Confirmed with Link: Brian Dumoulin Re-Signs (2 years/800K AAV)

[Sidney the Kidney]

The assumption that Pouliot's a default option for the 2nd pairing is what confuses me. He's heading into his fist full year, and he was rough around the edges last year with fewer minutes than Cole, who was very solid for us with big minutes in the playoffs.

I think the Maatta/Letang pairing people have in their heads makes them believe they need a better offensive option on the 2nd pairing. If we simply split those two up, things get a lot easier (can Cole play both sides?).

Cole - Letang
Maatta - Lovejoy
Pouliot - Dumo
Scuds

Silly RRP, thinking Scuderi would ever be the 7th guy on the depth chart.

 

[AgentM]

Can Cole play on the left side?

 

[IcedCapp]

well, JR said Dumoulin would be in the top-6. I mean, from there, there's only so many options.

Letang will be there. Maatta will be there. Cole will be there. If Dumoulin is there, that leaves Pouliot, Lovejoy, and Scuderi fighting for two spots. Add Erixon, I guess.

I'm pretty sure the writing remains on the wall for Scuderi, it's just a matter of waiting the market out.

 

[Boocock]

Can Cole play on the left side?

I'd assume so. I mean, he's a lefty.

 

[cygnus47]

well, JR said Dumoulin would be in the top-6. I mean, from there, there's only so many options.

Letang will be there. Maatta will be there. Cole will be there. If Dumoulin is there, that leaves Pouliot, Lovejoy, and Scuderi fighting for two spots. Add Erixon, I guess.

I'm pretty sure the writing remains on the wall for Scuderi, it's just a matter of waiting the market out.

We can hope. It's a shame we don't still have Despres or Ehrhoff.

 

[IcedCapp]

We can hope. It's a shame we don't still have Despres or Ehrhoff.

Simon would probably be in Toronto right now if not for the Lovejoy trade

 

[Deutschland Dangler]

Letang will be there. Maatta will be there. Cole will be there. If Dumoulin is there, that leaves Pouliot, Lovejoy, and Scuderi fighting for two spots. Add Erixon, I guess.

Sixteen. That was the magic number last year.
It's nice to make lines/pairs assuming there will be no injuries but we should know better by now.

 

[IcedCapp]

Sixteen. That was the magic number last year.
It's nice to make lines/pairs assuming there will be no injuries but we should know better by now.

Sure, but I really doubt they are going to pay Robbie 3+ million to sit in the press box when they're healthy.

 

[Deutschland Dangler]

Sure, but I really doubt they are going to pay Robbie 3+ million to sit in the press box when they're healthy.

I hope they don't.
Either way, Dumo won't sit in the press box for long.

 

[GabeTravels]

Was kinda hoping you guys wouldn't resign him.

He's from my hometown and it's not easy rooting for Pittsburgh.

 

[Penguinator]

Was kinda hoping you guys wouldn't resign him.

He's from my hometown and it's not easy rooting for Pittsburgh.

Hey, **** happens.

 

[AjaxTelamon]

Can Cole play on the left side?

Cole said when he came over that he could play both sides, but he played all his games in St. Louis last year on the right, and played all his games with the Pens on the right. And since the next Pens D man in the pipeline who can play right D is Ruopp, Cole's going to be there again.

And Dumo and Poo have not had much if any experience on the right. In fact, Taylor Chorney was played over DP this last playoffs because he could play on the right.

Scuds can and should be the odd man out. He can only play the left, so he's competing with the other 3 lefties, not to mention Erixon and Anderson.

If the jobs are truly up for grabs in camp, then no way Scuds come out of camp in the top 6.

 

[TheStatican]

Simon would probably be in Toronto right now if not for the Lovejoy trade

Exactly. We all know they weren't enamored with Despres, he was gone either way. I'm sure Toronto would of much rather had him than Harrington. With Pouliot being untouchable, indeed chances are really good Simon would be in Toronto instead.

It was a horrible trade but people really need to get over it. Harrington still being on the roster wouldn't change much, he's not a solid second pair guy at this point. He might of had some value in a trade later on, though how much is debatable. He wasn't the key guy in the Kessel giveaway, err I mean trade. If the trade last year had been Harrington for Lovejoy I doubt people would be raging as much.

 

[Saints11]

Unless DP improves on his defensive zone play, I am very concerned playing him in a Top 4 role. If you assume that the top pair is Letang and Maatta; I am more comfortable with Cole and Dumoulin than with Cole and Pouliot or Cole and Lovejoy. I assume rumors maybe true that the Pens are looking to move Scuds and Lovejoy; but that would then involve bringing in another veteran option, because I can't see them being comfortable with Erixon and Anderson as 6-7 options.

