Overtime Sports Metropolitan Division Preview

[steveg]

Clearing Kunitz, Scuderi, and Lovejoy would give us somewhere around 8.5 million to spend on defense, and we'd really lose nothing giving up those 3 players.

I simply cannot fathom why management appears not to see things the same way...

Even if MJ had Lovejoy and Scuds as #6 and #7, at best, and had Kunitz in the bottom 6, that would suggest reason for optimism (in terms of possible future trades).

In any case, it will be interesting to see how things shake out -- both with the team's lineup, and within the division.

 

[The Greatest 101]

I could see 5 teams from the Metro making the playoffs. Not because the Metro will be some big powerhouse division, but because the Atlantic division besides Tampa and Montreal could suck.

Wings?I think they are better than last year.Larkin is ****ing stud.

 

[Shockmaster]

Wings?I think they are better than last year.Larkin is ****ing stud.

Their defense is still a huge question mark, but they could get the 3rd seed in the Atlantic.

 

[billybudd]

If the Panthers squeak into the playoffs in a weak Atlantic, they've got everything they need to pick off a 1 seed.

 

[Al Smith]

Pens and Isles will duke it out for fourth in the Metro. Caps, CBJ, and Rags lead division in that order.

 

[#66]

AV>>>>>>MJ.The rangers have no real game-breaker tho.

AV would have been a perfect fit. The good parts of Bylsma and MT combined IMO.

 

[deakka]

This "new" system with the divisions are so bad. Metro is by far the best one. Should be 1 team from each are guaranteed the PO then just go after standings after that.

I can almost guarantee that 2 teams from the metro that wont be top 3, could easily have made the playoffs in the other division

 

[Shockmaster]

Pens and Isles will duke it out for fourth in the Metro. Caps, CBJ, and Rags lead division in that order.

I think people are crowning the Blue Jackets as this legit contender a bit too early. I'm not sure I've seen a team that's accomplished so little get so hyped up.

 

[Shady Machine]

These are the teams I think are better overall than we are, in no particular order: Caps, Blue Jackets, Rangers and Isles.

Our defense is going to hold us back, tremendously. If we even had a mediocre defense, we'd win the division easily.

Columbus and Islanders D isn't much stronger but CBJ's size and NYI's speed will cause us issues.

 

[Shady Machine]

I guess people will have to see our defense throughout the season just to actually believe how terrible it's gonna be.

Lovejoy's a borderline NHLer, on a good day, and he's getting worse. Scuderi doesn't even belong in the ECHL. Nobody knows what we have in Cole, Clendening, or Dumoulin over the course of a full season, with big minutes/responsibility on their plate.

I mean, I hope I'm wrong, but our defense is gonna be horrible. If Maatta and Letang don't play at an unreal level, we're in a ton of trouble.

Your hyperbole is starting to hurt your legitimate points IMO. Scuderi should not be a top 6 dman, but he's certainly AHL caliber.

Our defense likely sucks now, but there are pieces there that can step up and make a solid contribution. It's just up to the coaches to make the call to take Lovejoy or Scuds out of the lineup for Clendening, Pouliot, etc.

 

[JTG]

That is one good thing about this defense - it may not be good, but most of the guys on it are not even close to being finished products. That can be good or bad. I'd take that over bluelines we've had in the past here where they just suck, and nothing about that is going to change except a change in personnel.

I look forward to progression from guys like Maatta, Dumoulin, Clendening, Cole, and even Letang. Letang is now the elder statesman, so his role sort of changes a bit. He's going to be paired with guys to make them better, not the other way around like it has been for a majority of his career.

 

[Shockmaster]

If the Penguins eventually make a deal for a legit middle-pairing D and let Pouliot develop over the course of the season, their defense will easily become better than the Islanders or Blue Jackets.

 

[Asuna]

If the Penguins eventually make a deal for a legit middle-pairing D and let Pouliot develop over the course of the season, their defense will easily become better than the Islanders or Blue Jackets.

That won't matter unless the Penguins are willing to sit Lovejoy/Scuderi. Otherwise it's just gonna be Dumo or Cole sitting. And that doesn't help us at all.

 

[Shaftception]

It's just up to the coaches to make the call to take Lovejoy or Scuds out of the lineup for Clendening, Pouliot, etc.

 

[Shady Machine]

Can this be the new Bylsma smug photo? I loved that.

 

[HandshakeLine]

That won't matter unless the Penguins are willing to sit Lovejoy/Scuderi. Otherwise it's just gonna be Dumo or Cole sitting. And that doesn't help us at all.

Or they find a taker for them. Remember when we were all convinced that there was no way we'd trade Sutter in the offseason? Or Scuderi breaks a leg. Or Lovejoy gets concussed.

Things change pretty quickly during the season, so I wouldn't consider anyone a fixture just yet.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Can this be the new Bylsma smug photo? I loved that.

But what do we call it? Confused Johnston? Disgusted Johnston?

 

[Al Smith]

If the Penguins eventually make a deal for a legit middle-pairing D and let Pouliot develop over the course of the season, their defense will easily become better than the Islanders or Blue Jackets.

Agree the Pens should allow him to play, make mistakes, and learn from them, but it would seem that Pouliot's development may be stunted by Pouliot's drive (for lack of a better term). For whatever reason, he's seemed disinterested from the July rookie camp, through the Prospects tournament, and then training camp. There's only so much the Pens can do in that department.