And just like that, the Penguins can’t lose. What a weird team.
This mailbag touches on many topics, including how the Penguins should handle Tristan Jarry moving forward. Before then, we’ll start with some nostalgia.
Thank you, as always, for the great questions. Away we go.
Who do you think will get jersey retirements and statues and who do you think won’t? — @nathan_lewy
This question is made for mailbags. I answer it once a year because things tend to change over time.
- Current statues: Mario Lemieux
- Current numbers retired: Lemieux (66), Michel Brière (21), Jaromir Jagr (68)
Let’s fast-forward 10 years from now. What will it look like at that point?
- Statues: Lemieux, Sidney Crosby, Mike Lange (this should have happened while he was living)
- Numbers retired: Lemieux (66), Brière (21), Jagr (68), Crosby (87), Evgeni Malkin (71), Marc-Andre Fleury (29), Kris Letang (58)
Some of these are obvious. I imagine there will be some debate with Fleury, because he played so much of his career elsewhere, and Letang, who never won a Norris Trophy. If you helped the Penguins win at least one championship and you’re in the Hall of Fame, you should have your number retired. Letang will probably get in. The others are locks. So I think it will shape up this way.
Josh, If Jarry stays hot, isn’t it time to bench him? Not that they want to lose, but losing is a better long-range plan for this team and organization. It’s not like they even have youth in Pittsburgh who need to learn to win. — @BenderHeel
It’s a touchy subject, but I don’t think the Penguins have much choice but to play him. He’s obviously been very good lately, which goes against the grain when considering the Penguins would love to land a top-five pick. Still, the organization must act with dignity here.
Also, ask yourself this: Is it worth it to slide from No. 5 to No. 9 in the draft if, perhaps, a Jarry hot streak results in a team taking a shot at him in a trade this summer? It may seem unlikely, but it takes just one desperate general manager.
Were the Penguins ever close to trading Rickard Rakell? — @Forever_500
To the best of my knowledge, no, they were not. Kyle Dubas was asking for a massive return and, while he received some offers, nothing materialized that compelled Dubas to consider budging from his stance that Rakell would be traded only for a king’s ransom.
Feel free to disagree with his way of thinking, but the truth is, we don’t know what specific deals Dubas was offered. I don’t believe anything came close to worth considering.
The Penguins are getting badly outshot like 2, 3 or 4 to 1, but are winning. Can you explain to a confused fan? — @MSPgal58
Jarry has been fantastic, Jill. That’s where I would begin. He’s allowed only six goals in his last three games since being recalled. The Penguins have also been opportunistic and, to their credit, are playing really hard.
I wouldn’t expect this hot streak to continue. Even bad teams win a few games from time to time.
The Sid records are amazing but where do think he would be on the all-time point list if that David Steckel hit never happened? The NHL was deprived of one of his finest years. — @skiab94
Well, he missed about 100 games in his prime over two seasons because of that hit. He was playing at an extraordinary level, producing 32 goals in 41 games before exiting for the rest of the 2010-11 season.
Given the pace, he probably would have produced around 65 goals and 85 assists in those games, good for 150 points. So, if he never got hurt, he’d now be sitting at 680 career goals (10 behind Mario Lemieux) and 1,818 points, fifth behind only Wayne Gretzky, Jagr, Mark Messier and Gordie Howe. At that rate, he would have easily surpassed Howe and Messier this season and Jagr in the 2026-27 season.
Interestingly enough, he’s 253 points away from passing Jagr. He’d have to sign another contract to catch him, but it’s in play. If he’s willing to play four more seasons after this one, hitting 2,000 points is also in play.
Percent chances Erik Karlsson? Letang? Ryan Graves? Jarry? are on the Penguins a year from now…please and thanks. — @waywaylarge
This will be ever-changing, but you asked, so I’ll answer to the best of my ability.
• Karlsson: 40 percent (He may still be here next season, but my hunch is that Dubas will attempt to trade him this summer.)
• Letang: 80 percent (He’s still pretty effective, all things considered. He does have a house in Los Angeles. Will he decide to move west in his final years? It’s possible but unlikely for now.)
• Graves: 70 percent (I just don’t see how they get rid of him, and buying him out keeps him on the books in some capacity for eight more seasons. Yikes. He’s playing better. Maybe just make him your No.6 defenseman next season and then re-assess.)
• Jarry: 30 percent (Possible, sure. But I just don’t see him coming back next season. Trade? Buyout? Both are possible.)
Do you have a favorite player who’s not on the Pens? Or another favorite team that causes inner turmoil when they play Pittsburgh? — @stefdin
Does Fleury count? He’s the best. But I suspect you’re looking for players who have never played here, so that disqualifies personal favorites such as Ian Cole and Olli Maatta.
My favorite player to watch is Nathan MacKinnon. Just a magnificent blend of speed and horsepower.
My favorite person who has never played for the Penguins is Vince Trocheck. I’ve known him since he was a kid in Pittsburgh, I know his family, and I can tell you that they’re the best of the best. I love Brandon Saad and his family, too.
Why do you think there is not more national conversation about Nathan MacKinnon being traded to Pittsburgh to play with Sidney Crosby? — @YaBoyPD
I’m not sure if you’re being serious or not, but I love the question. I suppose the national media has long ago discarded of the now-rebuilding Penguins and continues to fantasize about Sid playing in Colorado with the high-flying Avs. Would seeing Sid play on that kind of a team be fun? Sure, I guess.
Personally, I think seeing him battle every night on a struggling team, with the hope of someday again leading that team to glory before he hangs up the skates, is more compelling and more interesting.
There doesn’t seem to be as much noise about bad ice in recent years compared to the opening of Consol Energy Center/PPG Paints Arena. Is/was there a feeling out process, better technology? — @patdoc38
The ice in Pittsburgh is better than it was, from what I hear. I still don’t think it’s fantastic by any stretch, but I never hear players complain about it anymore. Often I ask Sid about his favorite ice surfaces, as he’s more picky than most. He loves the ice in Montreal, Buffalo and Detroit.
Drew O’Connor once joked with me: “I must be an idiot because the ice feels the same in every arena to me. I don’t notice the difference. But Sid always notices. He feels everything.”
What are your thoughts on the Mikko Rantanen situation in Carolina? Is he a diva, is Tulsky irresponsible for the trade in the first place, or a little of both? — @franty_N
I think there’s plenty of blame to go around on this one. I don’t know Rantanen other than having interviewed him a couple of times over the years. Seemed like a nice guy. His teammates generally like him, as best I can tell. Did he get greedy? I suppose that depends on your philosophy. Most people these days side with players at all costs. It’s always the owner’s fault. Or the general manager’s fault. Or the NHL’s fault. Or the media’s fault. For whatever reason, we never blame the player for anything. Do I think Rantenen got a little greedy? Yeah, I do, and I think he should have stayed in Colorado where he seemed happy and was part of a special Avalanche team. By all accounts, he’d have received a similar or maybe even a better contract there. But it’s his choice and you have to respect that on some level.
Tulsky is a very bright guy, and I think he’s done a lot of good things in Raleigh. He’s also one of the NHL’s friendliest and most genuine people. So, I hate criticizing him. But he acquired Jake Guentzel when Jake was never going to stay there, and he did the same with Rantanen less than a year later. Sorry, but that’s not good managing, and I’d say he needs to be held accountable for that.
Thanks for reading, everyone. I’ll provide coverage of Saturday’s game against the Devils. See you then.
(Photo of Marc-Andre Fleury and Kris Letang: Jim McIsaac / Getty Images)
