Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Getting to some listener trade proposals for the Pittsburgh Penguins...

Episode Date: June 28, 2022

The NHL season is over and that means every team is in offseason mode. Hunter starts the show off by getting to a couple of listener silly season trade proposals and if he'd entertain these offers. One of them involves Kirby Dach, while another involves Brian Dumoulin. Hunter analyzes both of them and looks at who would be getting the better end of each deal. Do these hypothetical trades make sense for the Penguins? Do they also address other needs, or do they open up more? After that, Hunter reviews Drew O'Connor's season and how he saw a big growth in him from last year to this year. Is there a spot for him on this team next year? Can he provide even more offense than he did this past season? Hunter also looks at the main things that changed in Drew's game and how he has the ability to change them even more heading into next season. Finally, Hunter ends the show by congratulating the Colorado Avalanche on winning the Stanley Cup, while also giving his thoughts on Jack Johnson and the Crosby/MacKinnon bromance. All that, plus much more on this episode of Locked On Penguins.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.BetOnlineBetOnline.net has you covered this season with more props, odds, and lines than ever before. BetOnline – Where The Game Starts!Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hello, happy Monday, June 27th. It's hard to believe this weekend starts July. It is, I just do not know where the time is gone. The national season is officially over. We are now. Everyone is in all-season mode. The draft is next week. Free agency starts in 16 days, potentially 15 days from wherever you listen to this.

It's going to get really hectic and really busy really quickly. So for today's episode, we're going to go over a couple of silly season trade proposals that a couple of listeners sent in. Again, if you want to be featured on this show, even though you're not coming on to talk to me, you know, again, send me some silly season trade ideas, send me some free agents that you would like the team to go after. You can DM them to me on social media, you know, comment on them on the YouTube page, whatever you want. And I will talk about each and every one of them on the show. Also going to get into the stand-lickup final and congratulate the Colorado Avalanche for Slame. The Dragon. And we will finish up today's episode probably with a season review of Drew O'Connor and what the feature holds with him going into next season. That's all coming up right after this

drop. Your Locked-on Penguins. Your daily podcast on the Pittsburgh Penguins. Part of the Locked-on podcast network. Your team every day. Hello and welcome back to another episode of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. I am your host, Hunter Hodes. You're going to follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes. You can also follow all the shows, Twitter, at L.O. underscore Penguins. This episode is brought to you by Ben Online. BenMont has your cover.

This season with more props, odds, and lines than ever before. That has been online where the game starts. So again, happy Monday to you all, fresh five episodes for you all coming this week. As for when the podcast goes to three days a week, believe that's going to start in about two to three weeks, having gotten the final confirmation. on that, but I believe it's right until the day one or free agency. This will be in every weekday podcast, and then we will go into full-full off-season mode. But let's get into today's episode.

So we're going to start off with a couple silly season trade ideas. So this one comes from Intelligent Dice. Thank you so much for sending this in, by the way. So he has Brian Dumlin to Montreal and, he would have Jake Allen, 50% salary retained back. He says in total it frees up around close to $2 million in cap space, and then you have P.O. Joseph coming up, solves your backup goal issue, Montreal needs left side D, and they can potentially flip Ryan Dewmone at the trade deadline.

You know, that does make sense. I will say that. You know, it frees up the cap space. It sends Dume one to a team that's probably not going to be good next year. And, you know, that team can also, you know, get assets for him. And you're right. It would solve the backup. up goaltender spot.

Here's where I get iffy on this. I feel like there are general managers out there who they will pay more than someone like Jake Allen. I personally, I would, you know, I think Allen's a fine backup goaltrenner. I think,

you know, better the option than Casey Smith, I think, in my opinion. But, you know, for someone like Dumlin, he's worth more than that.

