WBS Penguins 2017-18 Season Thread: Pens out in first round, black aces are up

[WayneSid9987]

Kid is very determined and i can't wait until he's a permanent fixture on the big club. He has the bigger body/longer stick and speed to be more effective defensively than say a Sheary/Jake. If he can hone that part of his game at the pro level he'll be in the top 9 in no time.

 

[WayneSid9987]

What's the deal with ZAR? Zero points so far in 3 games. Did he get hurt? How's he playing?

Every time i've watched him as a pro, he just seems a step behind. I haven't been able to watch any games this season and he's probably still having troubles with the pace. May be a trade piece at this point.

 

[Tender Rip]

Very nice tidings .

Seems like we have the next Guentzel ready for a call-up when needed... as hoped.

No hurry though, let him slaughter the AHL until there's room.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Every time i've watched him as a pro, he just seems a step behind. I haven't been able to watch any games this season and he's probably still having troubles with the pace. May be a trade piece at this point.

That's disappointing to hear considering the hype about him this summer.

 

[Tender Rip]

That's disappointing to hear considering the hype about him this summer.

I think he always had some skating work to do. No reason to fuss about lack of production in 3 games though.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I think he always had some skating work to do. No reason to fuss about lack of production in 3 games though.

Oh, I'm not writing him off or anything. I was just hoping he'd come out like gangbusters this season after an off-season of Pens fans rating him so highly on the prospects depth chart.

Looks like he's more of a long-term project than a guy we can pencil in sometime this or even next season.

 

[FreeBobbyFarnham]

Every time i've watched him as a pro, he just seems a step behind. I haven't been able to watch any games this season and he's probably still having troubles with the pace. May be a trade piece at this point.

It's still early, three games is too small of a sample. I mean he did score 8 pts in 10 games to finish last year, maybe he's just having a slow start. Btw he wasn't a healthy scratch tonight, he had his wisdom teeth removed. So he might come back tomorrow if he's comfortable enough to play.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

I think he always had some skating work to do. No reason to fuss about lack of production in 3 games though.

In the preseason it was more mental speed than his skating imo. His skating could be better but it wasn't the limiting factor then and it's likely he could get away with it if the rest was better. I don't think it's time to panic but people jumped the gun with him. It wasn't all bad but expectations probably need to be dialled back because they were damn lofty.

I wouldn't be surprised if struggling threw him through a loop that he has to work out of.

 

[shureshot66]

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

Sprong shouldn't spend more than say another month in the AHL, but him starting the year in the AHL really isn't a negative in any way. Worst case scenario is that he tears apart a league he's clearly overqualified for.

I mean, he's kind of already spent the past two years doing that. I'd like to see him do something different.

That said, I'm pretty happy to have him coached by guys who are paid to develop NHLers and playing against men. I figure those changes mean he might actually learn something this year.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Sprong’s assist on the play gave him three points for the second consecutive game. But Sprong’s offense isn’t the only thing that’s clicking right now.

“We know he can score goals, but it’s his situational awareness away from the puck. He’s really working on his whole game,” Donatelli said. “The offense is going to take care of itself with him.”

http://www.timesleader.com/sports/6...ropels-the-wbs-penguins-to-a-6-5-overtime-win

 

[Honour Over Glory]

That's disappointing to hear considering the hype about him this summer.

I'd be patient. Not everyone just flies out of the gate like Sprong and Guentzel. ZAR likely just needs more time is all, this is his full proper season and so far in his AHL career he has played 13 games and put up 8pts, 0 so far in 3, but it's 3 freaking games.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

http://www.timesleader.com/sports/6...ropels-the-wbs-penguins-to-a-6-5-overtime-win

I feel like another multi-point game and he's a guy JR/Sully look to call up if there is even a whiff of an injury to a forward.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

So here is the issue with getting Sprong in the current lineup - finding another guy of the current group that can PK, so Kuhn is pushed to the bench, and someone like Hags can slide down to the fourth line.

I.e.

Sheary Crosby Hornqvist
Guentzel Malkin Kessel
Rust Keg Sprong
Hagelin Rowney Reaves

That leaves PK guys as Rust, Hags, Keg and Rowney. You need one more PK guy to be on the safe side...

 

[AjaxTelamon]

So here is the issue with getting Sprong in the current lineup - finding another guy of the current group that can PK, so Kuhn is pushed to the bench, and someone like Hags can slide down to the fourth line.

I.e.

Sheary Crosby Hornqvist
Guentzel Malkin Kessel
Rust Keg Sprong
Hagelin Rowney Reaves

That leaves PK guys as Rust, Hags, Keg and Rowney. You need one more PK guy to be on the safe side...

