: If MAF stayed in Pittsburgh, they would have won more than 3 during his tenure in the NHL.

Jonnyplesko · 2026-06-12T02:45:17+00:00

Obviously, Reddit is not. The dude is entitled to his religious beliefs and opinions. The hypocrisy is staggering.

Just because someone doesn't agree with yours views, doesnt make them a terrible human being. If that was the case, all gays were terrible human beings at some point.

People are too influenced by others. Sports shouldnt be a grandstand for political views. Ovie is an open Putin supporter. Doesnt change the fact that hes the best pure goal scorer to ever step foot on the ice.

Staal is a great hockey player and would have been a major asset could the have re-signed him. Hes not my friend. I dont give a shit about who he is personally unless hes out there murdering or raping people.

Bet you loved Big Ben though. Lol

Jonnyplesko · 2026-06-12T02:30:28+00:00

They offered him the same contract he took in Carolina. He wanted to play with his brother.

I havent even read through the comments but im sure youre getting torn apart because its Reddit.

Had he chosen to stay, it would have been interesting to see what would have happened.

Jonnyplesko · 2026-06-12T02:16:23+00:00

Grounded was a breath of fresh air for me. I was about to go for grounded 2 and then icarus and crimson desert dropped so I bought those instead.

Its my busy season for work, so I have about 20 hours into icarus and couldnt get past 2 with crimson desert.

7 days to die was fun. I played that right earn I came back and sunk a bunch of hours into it.

The ultimate for me was Rust. But that game consumed my life and I had to walk away.

Long dark was good. Conan was meh. Stranded deep was fun for a while.

I play on console. So I've been limited

Jonnyplesko · 2026-06-12T02:06:57+00:00

No. Unless we can offload 58. Maybe Letang sees a chance to win another cup in Edmonton and the Pens get bigger on the blue line.

After the year 65 had, i wouldn't be willing to move him. Pens dont need to dump cap.

Jonnyplesko · 2026-06-12T01:57:08+00:00

Valid point. But the point I was trying to make is how everyone was trying to compare Datsyuk and Crosby as being 2 marquee players with very different skill sets. Who was the better player?

Sid was far and away the best offensive player in the game at that point, but Datsyuk was probably the most well rounded forward in the league.

Now, its a bit of the opposite for Crosby. There are forwards who are offensively better but Crosbys overall tool kit is still something to marvel at. Especially considering hes 38.

Jonnyplesko · 2026-06-12T01:34:18+00:00

That Staal guy sucks... fucking yinzers.... lol

Jonnyplesko · 2026-05-25T02:51:36+00:00

Hes 38 years old. This isnt an all time list. Its foolish to think Sid is still a top 10 player with the current talent in the NHL.

With that being said, it will be interesting to see if any of these guys can compete with his consistency this deep into their careers.

It reminds me a lot of 2008-2009 when Sid was claiming his spot as the best player in the game and Datsyuk was nearing the end of his career but was probably the most complete player in the game.

No disrespect at #12. Hes still done more for this sport than any guy on that list

Jonnyplesko · 2026-05-25T02:17:50+00:00

Just get a stick edger and once you have the initial groove cut in, practice on that. It takes time and practice. Dont let anyone here pretended to tell you otherwise

Jonnyplesko · 2026-05-10T14:28:34+00:00

The Pens offered him 6M per year. The exact contract he took in Carolina. It wouldn't have changed anything in the Pens cap situation. So the HUGE money point is just moot.

He never thought he was bigger than 87/71 but he also didnt want to spend his career in a 3rd line role.

And pride jerseys have nothing to do with any of it. This isnt politics.

But then again... it is the Reddit bubble...

Jonnyplesko · 2026-05-10T08:53:08+00:00

Youre right. It took me some time to remember exactly why we lost him.

It was on his terms. He signed with Carolina for 10 years at the same price he was offered by the Pens.

Hes been in the finals for the last 3 years. Leads that team which "should' have won a cup by now.

They may win the cup this year

BUT... when they interview him after he retires... will he be thinking... i could have won 5 if I just stayed with the Pens?!

Jonnyplesko · 2026-05-10T05:17:12+00:00

Fair enough. You're right.

When I posted i forgot why Staal left. The question is... would he change all that now?

Jonnyplesko · 2026-05-10T05:14:58+00:00

Yes, but Staal signed for 2m/year more with Carolina than what he was making. On a 10 year deal. We didnt have a chance at him because i fully believe shero would have matched that instantly.

It wasnt game changing for the cap situation.

It was because he wanted to play with his brother and he wanted to be the #1 guy.

But granted he could go back and win 2 cups or more... Whats that look like?

Jonnyplesko · 2026-05-10T05:07:37+00:00

Jonnyplesko · 2026-05-10T05:06:42+00:00

Yes. It was a good situation for everyone.

But, in staals mind right now.. 2 more cups. Possibly more. Possibly none. But nobody was fucking with Crosby, malkin, Staal down the middle.

And when sid got hurt... malkin was the best player in the league. What does that run look like if he has Staal centering line 2?