Guy has two Stanley Cups. Usually he's decent defensively. I know he didn't have a good year this year, but, you know, general managers, you know, they, they love that kind of player. Excuse me. And, you know, here's an example for you all. Nick Letty traded twice in the class calendar year, went for a second round pick both times. Is anyone going to sit here and tell me that Nick Letty is better than Brian Dumlin? No.

That's just that that's not the case. So with that, I definitely think you can get at least a second rounder for Doom Moon, potentially maybe a roster player in return, if not that, a prospect back. You know, teams are always willing to overpay for that kind of player. And that's why I guess I'm just a little bit hesitant on that. But again, you know, it's actually a decent trade. I really would not be mad about it per se. you know, and you said it, it checks a lot of boxes.

You get bit of Doomwin's cap it. POJ is ready to slide up unless you want to go out into free agency and sign someone like Nikita's door off. You get out of the contract, free up the $2 million in cap space almost. And you solve another, you know, issue with that backup, golden to spot because right now, Tristan Jari does not have a backup. Louis Deming, he is a UFA. I really can't see him coming back.

And, you know, with two weeks to go, free agency starts, Casey DeSmith is also a UFA. You know, normally, you know, they've signed DeSmith pretty quickly when his contract has been up a couple of times in the past. So the fact that he's not signed yet, I mean, A, he's not even close to the highest priority. And B, you know, I think that Hexel is definitely potentially exhausting some options here with regards to maybe the trade market, free agency, you know,

a Florida reunion, Braden Holpe, Yarslav Halak, a few other options I know. are out there and I think whoso is a free agent, but I mean, the blues are just going to bring him back. I don't really think he's going to go to market. I know Kemper, I believe, is a free agent, but I don't really think he's going to go anywhere either, to say the least. So, you know, again, this one makes sense, but, you know, I would be a little more hesitant to do it because, you know,

I just, I think the penguins can get more, from doing one in you know you also are correct to point out that you know if you if they don't resign to smith in your proposal in your scenario um that is about three million in cap space from this idea and yeah i mean i get what also what you're saying with rickel i have been seeing a lot of that on penguin's sweater you know other places you know on the red subreddit and all this stuff i like ricol but at the end of the day are you all willing to pony up 4.5 million per for four to five years for him. I know some of you all are going to say yes. You're going to be like Hunter. Like that's an easy decision. I wouldn't think twice about it. But, you know, this is a player,

I don't think he's ever going to score 30 for you. I know he had over 20 this year. But, you know, is he going to, and that's combined, by the way. Is he going to do that in a full season when he's not playing with Sidney Crosby on the top line? Because obviously he was electric with Sid and Jake Ensel. But, you know, they just signed Brian Rust to his long-term deal. he's more than likely going to be the top line winger for this team. You know, do you think Raquel can put up those kind of numbers with Afghani Malkin if he comes back? Or, you know, say, what if the team goes out and signs Vincent Trocheck?

Do you think, you know, he can carry him on that line? And, you know, obviously the aging curve, I think plays a role here. I don't know. I'm just, I'm not super crazy about, you know, I kind of want the team to go out and try to find like a Valeriena Chuskin clone or an Anthony Duclair type. deal, something around those lines, rather than go four to five years. Excuse me, for Ricardo McKell. And that's not to say that I don't think he's a good player.

I thought, you know, he exceeded my expectations when he came over from the Ducks. You know, I mean, I thought he was going to make at least a little bit of the impact, but, you know, he was probably one of the best devoid acquisitions or one of the best rentals, at least right now, that they've acquired in the Sidon Geno era. So you are right that this would open up some money to potentially. potentially pay Raquel. But I think right now with, you know, with so much uncertainty surrounding Tang and Malkin and, you know, even in your scenario, you know, I think with how CapS base

is such a premium for this team, I just, I really can't see it, in my opinion. But, you know, they proved me wrong before. I'm sure, you know, they could potentially do it again. And lastly, to end the show, this comes courtesy from Brent. Brendan Belots on Penguin's Twitter. He goes, you spoke about Kirby Doc a few episodes ago. Here is my trade proposal for him. I would trade it, the Penguins first round pick,

