Esposito to the Penguins...unreal

[WVP]

Jesus Pens... I mean, i'm cool with you guys getting Fleury, then Crosby, then Malkin, then Staal just to save the franchise, but we got you the arena...this is just ridiculous.

Just mess up. ONCE. k?

Your Zherdev > Whitney signature isn't really looking so humorous anymore.

 

[stazza18]

Shero has to run a clinic for the Pirates and the Steelers...

"How to Succeed on Draft Day"

This is an amusing post though. Would that clinic offer a beverage while waiting for every team to pass on a player or peanuts? Seriously, the Steelers drafting? I hate them and would never question any pick they make, while consistently picking in the lower half of rounds.

 

[WVP]

He said often that he would rather like making career in skating figure than hockey.

Could you post a link to that quote?

 

[shureshot66]

On the flip side of the coin, you have to consider that Esposito is going to be harder pressed to actually "make" the Penguins than he would have in years past. They're not going to Jordan Staal him up like they would have last year because they're an actual contender now with Stanley Cup aspirations. That means that if Espositio looks as disinterested in future years as he was reported to have looked this year, then he stands to not even play for Pittsburgh for a very long time unless he has a change in his approach. Getting to play with a great squad could be a good motivational tool, but you never know. I think that's why 19 teams passed on him. At this point, you want to draft a player in the first round that you know wants it bad enough to play at the NHL level.

i agree with a lot of this, but if you meant to imply that staal only made the team last year because expectations were still low at the start of the season, that's very much wrong. staal *earned* the initial tryout in the first month and he certainly earned the right to stick in the nhl instead of being shipped back to juniors. there was never a point when he wasn't one of the top 10 forwards in the organization.

that much aside -- it'll be intriguing to see how esposito reacts to a pro atmosphere. he'd certainly be a long shot to carry the same amount of poise and maturity that staal did at 18.

 

[Live in the Now]

Great pick. I hate to say steal because that term is so overused, so I'll say...robbery. One of these players has to bust, right?

That's more me wishing that they did so that the Pens wouldn't be kicking the league's collective ***** for years, than actually thinking that one will.

 

[tom_servo]

Any video out there on Esposito?

 

[FLYLine27*]

I thought he went where he should of to be honest

The risk of his concussion problem and lack of heart....

Obviously though he could turn out to be one of the best players in the draft.....at the 20th pick though...great pick by the Pens. They had to take that risk, I would have a million times in a row.

........just one mans opinions though

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Any video out there on Esposito?

Interview in french (no clue what he is saying):

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=282447326492736787


More a slide show:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMcEPa51HVU

Introduced at draft luncheon (sort of silly but sparse videos out there, I hope people can find better):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J_CcHvIv68

Will post more as I find em.

 

[Pizza]

Espo was the right pick for you guys in that spot.

Question: who was the standing to Espo's left on stage when they were taking the picture? He looked kinda grumpy.

 

[clefty]

Espo was the right pick for you guys in that spot.

Question: who was the standing to Espo's left on stage when they were taking the picture? He looked kinda grumpy.

That guy is the Penguins President, his name is David Morehouse. He used to work in the White House and at the Pentagon. He was pretty far up, I think he worked directly under Al Gore during the Clinton years. And he started out as a motorcade driver.

And yes, he looked rather grumpy.

 

[Phousse]

Could you post a link to that quote?

I found one.

I'd rather make a career in figure skating than in hockey.

 

[WVP]

I found one.

 

[Brandinho]

Le skate de figure is hoh hoh hoh, le hockey is meh

I found one too.

 

[WVP]

I found one too.

Yeah, I do remember him saying that.

 

[Sorry]

I found one too.

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

The real question is who will be moved to wing, or better yet - who will be dealt to improve the defence. Surely they wont have 4 studs down the middle.

 

[UnderratedBrooks44]

The real question is who will be moved to wing, or better yet - who will be dealt to improve the defence. Surely they wont have 4 studs down the middle.

if you made me predict it right this second i would say esposito for sure would play wing and possibly staal if the depth chart demanded it. the reason i say that is because crosby is well, crosby and malkin seemed to want to have a line of his own when he played wing. also, everyone forgets malkin can do everything on the ice, not just provide offense. if they get some players around him he really will be a 'ron francis with speed'

 

[Reilly*]

Was there a GDT for the draft? I want to read the meltdown's when Espo was picked.

