A.B.C. Thursdays. Welcome back. Grey's Anatomy is all new. Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant? The drama going down. Bunchy jumper from the bridge. Your cords snapped. You need all hands on deck. Is unbelievable. You think of God's gift to this hospital? You're just another doctor. My relationship with Catherine is complicated. I'm gonna sue you. Your lawyers know where to find me. You're unbelievable. Grey's Anatomy. Only Thursdays, 10/9c on ABC. And stream on Hulu. Ryan Reynolds here for, I guess, my 100th mint commercial. 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You can find us on YouTube at tip of the iceberg. Make sure you like, share and subscribe, all the fun stuff, or you can find us anywhere. You get your podcast from, we got a great show today as we continue to preview the 2024-25 season with one of my favorite episodes every single year. This is year six of the tip of the iceberg. This is year six of bold predictions. We're gonna close out the show with Horwatt and I giving you our three boldest predictions for the 2024-25 Pittsburgh Penguins. But before we get into all that, a little bit of news and notes, the Penguins continued to reduce their training camp roster. We'll talk about who got sent back to juniors and also some line shifting happening at training camp. We'll talk about where the lines stand as of right now before they change because we all know Mike Sullivan likes to change him fast and furious as training camp continues to progress. But we'll talk about all that and more. Let's get started. And let's start things off with the news and notes section here before we get to the meat of the episode, which is bold predictions, obviously. But the Pittsburgh Penguins over the weekend sent back a handful of players to their junior teams, including Justin Clutier, Cooper Foster, Cading Carlisle, Donovan McCoy, Emil Pien and Yemi, and Charlie Shankle, they also added Tanner Howe and Finn Harding to that list yesterday evening as they got sent back to juniors as well. Both of those players picked up in this year's draft. Horwatt, what did you think about? I mean, any thoughts about any of these players as they head back, a lot of them were, I wouldn't say long shots because I think they're even more than long shots to make the roster. But a lot of these guys going back to their junior teams as expected. - Yeah, it was the expected first round of cuts just guys going back to juniors to get their work in with their junior teams before that season picks up and starts off. And it's mostly really a bunch of names that are honestly just kind of names for the Penguins organization. There are a couple to keep an eye on down the line, you know? Emil Pien and Yemi probably leads that list. Tanner Howe has passed from this past draft as another one. And Cooper Foster an underrated prospect to keep an eye on. I would say those three are the main three of these recent cuts to, if you wanted to pen them in as long shots next year, perhaps see how they perform during their seasons. This year with their junior teams, I mean, if I want to remember, I think, I don't remember Pien and Yemi's exact date, but this will be like his first full season on North American ice, I think. So he still has some growing to do. He's still some learning to do. And, you know, again, long shot, but highly touted prospect, at least in my eyes for this team in the future. Cooper Foster's an interesting name to keep an eye on. And then Tanner Howe also came and injured anyway. So yeah, came in with a facial injury that cost him the prospects challenge, which was unfortunate because I think a lot of people were very excited to see Tanner Howe during this year's prospects challenge. He did get in for a preseason game on Tuesday. He did, you know, play in some of those inner squad scrimmages in the last weekend. Everybody got excited about him and rightfully so. I think he's a very good young player and he certainly highlights this list. I think I have him at number 10 on the Penguins top 10 prospects as of right now, but next year is going to be, yeah, I do have Tanner Howe at number 10 on the Penguins top 10 prospects, but next year is going to be the year that you really keep an eye on him to see. Obviously he signed his three year ELC. He's going to play this season with the Regina Pats of the WHL. Next year's the year that you're really looking to see, all right, does he turn pro or does he go back for another season? I forget his age. So he might have one year left of eligibility, but as of this year, he's going back to the Regina Pats. So you're not going to see a whole lot of him until the end of the WHL season when he may come up and play a handful of games with the Wilkes-Bersch grant in Penguins. Yeah, that'll just all depend. But yeah, those are just three names to keep an eye on again. Expected moves, expected roster cuts and a lot of growth to and a lot of development to take place this year. Again, next camp, keep an eye on those three names, at least it's maybe that's whenever their real growth starts to show, their real progression starts to show and we'll see what the team looks like by then, but maybe they find a way to filter in and out of bigger conversations, at least in the next training camp. Yeah, Tanner Howe is only 18 years old. So age wise, it's not an issue, but if they do want to move him up to the AHL, this will be his fourth season. Technically fifth, he played a couple of games in that first year, but he's played 60 plus games in the last three seasons for the Regina Pats. If he gets over, I believe 25, he'll then be eligible to play in the AHL next year, not that they need him to, but that could be an idea and a path for Tanner Howe next year. So we'll check back in