And I'm not sure how much confidence they have in McKegg [to PK]. I'd look for us to bring in an ace defensive 3C later in the year and be able to bring up Sprong then, and maybe move Reaves to a healthy scratch and slide Rowney to 4th line RW in the playoffs. Only other choice is to have Sid as your 5th PK guy at that point.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

And I'm not sure how much confidence they have in McKegg [to PK]. I'd look for us to bring in an ace defensive 3C later in the year and be able to bring up Sprong then, and maybe move Reaves to a healthy scratch and slide Rowney to 4th line RW in the playoffs. Only other choice is to have Sid as your 5th PK guy at that point.

I'm not opposed to Reaves sitting some games, but it doesn't seem like a seamless solution because it defeats the purpose of his acquisition if he doesn't play 60+ games.

Their third and fourth pivots have to be good PK guys, then guys like Hornqvist or Sheary may have to be given PK duties... not sure how else it can be done. Then you have:

Hags
Rust
Third pivot
Fourth pivot
Sheary/Hornqvist

The other solution is to let Reaves try to kill penalties and see how it goes. Sullivan has to start trusting Reaves more. He was a very solid defender for the Blues that was trusted in key situations at the end of games. He's not some Neanderthal skating around with a club.

 

[Andy99]

I feel like another multi-point game and he's a guy JR/Sully look to call up if there is even a whiff of an injury to a forward.

JR should just "accidentally" step on Sheary's foot hard during practice.....

 

[chethejet]

Pens will continue to move from the vets as they let Kunitz, Hainsey, MAF, didn't go after Bonino. Crosby and Malkin will need to have a top 6 that is talented and are finishers. Sprong, Jake, fit that description. No question the swing player here is Kessel. His salary is very attractive in two years. He will be traded for cap and room purposes. Reese is a third line winger who offers physical play and grit. He fills that role basically. If GMJR can bring in that 3rd line center who can play up as needed and balance out the lines, then things look very good.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

JR should just "accidentally" step on Sheary's foot hard during practice.....

Sheary's a mixed bag out there, but the kid is 2nd on our team in goals right now. Not somebody I want to wish injury on just so Sprong can get a chance.

We're the Pens...you won't have to wait long for a legitimate injury. Trust me.

 

[Andy99]

Sheary's a mixed bag out there, but the kid is 2nd on our team in goals right now. Not somebody I want to wish injury on just so Sprong can get a chance.

We're the Pens...you won't have to wait long for a legitimate injury. Trust me.

Nothing against Sheary. I like him. But if you had to replace one wing right now that wasn't playing on the fourth line so that Sprong could play, it would be him. He's really not a better defensive forward than Hags and Rust and his offense "could" be replaced by Sprong. I'm wishing good health for the team...don't want to jinx them

 

[Empoleon8771]

You could also just play Hagelin on the 4th line and play Sprong in the top-6. It's not exactly rocket science:

Guentzel-Crosby-Sprong
Rust-Malkin-Kessel
Sheary-3C-Hornqvist
Hagelin-McKegg-Reaves

You don't need to trade any winger the Penguins currently have, I don't know why people are trying to force a Sheary trade so much.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Nothing against Sheary. I like him. But if you had to replace one wing right now that wasn't playing on the fourth line so that Sprong could play, it would be him. He's really not a better defensive forward than Hags and Rust and his offense "could" be replaced by Sprong. I'm wishing good health for the team...don't want to jinx them

Right...could. But that's a pretty high bare minimum bar to clear to make it worth replacing him.

Just try to appreciate that we're in the very fortunate position of having too many good wing options to justify waiving one just to make room for a dynamic young winger who's started doing a great job of proving that he's too good for that league.

 

[Shaffer]

Keep our depth and just send picks for Sheahan/Karlsson

 

[Andy99]

You could also just play Hagelin on the 4th line and play Sprong in the top-6. It's not exactly rocket science:

Guentzel-Crosby-Sprong
Rust-Malkin-Kessel
Sheary-3C-Hornqvist
Hagelin-McKegg-Reaves

You don't need to trade any winger the Penguins currently have, I don't know why people are trying to force a Sheary trade so much.

I did not say or intimate trading Sheary to bring Sprong up. You could scratch him. Your lineup presumes we have a 3C, and I'm guessing it will look something like that if we do bring one in (although I think the RWs will be shuffled differently).
But in the meantime we don't have one, and Sully is not going to put Hags on the fourth line, where what he does well will be wasted because there are no offensive finishers to take advantage of the space he makes for players. So since Sully appears to want to leave Kuhn on the fourth line, someone would have to be scratched if we bring Sprong up (assuming Archi is waived). It's likely going to be Sheary IMO because Hags and Rust's defense and PK will be needed

 

[FreeBobbyFarnham]

Gage Quinney with another goal. He has now scored in 3 straight games (He has only played 3 games).

Edit: ZAR is back in the lineup.