Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Penguins OFFICIALLY introduce the new owners and make a trade!

Episode Date: June 25, 2026

The Penguins had a busy day, introducing the Hoffmann Family to Pittsburgh, and making a depth trade! Hunter and Patrick begin the show by reacting to the Hoffmann Family’s introductory press confer...ence. (1:15) They talk about the Hoffmanns' commitment to Pittsburgh, how they plan to support the hockey operations staff, and what comes next for the ECHL affiliation agreement. Then, Kyle Dubas sent two picks to the Capitals in exchange for Hendrix Lapierre. (16:12) They figure out where he fits, why Dubas made the move, and go over his NHL tenure. Finally, after so many draft profiles, it’s time for some players to avoid when the Penguins make their pick on Friday. (24:50) Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! HimsTo get simple, online access to personalized, affordable care for ED, hair loss, weight loss, and more, visit https://Hims.com/LOCKEDONNHL.   Odoo Great organizations win because operations matter. And that’s why you should get Odoo. Try for free today at https://Odoo.com/lockedon. Indeed Now, you can speed up your hiring process with a $75 Sponsored Job Credit. Just go to https://indeed.com/podcast right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Terms and conditions apply. KALSHI For a limited time, download the Kalshi app and use code LOCKEDON to get ten dollars when you trade ten. Kalshi. Trade on anything. Gametime Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime. FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. From the opening whistle to the final kick, Let There Be Goals on FanDuel. Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started now. 5-Hour ENERGY Get candy-flavored chaos with Fruity Rainbow 5-hour ENERGY®️ Shots - available online at https://5hourENERGY.com or Amazon FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Transcript
Discussion (0)
Starting point is 00:00:00 The Hoffman family introduced themselves to Pittsburgh on Thursday, and Pat and I are going to give you some of our takeaways from that presser right after this. 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 to the Thursday edition of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. I'm one of your host, Hunter Hodes. You can follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes, joined by my host, Patrick Damp. you can follow him on all social media platforms at Send him for Wet.
Starting point is 00:00:38 You can also follow the show's Twitter at LO underscore Penguins. And you can find us on Instagram at Locked On underscore Penguins. And of course, thank you all so much for making this your first lesson slash watch today. We are free and available on all platforms a bit later on in the show. Kyle Dubas decided to make a trade before we recorded today. Thank you, Kyle, for doing that. We'll talk about that in our second segment. And then to end the show, we're going to talk about a few players who,
Starting point is 00:01:04 I would personally not draft at 22 if I were Kyle Dubus and West Clark. But Pat, kicking off today's show, we got our first press conference from the Penguins' new owners, the Hoffman family, David Hoffman was there, Jeff Hoffman was there, and Greg Hoffman was there, and they were taking questions from the media. And honestly, when I was watching this, maybe I was reading too much into it, Pat, but they seemed really chill and really cool. I like the family atmosphere. I also like how much they seemed to really,
Starting point is 00:01:34 love the sport. I don't think they were really BSing anyone when they were talking about their love for the sport. It's very easy to win in opening press conference. It's usually a layup for anyone who comes into this, whether it's an owner, a new coach, a new player, a new general manager. But I thought they knocked this out of the park. I thought they did a really nice job. And it feels like to me, Pat, they are in this for the long haul. And they really, and I mean really care about this organization, at least to me. I know it's early, but that's the vice. that I got. You only get one chance to make a first impression, and they made a very good one to start. I appreciated the fact that basically the first question out of the gate was, are you going to
Starting point is 00:02:17 keep the team here? Are you going to keep the Penguins in Pittsburgh for the long term? Because even though there's still a lot of time relatively left on the Penguins lease at PPG Paints Arena, we have seen how this goes in pro sports across the board, teams, start to come up at their buildings. They start demanding all kinds of things from the town and the state and whatever and then play the ultimate card of, well, if you're not going to give us what we want, we're going to move. And they did a good job of basically saying they're committed to staying in Pittsburgh for the long term. And to that end, that just shows before Lemieux, before Fenway, and now before Hoffman, how bad the ownership has been in Pittsburgh when it comes to hockey,
Starting point is 00:03:06 that this is what had to be asked. But other than that, I understand that there's a lot of people, and I'm certainly one of them, who says the actions are now going to have to match the words. And the opening words were fantastic. Again, I liked what they had to say about keeping the team here. They seem like they are very much invested in this being a success. product and not just another piece of their portfolio. And let's just rip the Band-Aid off and talk about it now.
