Direct your anger at Tomas Kopecky

When me made the deal, we had to be ready for something like this to happen.  It is still confusing that he signs with Detroit for just a single season.  I mean, what does he do if Detroit doesn't win next year? Is he going to a hired gun the rest of his career?  

That being said, the deal was still right to make, and even if I knew the end result, I would do that deal again, twice on Sunday.

You'd still do the deal if you knew that the end result was that the Pens didn't win the cup, gave up the likes of Colby Armstrong and Angelo Esposito, and our 1st round pick?  And, the guy the Pens traded for would go all Darth Vader and end up taking less money to play for the team that beat them in the Cup Final, leaving the team out in the cold?

Don't get me wrong, it definitely helped their playoff run, but if you knew then what you know now and still made that deal, you're a grade-A moron.

Remind me not to ask you to make a decision, especially on Sunday.

That's why they call it HINDsight, Pat. It makes an ass of those who live in what's behind them, i.e. the past. Of course it would be better to have Hossa, but he clearly wanted to be somewhere else. Might as well have Huselius as someone who wants to be on another team. He didn't have a choice when he was traded to the Pens and only a fool would say he didn't give everything he had for them. Now he'll give the same where he wants to play, for the length of the contract he wanted. He's earned the right to choose -- that's what free agency is all about.

Love the player.  Hossa gave us his all.  And he earned the right to sign wherever he wanted.

Yet something smells rotten in Slovakia, here.  He's a world-class player.  You'd think he'd want to contribute to a team winning a Cup.  Actually, you'd think he'd want to be THE reason--or at least A reason--WHY his team wins a Cup.

But...Detroit already won a Cup.  

WITHOUT him.  

And they really lost nobody to free agency.

So do they really need him?

The question is not will he make Detroit better.

Clearly, he will.

But they do NOT need him to get over the hump.

It smacks of aging veterans joining a stockpiled Yankees team just to win a title.

Hollow.

and

Weak.

Colby Armstrong and Erik Christensen are fine players, and even better guys.  Here is the thing though.  They are nothing more then ROLE PLAYERS.  And that's all there ever be.  Period.  It's not like we gave away 30 goal scorers, even 20 goal scorers for that matter.  

Retaining Hossa was never a given.  I get the feeling that the Pens fanbase feels that we are the only team that has an oppurtunity to win.  The Pens are  of one of the handful of teams that has a legit shot at winning the Cup next year, sure.  But far from the only one.  Hossa knew that, and he went somewhere else, thats his choice.  I'm not saying I'm glad he made it that way, but he made it, and thats that.  

I am so sick of hearing the Pens gave up so much for Hossa.  That is the biggest myth I have ever heard in sports.  Take the names out of it, and everybody would still be happy with the deal.  He gave it all for the Pens, and nearly missed tieing it in Game 6.

And the simple fact is, No Hossa, No Stanley Cup Finals.  You don't think we can find another gun like him with an expiring deal next year?  Or that we can't replace Armstrong and Mr. I  don't show up until the Shot-out?  Please.  Think before you make such an accusation.

Boo hoo Sev.

"Love the player. Hossa gaves us his all. And he earned the right to sign wherever he wanted."

But it wasn't the Pens so suddenly "...it smacks of aging veterans joining a stockpiled Yankees team just to win a title."?

So "loved the player" as long as he played for the Pens?

Sounds more like "he earned the right to sign wherever he wanted.", as long as Sev approves of his choice.

Winning the title is the reason all play. It would be OK, though, for him to sign with the Pens "just to win a title."?

Every Pens fan wanted Hossa to sign with the Pens because they saw what kind of player he is and how hard he played and they want the Pens to win the Cup. He was a Pen for 12 regular season games and 20 playoff games. Playing those 32 games didn't make him a good guy or the Pens a noble team anymore than playing however many games he plays with Detroit makes them an evil team or him a bad person.

He's just not a Pen and that's too bad. Would've loved to see him and Sid play a full season.

