Proposal: Pittsburgh / Columbus

[Ogelthorpe]

Just a question, who does Nash play with in Pittsburgh? Not Sid, they tried that in the Olympics and there was zero chemistry. I don't think you break up Neal and Geno....Personally I just think he's a bad fit!

[bambamcam4ever]

Originally Posted by Viqsi

People who cheer for glass franchises shouldn't throw rocks.



Hell no. Again, I don't think Staal is a #1C, and Prospal's made a long-term commitment to the Jackets.

And why would this be an upgrade for Pittsburgh, again?

The Penguins had the highest local ratings for any American NHL or NBA team this past season. They are in a relatively small market and had one bad season in attendance because their players were practically being given away and thus the team was horrifically bad.

[Viqsi]

Originally Posted by bambamcam4ever

The Penguins had the highest local ratings for any American NHL or NBA team this past season. They are in a relatively small market and had one bad season in attendance because their players were practically being given away and thus the team was horrifically bad.

That's nice. I'd love to tell you how our fans react to success but I can't 'cause we've never had any.

After twelve straight years of "X player will be our savior" and getting burned by it - especially given how very badly the Jeff Carter trade turned out for us - people here are extremely cynical. Therefore, trying to justify trade value based on marketing appeal - as has been attempted here with Malkin, for the sole purpose of ameliorating the outrage of righteous Pens fans who find it aesthetically offensive that somehow a deal in which they're horribly ripped off can (G-d forbid!) somehow also turn out badly for the other team as well (perish the thought!) - simply Does Not Work. That's the only point being made.

[Double-Shift Lassé]

Originally Posted by IcedCapp

I kind of am. If you can take a struggling franchise, which has been one of the worst (from a performance standpoint) in the league for a long period of time (yes, I'm a Leafs fan, insert jokes here) and add one of, if not THE BEST player in the league to your team, I don't see the downside.

Columbus has drafted in the top-10 every year but one since 2005. I don't really buy into "gutting" a team which has finished at the bottom of the league. It's like Toronto, we stink, if you can acquire a legitimate top-tier player, a star, etc... you do it.

Malkin isn't a top-tier player, a star. He's a franchise center, a superstar+. He'll make the team better. He'll excite fans.

Oh, wait, is the bigger picture that he's Russian? Not joking, this just popped into my head. If that's the case, I still think it shouldn't matter, because I believe Malkin's actions and words have proved that he is never going to ... fall into that stereotype?

No. It's not the Russian thing. I personally don't care where a player is from, not, I think, do most teams.

The big picture is that none of those proposals, despite the fact that Pens fans hate them, make the CBJ any better. nash, JJ, and the 2nd overall are arguably 3 of the top 4-5 assets from a player-personnel standpoint in the CBJ organization. A deal that send all three away for only one significant piece doesn't help, regardless of how good the remaining pieces are.

And in the meantime, Pens fans see Malkin's name in there and have a conniption. We've got the equivalent of 3.5 pages in here of one-liners "horrible for Pens." And half again as many that choose to take some sort fo short at the CBJ - mostly out of ignorance.

So, my reply was to your point that Michalek and Despres aren't merely "pieces." Sure enough, I get that. I grew up in Pittsburgh and am still a Pens fan - I saw those guys in person and on TV a bunch this year, and I follow the organ-eye-zation.

But the "big picture" is that none of these deals work for either team, and yet folks are still trying to "fix" the OP or take a dump on the Blue Jackets. The whole thread stinks.