Kessel worth Penguins' inquiry

By Joe Starkey

http://triblive.com/sports/

Monday, June 22, 2015, 10:33 p.m.

Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins handles the puck at his feet against Phil Kessel #81 of the Toronto Maple Leafs at Consol Energy Center on December 8, 2010 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

(Justin K. Aller/Getty Images North America)

Set aside the obvious impediments, for just a moment, and acknowledge an obvious truth: Phil Kessel on the Penguins would be an unbelievable spectacle. In a good way.

Get this man out of Toronto, put him next to Sidney Crosby, and your popcorn machine would never sleep.

The Penguins desperately need speed and scoring, right? Kessel would provide both in spades. He's easily the most desirable name among the trade targets linked to this team. The man has 275 points over the past four seasons (six fewer than Alex Ovechkin). He's still only 27.

So the question isn't whether the Penguins have a good chance to land Kessel in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs. They probably don't, for reasons we'll discuss. The question is whether they should thoroughly explore the idea, in spite of myriad road blocks, and keep an open mind.

The answer is a resounding yes.

Kessel, according to TSN's Bob McKenzie, has Pittsburgh among the eight landing spots he would accept in a trade. The others are Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Minnesota, Montreal and the New York Rangers.

That could change. Kessel could add new teams before July 1. The Leafs could ask him to amend the list. But it's no surprise the Penguins would be on it. For all their issues, they remain a desirable spot for a talented offensive player who wants to win.

Now the road blocks:

• What would the Penguins be willing to give up (always such an inconvenient question in these scenarios)?

• Kessel has an $8 million annual cap hit that runs through 2021-22, a serious impediment for a team carrying hits of $9.25 million (Malkin), $8.7 million (Crosby) and $7.25 million (Kris Letang) that run just as long.

• Kessel's reputation.

Let's address these in reverse order, and let's get right to the point: Kessel carries the rap of an often-apathetic, out-of-shape enigma who makes life hard on coaches (a coach Phil-ler, you might say).

Fair or not, that reputation could work to the Penguins' advantage, as it might scare off suitors from an already limited list.

The Penguins can't afford to be too picky. When you're constantly searching for wingers, these are the chances you take. Especially on proven high-end talent.

The Penguins would have to bet on themselves and their captain, Crosby, providing a stable situation for Kessel, who undoubtedly would love to get away from Toronto's insane media glare.

I know this: The last time we saw Kessel playing high-stakes hockey, he was torching the Bruins for four goals in seven games. I know he has 13 goals in 22 career playoff games, too.

The contract is a major issue. But if the Leafs, now under the stewardship of Brendan Shanahan and Mike Babcock, really want to get rid of Kessel and don't find somebody they can fleece, they might have to adjust. That could mean eating part Kessel's contract (doubtful) or taking on an onerous contract from another team (Chris Kunitz or Rob Scuderi, Mr. Shanahan?).

Meanwhile, the Penguins have only one pick in the first four rounds this weekend and aren't in position to give up on what little elite young talent they possess. If I'm another team, I've got my eyes on Derrick Pouliot or Olli Maatta. The Penguins need both of them. Their best hope is that Toronto simply wants to shed Kessel's salary, get a decent return and get him out of their locker room.

It's possible. It's also conceivable that Brandon Sutter, some future picks and a young defenseman could be involved in a deal like that. Or maybe Babcock will want the challenge of coaching Kessel. Maybe the Leafs will simply wait, choosing not to sell low.

All things are possible in what promises to be a crazy NHL week. The Penguins will have their eyes wide open, likely gazing at the likes of Alex Semin, Patrick Sharp, T.J. Oshie and who knows who else?

I don't.

But I know this: If Phil Kessel becomes a realistic option, the Penguins would be crazy to look away.

Joe Starkey co-hosts a show 2 to 6 p.m. weekdays on 93.7 FM. Reach him at jraystarkey@gmail.com.

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Mario's mission fulfilled

By Joe Starkey

http://triblive.com/sports/

Wednesday, June 3, 2015, 9:39 p.m.