Frankly, if we couldn't sign him, Hossa did the next best thing by giving all these guys a little extra by declaring that he signed with Detroit because they have the best shot to win the Stanley Cup.  

Not sure what bobroberts' point was, as he addressed me, then completely went off point.

Not surprisingly on a sports blog, people completely missed the point and/or can't read.

My only point was that if you say "knowing what I know now, I'd do the same thing", that'd be idiocy.  Why sacrifice a top prospect, 2 decent role players, and a first round draft pick for absolutely nothing as the end result.

Never said it wasn't a good gamble.  didn't say Hossa didn't help the Pens out in the playoffs.  never said that he didn't have the choice to go wherever he wants.

patcartwright i feel your pain.

bob roberts missed my point too.

if you are a competitor, you want your team to win--yes--but you also want to be the REASON your team wins.

Detroit proved it can win w/o Hossa.

If they win again this year, what does Hossa prove?

That he can go along for a ride?

He would have been good in Chicago--where, as here--they have a growing nucleus of young talent.  Or a few other places that are improving, but need that ONE MORE STAR PLAYER to put them over the top sometime over the course of his contract.

I wouldn't say BobRoberts can't read.  Although I do wonder if he's ever played team sports or understands the nature of what we call  a "true competitor"

Pingback from  Eddy Spaghetti Penguins Blog  » Blog Archive   » 7 Reasons To Be Furious About Hossa Leaving

So let's review

Pens have lost. Roberts, Malone, Hall, Ruutu, Conklin.   And the signings for far have been..

Mark Eaton???

Brooks Orpik who had 11 points in 78 games??

Eric Godard, 2 points in 74 games?

and

Pascal Dupuis

Looks like you can't blame Hossa for leaving.   Detroit was set going into this season, Resigned Stuart and Lilja, found a replacement for Hasek at a reasonable price,  Zetterberg, Lidstrom, Datsyuk, Kronwall, are all locked up for the next season.

Can you really blame Hossa???  

Would Pittsburgh fans be as mad as they are if Hossa wasn't already a rent a player.

The Wings did to Pittsburgh what Pittsburg did to Atlanta.   Suddenly the Penguins are on the short end.

Still comparing the Red Wings to the Yankees?  Zetterberg - drafted 200th.  Datsyuk - drafted 160th.  Lidstrom - draft choice.  Those are your 07-08 Conn Smythe, Selke, and Norris Trophy winners, not to mention reigning Stanley Cup Champs. The Wings have consistenetly had a high number of draft choices in their club.  With over $10 million open for next year and Hossa calls you and offers to play for $7.4 mil, are you going to pass on him?  Is Shero?  Mario?  Wake up!  There are more reasons than Kopecky for Hossa making the move.  tg

I am a 45 year Wings fan.  Most may not agree, but the Wings were a superior team to your Pens.  The finals were not as close as the 6 game series may indicate.

It is hard to argue that the Wings have already become a better team in  free agency. Although the Wings may have the Yankee reputation, they have really built a team by finding elite players that were unknown.

The Pens on the other hand have taken a step backwards, at least from a playoff perspective.  Hossa was your best forward in the finals. Malone and Roberts added toughness to a soft team.  Maybe they can be replaced at the trade deadline,but it is a big risk.  Without those three, I doubt that the Pens will get past the second round.  Sid and Geno are good, but they are good enough to carry a team to the Cup in todays NHL.

I am a Pens fan and I agree with Skifast.  Except they were the Detroit Yankees prior to the lockout/cap era.  Nevertheless,  everyone is playing by the same cap rules now, and creating a cap is what helped save the Pens franchise in the NHL.  We all know this.  

The Wings have built a winning org, with a rep for class, so players want to play there, and they put their money where their mouth is.  The Pens have only had very recent success, but are a franchise with a rep for poor fiscal management. (They were days away from the franchise moving just over a year ago).

The WIngs current team is a mix of great players, many taking a slight discount, and the great fortune and foresight to have young players exceed expectations before becoming cost prohibitive.  Anaheim wasn't much different in 07.

Hopefully it will be us next year.