Marcus Pedersen, plus the Casbury Capitans rights for Kirby Doc, the Black Hawk's second rounder, and a third rounder. Okay. That is a whopper of a deal, to say the least. I like Kirby Doc a lot. Probably more so than some fans on Penguin's story. I've had a couple of discussions with, you know, some fans that, you know, that I just, I DM them all the time and we talk to

and talk to Kentucky. And, you know, they're not as high on Doc as I am. And, you know, even though I am higher than them on him, the thing is, I'm just not comfortable trading that first rounder for him. You know, Ron Hextall, he said a lot that, you know, he wants to make this pick. He has no interest in trading it. I know GM's lie. But, you know, I personally don't know if, you know, Doc is, worth a first rounder, Marcus Pedersen, and the rights to Kisbury Cap. And I think that's a little much for him. I have no problem paying the rights to Kasperi Cap, and I think he's fine to go to Chicago.

I really don't have too much of a problem paying Pedersen, though, if you can potentially swap out Pedersen for Dumlin in that deal, you know, I would be more inclined to do it. I don't think enough people realize just how good Marcus Pedersen was this past season. you know, elite underlying numbers. When you watch him with the eye test, you know, good defensively, got more, got better offensively as the year went on with formed a great shutdown pair with John Marino. You know, I know he's probably one of the more likelier candidates to be moved on at this

team going into next season. But the thing is, you know, is that going to make the penguins a better team, you know, when they try to replace it? You know, that's my big thing. You know, you always have to have a succession plan in place. Who is going to take up and step up for those minutes? Who's going to perform another shutdown pairing with John Romino? That's the main thing that I think I'm worried about when it comes to Pedersen.

I know I will love the cap space, especially because, you know, it's a flat cap for three years in a row now. But, you know, I think I'm more hesitant than most to move on from Pedersen. And, again, the first round pick, I'm not. really only going to be moving that for like a bigger impact player. You know, I think Doc could definitely help this team win and it would obviously help them get younger, get faster, you know, provide an offensive presence. But, you know, for a player who's definitely been struggling to really find his footing at times in the NHL, I personally would not trade the first, you know, maybe a second in next

year's draft or something like that or, you know, your first in next year's draft, I think that would potentially work there. But this first rounder, I would keep it. And, you know, I would love to get a couple of picksdog from Chicago, but to maybe offset that, but still, I mean, I'm just, I'm not as high on that as I should be. But now, I appreciate both of you sending in those trade proposals. The fact of the matter is, you know, they make a lot of sense. Now, I don't think these are, you know, too out there to say the least. I guess I'm just hesitant on them, you know, for a couple of reasons. but no, if they were to make at least, you know, one of those, I probably would not be super mad about it. You know, I would probably, you know, at least for the doc one, I would be a little upset that they traded the first time pick,

but at the end of the day, you know, I would get over. The team is in when now mode after all. So that wraps up this first segment of Lockdown England's podcast. Coming up in the next segment, we're going to get into Drew O'Connor's season review and what the next step is for him going in the next year if he's ready to make an impact. for this team. But before we get to that, betonline.net is your number one source for all of your betting needs and sports info. You can find all the latest sports developments, league reviews and news,

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with the trends in action. That has been online where the game starts. All right, I'm back here on this episode of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. I am your host, Hunter Hodes. I'm going to follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes. You can also follow the show's Twitter at L.O. Earnscore Penguins. So let's get right into it with Drew O'Connor's season refusal.

He played 22 games at the regular season level during the regular season, and excuse me for the Penguins, played in a couple of playoff games as well, came very close to scoring his first career playoff goal for the Penguins. Came right at the beginning of the series. I rang one actually off the crossbar. Passchester, yeah, he beat Shasturkin clean on it and, you know, obviously hit the pipe.

