2013 Expectations & Thoughts

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

You would think Malkin considering he nearly doubled his average goal output playing on his wing. But I'm almost certain the team acquired him with the intention of putting him on a line with Crosby. He'll be fine, either way but the team absolutely needs another scoring option to fill that void that will be on one of the two top lines. Not to mention help make up for the loss of Staal's offensive contributions.

Shouldn't have to make that choice. Shero needs to make finding Sid a linemate a priority. Overpay if need be.

Indeed.

 

[BHD]

Just to pop out another question... Is Neal a winger for Sid or Malkin?

I'd prefer to have him be Malkin's winger.

Shouldn't have to make that choice. Shero needs to make finding Sid a linemate a priority. Overpay if need be.

The defense is a bigger priority IMO.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Just to pop out another question... Is Neal a winger for Sid or Malkin?

How ****** would it be for Geno if we didn't? I probably wouldn't re-sign if I got dicked around for years on the winger front, and when I finally got a good one and won a scoring title and MVP, he gets taken from me the next year.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Well... that's a good point, too.

I loved when Malkin was playing almost entirely with Talbot and Fedotenko and because he wasn't putting up his usual numbers alongside these two he was "washed up" and "lazy."

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Well... that's a good point, too.

I loved when Malkin was playing almost entirely with Talbot and Fedotenko and because he wasn't putting up his usual numbers alongside these two he was "washed up" and "lazy."

To be fair though, Malkin looked really uninspired - it wasn't just linemates. That said, it'd be frustrating as hell trying to make plays with the likes of those two.

Sid needs to take a back seat here in terms of wingers - at least for the time being. For the good of the team. But if we were to acquire a guy like Kulemin...

 

[ColePens]

I wouldn't even be mad if Sid/Geno/Neal went out at least 2-3x a period together. We have solid depth.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I think it's perfectly fair to say he wasn't at the top of his game, regardless. He even admitted himself that while he was rehabbing his knee. But yeah... he was playing with utter slop that year and was nursing an injury all season.

To go back to a previous point -- size /= goonsquad.

I don't know how anyone could reasonably not want a little bit more size on this team, particularly on the back end. I would never, ever advocate bringing in (even more) goons to take up roster spots and not do much with them. And I almost always err on the side of talent over toughness but let's face it, here... this team is a little too small and a little too weak. Even some of our "jam" guys are half-midget-ish and just sort of... there.

I would love to get a couple of guys up front with some size, a willingness to use it to wear down the other team and maybe even some ability mixed in. And yes... I know that's easier said than done. That goes double for the defense... but that pool is so muddied right now that it's almost impossible to get a good read on what to expect.

 

[UnrealMachine]

You'd think that having to two very best players in the league, a winger who was 1st Team All-Star last season, a defenseman in Letang who has been a top 10 (minimum) D-man over the last two seasons, and Vokoun would be enough to consider that team competitive for the Stanley Cup? Kunitz, Dupuis and Sutter certainly round out a (very) nice supporting cast. How many All-Stars do we need to be considered competitive?

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I consider them very much contenders for the Stanley Cup. You'd better be with Crosby, Malkin and to a lesser extent the guys you mentioned on the team.

Hasn't seemed to help them too much the last few years, though. And, personally, I'm not advocating going out and signing "all stars." Though Shero himself seems to think that it might be necessary... considering how hard he went after Parise.

 

[mpp9]

We don't need another all star. But we do need another scoring threat. Preferably a RHS who's still in his prime.

Build around Sid/Geno and they won't let you down in the postseason. Impossible to shut both of them down.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

I have seen the future and can share some of it with you mere mortals.

The Pens will get off to a bad start in the 4 game regular season, with some bad breaks losing 4-3, 5-4, 1-0 and 9-8 in the last 5 seconds of the final game of the season. They will then win the draft lottery and the Ranger and Flyer boards will unite to share a collective aneurysm and call us mean names.

Oh yeah, and Shero will draft a defenseman with every pick of the draft starting with Seth Jones. People will make stupid strade proposals on the trade board, especially regarding the Pens. And i will bash the Pirates as they collapse again for yet another losing season.

 

[Pick87your71Poison]

I have seen the future and can share some of it with you mere mortals.

The Pens will get off to a bad start in the 4 game regular season, with some bad breaks losing 4-3, 5-4, 1-0 and 9-8 in the last 5 seconds of the final game of the season. They will then win the draft lottery and the Ranger and Flyer boards will unite to share a collective aneurysm and call us mean names.

Oh yeah, and Shero will draft a defenseman with every pick of the draft starting with Seth Jones. People will make stupid strade proposals on the trade board, especially regarding the Pens. And i will bash the Pirates as they collapse again for yet another losing season.

So you're saying the Pirates will get off to a decent start then!

 

[ColePens]

Yeah.. i'm all about Seth Jones. Lock that guy up in Pittsburgh.

 

[BeauKnows19]

I think that the pens could easily contend for top team in the east. The key thing for me is having two reliable goalies. Both of our goalies could be starters on other teams, and in a short season that should be key. An early losing streak could easily put a team out of the picture, but with our goalie situation I don't see us having and major problems with a losing streak.

 

[Sutter16]

The Penguins are cup contenders. If Shero makes a couple of moves the Penguins become cup favorites IMO.

 

[Shockmaster]

We don't need another all star. But we do need another scoring threat. Preferably a RHS who's still in his prime.

Build around Sid/Geno and they won't let you down in the postseason. Impossible to shut both of them down.