The critical takeaway from the Penguins announcing they have hired the financial firm Morgan Stanley — the franchise's first association with something named Stanley in quite some time — is this: The team isn't going anywhere.

My bet is Mario Lemieux isn't, either.

The Penguins are locked into a 29-year lease at Consol Energy Center. They are one of the NHL's marquee franchises. That's what makes news of them “exploring (their) options” so unusual. It's normally floundering franchises that hit the market. And in those cases, talk of relocation naturally follows.

It won't here. Nobody is going to buy this team, break its lease and move it. The thought of such is ludicrous.

Lemieux, meanwhile, might very well be looking to convert some of his equity into cash. This is the time. Sell high. He and Ron Burkle bought the team out of bankruptcy for $107 million in 1999. Forbes Magazine now pegs its worth at $565 million.

So even if Lemieux converts a small percentage of his stake, he stands to clear a tidy sum. Good for him. We can all agree he's earned it, right?

And if you believe Lemieux when he says, “I plan on staying involved with the team in some capacity, and Ron and I plan to retain an ownership stake,” then you believe he will retain influence, as well. The simple reason: He's Mario Lemieux, and like Steelers chairman Dan Rooney, he probably wouldn't need a majority controlling interest to keep some clout — if he wants it.

It's not like Roger Marino's going to come rolling in here looking to kick the big guy out. Why wouldn't a new owner want Lemieux's regular input?

Maybe this is about more than money, though. Maybe Lemieux doesn't want to be burdened with decision-making duties anymore. One could hardly blame him.

But the idea that he will simply take the money and skip town because he has a newly built mansion near Montreal? I don't think so. All indications are he will retain his residence in the Pittsburgh area (and the one in Florida, giving him a natural hat trick of extravagant residences).

No matter what, Lemieux is permanently woven into the fabric of this town and its hockey team. His name is about to go up on a state-of-the-art practice facility in Cranberry, the $70 million-plus UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. His foundation is doing wonderful things every day. He isn't going to be an owner forever — he never was — although his emotional attachment to the team should be obvious by observing him during games.

If I'm wrong about this, and Lemieux takes off with his bundle of cash, good for him. He's done enough. The same is true of Burkle, whose money saved the franchise.

The two haven't done everything right, but by and large they have delivered the kind of ownership any fan should want — the kind that gives its team a chance to win every year by spending to the cap (sometimes even too close, as a certain general manager could attest to).

The Penguins have issues. But they also have a core of stars signed to long-term deals, a waiting list for season tickets, a long-term television contract and the best ratings in the league.

“Our goal all along,” Lemieux said, “was to solidify the franchise both on and off the ice.”

Mission accomplished, Monsieur Lemieux. Now do as you please.

Joe Starkey co-hosts a show 2 to 6 p.m. weekdays on 93.7 FM. Reach him at jraystarkey@gmail.com.

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Mistakes are getting worse for Penguins GM Rutherford

By Mark Madden Special to The Times

http://www.timesonline.com/sports/

June 1, 2015

The Penguins got a third-round draft pick as compensation when the Buffalo Sabres hired Dan Bylsma to coach. Byslma was relieved of his duties following the 2013-14 season but was still under contract to Pittsburgh.

Such compensation was recently reinstituted by the NHL. It was last used in 2006.

The Penguins, however, got nothing in return when the New Jersey Devils signed Ray Shero to be their new general manager. Shero, like Bylsma, was still under contract to Pittsburgh. Penguins GM Jim Rutherford waived compensation and later said, “The rule is not as clear as it should be.”

Shero got the Devils job May 4. Byslma got the Sabres job May 28. Between the Shero and Bylsma hirings, it was announced that Boston would get draft-pick compensation from Edmonton in return for the Oilers deciding to employ ex-Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli. Chiarelli was still under contract to Boston.

That’s presumably when the rule became clear to Rutherford.

Rutherford reportedly thought there was a handshake agreement to not seek compensation when employees being hired away weren’t on active duty.

Rutherford thought wrong.