on him sporadically throughout the year. We'll check back in on a lot of these guys throughout the year as most of them are in the CHL up in Canada. So keep an eye out for a lot of these names as they go back to their junior teams and try to capture a Memorial Cup. I mean, Braden Yeager was, we was close last year and that was the closest to Penguin has gotten in a long time. So we'll keep an eye on all of these guys down there in juniors. Let's move over and talk about who remains in the city of Pittsburgh and who remains at Penguin's training camp. We had a very interesting shift yesterday at Horwad as going out for the second practice, the Penguins split into two groups and it was a according to Matt Vencele, he called it this an NHL-centric group on one sheet of ice and then prospects and AHLers on the other sheet of ice. So we want to focus in on obviously who was in the NHL-centric group. And here are the lines from yesterday's practice. And again, as Mike Sullivan echoed after practice, these things could change, but we found it very interesting that these were the lines that they went with for the first time going into an NHL-centric group setting. First line was Drew Connor, Sydney Crosby and Brian Rust, exactly what it was at the end of last season. Second line, Michael Bunting of Genny Malkin, Ricard Rickell, once again, exactly as it was last season. Then there's the bottom six, which Matt Vencele did say they all rotated, so don't take too much stock into what the lines he printed out on Twitter were. But I want to talk about these lines in particular. Third line, Anthony Beauvillais, Lars Ehler, and Yesa Poliarvi, fourth line of Kevin Hayes, Blake Lozat and Noel Achari, Cody Glass and Visily Pahnomarev, were also with the NHL group rotating in. What do you think about that bottom six of Beauvillais Ehler, Poliarvi, and then Hayes Lozat Achari? - Feels like there could be a lot of movement just within that six. - Yeah, I mean, we started these conversations off over the off season with maybe Kevin Hayes as the third line center guy, Lars Ehler bumps to the fourth, and maybe Blake Lozat plays a wing. Now he can play center. Noel Achari, we know, can still play center if need be. Jesse Poliarvi is obviously, we discussed it last up, so earning his way into these conversations. And Anthony Beauvillais can fly anywhere in the lineup, it seems. All six of these names can find a way in, find a way out of these spots and in these positions. This is a, I mean, I would assume that this was rotating because everyone can essentially play anywhere in this bottom six of these six names, not to mention Cody Glass and Visily Pahnomarev also being in and around that conversation. - The one thing that I think is also very interesting about this lineup is who is not on this sheet of ice, right? Who was on that second sheet of ice? Who was with that second group? And there's four names that stand out. Sam Poulan, Valteri Pustinan, Rucker McGruderty, and Villy Coivinan. Now Coivinan may be less surprising than the others, but Poulan Pustinan and McGruderty all in the second sheet, it doesn't mean that they're not gonna make the NHL roster. It just means that when they want that first look at an NHL-centric group, maybe this is where they stand as of this moment. - It could be it. It could be it, it's a tough spot for Pustinan to be in because I think a lot of us expected him to sort of how it must be locked into this NHL lineup. And then Kyle Dubas went on and made some really, I don't wanna say good because I don't wanna have that sort of opinion, but made some NHL editions, if that makes sense. He went in and added more depth to the roster and added more faces ahead of Pustinan, essentially on the death chart. Sam goes for Poulan and McGruderty, I know as a late entry and maybe just by circumstance of the waiver-wire situation, maybe this is just where he's gonna end up. But again, so much can change in just a couple of days, couple of weeks still out before regular season starts a lot of time for those four names to earn proper roles, earn their spots. And I mean, yeah, you don't expect Koi Voon into specifically make the NHL roster, but again, put his name in a good light and maybe McGruderty kind of has no choice, but to start in the NHL, leaving Pustinan and Poulan to fight out for their spots, essentially. And that's kind of where I would put a lot of the focus on of those four names not listed there. And of the other two, by the way, Mac Hollowell, no one pickering. Again, I don't think we expected pickering to make it. People seem to like Mac Hollowell so far. So see where it goes. It's just a fascinating preseason for the Penguins, fascinating time, especially if now that we're getting what looks like the NHL lineup. And for what it's worth, I like what it is. I like where it's going. And I like that of those six that we discussed can be filtered in and out pretty much anywhere. - Yeah. And like you said, there is plenty of time for this to change. And I think one of the biggest reasons that you see a guy like Jessa Pooley Arvey up there is while he scored a hat trick in his only preseason appearance. There's five games remaining in this NHL preseason for the Pittsburgh Penguins, including a back-to-back this weekend. And so when we talk about camp cuts, I wouldn't expect very many until after this weekend 'cause I'm sure they don't want to make a lot of players have to play that Saturday, Sunday stretch this weekend when people are still trying to ramp up and get into game shape. So I would assume that after that, you start to see a couple more cuts and then you start to see a couple more of the NHL regulars playing in these preseason games after this weekend. But you know, a guy like Pooley Arvey, he