Unless:

a) Pens forget how to play defense again

b) NHL allows obstruction again

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I think it's perfectly fair to say he wasn't at the top of his game, regardless. He even admitted himself that while he was rehabbing his knee. But yeah... he was playing with utter slop that year and was nursing an injury all season.

To go back to a previous point -- size /= goonsquad.

I don't know how anyone could reasonably not want a little bit more size on this team, particularly on the back end. I would never, ever advocate bringing in (even more) goons to take up roster spots and not do much with them. And I almost always err on the side of talent over toughness but let's face it, here... this team is a little too small and a little too weak. Even some of our "jam" guys are half-midget-ish and just sort of... there.

I would love to get a couple of guys up front with some size, a willingness to use it to wear down the other team and maybe even some ability mixed in. And yes... I know that's easier said than done. That goes double for the defense... but that pool is so muddied right now that it's almost impossible to get a good read on what to expect.

If our small support players actually had a little more skill, I wouldn't be so adamant about size. I mean, Philly isn't all that big up front, but most of their smaller guys can actually create enough offense to make teams pay. Ours can't. Like you say, they're just kind of taking up space.

We could use more "load to handle" guys, one way or another. But I know I'm preaching to the choir here, haha.

 

[#66]

Shouldn't have to make that choice. Shero needs to make finding Sid a linemate a priority. Overpay if need be.

Fully agree and, judging by how hard the Pens went after Parise, I think that Shero knows it.

I'm hoping that the scoring winger is a LWer. With Sid and Malkin always coming down the right side of the ice and Neal being a RWer I think it would just open up the ice that much more if the Pens had some scoring on the left side of the ice.

 

[Shockmaster]

Fully agree and, judging by how hard the Pens went after Parise, I think that Shero knows it.

I'm hoping that the scoring winger is a LWer. With Sid and Malkin always coming down the right side of the ice and Neal being a RWer I think it would just open up the ice that much more if the Pens had some scoring on the left side of the ice.

Regardless of weather a new winger for Sid plays RW or LW, I think he needs to have a right-hand shot. This team already has an abundance of left-hand shots and a right-hand shot would be more beneficial on the power-play.

 

[mpp9]

Fully agree and, judging by how hard the Pens went after Parise, I think that Shero knows it.

I'm hoping that the scoring winger is a LWer. With Sid and Malkin always coming down the right side of the ice and Neal being a RWer I think it would just open up the ice that much more if the Pens had some scoring on the left side of the ice.

A shot threat on the left side in general would be great.

Iginla is the ideal target. He still easily has 3-4 years of elite hockey in him. His one timer would be deadly on our PP.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

A shot threat on the left side in general would be great.

Iginla is the ideal target. He still easily has 3-4 years of elite hockey in him. His one timer would be deadly on our PP.

Have you seen the supposed moronic cost for him on the trade board? I do not object to adding him, but for what he would cost they can keep him for all I care. I am not for mortgaging our future when you have Crosby, and likely Malkin ,for the next decade and a half to build around. You get those parts from within for the most part.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

You get those parts from within for the most part.

Not this team, though.

And please don't say Bennett. That's at least a year away. Probably longer. Who knows? Maybe never.

I appreciate that he's done well (in a very small sample size on an offensively Pejorative Slured team) in the AHL. But Bennett was an understood project when he was drafted, is just getting his feet wet in the pro game and has missed, frankly, quite a bit of developmental time due to injury. None of that has suddenly changed.

There is no "parts from within" to do what mpp3 is describing. But that doesn't mean it isn't a glaring hole. Though I agree Iggy is absolutely a pipe-dream. Especially if the new cap numbers are anything close to accurate.

 

[Fordy]

God I want Iginla on Sid's wing bad.

 

[Darth Vitale]

I will cry tears of pain if Gonchar or Adams is signed again. TK has very little competition for that top 6 role FWIW.

Neither of those guys has anything to do with TK playing above the 3rd line, but I think the vacancy you refer to will be (for this year) addressed with a rental or maybe Jeffrey (who IMO would not underperform vs. Kennedy... TK is not a bad player but is a lousy shot / the wrong person to rely on for offense on a top line). FWIW I am not in favor of bringing Gonchar back; people forget stuff too easily around here. Adams... typical 4th liner. Team performance won't drastically change as long as we can replace his PK skills.

God I want Iginla on Sid's wing bad.

Good luck with that.

 

[vikingGoalie]

My expectation is that we will at least make the ECF this year. Crosby has something to prove this season and if he doesn't get injuried I think he will.

This will also be the first time in a Loooong time that we will have the 2 headed monster going at 100% at the same time. If we get the Crosby/Duper/Kunitz line going that was a terror before Crosby's concussion combined with the Malkin/Neal/ ? line that was a terror last season we will be hard to stop.

Our only real concerns will be that our defense/goalie can do their part. Part of that is system, part personnel. Martin has to be better this year and I think he will be, I'm not a big fan of him, however he did get concussed and he says he played the first 3 games with concussion symptoms. There is a good chance that Orpik has a rebound year.
http://plus.sites.post-gazette.com/index.php/pro-sports/penguins-plus/119376-a-lockout-plus

While Staal is a horse that anyone would miss, I don't think we'll miss him as much as we might think. Staal was supposed to be in a shutdown role, he abandoned that and was a direct contributor of us losing game 1 in OT because of it. Sutter will embrace the 3rd C shutdown role. We need that, and frankly I think we needed that out of Staal more then the points he put up, especially on the PK where he was terri-awful.

To be successful in the playoffs you have to have a shutdown line, and hopefully your fourth line is grinding the puck away in the other teams zone as well.