Jamie Oleksiak: Starting to deliver on his potential

[Dipsy Doodle]

What a ringing endorsement for a Defenseman "Starting to deliver on his potential"

I'm not given to hyperbole. Sorry.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Was at the Bruin-Pens game a week ago and watched this guy get light up like a Christmas Tree, didn't get the hype at all.

That game was absolutely Oleksiak's worst game with the Penguins. He was atrocious against Boston.

He's been good for the Penguins, I don't know why insecure Bruins fans have to go talk about how long Chara's shift was before he fought Oleksiak or Stars fans can't accept that a guy who didn't work out for their team can work for another team.

 

[glovesave_35]

Except you're incredibly wrong. Not only has he been solid in his own end, he's also rushed up the ice and created some decent scoring chances and has shown that side of his game. You're just flat out wrong. I get it, your team traded another player to us that worked out in our favor, I'd be mad too, I bet you wished Joe Morrow turned into a stud too, but he didn't. We all lose sometimes (or in Dallas' case, every time they trade with us).

Ouch. Good on you guys for reclaiming our D-men. Niskanen was horrid before the trade and really turned it around. Good for him. Oleksiak, be happy with what you get from him. I would be surprised if you feel quite so good about him in the playoffs but maybe he has grown a ton as a player.

 

[Harvey Birdman]

He has been a pleasant surprise. Especially just for a 4th round pick. He ideally fits on the 3rd pair, but he has been slotted a few times on the 2nd pair and has not looked overly out of place. Finding needles in the haystack like this trade are what competing teams do to stay competitive. Find underperformers capable of reclamation on the cheap.

 

[DrJustice]

That game was absolutely Oleksiak's worst game with the Penguins. He was atrocious against Boston.

He's been good for the Penguins, I don't know why insecure Bruins fans have to go talk about how long Chara's shift was before he fought Oleksiak or Stars fans can't accept that a guy who didn't work out for their team can work for another team.

Not trying to say one game > the whole sample size as far as how good he is.

Penguins have made a habit of salvaging other teams problems, for the price of a 4th it’s a good move.

And personally, I’d prefer our 40 year old best Defenceman to not fight at all anymore lol

 

[Rodgerwilco]

Jesus the insecurity and down-right saltiness of Dallas and Boston posters in this thread is insane. People literally came to this thread just to argue about the length of Chara's shift in context of a fight that HE started. lol As if Oleksiak has a Chara-tracker and chose to fight him only after a long shift.

The thinly-veiled insults masked as compliments are comical.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

He'd still be our 8th defender on the depth chart, and maybe 9th because Heatherington is more sound defensively.

He didn't work out in Ruff's system and didn't work out in Hitch's system. He might be a bottom pairing dman, sure, but those are dime a dozen. By all accounts he's a great teammate, but the Stars are a better hockey team with him off the ice.

Bottom pair guys may not be unicorns... but a 6 foot 7 defensemen who can skate and shoot accurately is certainly NOT a dime-a-dozen...

 

[lomiller1]

IMO he's been living up to his potential all along. I don't mean that in a good way.

 

[domaug]

Just as impressive. For Chara. Not Oleksiak.

is this how Bruins fans judge the value of opposing teams' defensemen? how they fare in a dumb fight with a literal tree man?

 

[GoJetsGo55]

He fought Chara at the end of Chara’s 3-4 minute shift and Chara still won.

Chara could have taken a 25 minute shift with a sandbag strapped to his back and I still wouldn't fault someone for losing to him.

 

[GoJetsGo55]

is this how Bruins fans judge the value of opposing teams' defensemen? how they fare in a dumb fight with a literal tree man?

"Stamkos is better than Marchand!"

"OH YEAH! HOW MANY PEOPLE HAS HE ELBOWED IN THE FACE?"

Just jokes. I like the Bruins.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

I wouldn't get too excited

Pens turned Niskanen and Schultz into legit top 4 dmen after their former teams fans called them both garbage. It's been a pattern.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

is this how Bruins fans judge the value of opposing teams' defensemen? how they fare in a dumb fight with a literal tree man?

No. I just wouldn't list "fighting Chara" as an achievement in this case.

Oleksiak was a player of intrigue all along but he doesn't seem to be what he could have been.

 

[Kcb12345]

In before Dallas misses the playoffs...

In before Oleksiak starts being awful again...

 

[Kcb12345]

Except you're incredibly wrong. Not only has he been solid in his own end, he's also rushed up the ice and created some decent scoring chances and has shown that side of his game. You're just flat out wrong. I get it, your team traded another player to us that worked out in our favor, I'd be mad too, I bet you wished Joe Morrow turned into a stud too, but he didn't. We all lose sometimes (or in Dallas' case, every time they trade with us).

Trust me, Oleksiak would've never worked out in Dallas. He had his chance for several years and even on Pittsburgh, a team with less defensive depth than us, he is still a bottom-pairing dman. This situation is identical to the Jordie Benn in Montreal situation. Just wait and watch what happens. Pittsburgh knows how to make players look better than they are

 

[Fixxer]

He's delivering on his potential of being a bottom pairing defenseman?

Yes, but as his size, he can make a difference.

 

[bambamcam4ever]

This system is so good for dmen who can skate.

I also enjoy trading with Dallas.

Hunwick tho.

 

[Fatty McLardy]

In before Oleksiak starts being awful again...

There's better chance of the Stars missing the playoffs than Oleksiak being a liabilty.

 

[Kcb12345]

There's better chance of the Stars missing the playoffs than Oleksiak being a liabilty.

Not quite

 

[Empoleon8771]

Not quite

I mean, yes it is. The Stars have about a 70-75% chance of making the playoffs, so 25-30% chance of missing. Based on his play so far with the Penguins, I wouldn't put Oleksiak being a liability at nearly that high.

 

[Kcb12345]

I mean, yes it is. The Stars have about a 70-75% chance of making the playoffs, so 25-30% chance of missing. Based on his play so far with the Penguins, I wouldn't put Oleksiak being a liability at nearly that high.

It's a 50/50 chance for Oleksiak in the playoffs considering he has never played a playoff game. Based on the play in Oleksiak's past 4 years, I'd put his odds of being a liability higher. Not sure what he has to do with the Stars making the playoffs anyways, we are a much better team without him.

 

[Empoleon8771]

It's a 50/50 chance for Oleksiak in the playoffs considering he has never played a playoff game. Based on the play in Oleksiak's past 4 years, I'd put his odds of being a liability higher. Not sure what he has to do with the Stars making the playoffs anyways, we are a much better team without him.

That is incredibly terrible logic from a pretty biased person, to be honest. What he did before Pittsburgh is totally irrelevant, he didn't work in Dallas, so why are you pretending that's an accurate representation of his ability? It's like a Wings fan trying to trash talk Sheahan, despite Sheahan being on pace for over 35 points per 82 games with the Penguins.

 

[Kcb12345]

That is incredibly terrible logic from a pretty biased person, to be honest. What he did before Pittsburgh is totally irrelevant, he didn't work in Dallas, so why are you pretending that's an accurate representation of his ability? It's like a Wings fan trying to trash talk Sheahan, despite Sheahan being on pace for over 35 points per 82 games with the Penguins.

We will wait and see. Maybe he will end up being a good 6th/7th dman for you guys after all, but I think time will tell the real truth.

 

[northeastern]

I'm a big oleksiak fan hopefully this good trend continues. I liked him going against chara

 

[PensandCaps]

I bet Oleksiak will benifet playing in the playoffs. He can get away with more. As did Cole. So I doubt Oleksiak will be a liabiltyyy in the playoffs.