got out in front of the pack with that hat trick, Pustinen, the last couple of preseason's has historically made his name and done the best against the Detroit Red Wings. Two of the next three preseason games are against the Detroit Red Wings. So Pustin can start filling the back of the net. He could very quickly supplant a Yesa Pooley Arvey, supplant of Vasily Potomara. I don't think he can supplant a Cody Glass 'cause that's a two plus million dollar contract. I think he is pretty safe in where he is, not to mention. I thought he played pretty well on Tuesday as well. He was noticeable, he created chances, he picked up the primary cyst on that Kevin Hayes goal because, well, he got the puck on net and Hayes picked up the rebound. That's something that, you know, the bottom six did not do enough of is just get the puck on net and create rebound opportunities. So, you know, I liked what I saw from Glass, but I do think there is a lot of opportunity for movement, both among the players that are in this bottom six of the NHL-centric group, as well as those three or four that are on that second sheet of ice to still be able to earn their way onto that first sheet and into that NHL-centric group and potentially into what is a still very wide open bottom six. Oh, yeah, oh, yeah, that's wide open. I mean, like I said, Glass and Potomara being the, if this is the way the lines trot out on opening night, Glass and Potomara look like healthy scratches, what it's worth, at least in Cody Glass's case, not a terrible place for him to be. Maybe you want Potomara to be scanning a little more 'cause he's still going and developing a bit. Maybe that's slot that. Pull your RV filters in and then maybe someone from that other rink finds his way up, like Valteri Pustinan. Plenty of room to move and shake. Eric Carlson throwing a wrench into the defensive lines a bit, so we can't talk about that too much. - I mean, let's jump into and see what it looks like for those that aren't aware of what the defensive pairings have looked like 'cause these are essentially what we've seen throughout all of training camp, especially, like you mentioned, with Eric Carlson still day to day with an upper body injury has yet to join the main group. Matt Grizzlick, Chris Latang, have been paired together this entire pre-season. They've been looked at as the first pairing, but I think we all know that is gonna be the penguin's second pairing if it lasts until October 9th. At least I'm expecting it to last until October 9th. We have Marcus Patterson playing with Sebastian Ajo, again, who feels like potentially a placeholder who's gonna bounce down to that seventh defenseman role. If you had to ask me, that's where I would peg him to start the season. And then you have Ryan Graves and Jack St. Ivany. They played as a pairing on Tuesday night. Ryan Graves has played in both pre-season games. I think he might be, I'd have to go back and double check, but he might be one of the only players to have played in both pre-season games, except for maybe Joel Blungfist. But him and St. Ivany have been paired together this entire pre-season and then you have Ryan Shea and John Ludwig is that last pairing with the NHL group. Again, no surprises here. I would imagine that Shea and Ludwig end up being the two guys that potentially get put on waivers. I would imagine it's the top six with Ajo being replaced by Carlson and then Ajo becoming that seventh defenseman healthy scratch. - I like that idea, I like that option. If St. Ivany, I know you're gonna keep banging that drum for St. Ivany to make the roster. If he doesn't and just so happens to be the player that gets sent to the AHL because of that waiver exemption, that just might be the business of the game. It's then Ajo will allow it to sue makes the lineup and of Shea and Ludwig, I would assume one of them becomes seven. Based on, we know Ludwig can play both sides and the way I drew up in my head at least, that forward group carrying two healthy scratches and then one defenseman. Again, that's not an ideal situation, but kind of in my head how it might have to work out. And if you're only carrying one defenseman, you're gonna want the one of the guys that can play both sides of the rink for injury reasons. So that's just the way I drew it up in my head and I would probably slot that into John Ludwig. And most of us I just like what he can bring in terms of physicality and someone who is willing to do that and on this penguins roster. So that's the way at least I see it in my head against. So a lot of time for people to impress and to disappoint and going from there. - Yeah, you like the John Ludwig punches people in the face. I don't blame you. I don't blame you. I like that aspect of his game as well. So we'll have to wait and see how things pan out, but the defense has been pretty cut and dry through the first week of training camp. We'll see how it changes. Like I mentioned with the two preseason games this weekend, Saturday and Sunday and Sunday being craft hockey bill against the Ottawa senators. