Sidney Crosbys retirement date, Evan Rodrigues departure, Baconators: Yohe Penguins mailbag -

By my count, we’re three days away from the start of training camp.

In other words, it’s time to start talking hockey for the next eight or nine months.

While there aren’t a significant amount of roster decisions awaiting Mike Sullivan when camp begins, questions concerning his Penguins persist. We finally appear to be heading into the final chapters of the greatest era of Penguins hockey. It should be quite a ride.

Away we go.

Was it a mistake to let E-Rod walk? — @MarcieWodlinger

Given the price Evan Rodrigues signed for in Colorado, yeah, I think it was. He could be a maddening player, as evidenced by a wonderful first half that was followed by him scoring once a month — literally — in the second half of last season. You can’t trust Rodrigues to produce consistently.

But there is real talent there. He’s a heck of a good Swiss Army knife. Perhaps more importantly, he was a wonderful insurance policy should Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin get injured. He played his best hockey with the Penguins in the No. 2 center role.

I don’t love the decision of letting him walk, even though I realize it wasn’t easy. Remember the retaliation penalty Rodrigues took against the Rangers in Game 6, while the Penguins were up 2-0? Many in the organization were furious with him for quite some time following that play. I’m not saying that’s why he wasn’t brought back. That would be pretty petty. I bring it up, however, because I don’t believe it helped his cause. (Go back and watch the replay … it was actually a horrible call.)

What have you heard/what are your thoughts on why they signed Kapanen over Rodrigues? I’m struggling with the $3.2 million cap hit for Kap when Evan seemed more productive for $1 million less. — @HarshVe

I don’t love the cap hit, either. I suppose one could argue that Kasperi Kapanen has a higher ceiling than Rodrigues and adds to the Penguins’ overall speed. Plus, he’s a natural right wing, a position that was more of a need because of their extreme depth down the center. Rodrigues is fine at right wing but better at center.

Still, there isn’t much question about who’s the more reliable player at the moment. It was a curious decision.

Do you see the Penguins signing Fleury to a one-day contract when he retires? — @JadeAlexandria

I could see something like that happening. He didn’t leave the organization on terrible terms and remains a franchise icon. It would be a nice gesture by both sides.

Any dream of him finishing his career with the Penguins, though, appears extremely unlikely.

The Penguins appear to be headed over a cliff in a few years. How bad will it get and for how long? The farm system remains barren and it could take several drafts to reload. — @cgibson412

If you know your Penguins history, you know that it’s a franchise of peaks and valleys. The Crosby era has been some kind of a spectacular peak. They’ve been so, so good for so long.

Sure, there’s a dry period coming. We can all see it on the horizon. Maybe it will be a year. Or three. Or five. Or seven. But it’s coming.

How quickly they rebuild almost certainly depends on how lucky they get in future drafts. And make no mistake, drafts are largely about luck.

Do you think women’s pro hockey will come to Pittsburgh and if it does, will it succeed? — @CaptainCrash95

I suspect that at will at some point, and I believe that it should.

Pittsburgh has turned into such a sensational hockey market, and I believe hockey fans in this region would be supportive of the women’s game.

There are a lot of little girls in Pittsburgh (and everywhere) who are dreaming of being professional hockey players someday. They should have the same opportunities little boys have.

If the Penguins win Game 7 against the Islanders in 1993, would Stevens have been able to return to the playoffs? It seems doubtful. Also, why does everyone forget about Mario’s health in the discussion of why the Pens lost that series? This was the determining factor as much as anything. — @n8thegrr8

This is a very insightful comment/question. The narrative has always been that the Penguins were shockingly upset, they would have won the Cup without question if not for that pesky David Volek goal, etc.

I’m not so sure. Oh, I’m aware of how dominant that team was. But they seemed to be running out of gas during that fateful second-round series against the Islanders. Tom Barrasso wasn’t playing well. Kevin Stevens almost definitely wouldn’t have been available for the remainder of the playoffs, and don’t discount that. He was that team’s heartbeat.

But the most important point you made pertained to Mario Lemieux’s health. His back was absolutely shot. He injured it in the first round against the Devils and, frankly, wasn’t the same for more than two years.

We will never know, but given all of this, I suspect they would have lost to Montreal in the conference final. Patrick Roy often gave them trouble, and the Penguins weren’t really the Penguins during May 1993.

