Confirmed with Link: Matt Puempel re-signs (1 year, $900,000, 2-way)

[jbeck5]

But it's unfair to compare him to Hossa or Havlat. As you said, he's not the type of player who can create his own goals; we know that by now. (Also, even on the third line young Hossa or Havlat were still paired with guys like Bonk, Fisher or Arvedson who could create room for them. Man, we were so STACKED back then). And so as long as he is paired with people who can't create for him he'll have trouble scoring. Before we give up on him we need to give him a chance with more creative players.

Now for comparison see what happened to Smith once he got paired with Pageau and Stone.

Same idea: we've also had creative players in the last few years who we also buried in the 3rd or 4th line with people who couldn't finish what they created (I don't want to name them and be called nostalgic or derail the conversation), and we gave up on them too.

We see stuff like that all the time. Dude is going nowhere on one team, gets moved and suddenly find chemistry on another team that finds a good pairing for him. Before I give up on a player, or definitely consider him a 4th line player despite his pedigree in the AHL or juniors as a scorer, I'd like to at least give the dude a proper chance.

I compared him to other top 6 wingers we've developed. Every single one showed many flashes on the bottom lines with lesser players.

If he's the type of player who doesnt do anything unless a superstar feeds him perfect passes he won't have success here because we don't have a spezza.

Puempel shows nothing to give him prolonged time on the first line.

Actual good players would start putting up decent numbers taking advantage of playing against bottom pairs and would start to put up 30-40 points from the bottom lines...like we see the young good players around the league do.

 

[Vesa Awesaka]

Doesnt think the game at a high enough level and isnt good enough at being a bottom 6er to stay

 

[Vesa Awesaka]

See, that's why I ask. He's not the engine on a line - he is the opportunist. Let's be realistic, getting a shift or two here and there in the top 6 isn't much of an opportunity. He needs a couple of games on a decent line with a good playmaker. We talk about Ryan and Brass needing a few weeks to get chemistry, but we expect a kid new to the NHL to prove himself with a shift or two once in a blue moon...it doesn't make sense.

It looks like he's trending towards bust...but...he hasn't gotten a real legit run on the proper line in the NHL to show his stuff, either.

Prince showed more, job showed more, dacosta showed more. They all got the same opportunity if not less then Puempel

 

[jbeck5]

See, that's why I ask. He's not the engine on a line - he is the opportunist. Let's be realistic, getting a shift or two here and there in the top 6 isn't much of an opportunity. He needs a couple of games on a decent line with a good playmaker. We talk about Ryan and Brass needing a few weeks to get chemistry, but we expect a kid new to the NHL to prove himself with a shift or two once in a blue moon...it doesn't make sense.

It looks like he's trending towards bust...but...he hasn't gotten a real legit run on the proper line in the NHL to show his stuff, either.

Good players will produce and show flashes playing against inferior players on the bottom lines.

If his success is dependent on getting open and letting go a shot on net, he should be able to get open playing against the 4th line.

I'm not saying he should be tearing it up putting 50-60 points from the third line like havlat, but look at every forward we've developed who turned into a 40-80 point top 6 forward and you'll see atleast 20-30 point seasons from the third and 4th line in their first few years. Puempel doesn't match that and it's fairly obvious he doesn't have the skill.

 

[Neiler]

A capable top six will play their way out of the bottom six. I disagree with anyone saying he should be given time in the top six to show he belongs there.

Puempel has shown nothing of significant value at the NHL level. It's either time to cut ties or put him in the AHL to see if he can develop his game.

 

[jbeck5]

A capable top six will play their way out of the bottom six. I disagree with anyone saying he should be given time in the top six to show he belongs there.

Puempel has shown nothing of significant value at the NHL level. It's either time to cut ties or put him in the AHL to see if he can develop his game.

Agreed. You see it with every player we've developed from the hossas and havlats to the Fisher,vermettes, stones, Hoffman's, etc. They start on the bottom lines and play their way onto top lines by producing with limited minutes and gaining more minutes.

 

[Erik Alfredsson]

A capable top six will play their way out of the bottom six. I disagree with anyone saying he should be given time in the top six to show he belongs there.

Puempel has shown nothing of significant value at the NHL level. It's either time to cut ties or put him in the AHL to see if he can develop his game.

Yeah I agree with this.

 

[WadeRedden]

A capable top six will play their way out of the bottom six. I disagree with anyone saying he should be given time in the top six to show he belongs there.

Puempel has shown nothing of significant value at the NHL level. It's either time to cut ties or put him in the AHL to see if he can develop his game.

He's played like 3+ seasons in the AHL already. The player we're seeing now is the player we'll be seeing going forward. This is likely as good as it gets for the kid. He's a bust, unfortunately. It happens. He'll be playing Sweden or Germany a few seasons from now.

 

[robsenz]

I honestly didn't think Puempel would bust...but we're at that point it seems...He showed some promise right before his ankle injury though.

 

[Neiler]

If we could manage to swap him somewhere for a decent depth defenseman it still could be beneficial for both sides. Maybe he wakes up somewhere else.

Puempel for Nemeth was generally agreed on by both sides on the trade boards and it still might be a good move. But I think we'd be better served getting a RD.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

If we could manage to swap him somewhere for a decent depth defenseman it still could be beneficial for both sides. Maybe he wakes up somewhere else.

Puempel for Nemeth was generally agreed on by both sides on the trade boards and it still might be a good move. But I think we'd be better served getting a RD.

Last year I suggested puempel for pouliot and that wasn't hated.

 

[Xspyrit]

The only game he was noticeable was the one he got into a fight. He was buzzing around and creating chances that game.

A 7th rounder from the same draft (Dzingle) also started in Bingo, worked his way up, played on the 4th line and gave the coach no choice but to move him up the lineup. Dzingle looks like the 1st rounder while Puempel looks like the 7th rounder. A good player forces the coach to make space for him on the top lines, it shouldn't just be handed to him because of his draft position. He has to earn it and Puempel hasn't. He's been seeing anywhere between 6-10mins of ice time per game this year and hasn't done anything worthwhile with that time, why should he get more?

I'm not saying that he was spectacular or anything but "invisible" was an hyperbole. He hasn't been playing bad and hasn't been lights out either. But he is doing a fair job in a limited role. Not much he can do, even the top-6 players can't score right now. And no, I wasn't saying he should be handed a bigger role since he was a 1st rounder.

I agree about Dzingel. He has been able to impress from the 4th line, which is very hard to do.

 

[God Says No]

Prince was impressive on the fourth line last year as well. I just don't see it with Puempel. Even when people were saying that he was playing well, he was invisible. He scored a couple of goals, but nothing spectacular. He should have been traded last year not Prince.

 

[WadeRedden]

If we could manage to swap him somewhere for a decent depth defenseman it still could be beneficial for both sides. Maybe he wakes up somewhere else.

Puempel for Nemeth was generally agreed on by both sides on the trade boards and it still might be a good move. But I think we'd be better served getting a RD.

Who cares about a depth D-man? That's Freddie Claesson. We already have that guy. I'd take a potential 20 goal scorer over a 7th D man any day of the week.

 

[Adele Dazeem]

Puempel can be used during the TD in a package for a top-6er

 

[jbeck5]

Who cares about a depth D-man? That's Freddie Claesson. We already have that guy. I'd take a potential 20 goal scorer over a 7th D man any day of the week.

Why would you want a 20 goal AHL scorer over a 7th NHL defenseman?

 

[Lenny the Lynx]

Kids a stud - can't wait to see him in the NHL