Starting point is 00:03:39 I liked a lot of what they had to say about the hockey operations because a lot of us get worried when new owners come in, especially passionate owners like the Hoffman family appear to be, that they're going to want to have their hands in every piece of it. and Jeff Hoffman basically said directly, hockey operations is Kyle Dubus's department. We will give them the resources we need and let him run it. Yeah, I have the full quote here from him and he says,
Starting point is 00:04:10 Kyle, we think is a particularly talented executive in the league. And that was one of the things that attracted us about making this investment, especially at this point in time. We fully support him in his vision for the organization. And we are prepared to give him the resources that he needs to be as successful as we can possibly be as an organization. They are all in on Kyle Dubus. He is not in danger of losing his job or anything like that.
Starting point is 00:04:34 David Hoffman also made it a point to say that, Pat, they feel they have the best coach and the best GM in the sport right now. So I appreciated those quotes. They seem to really love both Dan Muses and Kyle Dubas and the work that they are doing. They said that multiple times throughout this presser, which I don't know. I don't know if a nice vote of confidence for both of them. It's a nice vote of confidence for those.
Starting point is 00:04:54 two, I don't know if I would put either of them as the best in their field right now, but they are definitely, at least after this past year, in my estimation, in the top tier, they're two of the better coaches and general managers in the league. You saw what Dan Mews did this past year with this team. You've seen what Kyle Dubas has been able to do the last 18 or so months. So they're doing a very good job. So getting that vote of confidence from the new ownership has to feel good for both. I'm with you. They also discussed a potential reunion with Mary Lemieux. Jeff said that he has talked to Lumew already and they'd like to see him come aboard in any way that he sees fit. So I'm assuming Pat, that's going to happen at some point. You brought up, obviously, that they're committed to Pittsburgh and they even said the penguins are going to be in Pittsburgh and always going to be in Pittsburgh as long as the Hoffmans are part of it. And the Hoffman's plan to be a part of this organization for generations to come. They don't see this Pat as like a return on investment or anything like that. They see this as a family.
Starting point is 00:05:54 own business that they want to keep for a very long time. Like they want this team to be here for as long, obviously, as I said, for as long as they're there. And it almost feels like, what's the word I'm looking for? They kind of see this team as like their crown jewel. Like, yeah, the Everblades, that's like their baby because obviously they've won so much with the Everblades. But now they have an NHL team. And this is like, okay, this is the cream of the crop in terms of owning a hockey franchise. and just seems like to me again, first press are they're prepared to do whatever it takes with this.
Starting point is 00:06:27 So let's get all into it about all that stuff. And here's the thing I'll say about Florida in the Everblades is by all accounts from some people I've talked to who still work in the ECHL, Florida is a great place to work. It's a great place for players to go. And they credit a lot of that to the Hoffman family for what they've built, the culture they've put in place with the Everblades. I still know a couple of people who work down there for the Everblades and they say nothing but good things about what it is to work or play for the Florida Everblades. So you have to expect that they're going to do something very similar here with the Penguins. As for the Lemieux part of it, the part I appreciated was that they threaded the needle really well.
Starting point is 00:07:18 It wasn't a absolutely, Mary Lou Amuse in, he's all in. He's all in. part of it. We love him. He's the best. He needs to be here. It was more of a, we know what he means to the city. We know what he means to the franchise. And if he wants to be part of it, the door is open. If he wants to walk through it, we will welcome him. If he doesn't, we're not going to have a frosty relationship with him. We're going to let it go to hit. We're going to put the ball in his court with no pressure. It's a, hey, if you want to be here, we want you here. If you don't, we're not going to pressure you. We're not going to demonize you. It's not going to be a frosty relationship like it was with FSG. So I like that a lot. Now, I want to say this here because it does
Starting point is 00:08:03 mean a lot to me. I feel really bad for Wheeling, for the Wheeling Nailers, for the people who work there, and everything that this partnership has meant to that city, to the penguins, and everything in between. But unfortunately, pro-sport. is a cold and unforgiving business. I was part of the nailers when they had their first full-time relationship with the penguins. Because when I got there in the 14-15 season, they still had a joint agreement. They were still between Montreal and Pittsburgh. And then after a couple of years, it became a singular relationship between the penguins and the nailers.