 

[Evilo]

This is an amusing post though. Would that clinic offer a beverage while waiting for every team to pass on a player or peanuts? Seriously, the Steelers drafting? I hate them and would never question any pick they make, while consistently picking in the lower half of rounds.

Jagr, Naslund, Straka, Morozov, Orpik, Whitney, Crosby, Malkin, Fleury, Staal, Armstrong, and Esposito.
Since 1990, only 6 Pens first rounders didn't pan out (and among these 6, one was due to an illness), regardless of where the Pens pick (high or low). They usually drafted late, but still got good talent.
The 6 that didn't man out feature some big talents too (Kraft, Dome) and then guys that simply busted (Koltsov, Wells, Hillier) and Bergkvist (illness).

 

[#66]

They said the same thing about Mario when he came out. (Not that I am comparing the two, ever.) Seriously.

Kids, at least many of them, mature.

My comment really had nothing to do with the report on Esposito, more on the positive (winning) environment he was entering. Shero has already made his most important moves of the summer, IMO - locking up the vets, Roberts and Recchi.

Those vets along with the attitude of Crosby, Malkin, Staal ect. are pretty much the reasons that I'm hoping Espo can be around the team as long as he can. As a Pens fan I want their 1st class attitudes and work ethic to rub off on him. Its a bonus if he fits in and plays well but keeping him on that team for just 10 games to start the season might do wonders in the long run.

 

[AH]

Jagr, Naslund, Straka, Morozov, Orpik, Whitney, Crosby, Malkin, Fleury, Staal, Armstrong, and Esposito.
Since 1990, only 6 Pens first rounders didn't pan out (and among these 6, one was due to an illness), regardless of where the Pens pick (high or low). They usually drafted late, but still got good talent.
The 6 that didn't man out feature some big talents too (Kraft, Dome) and then guys that simply busted (Koltsov, Wells, Hillier) and Bergkvist (illness).

Look at the draft positions. Anything out of the top 5 is so-so.

 

[JA87-66-99]

Guess you never caught those Oiler teams, eh?

HF, where promise is casually compared to historic levels of accomplishment.

Hey Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky said it themselves. The Pittsburgh Penguins reminded them of the young Edmonton Oilers. It's nice to dream. But this team is looking like something special.

 

[end]

Look at the draft positions. Anything out of the top 5 is so-so.

Yes, shame on the Penguins for not drafting All-Stars with the 21st pick of the draft! All they managed to do with that is get roleplayers like Colby Armstrong or Brooks Orpik! As we all know, every team is defined by the player they select at 23rd overall!

Also, the best prospect in the Penguins system, and one of the best defensive prospects currently out there, Kris Letang, was picked in the third round. Oops.

 

[end]

My own opinion on this... I don't like Esposito that much, personally, but when the oppurtunity to pick a player of that kind of skill at #20 opens up, you take it. I would've been happy with a tenacious grinderish character, someone with heart, a Talbot or Armstrong clone at #20, but when the oppurtunity is there, you got to take Esposito, despite what a monstrous project he so obviously is. We can look for heart and character and a true passion to be an NHL hockey player with our lower picks. It made sense all around. Esposito was too much of a project and bust-probable for a team to spend a crazy-important 8th overall or 12th overall pick on him, but for a later in the round team, a team already in the playoffs, they can take that chance.

 

[Evilo]

Yes, shame on the Penguins for not drafting All-Stars with the 21st pick of the draft! All they managed to do with that is get roleplayers like Colby Armstrong or Brooks Orpik! As we all know, every team is defined by the player they select at 23rd overall!

Also, the best prospect in the Penguins system, and one of the best defensive prospects currently out there, Kris Letang, was picked in the third round. Oops.

Straka and Naslund were both drafted late.
Morozov as well.
The previous two are NHL allstars, the other is tearing up the RSL.

EDIT : And the Pens drafted some of their core through later picks (Talbot, Christensen, Filewich, Melichar, Stone, Malone, etc...).