But at 5-5, you know, three goals, two total assists. So, you know, five points at 5-5 and 22 games. You know, that's a far cry from what he did the previous season when he played 10 goals only had one point. He played 10 games, excuse me, only had one point and was honestly just looking like an ECHL player. The growth that he had from last year to this year was astronomical, in my opinion. You got to see it from the underlying numbers.

When he was on the ice, the Penguins had close to 60% of the shot attempts, about 50-50 and actual goals for. Penguins had 64.6% of the expected goals. when he was on the ice, 63% of the scoring chances, 63% of the high danger chances, lost the full high danger battle, only three high danger goals,

four eight high danger goals against, shot 5% this season, and I saw an ice percentage 890, so that was not that good. But, you know, a lot of very promising numbers here from O'Connor. You know, he's dominating in scoring chances, dominating high danger chances,

gave some back defensively. But at the beginning of the season, now I was definitely one of the people that was, you know, beating the drum for him to stay here full time because he was really lighting up for this team in a bottom six role. Again, you know, the growth that I saw from him, you know, his skating was much better. He was actually looking confident in the offensive zone, actually shooting the puck a lot more. You know, his passing was much more crisp, I thought, this season. And, you know, he went back down to Wilkesbury.

You know, he continued to play well down there before he had that really nasty injury that kept him out for. a while. I'm glad that he was able to make his way back and obviously got called up for the playoffs, played in a couple of payment playoff games. But, you know, this is a player that I'm really intrigued about going into next year. I think he deserves a shot to potentially make this team out of camp. I mean, you know, again, he played well in Wilkesbury, played well for about a quarter of the season with the penguins. If you stick him on a fourth line with potentially, I don't know, Teddy Bougar with Brockley. And, you know, I think the penguins have something that, You have a defensive center in Teddy Bluger who can also chip in offensively.

You know, McGinn, he can chip in offensively usually with double-digit goals. Defensively, he's solid too. Then you have O'Connor who, you know, can be, you know, the better offensive player on that line. Sorry about that. I had to take a sip of my water. You know, he can be the better offensive player on that line. And if he improves defensively, especially, you know, when he's not getting back a lot of high danger goals and just actual goals for, you know,

I think the Penguins will have a really good fourth line going into next season. So, you know, I'm really excited about him. You know, honestly, it's him and, you know, redeems the Hornel, which I'm going to get to later this week, who I really think have the best chances to make the team out of camp, at least the players, at least from this first way from Wilkesbury. You know, I know the Penguins prospect system, it's bad to say the ways.

I know that. I'm never going to argue against that. But, you know, I do think there are a few diamonds in the rough here, especially when it comes to O'Connor. And I do think he can make a pretty sizable impact on this team next season. So I'm excited about him. I really liked how he played in his short stint this season. I really thought that Penguins really didn't have anything there after he only played in 10 games during the 2020,

2020, 2021 season, the short one. But, you know, I definitely ate a lot of crow after that because he came up, you know, was a house on fire at the early stages of the regular season when the Penguins were just really battling the COVID problems. You know, I think that was the big thing there for Pittsburgh was that, you know, the COVID issues with about half the team missing at times. And, you know, he was able to come in there and really provide the team a spark. And they were able to win some games. I still remember the game against Chicago where that game was at home where the Penguins just lit up former goalie, Mark Andre Fleur, who, of course, played for the team for so many years. And, you know, O'Connor was more of the players that

had a couple of goals that night. He was probably the best player in that game. I remember I was at King's Dominion with my girlfriend just following it on my phone. And I was just like, wow, like, where did this version of Drew O'Connor come from? And, you know, he played like that, you know, in a good amount of the other games, too. I know he wasn't, you know, scoring, but like he did in that game, but, you know, he was still definitely making his presence felt. That's for sure. So, I give his season a solid, you know, A minus to B plus, and I do think there's a spot for him on this team next year. If they don't go out and make a lot of moves in free agency

and there's potentially an open spot in the bottom six, would not be surprised if he steals one heading into next season, that's for sure. So that wraps up this second segment of today's Oxman Penguins episode. For the third segment, we're going to get touch on the Stanley Cup final and congratulate this to Colorado Avalval. Lange, talk about Jack Johnson, and how Nathan McKinnon, how it relates to Cindy Rosby. So that's all coming up right after this commercial break. All right, I'm back here in this episode of the Locktime Penguins podcast.