Starting point is 00:08:46 And it's a good relationship. but I feel bad for the people of Wheeling because it's a great town full of great people. And there is, I will say, a small, tiny glimmer of hope. There are 30 ECHL teams. There are 32 NHL teams. There is a chance that the relationship will remain, but it may not be singular. But as we know, the affiliation agreement between the Nailers and the Penguins did end at the end of this past season. Now, the thing I will say is a lot of ECHL and NHL agreements, they don't last more
Starting point is 00:09:25 than a year or two. These aren't long-term agreements. You rarely ever see more than three years of an affiliation agreement between NHL and ECHL teams. But I do understand that the Hoffman family takes a lot of pride in what they have built and what they have with the Everblades. And they're not going to be able to just let that go. Maybe in a handful years, if the penguins do really well, if they put a lot of effort and a lot of resource into Pittsburgh, maybe they find someone else to take over the Everblades and you can get back to this affiliation. But unfortunately for now, this is going to likely be the reality where the Penguins' ECHL affiliate will be in Astero, Florida. Yeah. I thought that was very well said.
Starting point is 00:10:16 because I was going to get to that point if you weren't. I do feel very bad for everyone who is associated with the nailers. You and I have talked a lot about the nailers on the show. We get comments from people who are really appreciative that we talk a lot about the nailers. And it's for good reason. I mean, they've had so many great seasons as the Penguins affiliate. We talked a lot about them obviously this year, Pat, because they were so good and they were really fun to watch.
Starting point is 00:10:40 We see West Banko Arena just electric every night during the regular season, but especially in the playoffs where it's a tough place to play. But this was always going to be the most likely solution. And they were asked about this multiple times during the presser. What is the status on that? And David Hoffman even said they 100% want to see the Everblades be the ECHL affiliate of the Penguins. He says, I think they would run me out of Naples if they are not. We already have people wearing penguins jerseys at our games.
Starting point is 00:11:10 So I think the high expectation levels, that's going to happen. We want to do that. And I will say logistically, it does stink. A two-hour flight compared to a one-hour drive. It's way different. And I get it. People have a right to be upset. You can definitely be upset because this has been 29 years.
Starting point is 00:11:30 Pat, it's the longest active agreement between an NHL and an ECHL team. And it stinks that it's more than likely coming to an end. But again, this was always the most likely solution, considering that the Everblades, it's kind of their baby. and now that they have their quote unquote crown jewel in the penguins, it can merge them and they can have them both. This doesn't really mean anything for Wilkesbury. They're still going to be the HL affiliate, obviously, of the penguins.
Starting point is 00:11:55 But I feel like with the ECHL man, this was probably going to happen. And again, it does stink. The two things I'll say to end this is one, the logistics of it sucks. Yes. Because having a day long drive or a quick flight, to the AHL team in Wokes Bear is nice, and then a one hour drive from the ECHL affiliate to the NHL affiliate is great logistically
Starting point is 00:12:21 because the other team that I worked for in pro hockey was the Utica Comets, which is upstate New York. You know who their NHL affiliate was when I was there? The Vancouver Canucks. So if you were a player called up to the NHL from Utica, you had to take a cross-continental flight to get to the NHL team. So it could be much, much worse.
Starting point is 00:12:45 The last thing I'll say is this. The ownership down there in Wheeling, Red, they are resilient. They're great. They are determined. They are more than all in when it comes to the nailers. So even without this affiliation, I have full confidence that team is still going to be very, very strong. I agree with you.
Starting point is 00:13:07 I thought that was very well said. Lastly, I'll say this. You know, I liked a lot of the answers they gave, you know, especially about leaving the hockey decisions up to Kyle Dubus. If they can do that, kind of do what FSG did in terms of supplying all the resources, aka the money. They've talked about, you know, Alina expansion, more upgrades. They kind of stay out of the front office's way. But they're also more present, more present, obviously, than FSG. I'll take that as a big win for this new ownership group, all those things if they can do that.
