2014 Camp Thread - Part I | "If you can take Adams' job, we'll give it to you."

[ColePens]

Let's move from FA to camp talk. Go!

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[Ogrezilla]

My biggest hope for camp is that Johnston doesn't put too much stock in past chemistry and whatnot and comes in with a relatively blank slate approach to putting together the roster and lines.

 

[ColePens]

I agree completely. I want to see a new direction of this team. I know we are still missing some top 6 power, but hey... I just want to see new chemistry formed.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I agree completely. I want to see a new direction of this team. I know we are still missing some top 6 power, but hey... I just want to see new chemistry formed.

even if he ends up landing on what we have used in the past, I want to know that other setups are an option for him.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

kill KCD, kill it with fire!

 

[Ogrezilla]

kill KCD, kill it with fire!

Serious question. If Dupuis comes back at the same level he was pre-injury (I know its unlikely) do you think we have 4 wings who are for sure better than Dupuis in a top 6 role? I know that's not the same thing that you are saying, but I'm just curious. Not just from you.

 

[member 51464]

ColePens, can you put the dates of camp in the title please?

 

[Waffle Fries]

Serious question. If Dupuis comes back at the same level he was pre-injury (I know its unlikely) do you think we have 4 wings who are for sure better than Dupuis in a top 6 role?

Well that depends, are we talking about how he was playing last year when even Bylsma had to demote him or the year before?

Regardless of if we have four wings who are for sure better than Dupuis in the top six, we can create enough combinations that we could find one or two that works better than KCD.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I still don't think we are going to have 6 guys getting typical top 6 minutes. I think we will have 4 guys getting top 6 minutes, and 4 guys getting a mix of 3rd line and top 6 minutes. Make that 5 possibly getting tweener minutes. I think Dupuis, Spaling, Downie and Bennett will rotate throughout the top 9 for a while; hopefully with Bennett cementing himself pretty quickly into a top 6 spot. I also think Sutter could see some 2nd line duty with Johnston making more use of a Sid-Geno combination than Disco did.

Megna is the wild-card. I hope he's the 3rd forward on the 4th line because I think he can rotate up the line-up too. There are times when his speed would be a great asset on pretty much any of our lines.

 

[Sidney BrOSSby*]

kill KCD, kill it with fire!

They need one of those tracker things for Dupuis.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Well that depends, are we talking about how he was playing last year when even Bylsma had to demote him or the year before?

Either one. I'm not positive about either because his best competition is Downie also had a down year last year. Spaling I simply don't know enough about to have any idea. I don't have any expectations of him being a top 6 forward though. Is Megna a wild-card to at least get in the rotation or do you think he has no shot?

Regardless of if we have four wings who are for sure better than Dupuis in the top six, we can create enough combinations that we could find one or two that works better than KCD.

This I agree with. I like Dupuis with either of Hornqvist or Bennett more than I like him with Kunitz. Assuming he can skill skate, Dupuis adds a nice element of speed to a line with either of those two while they provide skill or a net presence. Kunitz and Dupuis do basically the same things out there, only Kunitz is better at just about all of them.

 

[mikethelegacy]

Anyone know if the prospect camp games are televised anywhere. I'm sure they arent on tv but any internet streams?

 

[Sutter16]

Serious question. If Dupuis comes back at the same level he was pre-injury (I know its unlikely) do you think we have 4 wings who are for sure better than Dupuis in a top 6 role? I know that's not the same thing that you are saying, but I'm just curious. Not just from you.

The potential is there for us to have 4 wings better than Duper. Kunitz and Hornqvist are obviously better. Bennett, if he stays healthy is a much better fit in the top 6. Maybe Kapanen really impresses in camp or a 9 game tryout and steals a spot. Or Downie plays like he did under Tochett in Tampa. Time will tell but the potential is there.

 

[Ogrezilla]

The potential is there for us to have 4 wings better than Duper. Kunitz and Hornqvist are obviously better. Bennett, if he stays healthy is a much better fit in the top 6. Maybe Kapanen really impresses in camp or a 9 game tryout and steals a spot. Or Downie plays like he did under Tochett in Tampa. Time will tell but the potential is there.

Oh ya there is certainly potential for it. But I certainly think Dupuis should be a part of the competition for one of those spots heading into camp. And if he doesn't get it, I hope its because someone else legitimately earns it and not because Dupuis is simply too effected by his injury to be as effective as he used to be.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

Serious question. If Dupuis comes back at the same level he was pre-injury (I know its unlikely) do you think we have 4 wings who are for sure better than Dupuis in a top 6 role? I know that's not the same thing that you are saying, but I'm just curious. Not just from you.