Rutherford is being excoriated for his mistake, and it is inexcusable. If he didn’t understand the rule, Rutherford should have asked for clarification. Critics haven’t yet asked for a public flogging, but anger is palpable. It’s also incredible that one of Rutherford’s record-setting three assistant GMs didn’t know.

So, bad mistake. But that’s where it ends.

The Penguins aren’t going to fire Rutherford, and shouldn’t. It’s a bad error, but not earth-shattering. You can’t start over two years in a row.

But Rutherford must do better. His first year as Penguins GM can’t be characterized as a success.

Every GM makes moves that don’t work out. Simon Despres for Ben Lovejoy was a bad trade, as Rutherford admitted. (Perhaps he shouldn’t have, given that Lovejoy is still on his roster.) Christian Ehrhoff was a bad signing. But every GM’s resume is cluttered with hockey decisions that didn’t pan out.

But you have to know the rules. The knowledge Rutherford lacked in the Shero case was accessible to all. But Rutherford didn’t have it.

You also can’t mangle the salary cap like Rutherford did.

Injuries were the primary cause of the Penguins using five defensemen (and occasionally, just 17 skaters) during the regular season’s final three weeks. But the Penguins were too close to the cap in the first place. They were in a situation where they couldn’t even call up a player making the league minimum.

Leave yourself an emergency out. Rutherford didn’t. Or make a corrective move when dominoes start falling. Rutherford didn’t.

Partly because Nick Spaling makes $2.2 million per, which is too much. Rutherford was advised by assistant GM Jason Botterill, the Penguins’ cap expert, to not take Spaling from Nashville as part of the Patric Hornqvist deal because of potential cost. But Rutherford did, then gave Spaling a new deal that overpays.

The acquisition of Daniel Winnik and a pro-rated slice of his $1.3m salary the week before the trade deadline placed the Penguins firmly in cap Purgatory. Botterill argued against that, too.

Your cap expert should make all cap decisions. That’s his job.

Rutherford is in a tough position. The best thing to do would be start rebuilding. The stars give hope, but it’s false hope given the complementary cast. Youth must be served, but a playoff run is always expected. Both aren’t possible.

Not getting a third-round pick from New Jersey is no disaster. Third-round picks don’t make or break. Well, except Kris Letang in 2005.

It’s no excuse, but the compensation rule is stupid. Getting an ex-coach or ex-GM off a team’s books should be reward enough. Bylsma and Shero were sitting at home, getting money for nothing. Buffalo and New Jersey did the Penguins a favor. If a contracted employee on active duty wants to leave, that’s a different story.

Mark Madden hosts a radio show 3-6 p.m. weekdays on WXDX-FM (105.9).

© 2015 Timesonline.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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NHL should stop trying to slow down game

By Mark Madden

http://www.timesonline.com/sports/

May 18, 2015

Canada’s Sidney Crosby, right, takes a shot at goal, next to Russia’s Dmitri Kulikov, left, during the Hockey World Championships gold medal match in Prague, Czech Republic, Sunday.

© (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, hockey’s biggest A-list stars, played for a B-list hockey championship yesterday in Prague.

In North America, the winner of the sport’s most coveted trophy is boiling down to who can block the most shots and be systematically superior.

Don’t hate the players. Hate the game.

These Stanley Cup playoffs might seem exciting because of the preponderance of one-goal games. Heck, that’s literally all the New York Rangers play.

But it’s not exciting hockey. Games are seldom decided by offensive flurries, though good goaltenders (read: huge goalie equipment) have something to do with that. Intangibles like “intensity” and “grit” are glamorized, but where’s the real glamour?

On Sunday, it was in Prague. If, Sunday afternoon, you flipped back and forth between the final at the World Championships and the Anaheim-Chicago game, the prevailing quality of the former was readily evident.

If you’re tired of reading this column over and over, I’m no less tired of writing it. This is not my vision of hockey. Skill should not be minimized.

