Post-Game Talk: The Pre-Season Review Thread; Ft. Chris Earneditz

[Vujtek]

All rosters have to be cut to 23 max/cap compliant by Monday.

By 5PM Tuesday.

 

[WayneSid9987]

By 5PM Tuesday.

I stand corrected.

 

[Vujtek]

I stand corrected.
Thought it was Monday.
I assumed the guys that need to clear waivers have to be cut Monday at noon.

Already edited my post, but it's 5PM, not midnight as I originally posted.

And yes, the ones needing waivers, have to be placed on waivers on Monday, so that they clear them before the deadline on Tuesday and can be assigned to AHL.

 

[Ugene Magic]

I don't think I'll read into the pre-season that saw most flip flopping around game to game where you saw teams "A" team beat teams "C" roster other then those who stood out as youngsters.

Plotnikov, Sprong and Bennett at forward.



The only true underwhelming player that we all thought was a foregone conclusion to do well this year was Pouliot. He stood out for the wrong reasons.


Everyone else were a mixed bag. Highs and lows.

How the scheduling and roster make up throughout the pre-season that should be preparing mostly for the regular season was such a blender is only making the first few regular games the real pre-season instead.

After game 4 they should have been preparing with the roster at 90%.

The only thing in real question was the defense corps.

So, if the team is not exactly looking sharp, that should explain things.

 

[vodeni]

I am going on the record here and say that unless Pens get rid of MJ and RT no later than midseason Pens will not make playoff this year.

 

[JTG]

Sprong has the exact same look guys like Giroux and Gagne had when they were his age. Guys who were not necessarily ready to be in the NHL, but sure as **** ready enough. Going back to the Q would serve Daniel Sprong absolutely no good because it's just really not great hockey that translates to the NHL. I'd be much more open to sending Sprong back if he were playing in the WHL or the OHL under a great hockey coach.

I could tell Sprong was an NHL'er from the first time I saw him. His ability to feel the game is on a level not many guys on this team have. Supremely intelligent hockey player. I think he's more than big and physical enough to hold up to men, and his effort has always been there. The dude wants to be an NHL. He completely craves it, and you can tell every time he's out there. He's not out there to pass a shift. Every single time he's out there, he's taking the puck to the net. I love watching him.

 

[JTG]

This preseason has been disappointing because some guys really under achieved, and the rumors swirling around guys like Bennett and Perron are ridiculous.

The play of Murray, Sprong, Plotnikov, and Sundqvist makes me feel really, really good. I think all 4 guys have the potential and ability to play really huge roles for us sooner rather than later, and save us a bunch of money, to boot.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

Not to mention Jean-Sebastien Dea, who has really stepped up this training camp and is now definitely on the prospect radar imo.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I don't expect the D to blow at all unless they have a long term injury to any of Letang, Maatta, Cole or Dumo. We have the pieces and parts to make up a reasonable 3rd pairing (I'm glad Oleksy made it through waivers, though i expected he would). If we do sustain a big injury, we'll need to make a move or hope Pouliot has come around enough to give us some games. Not to mention we've got Fleury and a very legit looking tender pushing him in Murray.

In any case, if our #1 or #2D go down in the post season, we're as screwed as most other contenders would be.

Not sure why everyone is willing to write our defense off based on watching guys who won't be on it this year.

I don't think the Pens will be "bottom 5" like HF main boards seem to believe, but I do think there are legitimate and worrisome concerns after the top pairing.

Teams can usually get by insulating their bottom pairing -- Chicago did that all the way to a Cup win. But not many teams can get by having to insulate their second pairing as well.

-----

On the topic of the thread, biggest pre-season positive for me is the play of Daniel Sprong. Hopefully he can be the Pens' version of Brandon Saad (ie. a top ten talent who slipped to round two for a variety of reasons, who then became a legit top six winger at the NHL level).

 

[TheGoldenJet]

Preseason review thread, featuring Chris Earnitz and Sergei Plotnokompetitionov, our two LWs by default.

 

[MMC]

How was Tim Erixon?

 

[Asuna]

How was Tim Erixon?

Hurt. Only played in two games I think.

 

[MMC]

Hurt. Only played in two games I think.

He was hurt and healthy now or he is hurt right now? How was he in the 2 games he played?

 

[Asuna]

He was hurt and healthy now or he is hurt right now? How was he in the 2 games he played?

Well he was playing, so I assume he's relatively healthy now.

Not that good...but it was only two games, and he was trying to get back in the rhythm of things. I'd like to see what the Penguins have him in him, but they're too busy playing Lovejoy/Scuderi so, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[WayneSid9987]

Erixon isn't injured and he was pretty meh really.
Could easily make a case for Warsofsky or Oleksy grabbing a spot over him.
I would've went with Oleksy but they can always bring him back up now.
Perhaps they wanted to really see what they have in the bigger body of Erixon.

 

[IcedCapp]

He was hurt and healthy now or he is hurt right now? How was he in the 2 games he played?

you have to understand that most of the fringe guys got a lot of time with Gonchar and/or Scuderi, who are barely alive at this point, so it really muddies the waters.

 

[plaidchuck]

The penguin.development program, "if you can't come here straight out of juniors then go **** yourself"

 

[Shrimper]

What happens with Sprong if Bennett gets injured or he out-performs him drastically in those 9 games?

 

[WayneSid9987]

What happens with Sprong if Bennett gets injured or he out-performs him drastically in those 9 games?

Tough to say.
If they already plan on dealing a winger AND Bennett goes down, one would think they'd seriously consider keeping him up.

Same thing if he flat out looks better than what we already have. Again with the plan to trade a winger at some point.

 

[SEALBound]

The penguin.development program, "if you can't come here straight out of juniors then go **** yourself"

I want to counter-argue...but...can't.

 

[steveg]

The penguin.development program, "if you can't come here straight out of juniors then go **** yourself"

Sadly, that doesn't seem to be too far off the mark...

 

[Speaking Moistly]

I want to counter-argue...but...can't.

It's incredibly accurate... I guess they don't hate Pouliot yet? So there's that, but that could be because he started strong with a nice narrative. I guess Dumoulin didn't get horribly screwed over, yet? But he's a trade and college player. They seem patient enough with Murray? But again he has a good media narrative going. "Don't make us look like geniuses? **** off."

Can Detroit handle our drafting and developing?

 

[Zen Arcade]

Not to mention Jean-Sebastien Dea, who has really stepped up this training camp and is now definitely on the prospect radar imo.

Dea improved dramatically from last season, he doesn't even look like the same player.

Hopefully Sullivan can work on getting him more comfortable playing wing.