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) - This episode is brought to you by Honda. When you test drive the all new prologue EV, there's a lot that can impress you about it. There's the class leading passenger space, the clean, thoughtful design and the intuitive technology. But out of everything, what you'll really love most is that it's a Honda. Visit Honda.com/ev to see offers. - My dad works in B2B marketing. He came by my school for career day and said he was a big row as man. Then he told everyone how much he loved calculating his return on ad spend. My friends still laughing me to this day. - Not everyone gets B2B, but with LinkedIn, you'll be able to reach people who do. Get $100 credit on your next ad campaign. Go to linkedin.com/results to claim your credit. That's linkedin.com/results. Terms and conditions apply. LinkedIn, the place to be, to be. (upbeat music) - Let's finish off this episode with our bold predictions for what I always say. This is one of my favorite episodes of the year. This and then just our regular predictions episode where we go over, under, Crosby points, how many wins, all that stuff. That is still to come. Today though, bold predictions. Let's see how bold we can get. We each have three. I have a fourth one that I've said the last couple of years. I didn't want to include it in the main one, so I'll throw that as a bonus one at the end. But, Horua, I'll let you take the honors. What is your first bold prediction for the 2024, 25 Pittsburgh Penguins? - I don't know how overly bold it is 'cause he's not too far removed from one, but I'm going to throw out there if Genny Malcolm can get back to a point-per-game pace. I get he's older and slowing, but he had a couple of healthy seasons in a row. We're looking forward to, hopefully, what is a third completely healthy season, and the way this team is just structured to be hungier than ever. We assumed they were last year, and moving into this season, it should be a lot of the same hunger, but with an added element of this. God, this might be it. We're down to the final two years of Genny Malcolm's contract. Maybe the last two years of Crystal Tang in town. We know how have Crosby around, but that's, again, I think that was never in question. Side eyes, that being said, I think if Genny Malcolm can get back to that pace, let's say the power play picks up a little more. He needs to, he would be a big part of that. I think much in the way that Crosby can easily get back to 100 points if certain things go the right way. If Genny Malcolm can easily get back to a point-per-game, not far over, but I'd say, if he can hit that 82-point mark even exactly, that'd be a great season from a 38-year-old of Genny Malcolm. - Yeah, you couldn't ask for much more than 82-plus points from Genny Malcolm at this stage of his career. The one thing I will look at is when you consider what F. Genny Malcolm was able to do late last season, in the last 13 games, when the Penguins were 8-1 and 3, that stretch that they had, if Genny Malcolm had 14 points, eight of them were goals. So he has shown that over small stretches, he can play it over a point-per-game. The one thing I think the Penguins are looking for this year is a little bit more consistency because he did have some dips in his performance last year. He did have a couple of weeks at a time in stretches where you could tell the legs weren't there and when the legs weren't there, it seemed like he wasn't there. He wasn't really dangerous at certain points last year, especially on the power play. So you're hoping that what you saw at the end of the year, and again, we've put it on Michael Bunting as one of the main catalysts of F. Genny Malcolm last year. We saw Michael Bunting reunited with F. Genny Mulking yesterday in those lines for the first time this training camp. If that takes shape and takes hold again, 100%, I could see that as a possibility. Now, 82 points, there's a reason we call them bold predictions. These are not, you know, measured takes by any means. So we're not saying this will happen. We're just saying this is something that we could see happening, even though it's a little bit further than, you know, being realistic, but 82 points. When is the last time F. Genny Mulking had over 82 points in a season? Do you know off the top of your head? - Well, yeah, he had 83 and 22, 23. That's kind of why he said he isn't far moved from a point-per-game season. The season before he had 42 points in 41 games played. So that's again, point-per-game pace, but injury, then 28 and 33, 74 and 55, 72 and 68, that 98 and 78 and 17, 18. So it's been about that long since, I mean, aside from 22, 23, it's been about that long since it's been a really, really a dominating season from M. Genny Mulking. - Yeah, so he hasn't, he didn't do it last year, which is why I think a lot of people are thinking that he's gonna continue to go in that direction, but three of the last five seasons, he's had a point-per-game. So, that is certainly within the realm of possibility for M. Genny Mulking, and I wanna see it. So I like it, I like it. That is your first bold prediction. My first bold prediction, I'm gonna go with Rutger McGrordy. Now, this is a multifaceted bold prediction because obviously everybody's eyes are on, will McGrordy start in the NHL? Will he start in the AHL? And that plays into my prediction here. Here's my thought process on how this year is gonna go for the 20-year-old forward out of Michigan. He will begin the season in the AHL because he's waivers exempt. He will be called up by November 1st, which I know a lot of people are saying, "Oh, that's only half a month." That is 12 games into the season. That is not a small amount of games into the season. The Penguins are gonna be very busy in October, which is gonna give them the opportunity to see what they have in some of these players. What do they think about pool-yarvey at the start of the season? What do they think about posting in at the start of the season? Do they decide to eventually move on from one of their 85,000 centers to create some roster spaces at the NHL level? But by November 1st, I think Rucker Maguerti gets the call and I don't think he looks back. And I think he still ends up scoring 20-plus goals this season despite missing the first dozen games of the year and playing at the AHL level. So to wrap it all into a nice neat bow, Rucker Maguerti will score 20 goals despite beginning the year in the American Hockey