I’m with you on trading a proven star for unproven young talent. Holmgren-esque deals (Mike Richards for Brayden Schenn and Wayne Simmonds; Jeff Carter for Sean Couturier and Jakub Voracek) generally are the exception rather than the rule. And we don’t have to dig very far back into Pens history to find one that bombed: Jaromir Jagr for Kris Beech, Ross Lupaschuk, and Michal Sivek.

Still, the Pens need to start stocking up on young forward prospects. The jury’s still out on whether Dustin Jeffrey and Eric Tangradi will make the grade. The next wave—Beau Bennett, Tom Kuhnhackl, and Dominik Uher—aren’t likely to be NHL-ready for a while. Plus, Bennett and Kuhnhackl didn’t have especially great seasons.

Of course we might have to move a defensemen or two just to clear some roster room.

Unless our coach gets a brain tumor, a star gets Hodgkin’s & the team goes bankrupt I don’t see history repeating itself.