 

[Son Goku]

Cole said when he came over that he could play both sides, but he played all his games in St. Louis last year on the right, and played all his games with the Pens on the right. And since the next Pens D man in the pipeline who can play right D is Ruopp, Cole's going to be there again.

And Dumo and Poo have not had much if any experience on the right. In fact, Taylor Chorney was played over DP this last playoffs because he could play on the right.

Scuds can and should be the odd man out. He can only play the left, so he's competing with the other 3 lefties, not to mention Erixon and Anderson.

If the jobs are truly up for grabs in camp, then no way Scuds come out of camp in the top 6.

To be fair Chorney looked pretty damn good

 

[NatureBoy]

Very good deal, now he needs to play. He could play with Cole, they will maybe be the 2nd pair. And I still believe, that Scuderi will play with Pouliot on the 3rd pair. I would sit Lovejoy most of the time, but we all know that there will be injuries. Erixson is No. 8 on my depth chart, he will see some playing time as well.

 

[#66]

It seems like it takes 10 legit defensemen to get through a season. All of these guys will have their value at one point or another.

In the past, the Pens have given way to much slack to vets. Kids on D is a good thing IMO. Coach them, give them direction and let structure take over.

I would rather worry about winning than grooming kids at the NHL level but I think defensively the quality and ability is there to do it.

 

[#1GuinFan]

To be fair Chorney looked pretty damn good

He did which was a real nice surprise and he got a deserving contract as a result, but DP was also injured so Chorney was getting played over him regardless.

 

[IcedCapp]

Exactly. We all know they weren't enamored with Despres, he was gone either way. I'm sure Toronto would of much rather had him than Harrington. With Pouliot being untouchable, indeed chances are really good Simon would be in Toronto instead.

It was a horrible trade but people really need to get over it. Harrington still being on the roster wouldn't change much, he's not a solid second pair guy at this point. He might of had some value in a trade later on, though how much is debatable. He wasn't the key guy in the Kessel giveaway, err I mean trade. If the trade last year had been Harrington for Lovejoy I doubt people would be raging as much.

So, so close.

 

[kmillzy5]

Okay so I'm confused.

Rutherford said Dumoulin "should be in our top 6".

Letang
Maatta
Pouliot
Cole
Lovejoy
Scuderi
Dumoulin
Erixon


somethings gotta give?

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Silly RRP, thinking Scuderi would ever be the 7th guy on the depth chart.

I don't know if it's more sad or funny that the obvious best move for the defense gets laughed off the board for being so unlikely, haha.

 

[Penguinator]

Okay so I'm confused.

Rutherford said Dumoulin "should be in our top 6".

Letang
Maatta
Pouliot
Cole
Lovejoy
Scuderi
Dumoulin
Erixon


somethings gotta give?

Yes, indeed, like totes, you're right.

Patience.

 

[WVP]

I don't know if it's more sad or funny that the obvious best move for the defense gets laughed off the board for being so unlikely, haha.

Definitely sad.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I don't know if it's more sad or funny that the obvious best move for the defense gets laughed off the board for being so unlikely, haha.

It's what happens when you cheer for a team whose management/coaching staff has played useless veterans ahead of promising youngsters for years, even when it's blatantly obvious it's not working.

I mean, our esteemed coach still sees Kunitz and Dupuis as legitimate top six options, despite the fact we've just added Phil Kessel to a stable of forwards that include Perron, Hornqvist, and Bennett (plus the newly signed Plotnikov). So it's only natural to expect this same coach to do the dumbest thing possible with regards to playing Scuderi.

 

[Headshot77]

Poking around on HockeysCap, I realized the Pens now have 6 defensemen on one-way contracts, plus Maatta and Pouliot:
Letang, Cole, Dumoulin, Lovejoy, Scuderi and Erixon (the Leafs signed him to a one-way deal not all that long before he was a part of the Kessel trade).

Given that Rutherford was willing and able to send Zatkoff down despite being on a one-way deal, I'm not sure it will mean all that much, but it's still interesting. I can only hope it will mean that they'll find a way to unload Scuderi, though... (yeah, yeah, I know, it's unlikely, but I can keep dreaming, at least for now!)

If you buy out Scuderi we can run this just fine:
Maatta-Letang
Pouliot-Lovejoy
Cole-Dumolin
Erixon