Hey Josh! Hope you’re having a great summer. If we assume Ty Smith and P-O Joseph are in a battle for the sixth defenseman spot, what happens to the runner-up? Would he be sent to Wilkes-Barre? Used as depth? Shopped? — @ItsAaronMartin

Hi Aaron. It does look like this is the battle, though I’d remind you that Mark Friedman should also be involved.

Remember this: Smith doesn’t have to clear waivers. So, that’s a nice and neat way to get under the cap. However, I sense that they really like him and that his ceiling is probably a bit higher than Pierre-Olivier Joseph’s ceiling.

Thus, things are quite murky.

Team in the East you think makes the biggest jump and the biggest drop? Also, is your fantasy team as bad as Kaboly says it is? — @ayteekay24

I think Ottawa could make a push for a playoff spot. The Senators have a really serious nucleus of young talent and they’re worth keeping an eye on. I really like their forwards.

Team to take a step back? The Florida Panthers. They played over their heads last season, and, while Matthew Thakuck is a great player, I still don’t view the Panthers as a Cup team. They’ll make the playoffs, but what they did last season had a fluky element to it.

As for my fantasy football team, I’ll have you know that Net Front Presence is 1-0 and has an 85 percent chance to make it 2-0 this evening. Don’t let Kaboly cloud your thoughts.

Will Crosby play a season or two after Malkin and Letang retire? — @Ryanevansz

Such things are truly impossible to project. Sid wants to play until he’s 40, and, health permitting, I’m sure he will. The thing about Letang is that he probably wants to play until he’s 50.

I’ve always assumed Malkin would be the first of the Big Three to retire. I’d guess the contract he just signed will be his last. After that, it’s a crapshoot.

I don’t know if the number of violent altercations between fans at football games is escalating or just being shared on social media more. To my knowledge, hockey isn’t as bad but do you have concerns it will get worse? — @neildbrown

Social media is playing a huge role in all of this. In my teenage years, I saw many a fight at Three Rivers Stadium. I was in the crowd at yesterday’s Steelers game and didn’t see one fight. Didn’t even see many drunks, to be honest.

But your observation is accurate. It’s a different class of crowd at hockey games. I don’t know how else to put it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a fight at a Penguins game and I’ve covered close to 1,000 of them. (I know there have been fights, of course. But it’s pretty rare.)

Hey Josh. Where do you stand on giving Jarry an extension sooner or later? I personally see pros and cons. — @OhioPensFan

Pros and cons for sure. I’m not a huge fan of locking up goalies to lucrative contracts. It’s not that goalies are interchangeable, but really, how many of them do you trust from one year to the next?

That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Penguins do offer him a long-term deal. General manager Ron Hextall really, really likes him. Tristan Jarry has played well, for the most part. He’s a good regular-season goalie, and there is something to be said for that. But the elephant in the room remains the postseason, needless to say.

Who would you sign first? Jarry or Guentzel? — @GlennKaplan13

Jake Guentzel still has two years remaining on his deal, so Jarry will sign first. But make no mistake, a deal with Jake will get done. The Penguins aren’t about to let Crosby lose his preferred winger in the final years of his career.

How much will Guentzel cost? I have to think we’re getting close to $8 million annually if he keeps performing at his current level.

Will Matt Murray win the Cup in Toronto this season and do three Cups before the age of 30 put him in the Hall of Fame? — @vincelaboon

I laughed when I first read this question, but then I started thinking about Murray’s confusing legacy, and I just shook my head.

No, it would not put him in the Hall of Fame. No way. But if he were to win back-to-back titles with the Penguins and then end the Leafs’ drought, I mean, that’s a historically significant goaltender. He still would need to get healthy and win a lot of games in his 30s to earn such a distinction. I won’t put it past him. Of course, he could also be out of the league in two years and I wouldn’t be shocked.

He remains among the most confusing players we’ve ever witnessed.

Top five best places to eat not in Pittsburgh in your NHL travels? — @mikeyp3258

Gibbys in Montreal is one of my favorite steakhouses. You can’t go wrong there. When in Philly, one must make the drive to Atlantic City to eat at Chef Vola’s (always trust Rick Tocchet with restaurant recommendations).

There are countless other restaurants that have witnessed me stuffing my face over the years. But honestly, these two just rise above the rest.

