Toggle sidebar

Pittsburgh Penguins Prospects Thread

Status
Not open for further replies.

Peat

Registered User
Jun 14, 2016
29,579
25,408
Malkinstheman said:


Don't know who this is but there it is
Click to expand...


More I dig the more interesting he sounds.

The good is he's meant to have a good shot, he's got good compete and IQ, Also Stevie Y wanted him. Offered him a contract, Mastrosimone said no. Wheeler had him just behind Puustinen in his 2019 redraft as a guy with a chance to play.

The bad is he's 5'10", 170 lbs (although that stat might be outdated), and it took him a long time to find his footing offensively.

Saw a guy on the Detroit forum say Mastrosimone seemed to be a great pick until he got covid, then really struggled to find his footing again. Mixed reports on his skating.

Guess we'll find out more if we get him. I wanted him since reading non-stop motor on him earlier today, so he'll be absolutely bobbins.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Malkinstheman

Peat

Registered User
Jun 14, 2016
29,579
25,408
Dragging this over the the number 4 thread...

CheckingLineCentre said:
Yeah it’s still a toss up though, they’re all kind of flawed. Broz is probably not sudden enough skating wise for how light in the seat he is. Bumped off pucks and rubbed out somewhat easily at the NCAA level without quite enough burst to escape. Just think it’s easier for him to fill out than it is for Poulin to find another gear.

As far as safe prospects I don’t necessarily think you’re incorrect but it honestly feels like the most talented guys are the safest picks imo. Look at Sprong- the opposite of what you’d deem “high floor” and not an early pick but survived in the league just on talent long enough to keep getting shots. Jared McCann pre breakout another decent example. Prime Lars Eller was big sure, but also a good skater and very skilled. Even Mike Hoffman is still in the league for a rough decade solely because of his shot. It’s just such a competitive league where even the most vanilla cup of coffee 4th liner like ZAR is actually a really good hockey player. I feel like when you go around the league the guys with athleticism and talent are the safest bets to stick long term, even if it’s as a bottom half of the lineup player. Exceptions to everything though and I really think the biggest thing to remember with prospects and player development is the human element. Every player is unique and it’s always case by case.
Click to expand...

Just been prodding at this one in my head. There sure are some flawed high skill guys surviving, although I wouldn't have ever considered Jared McCann one of them.

I looked up top 10 in draft for skill for 2015 and found this list - Ranking the 2015 NHL draft class by top skills - and Jeremy Bracco and Nick Merkley are out of the league. I didn't even know who top 5 shot Paul Bittner was. Every last one of those top hockey IQs were in the league last season

I guess maybe the best way to put it is that the safest picks are the ones with the outsized talents. There's absolutely crap tons of guys with the basic athleticism and talent to make it, it's the ones with the outsized talents who get noticed and get given lots of chances because their special skill can improve units the most. The rarer the better, which does favour skill. We've had lots of AHLers who skate at around Hagelin's level. We've had few if any who shoot at around Sprong's.

I do feel fairly sure athleticism is the least safe outsized talent though and is often held as the opposite. And that simply having ticks in all the boxes, which is often held up as safe, isn't safe at all without that outsized talent.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CheckingLineCenter
Le Magnifique 66

Le Magnifique 66

Let's Go Pens
Jun 9, 2006
23,637
3,282
Montreal
Peat said:
More I dig the more interesting he sounds.

The good is he's meant to have a good shot, he's got good compete and IQ, Also Stevie Y wanted him. Offered him a contract, Mastrosimone said no. Wheeler had him just behind Puustinen in his 2019 redraft as a guy with a chance to play.

The bad is he's 5'10", 170 lbs (although that stat might be outdated), and it took him a long time to find his footing offensively.

Saw a guy on the Detroit forum say Mastrosimone seemed to be a great pick until he got covid, then really struggled to find his footing again. Mixed reports on his skating.

Guess we'll find out more if we get him. I wanted him since reading non-stop motor on him earlier today, so he'll be absolutely bobbins.
Click to expand...
Always interested in free prospects. Right now though if there is really any link to Tatar in the next few weeks, we are currently at 48 contracts
 

Peat

Registered User
Jun 14, 2016
29,579
25,408
Le Magnifique 66 said:
Always interested in free prospects. Right now though if there is really any link to Tatar in the next few weeks, we are currently at 48 contracts
Click to expand...

Malkinstheman said:
Pickering and Pieniniemi's contracts are included in that number but their contracts will slide for the year. So the Pens are at 46 contracts.
Click to expand...

Yup. Team can pick up a guy like Mastrosimone, a guy like Tatar, and another dman, and still have a spot free.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Malkinstheman, steelcityassault and Le Magnifique 66
CheckingLineCenter

CheckingLineCenter

Registered User
Aug 10, 2018
8,334
8,871
Peat said:
More I dig the more interesting he sounds.