Pittsburgh owes NHL commissioner Gary Bettman much gratitude because he fought to keep the Penguins in Pittsburgh. But when Bettman says the league is better off with a bunch of 60-point scorers instead of a few 100-point scorers, it shows utter disregard for the marketability of star power.

Coaches are to blame. Any coach has more influence than a standout player.

The NHL is reportedly considering outlawing the two-line pass again. The NHL began to allow passing from the defensive zone to the far blue line in 2005. In theory, that opens up the rink. Visions of breakaways danced in our heads.

But the coaches ruined it.

When that rule change was implemented, coaches quickly found a way to be conservative on both sides of the puck. On defense, they moved the trap back. On offense, they started utilizing that stretch-pass tip-dump that makes too much of a game fly by with teams on the forecheck trying to force a mistake.

Change that rule back, and the trap moves up. Just a different kind of dull.

Few coaches coach to win. Most coach to not get fired. None coach to entertain.

Even the statisticians fouled the waters. In 2005, blocked shots became an official stat. It gave jabronis a number to compile, to show GMs at contract time. Then coaches made it a religion. Using shot-blocking as “strategy” has replaced things fans want to see -- goals and saves -- with something people don’t care about.

Some of the things that slow hockey can’t be legislated out.

Some of the things that slow hockey won’t be legislated out.

The referees are never going to call the rulebook exactly as written on a consistent basis. Every time there’s a mandate for more penalties, it quickly recedes.

The NFL understands that it’s in the entertainment business. The owners determine the method of play. They’re tied directly to the bottom line. In the NHL, the GMs determine the method of play. Tight and close equates to more job security for them.

Hockey’s direction puts the Penguins in an odd position. What wins more in a boring, low-scoring league: Two superstars, or systematic excellence better strengthened through depth? Do you ditch your legacy to pursue bland success?

I never want to see the Penguins park the bus. I can’t see owner Mario Lemieux leaning in that direction, either. If that’s the price of winning, don’t pay it.

Mark Madden hosts a radio show 3-6 p.m. weekdays on WXDX-FM (105.9).

Pens made right call on Babcock

By Joe Starkey

http://triblive.com/sports/

Sunday, May 10, 2015, 10:06 p.m.

If Joel Quenneville or Darryl Sutter miraculously became available, we'd have a different conversation. They've each won multiple Stanley Cups in the past five years.

Mike Babcock? Good coach. Hardly a savior. The Penguins are making the right call by passing on Babcock, who is fielding inquiries as his contract nears expiration in Detroit.

“We will not be pursuing him,” general manager Jim Rutherford told the Trib's Jason Mackey on Saturday.

The Penguins need better health and a few better players, not a new coach. That's not to say I'm sold on Mike Johnston, by any means, but he gave his short-handed team its best chance to win against the New York Rangers.

The Penguins played a conservative style, designed to keep games close in hopes that one of their highly paid stars might score or set up decisive goals. Part I worked. The final three losses were by 2-1 scores.

When the Penguins were right this season, they were the best defensive team in these parts since Kevin Constantine arrived. Constantine and Michel Therrien were run out of town by those who wanted more entertainment — more wide-open hockey. Dan Bylsma was run out by those who wanted less.

You can't win unless you win it all. Johnston deserves a shot with a relatively healthy team.

To hear some tell it, Babcock would cure all that has ailed the Penguins the previous six springs. He'd be the Sherpa to lead them back to the summit. He is, after all, the “best coach in the NHL.”

Why do people say that?

Seems to me Babcock has the same problem as the Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin Penguins. Namely, that he's been stuck in base camp since the 2009 Cup Final. He is 3-6 in playoff series since then. He has failed to survive the first round three of the past four years. He hasn't even finished above third in his division since 2011.

Why would Babcock be the guy to usher Crosby and Malkin through their primes when all he did with the primes of Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk was win a single Cup?

I would never minimize winning a Cup, but if we're looking at Babcock through the lens of “best coach in the NHL” and maximizing a top-heavy team's potential, his Detroit tenure doesn't translate to Pittsburgh.