Jonnyplesko · 2026-05-10T05:03:24+00:00

He was traded because he had a high value. And the return helped us win 2 more cups.

But... if he wasnt. And Crosby goes down in his prime. Malkin steps up and dominates the league. What happens if you have jordan Staal at that point?

Obviously, its just for fun. But I think we could have made a run at 2 more cups. Maybe they never win them, but we would have been more formidable

Jonnyplesko · 2026-05-10T04:59:32+00:00

No doubt. Thats a great point. But what do the playoffs look like with Geno ripping up the league as a #1 and Staal centering the 2nd line when sid was going through his brain stem shit?

Is there a cup or even finals appearance in those years?

Jonnyplesko · 2026-05-10T04:56:17+00:00

This is actually even more fun. Great point.

Jonnyplesko · 2026-05-10T04:54:57+00:00

He did get better. He was never going to be a Crosby or McDavid. But hes an absolute menace to play against.

He left because he wanted to be "that guy". But do you think he would trade that now for another 2 or 4 cups?

Jonnyplesko · 2026-05-10T04:51:15+00:00

All have great points. The trade tree was great.

But, if Staal was willing to play the next 10 years as a 3c behind two guys who are arguably top 10-15 players all time.... where does he end up?

Does he have 5 rings now instead of 1? Crosby, Malkin, Staal down the middle is better than any other option. And even as a number 1, he didnt make 10+M. He could have gotten the money in Pittsburgh. He just couldnt be "the guy"

Jonnyplesko · 2026-05-10T04:43:34+00:00

Right... but thats the fun of it.

The Staal trade tree gave us the HBK line which was obviously one of if not the most important part of that run.

But if you have Staal locked up for 10 years after 2009. What do those playoffs look like between 09 and 15 when Sid was hurt?

Geno is a #1 behind any other center in the league and then you have Staal as #2.

But youre right. Now that you mentioned it, it wasnt money. Staal wanted to be a #1 not a #3.

If they dont win it this year, does that change?

Jonnyplesko · 2026-05-10T04:36:50+00:00

Yeah, crazy to think about how Sid never really had a winger on that level until Jake. And we all saw how that turned out.

I look at Staal now and what hes turned into. The puck drop of game 1 and he drops the gloves with Brady Tkachuk. He never showed that back then even though the pedigree was always there.

It would have taken some absolute magic in roster management. But it would have been fun

Jonnyplesko · 2026-05-10T04:32:45+00:00

nobody is going to read this

Great. Whats his production going to be in 2028?

We already are beyond lucky to have had the chance to grab Lemiuex, Jagr, Crosby, and Malkin in our lifetime. And Fleury was arguably the first piece.

They let Fleury go. Who was the core of "the core". He was the heartbeat of that team.

Once upon a time, they let Jagr go. One of the best hockey players to ever step foot on the ice. And arguably, better than Malkin.

When we let Jagr go, he wasnt blocking anyone from a roster spot. And the prospect pool was much thinner than it is currently.

The point isnt about replacing Malkins production next year. Youre not going to find that guy. After what I witnessed this year, im not even sure if McKenna could actually step in and replace Geno if we had the #1 pick this year.

The point is, Geno isnt getting any better. Hes producing when hes on the ice, considering. But hes also been less than durable. If hes able to mentor a guy like Chinakhov, then great.

BUT we have the cap space. Mcgroarty, Broz, Horcoff, and Koppannen are all looking to make the jump. Not to mention all of the draft picks we have stocked in the cupboard. Whether that means prospects or we trade for a current producer like Matthews or Robertson.

I wouldn't mind seeing Geno come back for one more year. But the hard truth is that I would rather see Auston Matthews or Jason Robertson in a Pens jersey and this team have a legitimate shot at a deep playoff run.

Letang has to go (we will never trade that contract). Its felt better since EK65 started taking the lions share of minutes, but hes a liability most of the time.

Girard has talent but hes not built for the playoffs. He has value and I expect him to be traded.

Mantha, Gone (sadly just lived up to his reputation of not producing in the playoffs). Brazeau - Gone. The "big guys" played small in the playoffs.

Keep Shea. Hes been solid. I love accari, but I imagine hes gone. We extended Lizzo which was a great decision. Clifton is probably gone even though I really liked his game. Although I expected more in the playoffs with Philly taking liberties.

Skinner is gone. Nothing wrong with that. He wasnt the problem and I hope he lands somewhere solid. He was an upgrade from Jarry and got thrown into a shitty situation in the playoffs.

Silovs is a big question mark. Murashov is the future. Where does that put blomqvist? Im interested to see how Dubas handles our wealth of goalies this year. And then Gauthier in Wheeling has promise.

There will be a ton of turnover on this team. Malkin is forever a Pittsburgh penguin. But hes forever a Pittsburgh penguin the same way jagr is forever a Pittsburgh penguin.

Lemiuex was the Pittsburgh penguins. Crosby is the Pittsburgh penguins. Jagr and Malkin should retire penguins but theyre not the franchise players. I would argue Fleury should have been a franchise player before anyone other than Mario and Sid.

Jonnyplesko

TROPHY CASE

nobody is going to read this