We clearly have 3 better than Duper, Downie is debatable. However, better in a vacuum doesn't mean much. Duper may be better than Downie, but is he a better fit on one of the top 2 lines? It's not a video game where you just put the 6 best players in the top 6 (not saying that's what you're arguing).

Plus, IMO, Duper and Sutter can be 2/3 of one of the better 3rd lines in the league. Having Duper on the 3rd line makes us a better team as it spreads out the scoring and takes some pressure off Sid/Geno.

 

[mpp9]

One of the main reasons I'd like to see Downie get shifts with Sid (aside from the obvious) is that when healthy, he's one of the best wall players in the league. He opens up a ton of room for his center by winning battles and going straight to the net.

Dupuis having a ****ed up knee is more likely to hold him back than Downie correcting an inner ear issue.

 

[penguins2946*]

I'm hoping that one of our F prospects (like Zoblin, Kapanen or Archibald) has a good showing at camp this year and they make the team. I'd rather have any of those 3 in the top-6 than the players on the NHL roster.

 

[wej20]

Anyone know if the prospect camp games are televised anywhere. I'm sure they arent on tv but any internet streams?

I think they are on TV in Canada (lucky Canadians ) I don't think there will be streams unless you want to pay on hockeystreams.com. Supposedly there was a free stream for the Leafs v Hawks game so maybe we'll be lucky for the Leafs v Pens game on Tuesday.

 

[Ogrezilla]

We clearly have 3 better than Duper, Downie is debatable. However, better in a vacuum doesn't mean much. Duper may be better than Downie, but is he a better fit on one of the top 2 lines? It's not a video game where you just put the 6 best players in the top 6 (not saying that's what you're arguing).

Plus, IMO, Duper and Sutter can be 2/3 of one of the better 3rd lines in the league. Having Duper on the 3rd line makes us a better team as it spreads out the scoring and takes some pressure off Sid/Geno.

Whoever our 4th best winger turns out to be, do you think he is going to be good enough to play effective top 6 minutes day in and day out? I think a rotation is going to be the way to go with these guys.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I'm hoping that one of our F prospects (like Zoblin, Kapanen or Archibald) has a good showing at camp this year and they make the team. I'd rather have any of those 3 in the top-6 than the players on the NHL roster.

The odds of any of those guys being more effective than Dupuis or Downie seems really low to me. If you are looking for a wildcard, I think Megna is the best bet.

 

[member 51464]

Here is the scoop:

http://www.pensburgh.com/2014/9/10/6132741/2014-pittsburgh-penguins-training-camp

Training Camp begins with the usual intake day, meetings and physical testing on Thursday September 18, followed by the first on-ice practice on Friday September 19. They announced that practice on Saturday September 20 at 9am will be free and open to the public, in case anybody is interested in watching the players skate around

 

[billybudd]

Serious question. If Dupuis comes back at the same level he was pre-injury (I know its unlikely) do you think we have 4 wings who are for sure better than Dupuis in a top 6 role? I know that's not the same thing that you are saying, but I'm just curious. Not just from you.

No.

Rutherford made a series of gambles this summer, both explicitly (Downie, Hornqvist, Carcillo) and implicitly (retaining Dupuis, Bennett, Sutter). Every one of these guys, except Hornqvist and Sutter, carries a medium to high degree of risk.

Downie could have been struggling due to deafness or he could have just taken one too many hits to the head and suck now.

Dupuis might not have the leg strength to play 'his' game. Or he might be fine.

Bennett has the look of a top six player. But he also flunked his first extended audition miserably and keeps getting hurt.

The nature of gambling is that you don't win every bet. There's certainly no "guarantee" that we have 4 wings better than Pascal, even coming off a gruesome injury. I like what Rutherford has done, but I'm prepared for some of it to not work out.

 

[Uemoda]

The odds of any of those guys being more effective than Dupuis or Downie seems really low to me. If you are looking for a wildcard, I think Megna is the best bet.

Megna's a beast. I tend to agree, but those guys are still a possibility. Especially with how Zlobin has picked it up and the crazy potential of Kapanen.

It'll be really nice to see some young kids battling it out this year.

 

[penguins2946*]

The odds of any of those guys being more effective than Dupuis or Downie seems really low to me. If you are looking for a wildcard, I think Megna is the best bet.

I think you saying the chances for that seems very low is an overstatement. It's almost guaranteed that none of them make the team (except for Kapanen). I wouldn't mind Megna to get a shot there though.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I really hope Kapanen makes the team on merit, but I think if he does it will be based on desperation. I don't want to see that. I'd rather give Megna a shot at that point.