Starting point is 00:13:35 So pretty good start, you know, words or words. but Pat, now it's time for them to back up those words with actions at the end of the day. That's what really matters when it comes to this ownership group. But that's going to do it for our first segment. Coming up in the second segment, yes, Kyle Dubbus decided to wake up from his slumber and make a trade on Thursday. And Pat and I are going to give our thoughts on that coming up right after this. But before we get to that, we have to tell you all about one of our sponsors, which is Odu.
Starting point is 00:14:05 Running a business should not feel like you're trying to connect a bunch of systems that were never designed to work together. one app for accounting, another for inventory, another for sales, and somehow none of them talk to each other. That's where Odu comes in. Odu is an all-in-one business management software that brings every part of your business together in one powerful platform from sales and accounting to inventory and marketing. Everything works in one place, helping your team move faster, stay organized, and focus on growing the business instead of managing software.
Starting point is 00:14:33 The best organizations know that success is not just about talent. It's about having everyone work towards the same goal, and that's true. sports just like it is in businesses. Great organizations win because operations matter, and that's why you should get O-D-O-D-O-D-com slash locked-on. That's O-D-O-O-O-O-O-com slash locked-on. And we're not done. We still got to tell you all about one more of our sponsors, which is HEMS. E-D is way more common than most guys think, and millions of guys deal with it at some point. HIMS offers a simple, convenient way to take care of your health by connecting you with licensed health care providers online and giving you access to personalized treatment options from the comfort of
Starting point is 00:15:14 your own home. No awkward appointments, no pharmacy lines. Just a straightforward process designed to make getting care easier. Taking care of yourself should not feel complicated and HEMS makes the process private and easy to navigate. It's health care built around your schedule and your comfort. To get simple online access to personalize affordable health care for ED, hair loss, weight loss, and more, visit Hems.com slash locked on NHL. That's Hems.com slash lock. Locked-on NHL for your free online visit. One more time, that's Hems.com slash locked-on NHL. Prescription is required.
Starting point is 00:15:46 See website for details and important safety information. Sledanafil is the generic version of Viagra. Viagra is a registered trademark of Vietris. Specialty LLC. Hymns is not affiliated with or endorsed by Beatrice. All right, we're back here on the Thursday edition of the Lockdown Penguins podcast. I'm one of your host, Hunters, Hodes, joined by my co-O's Patrick Damp. And Pat, shortly after the press conference, Kyle Dubus decided to get into the trade market.
Starting point is 00:16:16 And he acquired Ford Hendricks LaPierre from the Washington Capitals for a 2027 third round pick and a 2028 fifth round pick. For me, this trade is fine. Do I really like it? No, do I hate it? Also, no. What happened to things just being fine, Pat? And I say that for movies, TV shows, sports. Not everything is the best thing you've ever seen and not everything is the worst thing you've ever seen.
Starting point is 00:16:40 sometimes things can just be fine. And that's where I kind of see this trade, man. It is a totally fine move where you're getting a player who needs a change of scenery. He's an RFA. He's not going to cost you very much. He's in his 20s. He'll compete for a roster spot in the bottom six. It is fine.
Starting point is 00:16:59 That is my main analysis. We'll get into his stats, obviously. But those are my opening thoughts. What say you? Yeah, it's a depth trade. It's them taking another chance on a younger. player who has some upside. He was you, you sent basically a third round pick in a 2028 pick that was not your
Starting point is 00:17:20 pick. You had it from San Jose. So overall, it's, it's an okay enough trade. And he fits in that mold. Like we've been saying Kyle Dubus is looking for. He's a young player needs a bit of a change of scenery. We know that the caps are pretty much shifting into win now mode rather than. then this kind of retool on the fly that the penguins and caps were both in the midst of.
Starting point is 00:17:45 So this is a player who probably was not going to get a shot with the Washington Capitals this coming year. Maybe he gets a shot here in Pittsburgh. Maybe he doesn't. But if nothing else, you got some depth. You got a young player. And if he works out, great. If he doesn't, he's not going to cost you a lot. And you can move on.