The good is he's meant to have a good shot, he's got good compete and IQ, Also Stevie Y wanted him. Offered him a contract, Mastrosimone said no. Wheeler had him just behind Puustinen in his 2019 redraft as a guy with a chance to play.

The bad is he's 5'10", 170 lbs (although that stat might be outdated), and it took him a long time to find his footing offensively.

Saw a guy on the Detroit forum say Mastrosimone seemed to be a great pick until he got covid, then really struggled to find his footing again. Mixed reports on his skating.

Guess we'll find out more if we get him. I wanted him since reading non-stop motor on him earlier today, so he'll be absolutely bobbins.
Click to expand...

I think he’d be a top 7ish prospect for us. Around Puus-Broz-Poulin. Shows how our pool is in a sad state lmao

Peat said:
Just been prodding at this one in my head. There sure are some flawed high skill guys surviving, although I wouldn't have ever considered Jared McCann one of them.

I looked up top 10 in draft for skill for 2015 and found this list - Ranking the 2015 NHL draft class by top skills - and Jeremy Bracco and Nick Merkley are out of the league. I didn't even know who top 5 shot Paul Bittner was. Every last one of those top hockey IQs were in the league last season

I guess maybe the best way to put it is that the safest picks are the ones with the outsized talents. There's absolutely crap tons of guys with the basic athleticism and talent to make it, it's the ones with the outsized talents who get noticed and get given lots of chances because their special skill can improve units the most. The rarer the better, which does favour skill. We've had lots of AHLers who skate at around Hagelin's level. We've had few if any who shoot at around Sprong's.

I do feel fairly sure athleticism is the least safe outsized talent though and is often held as the opposite. And that simply having ticks in all the boxes, which is often held up as safe, isn't safe at all without that outsized talent.
Click to expand...

Yeah I mean we are kind of saying the same thing. You typically need to stand out at something in a high end way to make the NHL as a full time player long term. The easiest things to identify when kids are 18 as stand out features are athleticism and skill.

My overall point is that the high upside guys are the high floor guys and safer than the whole “low ceiling high floor” player. Look at Merkeley vs Bittner. Bittner was the big power winger and never saw action. Merkeley was not a good 1st round pick but saw NHL games and was better in the AHL than the 6’4 guy you’d think would have at least a bottom 6 floor. All 3 busted, but Merkeley and Bracco actually ended up having the higher floor than Bittner.

Or at the top of the draft- Jack Hughes vs Kaapo Kakko vs Lafreniere… I would’ve said that Laf/Kakko were higher floor guys back then but why? The way Hughes can skate and carry the puck he would’ve found a role in the league even if he wasn’t a 100 point (or even 50 point) player and probably more valuable than what Laf and Kakko’s worst versions would be.

Basically I’ve started to change my thinking on this and a skilled guy who can move well like Benson is a safer pick than a Yager or Nate Danielson or Honzek IMO, despite getting the “uber skilled small winger” tag.

(I’ll say this, D is a tougher position to apply the same logic to)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Peat

chethejet

Registered User
Feb 4, 2012
8,484
1,874
Pens have zip in young RD but the urgency is not the next couple years. NO more 5-10 170 pound LW's. Make adding younger RD and draft them till the cows come home. Pens have Smith, POJ and Pickering as younger LD. The problem is adding 10 million AAV for the next 4 years limits signing a very good younger RD. So only the draft can add that. I like the center pick last year and has upside to be a number 2 center. Draft RH centers and RD up the kazoo.
 
  • Like
Reactions: The Old Master
The Old Master

The Old Master

come and take it.
Sep 27, 2004
17,598
4,878
burgh
chethejet said:
Pens have zip in young RD but the urgency is not the next couple years. NO more 5-10 170 pound LW's. Make adding younger RD and draft them till the cows come home. Pens have Smith, POJ and Pickering as younger LD. The problem is adding 10 million AAV for the next 4 years limits signing a very good younger RD. So only the draft can add that. I like the center pick last year and has upside to be a number 2 center. Draft RH centers and RD up the kazoo.
Click to expand...
i would not have mind getting one this year, but there was no one close to justify it.
 
Randy Butternubs

Randy Butternubs

Registered User
Mar 15, 2008
29,777
21,311
Morningside
Andy99 said:
It’s hard to take seriously an article about the Pens prospects when you don’t even mention that Hallander is not playing for Pittsburgh anymore lol…

Click to expand...

It's not that bad of an article. Personally I include Hållander in my list but understand why others do not. Though they do erroneously say he's still in North America. They also call Poulin a RW which he hasn't been for some time (since before his Q trade I believe). Pensburgh or whatever site that does the 25 Under 25 also mistakenly called Poulin a RW last summer.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Andy99

chethejet

Registered User
Feb 4, 2012
8,484
1,874
Poulin has to get back into the swing of things. But if he stays at center, he can be that bigger body center 4th line guy. If Accairi can play 3rd line center next year, then DOC, at LW are nice parts of a good 3rd line.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Ad

Latest posts

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

Top Bottom