I am your host, Hunter Hodes. You're going to follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes. You can also follow the show's Twitter at L.O. Orange Squared Penguins. So, you know, first and foremost, congratulations to the Colorado Avalanche. Very, very deserving Stanley Cup championship. This was by far in a way the best team in the league. during the regular season and the playoffs.

I mean, for God's sake, people, they went 16 and 4 in the playoffs. There were out of the four teams they faced, only two of them even pushed them to six games. St. Louis Blues, and to be frank, that series should have ended in five. I thought the Blues gotten very lucky to win that game five. And the Tan Bay Lightning,

who obviously were their defending champions. I knew the series was going to go at least six games. I predicted the abs in seven. They ended in six. That should tell you all you need to know, about the Colorado Avalanche. I think this was probably the most dominant championship run in hockey that I've seen since probably the 08 Red Wings. It was a miracle that the Penguins pushed them to six games in that series.

I know the Penguins only lost, I believe it was what two games going in the Stanley Cup final against the Red Wings that year. But, you know, honestly, they probably had no business, even taking that series to six games. Even in that game five that I remember watching the Red Wings were just dominating them shift after shift. and it took a miracle shot from Peter Socorah to send that back to Pittsburgh. And, you know, to be frank, they were about an inch away from sending that game to overtime with Mary and Hosa. You know, who knows what would have happened in that session. You know, the Penguins could have sent it back to Detroit. But, you know, just a very dominant championship run by the avalanche.

And, you know, they're set up to be really good for a long time. Nathan McKinnon, you know, congratulations to him. You know, hearing the shout out to Sidney Crosby last night, you know, I can't lie it. I almost got a little teary-eyed. I'm sure a lot of Penguins fans did fully tear up just because, you know, the bromance between McKinnon and Crosby is nothing short of amazing. I mean, Nate looks up to Cid, kind of like an older brother or just an idol, really. You know, he sees him as the player, you know, that he grew up watching that he wanted to be.

And the great quote that Nate had was, you know, I've been the drunkest guy at two of his parties in Cole Harbor. I expect him to repay me at mine. And, you know, I want to see the videos for it. I want to see Cindy Crosby get trashed and, you know, just, you know, let out the, let out the human side of him so he can not be a robot for once in his life. If we're not, again, we don't get videos on that. There is something wrong with society. And, you know, just hearing that his hotel room was 1787 after Andrew Cogliano went up

and said 87, he basically said it was state. I mean, it's just, you know, both are so superstitious. And, you know, Sid even texted Peter LeBron after the final ended and was just so happy for Nate. And I can't wait to see the party at Coal Harbor this summer because, you know, Nate and Sid are going to be having some kind of fun to say the least. So I'm so happy for McKinnon. And Cal McCar won the Con Smyth. Super thrilled for him.

I've been saying it for a while. I think he's the next Paul Coffie. league. I would not surprise me if he hits 100 points really soon. You can honestly make the argument that outside of Connor McDavid, he's probably potentially the second best player in NHL. I would not argue against it. He is that good. He is going to get better. He's only 20, was he only 21, 22 years old. He's going to be special. I mean, I know he's already special, but he's going to be probably an all-time great. Amaya is Gabriel and a scholar like Miko Ranson in.