Starting point is 00:18:04 Yeah, exactly. And there is a Todd Nelson connection here. He did coach him in Hershey a couple of years. years ago. And by the way, Hendricks LaPierre was the playoff MVP of the Calder Cups back in 2024. So it does have experience playing well down there. In the A, I do think the Todd Nelson relationship, it was pretty big here. He can play multiple positions, Pat. He can play center. He can play wing. This past season played in 74 games. Only four goals and 16 points. His best season came in 23, 24, the Capitals. Eight goals, 22 points in 51 games.
Starting point is 00:18:36 I do think, though, this is only the first move of the off season. I feel like we might be able to judge this trade a bit more, and I'm assuming in this case, once we see more moves made. This is not going to be the only move that you see Caldubis make this offseason. Yeah, we have the draft coming up. They're going to select more pieces there. But trade-wise, you're going to see more players come in,
Starting point is 00:18:57 and I think you're going to see more players come out. And I think we're going to get even more clarity once the latter happens. Because I have seen some people say, you know, you look at the bottom six. It's even more crowded. I agree. I totally agree. Like there's a lot of spot.
Starting point is 00:19:11 There's only a few spots there, excuse me, for a lot of competition. You know, Rucker McGority is going for a spot. Avery Hayes is going for a spot. You have Elmer Sotomayor Blomberl there. Justin Brzeau, what does this mean for his status? Like, could he potentially be on his way out? Tommy Novak has a year left on his contract. Could he be on his way out from the Penguins?
Starting point is 00:19:30 It does create more competition, but I still want to see what else they do with that unit. We know that Achari is not coming back. I think that's been pretty obvious. a while now. But what else do you do moves wise to, you know, maybe open up some more room down there, get players, you know, a fresh start elsewhere potentially. Again, I'm assuming maybe they don't do that. But I feel like we can judge this a bit more once we see some other moves made. Because this is the first I of, I think, several moves that you're going to see how do this off season. In that same vein, this also depends upon what Kyle Dubus does the rest of
Starting point is 00:20:06 the off season. But I also kind of see this as Blake Lizott insurance. Interesting. Because we know that Blake Lizot, every year since he's been with the penguins, we'll miss some games due to injury. And it's not because he's injury prone or yada, yada, yada, yada, or whatever. I've said it about Blake Lizot a million times. He plays a very hard game, which leads you to getting hurt from time to time. And you look at what he did this year with the caps. He was reliable. entrusted to play in the bottom six when they needed him to. And if say you have Blake Lazot out for a week or two, LaPierre can fill in ever so briefly
Starting point is 00:20:48 when Lazot is out. And then if he has to go back to the press box or he's got to go to the AHL, that's perfectly fine. So that obviously is dependent upon what else they do this summer with trades, with whoever they draft, with whoever shows up and has a good camp. But as we sit here on June 25th, I look at it as a player that if Blake Lazot gets hurt, you've got someone on your roster who can step in and be your fourth line center for a bit. Yeah, a little bit.
Starting point is 00:21:18 He also does have some really good defensive metrics, LaPier, that is. And he did stay relatively healthy this year too, which I think is also big for him. So overall, totally fine move. We'll have to see what else Kyle Dubos wants to do this offseason in terms of upgrading the roster. but look at that bat player in his 20s needs a new team wasn't going to work out in Washington this year and they paid a third and a fifth i saw a couple fans out there you're paying a third and a fifth guys the chances that any of those players picked with those two picks will be anything more than solnike hendricks lapierre are slim to none it's like five 10 percent and hell
Starting point is 00:21:57 lapier hasn't done like much in angel level 158 games 13 goals and 47 points i'm just saying the players that get picked with those two picks of the penguins sent back to Washington have less of a chance of doing even that. And here's the other fun coincidence. LaPierre was drafted in the first round in 2020. You know where he was picked. 22nd overall. Same draft as Igor Chinov, by the way.