League. - So I also had a Rucker Maguerti full prediction. I'll add to it because I like where you're going with it. What I had was essentially he would start in the AHL as well, but then still, and this is the exact line I wrote down, play most of the season with Sidney Crosby. - With Sidney Crosby. - Now, with Sidney Crosby. That's kinda where I took my bold prediction. That's tough to sort of analyze what most of the season is, you know, and that sort of situation. But whenever you start talking about his stats, I wanna throw in something even more bold because it's gonna be a heck of a year for rookies in the NHL, could Rucker Maguerti become a finalist for the Calder? There he said it. - Yes. - He absolutely could. If he plays most of the season with Sidney Crosby, and even if he misses some of that time to start, there's absolutely a chance that Sid helps a lot in terms of getting to 20-plus goals, getting to 20-plus assists, maybe 30-plus assists. We'll see what the numbers look like down the line. It's gonna be a tough year for rookies, for sure. I mean, looking at Monte Mechkov already leading the betting odds, I think, out of Philly. Lane Hudson and Montreal's got a big push from his teammates. Macklin-Salabrini, obviously, and Will Smith both in San Jose. Rucker Maguerti can stand out and be a part of the reason why the Penguins find a way back into the playoffs. Also, in terms of Sidney Crosby pushing for an MVP, if he can help push them into the playoffs. Rucker Maguerti doing the same could be a good reason to get him in that conversation as well. So, well, we just put a lot of weight on Maguerti's shoulders, but-- - I think it was already there. - Yeah, there's a belief that it can happen. It's, depending on where you look, he already has betting odds for being in the call to race anyway. So it's not like it's all that out of the question, but it's something to watch, for sure. - Yeah, I think two of the three finalists sponsor essentially already solidified, and that's Montevei, Michkov, and Macklin-Salabrini, and that third one is gonna be a dog bite. You mentioned Will Smith, you mentioned Lane Hudson. There's also always other names that jumped up last year. It was Brock Faber out of Minnesota that came on and lit the world on fire and became a finalist for the call to reward. So, I'm not putting it out of the question. I'm not putting it out of the question. I like what I've seen from Rucker Maguerti. Again, I think he starts in the AHL because I think that's where they want him to start. I don't think that he's struggling or anything like that. There have been people that have been talking about, "Oh, he just hasn't come as expected." I think he has done everything that you've expected a 20-year-old to do in his first real opportunity to make an NHL roster because he didn't have that last year. I think everybody knew that he was going back to Michigan last year, so this is his first chance to try to crack a roster. I think he's doing a good job. I just think the situation around it is the Penguins wanna see what they have in some of these players and potentially wanna see what he can do and build him up from professional hockey at the AHL level before they put him into professional hockey at the NHL level. So, we're both looking at Rucker Maguerti for our bold predictions. Mine is 20-plus goals despite starting the first dozen games in the NHL, at least the first dozen at the NHL level. He will start in the American Hockey League. You have him up in the call to race and starting or playing the majority of the season with Sidney Crosby. So high expectations for the 20-year-old. And again, they're justified. This guy is a top 30 prospect in the National Hockey League. He's ready to go. He has the body to withstand the NHL game now, whether or not he can withstand the length of an NHL season. That remains to be seen, but if there ever was a season to jump into the NHL, this is it 'cause you have both the All-Star break and the Four Nations face-off this year. So you have plenty of time or no. Did they cancel the all, I always forget. - Yeah, it's just Four Nations this year and then it's Olympics and All-Star game next year. - Horrible decision-making by the NHL in their part on that one. But this year, Four Nations face-off, let's just say, even though Mike Sullivan's a head coach, Rector McGordy's not making Team USA this season. So he'll have that time off. - Yeah, for sure. - Let me give you, since that was your second bold prediction, I'll give you my second bold prediction. I'm going with a guy that wasn't on the ice and hasn't been on the ice with the group over the past week, and that's Eric Carlson. There's been a lot of discussion about, what is he gonna look like? He needs to be better. He needs to produce more. I think he does just that in year two with the Pittsburgh Penguins. My bold prediction, Eric Carlson will score over 70 points in the 2024-25 season. Last year, he finished the season with 56 points, so it's a 14-point bump in 82 games. So again, you're not getting any wiggle room there, but he did have his lowest goals per game since the 2019-20 season. I think that rebounds, and that's a big part as to why he gets going. I think he's gonna be more comfortable. I think he's gonna be a little bit more selfish, which is what we're asking from him. We want him to take charge. We want him to take command of the offense, especially on the power play a little bit more, and I think it's gonna elevate his counting stats. So year two in Pittsburgh, year two with Marcus Pedersen. Year, I think it would be five with David Quinn as he comes over from the San Jose Sharks. I believe he played four years in San Jose if I'm not mistaken. I think all of that combines for a great