When Babcock arrived in Detroit in 2005, Zetterberg was 24. Datsyuk had just turned 27. The Wings put up 124 points that season only to succumb to the eighth-seeded Edmonton Oilers in the first round. They were the top seed again the following season and failed to make the Final.

After beating the Penguins in 2008, the Wings blew a 3-2 lead the next year, losing Game 7 at home. They haven't truly threatened since.

Babcock's Olympic success is irrelevant to this conversation, unless the Penguins show up at camp with a third line of Rick Nash, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Sharp, the way Canada did in Sochi. Maybe Babcock is great when he easily has the best team. The Penguins aren't the best team. Haven't been for a while.

Mario Lemieux and Ron Burkle, I suppose, could have made a run at Babcock and set some kind of NHL record — if Bylsma doesn't get hired somewhere — of paying three head coaches at once.

The reality is the Penguins need better health and a few better players. Not a new coach. Not even the great Mike Babcock.

Joe Starkey co-hosts a show 2 to 6 p.m. weekdays on 93.7 FM. Reach him at jraystarkey@gmail.com.

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Penguins need to pursue Babcock for coach

By Chris Mueller Special to The Times

http://www.timesonline.com/sports/

May 10, 2015

Mike Babcock in 2009

If they were friends on Facebook, Mike Babcock and the Detroit Red Wings just changed their relationship status to “It’s complicated.” Babcock, regarded in some circles as the best coach in the NHL, was given permission by general manager Ken Holland to talk to other teams and gauge the level of interest in his services.

The Penguins need to be in the mix of teams seriously inquiring about his services. If the price is right -- and just about any price he names should be -- and the interest from both parties is mutual, the Penguins should pull the trigger and make the hire.

Yes, that means firing Mike Johnston after one year on the job. Yes, that means giving Johnston the boot after a season where he coached through a ridiculous injury bug as well as his own general manager’s mismanagement of the salary cap down the stretch. Yes, it means David Morehouse going back on his word that Johnston would coach the team next year. It isn’t fair to Johnston, not one bit, but it would be good, if expensive, business.

Babcock isn’t a savior. It’s fair to say that no coach is. The players still have to play. But from my vantage point, he is the best bench boss in the sport. That is all that really matters. Johnston, for all the good work he did this year, is still a guy who just finished his first season as an NHL head coach. For what it’s worth, Babcock’s first season as a head coach ended in a trip to the Stanley Cup finals in 2003 with the Ducks.

There are other landing spots that could be enticing to Babcock. He could choose to join the Oilers and Connor McDavid, or he could go to Philadelphia, a team sure to make a big push. He could also choose to enter the pressure cooker that is Toronto and coach the Maple Leafs. There are some upsides to each choice, but no other destination offers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, both still in the prime years of their respective careers.

Sure, the Penguins have issues. Their situation on defense will be tenuous and always one injury to Kris Letang or Olli Maatta away from being a serious problem. They are in salary cap hell. They lack depth, and thanks to Ray Shero’s penchant for drafting defensemen, they lack cheap, talented forwards to pair with their franchise centers. The Pens have also traded away plenty of draft picks in an understandable effort to go all-in for the Stanley Cup every season.

Babcock is the right guy to navigate those choppy waters. Yes, he hasn’t been back to the Cup finals since the Penguins defeated his Red Wings in 2009. Yes, his team has not advanced past the second round during that time, either. Seeing that doesn’t cause me to view him as overrated, as some do. I see a guy who has managed to keep the Wings more than competitive while weathering the retirement of one of the game’s all-time great defensemen in Nicklas Lidstrom. I see someone who has retooled his team around his two aging stars, Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, 34 and 36, respectively. I see a coach who could do serious damage with Crosby and Malkin.

Crosby loved playing for Babcock during the Olympics, and while that probably was due in part to the fact that he was playing with all-world linemates, it should not be ignored when tallying up the positives in Babcock’s ledger. What’s more, Babcock not only won the gold medal in 2010 when the games were in Vancouver, but also in 2014 at the Sochi games. Given that Canada was a heavy favorite entering both Olympics, the pressure was on full blast, and Babcock handled it with aplomb.