Starting point is 00:22:25 So that's, again, that's another little fun thing there. But again, overall, it's fine. we'll have to see what else he has planned. But that's going to do it for our second segment coming up to end the show. We've already discussed a lot of the draft profiles. Now we're going to get into a few players who I personally am not that high on at Pick 202. And that's coming up right after this. But before we get to that, we have to tell you all about another one of our sponsors,
Starting point is 00:22:54 which is Game Time. There are more live events than ever worth seeing right now. Games, concerts, comedy shows, festivals, the hard part usually isn't deciding what you want to attend. it's actually getting the tickets. Between long wait times, confusing checkout processes and surprise fees, buying tickets can sometimes feel harder than it should. That's why so many fans are turning to GameTime. The app is built to make buying tickets simple with upfront pricing,
Starting point is 00:23:18 seat views before you buy, and exclusive saving opportunities that help you get to the events you want without the usual hassle. My biggest pet peeve is when you think you found a great deal, you get all the way to checkout and suddenly the final price looks completely different. Game time takes the guest work out, and it's completely different. Again, take the guesswork out of buying tickets to every type of event with Game Time
Starting point is 00:23:38 down the GameTime app, create an account and use code locked on for $20 off your first purchase. Terms of why, again, create an account and redeem code locked on for $20 off. Download the GameTime app today. And we're not done. We have one more sponsor, which is five-hour energy. If you have a sweet tooth like I do, you know how tough it is to find that perfect treat without all the sugar. That's why the fruity rainbow Favreau Energy shot.
Starting point is 00:24:03 brings that nostalgic flavor back in a whole new way. Fruity Rainbow Favowler Energy Shots, treat your taste buds to an explosion of fruity flavor with a tasty caffeine kick. It's a quick, easy way to satisfy that sweet craving while keeping things simple and on the go. I like how convenient it is. It's a small, portable shot that I can grab
Starting point is 00:24:22 whenever I need a little pick-me-up. It's become my go-to when I want something sweet without going overboard. Get candy-flavored chaos with Frutie Rainbow 5-hour energy shots available online at 5. our energy.com or on Amazon. All right, we're here closing up a Thursday edition of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. I'm one of your host, Hunter Hodes, joined by my co-Cohs, Patrick Damp.
Starting point is 00:24:47 And Pat, as I've said on the show, there's very few players who I'd be disappointed with if the Penguins took them at 22, but we're going to get into some of them right now. And one of them might be a hot take to some people because I know this player is probably going to go before the Penguins, even though I disagree with it. We'll touch on him in a second. But the two that I think will probably be available at 22, that I would prefer the penguins to pass on. Ilya Morozov and Jack Hextall.
Starting point is 00:25:12 I will say this about Jack Hextal. His two-way game is magnificent. It's really good. But other than that, I'm left wanting more when I watch his tape. I just don't see enough offense there. Again, the defensive capabilities are really good, but offensively, I'm just not seeing it when I put on the tape.
Starting point is 00:25:30 Ilya Morozov, it's kind of the same thing. I need more offense out of him. And just his overall game, it feels like it's just totally lacking to the point where there's just way better players that I think you're going to be available at 22 where you can take swings on and have higher upside than someone like Morozov and something like Jackack Stahl again. So if one of those two are the pick, I'd definitely be a bit disappointed. This will be one of the most generic responses that I'll ever have on this show.
Starting point is 00:26:02 but the way I approach this draft and the way I look at what the penguins are doing, assuming they stay at 22 and they don't move up, is we have to accept that whoever they get at 22, more than likely, even more so than what happened last year with getting Kindle at 11, they're going to get a project. They are going to get somebody who is going to take a little while, and there are going to be flaws in their game. There are going to be things that they don't do particularly well,
Starting point is 00:26:37 but you can see at some point they may be able to improve upon them. The goal for Kyle Dubis and Wes Clark and the Penguins is to pick a player where you're checking more boxes than you aren't to the point where, all right, we know this guy's two-way game may not be great, but the potential is there. He's got a great, he's got great offensive upside or he's got speed or he's got vision, but he's not great at XYZ. So I look at the two players you brought up, Hextal and Morozov,
Starting point is 00:27:13 there's too many things lacking in their game. They may end up becoming solid NHL players. They may end up developing into legitimate NHL contributors. But with where the penguins are picking, with what they are trying to do, you have got to take calculated risks and calculated bets on players who you go. There's some things lacking, but there are way more, there's way more upside to what they bring to the table than what we have to work on. It's going to be a project regardless, but you want to make it one to where in the next two to three years, they're in your system. And they're looking like they're building towards being a regular NHL player. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:28:00 And I just don't think that's really going to be in the cards for Solnike Morozov and Hextall. I could be dead wrong. I'm just not super high on them. And then finally, this might be a hot take to some people. And I'm totally prepared for some blowback. I am not the biggest fan of Alex command, though I do think he is probably going to go top 20. I will say this. His work in the face off dot, it's probably the best of any of the centers in this draft.