year, offensively for Eric Carlson. Defensively, listen, we know the story. If you don't know the story by now, go back and listen to old episodes at the tip of the iceberg. It is a wild ride, sometimes better than expected, although that expectation is low, sometimes exactly as expected. Hence, the Detroit Red Wings game late last season where he is the reason for two goals that tied it, and then he went out and won it an overtime. That is the rollercoaster you ride with a three-time Noris trophy winner, but I see him scoring 70-plus this year. - I can see that effort to help you out with the David Quinn thing. David Quinn only coached in San Jose for two seasons, and one of them Carlson wasn't there. So this will be year two also with David Quinn. - Yeah. - Hilariously. That being said, I still do like what you're going with, because that one season with David Quinn was a 100-point season. So, it's something to be said there, something to be noted, something to be kept an eye on. It's part of the discussions that was, it's part of the many discussions that were had whenever the payments hired David Quinn. It was, yeah, he's Mike Sullivan's buddy, but also, let's not ignore what he did with Eric Carlson and then their one year together on a very bad team, but someone had to score the points, someone had to lead that team behind the bench, and it was those two. So, I like where you're going with it, especially because Eric Carlson needs that bounce back season, needs to sort of find the right footing, that made him worth everything the payments gave up. Now, everything the payments gave up was really good for them, but-- - The most part, yeah. - But, it's a high price tag that they're still paying and they need to see it work out, and not that it didn't last year, it just needs to be at a different level. - Yeah, whenever you're the only player on the payments that makes more money than Sidney Crosby, you need to show that you're worth it. I've kenny maulkin did it for a lot of years when he was making 9.5. Eric Carlson, I mean, right or wrong, that's what lays on his shoulders. I know he didn't sign the contract when he was a member of the Penguins, but you're making $10 million against the salary cap, Sid's making 8.7, you're never gonna mean as much or be able to provide as much as Sid, we understand that, but they need him to provide everything that there's expectations for Eric Carlson to provide, and I think that's a 70-point season. - I like that, I do like that. It's not too much more than what he had last year, but it is definitely an increase in a well, and a well much needed improvement from last year. (upbeat music) ( - Hey, it's Kaylee Cuoco for Priceline, ready to go to your happy place for a happy price? Well, why didn't you say so? Just download the Priceline app right now and save up to 60% on hotels. So whether it's Cousin Kevin's Kazoo concert in Kansas City, go Kevin or Becky's Bachelorette, Bash and Bermuda, you never have to miss a trip ever again. Happy price, go to your happy price, Priceline. - This episode is brought to you by Microsoft Azure. Turn your ideas into reality with an Azure-free account. Get everything you need to develop apps across cloud and hybrid environments, scale workloads, create cloud-connected mobile experiences, and so much more. Discover what you can create with popular services free for 12 months. Learn more at azure.com. That's azure.com. And sign up for a free account to start building in the cloud today. (upbeat music) - All right, Horawat, let's round this out with our third bold predictions. I'll let you go first on this one, then I'll give you my third and the bonus one as well, of course. - I hope your bonus one isn't what I'm about to say because what did we all just, what did we just discuss here? We said the idea of Crosby getting 100 points. Rector McGordy battling for the Calder Show if you have Genny Malka being a point per game and Eric Carlson putting up 70 points. - It's a lot of points. - You can't have those four things happen and the payments not be a playoff team. - Fair. - So the bold prediction here is assuming all goes well, gotta worry about goal tending a bit, but assuming all goes well, and this team already looks like a much, I don't want to say much, it's like a improved team, a step, taking steps in the right direction. They didn't miss the playoffs by too much in the last two years. Well, prediction is that this team can make their way back in. Again, it's the Penguins, that's not overly bold, they should be a playoff team, but if you consider the fact they missed the last two years, suddenly just saying the Penguins are a playoff team can become a pretty bold prediction, especially with how good the Atlantic is looking, not so much the Metro, but how good the Atlantic is looking. The Penguins might need to be a top three team to make the playoffs this year. - Yeah, and that's a tough field of climb, 'cause I mean, you look at the top three in the Metropolitan Division, New York, New Jersey, and Carolina. Those teams-- - People aren't on Carolina right now. - They aren't, but they're higher on Carolina than they are on Pittsburgh. - Oh yeah. - I mean, and I think that's where, I can say it gets a little bold because when you look around the league, not many people are penciling in the Penguins as a playoff team. A lot of people, myself included, say yeah, they're about a bubble playoff team, but if you believe in them to make the playoffs, one of the predictions that I kind of tossed around was the Penguins might make the playoffs as a wildcard team and then take down one of the division winners in the first round. - There you go. - That's, I mean, I'm not, I didn't go with it 'cause again, I continue to say every single year, and