You travel a lot for your job. What is the worst weather/travel that you have encountered in your time covering the Pens? — @RyanPawloski

I once drove from Edmonton to Calgary in a snowstorm that was so outrageous that, at some point, I just made my peace with the fact that I was going to die/the world was ending. I’m not kidding. It was so scary.

I’ve been stuck in the Erie/Buffalo deathtrap on Interstate 90 a time or two, and it’s never fun.

I should mention being in Ottawa many years ago. It was minus-28 Fahrenheit outside. I wanted to see what it felt like. So, I went outside and took a deep breath. Initially, I didn’t think it was that bad. Then, my lungs started to burn and I ran back into the hotel lobby.

It’s never been THAT cold when I’ve been in Winnipeg over the years. Then again, I often try (successfully!) to get out of that trip, so there is that.

What day was the best in your career? The one you enjoyed the most and look back on most fondly? — @ItspelledGraig

Well, there have been many. But we are a couple of days away from the five-year anniversary of when I joined The Athletic, and I can’t tell you how special that day was for me on so many levels. I still remember where I was sitting at Lambert Airport in St. Louis when James Mirtle called me to talk business for the first time. When I tweeted out the announcement, I went to my mom’s house because I always feel a little more comfortable there. I remember it all so well.

When The Athletic came calling, it all sounded too good to be true. But it wasn’t. It’s been the best decision I’ve ever made.

I’m not a “career-oriented” person. I love my job and am very grateful, but I’m not one of those people who derives joy from work. I’m not married to my job. But that day, the day I signed on with this company? Man, that was great. First thing I did was drive to Wendy’s and devour a Baconator.

Favorite restaurant and meal of all time? Can be anything. — @nwoAmy

I feel like I’m doing a food mailbag. Ha ha.

Chicken Romano, pasta, Caesar salad and that damn warm bread at Al’s Cafe do the trick for me every time.

Baby is one week old today, Josh. First-time parent. Baby obviously changes a lot. Advice on being a good dad? — @BrunoPittsburgh

Well, let me tell you, there are no perfect parents out there. I’ve learned that over the years. In the early going, my biggest advice: Make sure mom gets lots of rest. That’s really important. She’s been through a lot physically and emotionally. You need to carry things for a while. I wish I’d been better about that way back when, but then, this is how wisdom/advice can be distributed for future generations.

My situation is so much different than for other people. My kids live in Canada. I’m there a minimum of once a month, and I try to be there more. But I always tell my kids that kindness is the key to life every time I give them their goodbye hugs. And I believe that very much.

Is Kaboly struggling to stay grounded given his newfound celebrity? I’m frankly concerned he’s becoming like Balboa in Rocky 3. — @Dameshek

It’s actually getting out of control, Dave. Every time he goes on the Pat McAfee Show, he calls me and humblebrags. It’s usually something like, “I was just a big hit on McAfee. I get 500 Twitter followers every time I’m on his show.”

But in all seriousness, I’m happy he’s becoming such a big deal. I’ve been in this business a long, long time. And when I say nobody works harder than him, I mean it.

How are you feeling? — @JimmyDunphy1

Well, I’ve been stuffy for a week. Not COVID related. I’ve just been sleeping like hell for about a month now and I don’t really know why. Probably stress. Lots of stress in my life, Jimmy. It’s always something, you know?

Also, I was at the Steelers game yesterday. Aside from the game being a snooze fest, I absorbed a bit too much sun, so my face is a little burnt as I’m writing this. But I’m feeling OK. Been eating healthier lately, trying to exercise regularly, things of that nature.

Just a simple one for you. How are you? — @skiminer36

I love the simple questions like this. I love that you think of me as a person, and not just one who produces hockey content (even though that’s important).

I’m OK. Been in a bit of a funk recently, but to be honest, most of it is my own doing. I’m fighting my way out of it. Also, my car is making a weird noise. I think it’s the brakes. Hopefully it’s nothing more serious.

This is actually my favorite time of year. The transition from summer to fall is good for the soul, I always find.

As a reminder, training camp begins on Thursday. We’re allowed back in locker rooms, so our content should be back to pre-COVID level, and I hope it satisfies everyone.

Hockey season is here. See you all at the rink soon.

(Photo of Sidney Crosby: Kim Klement / USA Today)

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