Starting point is 00:28:22 Like he is fantastic at winning draws. But when I really break down his game, there's not only much that really just jumps out at me. Like, sure, playmaking's fine. His release is fine. You know, his defensive work, I think, is totally fine as well. But none of the other qualities, especially those really jump out at me when I watch the tape. Yes, the face off specialist stuff, the way that he wins, draws, it's fantastic. And I do think there is going to be a role for him in the NHL.
Starting point is 00:28:51 I just don't see enough of the other qualities that makes me. really want to pick him at 22. But again, he's probably not going to be there. But if he is, I'd again rather go for some of those other higher upside players, like a Klepav, like a Hurlbert, like a Tommy Blyle. If Ryan Lynn starts dropping a bit more, I'd like to see the Penguins maybe put together a package to go up a few spots to try to take him because, you know, that would be an unbelievable pick if he were to go to the Penguins in the first round on Friday.
Starting point is 00:29:21 Just throwing some names out there. But again, I am not a big Alex command. truth or like some other people are. I will say I don't know if I would say I want the penguins to avoid him. Though I don't think I would be as upset if they got him at 22. There's a lot I think a lot to like about his game. And I think to me, command fits more in the mold of what I was just saying and where I see a lot of upside in his two way game. He has a really good work ethic. and it feels like the kind of player that while he might be a little bit more of a project, he feels like he understands more what it's like to be a professional.
Starting point is 00:30:05 And I would put it, and this isn't a one-to-one comparison, obviously, but I kind of put it in the same mold as the players the Penguins have already in Harrison Brunich and Rucker McGroity, where you tell them this is what you need to work on. This is how you need to change your game. And he would do it. So, and I don't think any of the other players we're talking about would give the proverbial middle finger to the penguins and say, screw you, I'm working on whatever I want to work on. But with command, it does feel a little bit like he would be a deeply professional player. And again, that's not enough to get you into the NHL. That's not enough for you to become a contributor just because you work hard and you have a good
Starting point is 00:30:50 attitude. I do think he can carve out an initial career, especially with the way that he plays in the dot, his defensive work. I just, again, I want to see more offense. It sounds weird to say, Pat, because he was over a point per game for his team this past season. But again, that part of this game just didn't jump out at me when I watch. I will say this about him. I do think that is probably kind of where he tops out as a two way honest, hardworking bottom six forward. But let's call it what it is right now. The Penguins organization is pretty well set and pretty flush on bottom six potential forwards. They do have to eventually, whether it's draft, whether it's trade, signing, whatever, they have got to start replenishing the top six because they are lacking
Starting point is 00:31:39 right now. Yes, I agree with you wholeheartedly on that, especially in terms of just getting those premier type top six prospects for your system. Like, yeah, you have, you've done a good job replenishing your system, though there's a lot of bottom six type players there, Pat. It's time to really get some of those top six players in your system. Now, those players where you can see them scoring, Pat, you know, 60 to 80 plus points a season, if not more. Now, long term, we're hoping that Ben Kindle can be that second line center that they've been
Starting point is 00:32:11 needing for a while, at least post-Krozy Malkin. he's the third line center right now, had a great rookie season, he's going to keep developing, and I'm excited to see how he does with that. But they still need more in that area is what we're trying to say. But I think that's going to do it for the Thursday edition of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. Thank you all so much taking the time to listen to slash watch this one. We'll be back on Friday for a full draft preview and any other news that comes out.
Starting point is 00:32:36 And then we'll recap the class on Monday and get everyone set for free agent frenzy and any other moves of the Penguins make. if they do make some moves this weekend trade-wise, Pat and I will be back here with a bonus episode reacting to it, probably 10 to 15 minutes somewhere along those lines. So look out for that as well. But again, now I'll do it for this one. Thank you all so much for tuning in. We'll be back on Friday.

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.