I've said it every single year of the podcast, I will believe it when I see it, and that's them winning another playoff series because they haven't done it in so long. I'm not gonna predict them to win a playoff series until I can see them get over the hump because it's for one reason or another, they've outplayed teams, they outplayed the Islanders the second time they played them, it was just Tristan Jari was awful. They outplayed the Rangers in 2022, it's just at, you know, Louis Domingue and no Sidney Crosby. So there's always been reasons. So until I see it, until I see them get back over that hump, I don't need them to win a Stanley Cup to pick 'em. If they win one series, I will feel much more comfortable looking at them and saying at the very least, I know they have it in 'em to get to hockey handshakes on the right side of things 'cause they had a three-one series lead in 2022. No matter who was in net, a three-one series lead, blowing that, it creates a lot of doubt, especially when you add that on to the fact that they haven't won a playoff series since 2018 against the Philadelphia Flyers. So again, that's not my bold prediction. It's something I thought about, but I will continue to do the same thing I've done for the last couple of seasons and say I'm not gonna predict them to win a playoff series until I see them actually do it with my eyes again. So they had a three-one series lead over the goalie who's about to become the highest-paid goalie in NHL history. Yeah, they were embarrassing, Shostarken in that series. The Penguins won that series? Who knows what happened? I mean, it's a long ripple effect. He might not be making that kind of money. Well, he might not be making that kind of money. Imagine what happens with the Penguins if they win that series 'cause it was after that playoffs that Ron Hextall really went off the deep end, the Merino trade, the Mathis and trade. We don't need to go back into the highlights of that offseason 'cause they were very bad and they turned out poorly for the Pittsburgh Penguins, but it's been a minute since they've won, right? I mean, it was Jake Genssel's second season, the last time they won a playoff series. (sighs) Four goals against the Flyers. In one game, yes. Yeah, so, you know, you're predicting when to make the playoffs? I like it. I wanna see it. We need playoff hockey back in Pittsburgh because it has been a long time and honestly, I think the NHL sorely wants Sydney Crosby back in the playoffs as well. I'm gonna close this one out with, you know, that was like a, as far as hot take meter, I feel like that one on the Richter scale was like around the like above average, but not crazy. This one might go a little further. Alex Nadelkevich and your Blancfist will be the Penguins' tandem by the end of this season. Will be, not might be, will be the Penguins' tandem by the end of this season. Now, the Penguins reportedly made Tristan Jari available for trade this summer. That is according to Rob Rossi of the Athletic. There were no takers and when you look at his contract with four years left, $5.375 million cap hit and the production that we've seen from him in the later portions of the season and in the playoffs, it makes some sense why there was no takers, especially considering the other goaltenders that were available this off season. But a fact of life is that Tristan Jari is excellent early in the season. And if there's any goaltender that I think could go on a hot run and all of a sudden, a needy team, whether that'd be a surprise contender, maybe a Utah, maybe a Chicago, maybe a Montreal, if any of these teams shock the world and by December 25th, Christmas Day, they are in a contending position, but they just need better goal tending. I could see one of these teams pulling a trigger on Tristan Jari. And now I say it's a fact of life that Tristan Jari is really good early in the season. From October to December, throughout his career, he has played 104 games. He has a 59, 30, and 13 record, a 2.24 goals against average and a 923 say percentage. That is telling me that maybe he starts this season off in the same way. Now the question becomes, if the Penguins see him do that, are they gonna fall for the Fool's goal again? And say, you know what, this year's different. This year, when the calendar flips to 2025, he's gonna maintain that when historically he hasn't. Now, those are the two poison pills in this because the Penguins have fallen for that in the past. They might fall for it again, and the rest of the league has watched it happen, so they might not fall for that again. But I think of his market rises by his performance through October through December, and those other teams, whether it be injuries, I mean, Vancouver's goal tending situation is interesting. And you talk about a British Columbia native in Tristan Jari potentially being made available. I think my bold prediction is gonna be Alex Nadelkovich, Joel Blungfist, that's your pairing by the end of this season. - And I don't hate that. I'm trying to look and see what teams are in need of that kind of goalie and could be in a good position, and just that looking for teams that match what you were describing. So far, it's not many. The Kings could be interesting 'cause I just don't know about Darcy Kemper anymore since winning the Cup. - Yeah, but that's a big cap hit, is it not? - Kemper? - Yes. - I think so. I'm just kind of looking at lines and not really looking at cap hits. But yeah, that's, yeah, and that's kind of 'cause my other first thought was Boston. They haven't even signed Swamin yet. They're going to, it might be into the season, but then what happens when they do sign 'em and they have Swamin at whatever number he has, Corpus Solo as their backup, and then