You know, Darcy Kemper had a great game after I know a lot of people have trashed him. Dr. Seneca finally, you know, I've been a little hard on him, but, you know, he made some timely saves when he needed to. You know, I was watching that third period on Sunday night, you know, I couldn't help but think carbon copy, Penguin Sharks 2016, when the Penguins just suffocated them in that third period. The Sharks only had one or two shots on that were hardly even threatening the penguins. And it was honestly the same with the lightning.

outside of that Nikita Kuturav chance with about, what, seven minutes left in the third. But, you know, Kimber made a good save on, Tambe really didn't have any good swing chances. Colorado bottled them up. I know a lot of people say, well, you know, it's the high flying abs. You know, they're one of the highest sworn teams in the league. But, you know, they can play defense. Well, weird voice crack there. They can play defense when they want to.

And they sure did in that third period. The lightning had absolutely nothing when it came. you know, to getting chances on Darcy Kemper. Kudos to Jerry Bednar and his staffer, really kind of having his players walk it down there. And, you know, last but probably not least about this. Congratulations to Jack Johnson. I'll say it. You know, I have no problem, you know, saying that on this podcast.

You know, I know I've given him a lot of crap on this show. I know a lot of the fan base has, but, you know, he has the potential now to walk out as a champion. He can ride off into the sunset. He won the Stanley Cup. It's invaded him for a long time in his career. he's obviously not the same player that it used to be but you know good for him you know i'm sure he's a great guy off the ice what happened to him with his family was really crappy and you know to see him be rewarded with a Stanley Cup championship even though he was strictly a debt player on this team

is nothing short respect guy so you know golf clap congratulations to jack johnson for getting that and you know if that's it for him congratulations on you know i think a mostly decent career um nazan cadre his great quote too um with you know for everyone who thought i was a liability you can kiss my you know what uh you know uh i don't need to spell that out for you all um but you know and i said last but not least and i just keep on going but uh what a great final this was probably one of the best finals i think i've watched in my lifetime um this is this is what the sport should look like every year the two best teams going at it and i think the best

team winning it. You know, two high scoring, high prolific, high-paced, high, you know, teams just going at it, producing some amazing hockey. This is what I want to see every single year in a Stanley Cup final. It was that freaking good. I hope we just continue to get it. And, you know, this is the last thing I'll say. I don't know what happened with Tampa Bay and why their fans and their players just continue to whine and moan about the refs.

Play through it. You know, NHO officials, they stink. I've said that a thousand times on my over 500 episodes that I've done for this podcast. But you know what? You don't need to be going to them every five seconds about a call. Sorry, it's game six of the San Diego Final. They're not going to call a lot of stuff that some players are looking for. that's just how it is. You know, Pat Maroon, who rides on the coattails of all the great players that he's played for throughout his career,

is just whining and complaining to the refs after every goal that was scored. And I'm like, dude, take your butt to the bench and just sit there and suck it up. Like, you know, it's just, it's ridiculous to me. You know, John Cooper, he was working the rest basically every shift last night. Honestly, throughout the series, great coach, but, you know, I don't know if I've ever seen a coach whine that much about officiating. And, you know, I would say this about, you know, a lot of rival teams, you know, too, with, you know, complaining about the officials. And I know their fans would say the same about penguins and all that. But, you know, this was just like a little much, I think, for me. But, you know, I think I hit on all the talking points from the Stanley Cup final. Congratulations again to the Avalanche for Stanley Cup.

In over 20 years, Denver is going to be rocking this week for the parade. I can't wait to see the photos. and all that. But in terms of the Pittsburgh Penguins, we'll have a chance to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup for a sixth time next year when the season kicks off in October. We're less than three months away from preseason hockey. And, you know, just keep it right here on Lockdown Penguins.

It's going to be a very busy couple of weeks here. I'm just letting you all know. Draft next week, for agency the week after. There's going to be a lot of news when it comes to this team. And, you know, I will be the first to tell you all about it on Locktime Penguins. We're continuing through the offseason. And again, I really appreciate all of you listening. I'll be back with another episode on Tuesday.