The pressure to win in Pittsburgh is constant. Babcock can handle it. Johnston deserves better, but that’s life.

Babcock is a game-changer of a head coach, and if he is there for the taking, the Penguins would be wise to do everything in their power to get him.

Chris Mueller is the co-host of "The Starkey & Mueller Show" weekdays from 2-6 p.m. on 93.7 The Fan.

© 2015 Timesonline.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Crosby, Malkin didn't sign on for this

By Rob Rossi

http://triblive.com/sports/

Friday, April 24, 2015, 11:31 p.m.


Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins is checked by Marc Staal #18 of the New York Rangers during the first period in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2015 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on April 24, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) 

NEW YORK — Promises get broken.

So do hockey franchises.

When those happenings coincide, something has to change.

So even though the Penguins don't want to end the Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin era, I'm not sure they're going to have a choice in the matter.

It's not that the franchise centers are unhappy. (They are, but they've been that way since last summer). They've lost faith in the direction of the franchise. And I'm not sure what can be said — especially to Malkin — to make things right.

Something has to be done in the wake of the Penguins' 2-1 series-ending overtime loss to the New York Rangers in Game 5 on Friday at Madison Square Garden that eliminated them from the Stanley Cup playoffs. Otherwise, the Penguins might have to sell another early playoff exit and a trade they'd rather not make.

Co-owners Ron Burkle and Mario Lemieux could have a lot more to consider than whether to let pride — or stubbornness — get in the way of doing what's best for business. They must hire a new general manager, one who understands the NHL's not-so-new salary-cap dynamic, a hockey boss with autonomy to make hockey moves.

Because this isn't what Crosby and Malkin signed on for when each agreed to a second long-term contract at below market-value salary.

The Penguins are unrecognizable. They've gone from the marquee to the second stage. Or, put in hockey terms, from Stanley Cup contender to playoff pretender.

Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins watches as a shot goes wide on Henrik Lundqvist #30 of the New York Rangers during the first period in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2015 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on April 24, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Injuries didn't help, but this season was far from sabotaged by them. Rather it was a last gasp from a franchise that once promoted its new arena as destiny's new home.

From within, the home appears to be crumbling. The organization has degenerated into a toxic mix of a dysfunctional hockey operations department and a business side too occupied with selling youth hockey than winning and scoring.

Winning and scoring is what Crosby and Malkin were sold, too.

This season, the winning and scoring dipped. By no coincidence, so did the TV ratings, interest in playoff tickets and the confidence of Crosby and Malkin.

Bad luck ruined the Penguins' best-laid plans for the prime years of Crosby and Malkin. And certainly neither Crosby nor Malkin has done enough over the past six postseasons to bring back the Cup. But they're not the problem.

Actually, they've masked a lot of organizational problems, including but not limited to an aging roster, infatuation with puck-moving defensemen, the win-now (at the expense of draft picks) approach and the equally inexcusable and embarrassing failure to find wingers for two future Hall of Fame centers.

Do you know who shouldn't be playing with better wingers than Crosby and Malkin? Connor McDavid. But he will with Edmonton next season.

Blame Ray Shero or Jim Rutherford. Both GMs blew it when it came to Crosby and Malkin. Two years ago, Crosby and Malkin played with their least-talented supporting cast … until this past year, when it was worse.

Most depressing is the bleak future.

The Penguins won't escape salary-cap purgatory because so much of their payroll is tied into too few players, several of whom are well past their primes and provide little trade value. The biggest problem area (forwards) is also the weakest part of the prospect system. And there aren't enough draft picks because of foolish trades.

This is a mess, and Crosby and Malkin aren't two of the world's greatest cleaners.

They are two of the world's greatest hockey players, and they've always taken less money to give the Penguins a chance to win.

They were promised far better than their bosses have delivered.

Lemieux, of all people, should know what broken promises from ownership can do to hockey superstars.

They can make the superstars want to leave.

Rob Rossi is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at rrossi@tribweb.com or via Twitter @RobRossi_Trib.

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