Jari entering the pool. - Yeah, they're not doing that. But also Darcy Kemper, three years at 5.25 remaining. So I would cross them off the list too. And lastly, of course an injury happens, which you're knock on one nothing, hoping that doesn't happen to anybody this year. Especially the Kings knowing what we saw from Drew Dowdy last night, which was very scary. So wishing the best to him. We're not hoping for injury, but I'm saying they do happen. And I think that that is one of the ways that the door could be opened for Tristan Jari to be on his way out of Pittsburgh, not to mention the fact that the surprise contender is a more likely option. I mean, you look at Utah, they completely rebuilt that defense. You look at Chicago, they added a little bit more scoring punch, I'm not saying it's likely, but if these guys have a hot start to the season and they say, you know what? We need a good goaltender and maybe it's different when Tristan Jari's not in Pittsburgh. Maybe it's different if he comes here and he can stay healthy and he can maintain that high level of play because he does have it in him. He just doesn't have it in him to do it when the lights turn the brightest and maybe teams are willing to take a risk on that again. I don't know, but that's why it's a bold prediction. That's why it's not, I'm not saying, you know, I think this is likely. I'm just saying bold prediction wise, that's where I'm going with this. - Even Chicago's got a good, not good gold tending, but they've got their duo set. It's at that point in the off season too, where everyone's got their duo set and it's-- - Everybody's got a plan to get punched in the face. - Yeah, yeah, and it's just every team I click. It's like, it looks like a deep goalie pool this year. Like, just everyone's got like, Calgary still has three options that might be a starter. And they're all inexperienced, so maybe there's an option there. If things go awry, but also, if you're thinking of a trade for Jari, you do have to figure out who's going where. Like, is someone, is a goalie coming back? Is a goalie getting cut? How is that gonna work all of a sudden? 'Cause again, everyone seems to have two NHL goalies. Utah is an interesting one, now that you say it. 'Cause Connor Ingram and Corrava Melka has been on the trade block forever in a day. - Yeah. - So, that could be an interesting one too. But if your situation lines up, absolutely. I could see that same thing. - So, those are our main bold predictions. I'll toss out this bonus one because I've said it the last two seasons. It hasn't happened, but I feel like it's breaking through here, especially after last year, bonus bold prediction to close out the show. Brian Rust, will score 30 plus goals this season. I've said it the last two years, two years ago, it didn't look good. He only had 20 goals and 81 games or 80 games or something like that. But last year, 24 goals, sorry, 28 goals last season, 37 goal pace. Can you please stay healthy at least long enough to keep yourself on that pace and to get over the 30 goal mark? I know Brian Rust wants it. I know at the back of his mind, he's playing the Crosby card. It's all about team success. It's all about this. It's all about that. The guy is a 30 goal scorer. He just doesn't get to call himself a 30 goal scorer 'cause it doesn't happen on the score sheet. It's gonna happen. Last year, he was absolutely phenomenal through the first quarter of the season. He was on a 40 goal pace. He finished on a 37 goal pace. He just happened to miss too many games and he fell two goals short of it. 2021, 22 was the other season I was looking at. 24 goals, but he was on a 33 goal pace. He just missed games. So I think that now that he is the guy on Sydney Crosby's wing, right? We all talk about who could be on the left side. Okay, have that discussion. But on the right side, it's Brian Rust and he's gonna be the guy for Sydney Crosby this season. Not to mention that. Maybe extended power play time on power play one. I think that this is the year that it finally happens. But again, that's why this is a bonus one 'cause I've said that the last two seasons as well. - Yeah, and that's not like that one. And then you tack on 30 goals from Brian Rust. Tell you what, adding on to all the other points we discussed. That's a playoff team. That really is. - I mean, if all of these things happen, one, I'm gonna play the lottery. And two, the Penguins are probably in the playoffs might be knocking on that top three seeds in the Metropolitan Division. - Which they might need, which they just might need. - Yeah, I mean, we'll do our league wide predictions next week. - There's not many slouches in the Atlantic. - Yeah, the Atlantic is, again, things change. Ottawa looked good last year and they weren't, you know? I don't know how much that changes because Claude Drew got his car stolen. Like does that galvanize the unit or does that deteriorate the entire situation? Who knows? It's something to monitor, but those are the bold predictions for the 2024/25 Pittsburgh Penguins. Let us know in the comments section. What are your bold predictions? Were ours bold enough or do you think that these are predictions that you don't think are that bold? 'Cause you think could probably happen. Let us know in the comments section. And of course, best bold predictions that you throw into the comments will read out on Tuesday's episode of Tip of the Iceberg. But that's gonna do it for this one. Thank you guys so much for tuning into this episode of the Tip of the Iceberg. Make sure that you find us on YouTube at Tip of the Iceberg, like, share, subscribe, or you can catch us anywhere you get your podcast from. Have a great weekend, PennS fans. We'll see you next time. (upbeat music) (upbeat music)
