The Burg would have a much brighter future but come on we all know what will happen. The same exact thing that happened when Mario's career was coming to an end. Pittsburg will have a bad season and get the first overall pick for Gavin McKenna and then they will have their next generational talent. Without fail every time.

I mean that wouldn't be too bad either.

Rangers decline, we have no use for Eller

That's the hope. He's got Bedard's fine motor skills with better physical tools. Would be nice. But PIT would need another few 1st ballot HOFers to go along with him. Bettman needs to get this done.

No thanks

This is why I say, they should start planning the tank now. No need to try to half ass a team together. McKenna looks really good. Look even better in a Penguins sweater.

NYR will just resign Wennberg instead of trading for Eller

As a Caps fan I would hate it because the Pens have not been in a situation without a superstar player for the past 3 decades. We will see what happens but I would imagine both the Pens and Caps are going to start their rebuilds very soon...

PIT will tank when FSG allows it. Almost no GM in the league can make massive decisions on the franchise with complete autonomy. While I agree that I would MUCH prefer tanking over half effort mediocrity, it likely isn't what FSG wants.

oh please come off your high horse, you act like WSH is any better, you were handed Ov.

I don't think FSG has many choices in the matter.

I think it's clear to everyone Sully needs to go, who ever is the guy who comes in needs to be a coach capable of coaching up younger players.
That's the second step of the whole thing. FSG doesn't really get much of a choice on it. It's just the logical flow of things. Why would they bring in someone who can't deal with what will be a younger roster very soon.
They brought in a GM to change how the franchise works in Dubas, as far as modernizing it. That was step one, and I'm sure behind the scenes that is happening.
They are laying the ground work for how they will draft that young talent to make their next core. Growing the analytics department, etc...
It's time this team lay down the ground work for the rebuild and not just blindly stumble into it.

Yeah I'm sure they can try to make a final push next year with Crosby. But they don't need to get roped into contracts that commit this team to mediocrity.

Anything they bring in should be a young enough FA that they are tradable soon. Absolutely no NMC or a contract that will expire very quickly.
They got a 37 and 38 year old center core. It's clear that isn't winning a cup. Crosby cashing out on a 3 year deal and just enjoying playing the game, and Malkin retiring in 2 years are the future.
In those last 3 years of Crosby he's going to need to switch over to that mentoring role and help teach the next kid. Much like Mario did for him. I'm sure he realizes that and I'm sure he looks forward to coming full circle.
It's not like people didn't do for him. They did. I'm sure he realizes he will be in the same spot for someone else. That's the way it goes. Hopefully the next kid is just as successful.

FSG has all the control. They haven't been bad enough to force the rebuild even if we wish they would. I do agree that fans claiming the team can't tank with the core are delusional. PIT was in 24th place at one point late into the season (shortly after trading Guentzel). A few injuries to key players and they could easily be a bottom 10 team this year and if that happens maybe FSG does consider blowing it up. I'll give it until January, but if they are a bottom 15 team approaching the 2025 TDL, I want it nuked. If that means trading the core so be it. Mediocrity is purgatory in the NHL world. Being Calgary or Minnesota- a team that doesn't get elite prospects but also doesn't do anything in the playoffs is hell.

So. Many. Trades.

Okay sure we got lucky there but come on Crosby, Malkin, Jagr and Super Mario.

You can't call my horse high when you were able to draft all of those Hall of Famers.

Jagr was pure luck how can you say he was handed, he was a 5oa 4 other teams passed on him. No one could have known prior how good he would be otherwise he'd gone 1oa

with Crosby and Malkin no doubt things don't add up, and it's not the first nor the last time it's been that way. Look at the Rangers, gifted a 1oa and 2oa.. NJ gifted a 1oa.
Mainly because those 2 were big market teams.
PIT was in financial ruin at the time, and the NHL wasn't what it is today. As you are talking pre HDTV when things really took off.
The league had to do something.
As for Mario, it is what it is. We only got to see like a 1/2 a career out of him sadly. Maybe they wouldn't have been a franchise that was broke if it was otherwise.

sure they are in full control.
But that's like begin in full control of a car headed off a cliff.
You don't really get a choice. You either hit the breaks or you swerve.
Otherwise you are going over.

They are in the same boat. They don't get a choice on what the next coach should look like. We already know. Hiring a guy who isn't good with young players is willfully going off the cliff.
We all know the coaching change needs to happen.

Like I said, we can all see the tank coming. a 38 year old Crosby and a 39 year old Malkin in 2 years isn't a cup team. FSG knows that too. No need to try to build around a non existing core.
They should definitely be on a path into tanking in 26

Let's not kid ourselves here, Malkin is retiring as a Penguin.

I expect 87/71/58 to all retire in PIT. 71/58 have a very high LTIRetirement probability. Karlsson is the only one I could see moving on as he has never won anything and likely wants a chance to do so.

Most rebuilds come out of necessity. Ownership groups hold off as long as possible to extract as much profit as possible from the team until the team is so bad the difference between finishing 24th without an intent to tank versus finishing 30th with tanking is negligible. Which I do agree is where PIT is heading. Maybe this core can have an aberration season like WSH just had and make the playoffs even though they finished in the bottom 10 last year and I predict will again next year. Which is more profit for the ownership group. But when even that anomaly season is removed from possibility, the ownership group will have to accept a rebuild.