Speculation: Brooks Orpik

[Le Magnifique 66]

I'd deal him by the deadline to be honest, I think a think would overpay for his services pretty much like we did last year with Murray. If Shero doesn't have intentions of bringing him back then he should move him

 

[Jag68Sid87]

Pithy posters can point to Kunitz/Dupuis for players Shero’s held on to, but he’s also let the likes of Gonchar and Cooke go for not wanting to pay them year too long.

Gonchar was offensive-minded, and Cooke embarrassed the organization. Those were easy decisions to let them go. They view Orpik in MUCH HIGHER regard, I think it's safe to assume.

I'd deal him by the deadline to be honest, I think a think would overpay for his services pretty much like we did last year with Murray. If Shero doesn't have intentions of bringing him back then he should move him

When has Shero ever done anything like this, though? We've been asking for it for years.

 

[Shockmaster]

I'd deal him by the deadline to be honest, I think a think would overpay for his services pretty much like we did last year with Murray. If Shero doesn't have intentions of bringing him back then he should move him

And go with a Martin-Niskanen pairing for the playoffs? No thanks. Orpik is here to stay for the rest of the year. After that though, it would probably best if he and the Penguins parted ways.

 

[Smacker]

I don't get it why we should trade Orpik? He's a good player and we need him for a playoff run this year.

Martin-Niskanen in the playoffs. No. No thanks.

 

[Shady Machine]

And go with a Martin-Niskanen pairing for the playoffs? No thanks. Orpik is here to stay for the rest of the year. After that though, it would probably best if he and the Penguins parted ways.

Agreed. Trading Orpik during the year really doesn't make any sense. There is no way this team would promote Maatta or Despres and frankly, I'm not sure I would be ready ti give either the role during a stretch run to the playoffs. Start fresh next year with one of them in the top 4.

 

[Common Sense]

5 year extension at $3.85M per. That seems to be the going rate on locking up regressing, non core players until their late 30's.

 

[mpp9]

It'd be Despres/Martin in the playoffs. At least that'd be my angle if I'm Shero. Send Despres down to work on his defensive game and use him in a shutdown role for a vast majority of his minutes. If he's looking ready to take on a major role mid-season, assess your options.

 

[Shady Machine]

It'd be Despres/Martin in the playoffs. At least that'd be my angle if I'm Shero. Send Despres down to work on his defensive game and use him in a shutdown role for a vast majority of his minutes. If he's looking ready to take on a major role mid-season, assess your options.

That's fine but I'd really like to see him in the NHL for 10 games before making that type of decision. It's far easier to trade Niskanen if we are trying to win the Cup. Unless of course an Orpik trade fills a bigger hole on the team.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

It'd be Despres/Martin in the playoffs. At least that'd be my angle if I'm Shero. Send Despres down to work on his defensive game and use him in a shutdown role for a vast majority of his minutes. If he's looking ready to take on a major role mid-season, assess your options.

Yeah. And let's not pretend that Martin isn't Orpik's babysitter, so he can also play that role for Despres. It's not like Despres is being thrown to the wolves and solely responsible for everything, there's a certain amount of wiggle room.

Scuderi has got to factor in as well, though. Depending on when he comes back and how he looks.

The sad thing with Orpik is how he looks compared to Scuderi and Martin, it just shows how badly he has aged and is aging.

 

[mpp9]

That's fine but I'd really like to see him in the NHL for 10 games before making that type of decision. It's far easier to trade Niskanen if we are trying to win the Cup. Unless of course an Orpik trade fills a bigger hole on the team.

An Orpik trade would fill a hole on this team longterm. If Shero is as good a trading GM as we're led to believe. Many many teams would be looking to add a guy like him.

As for Despres, I can't blame Shero for keeping Nisky until we're healthy on defense. But I don't see the need for Despres to prove himself again at the NHL level. We all know he's a stud. He just needed to get the hiccups out of his game. LA traded JJ and called up Voynov with him having not a single NHL game under his belt. And won the Cup the same year.

Letang, Scuds and Martin is quite a supporting cast. With a rotation of Nisky/Maatta/Bort capable of playing quality minutes.

 

[Shady Machine]

An Orpik trade would fill a hole on this team longterm. If Shero is as good a trading GM as we're led to believe. Many many teams would be looking to add a guy like him.

As for Despres, I can't blame Shero for keeping Nisky until we're healthy on defense. But I don't see the need for Despres to prove himself again at the NHL level. We all know he's a stud. He just needed to get the hiccups out of his game. LA traded JJ and called up Voynov with him having not a single NHL game under his belt. And won the Cup the same year.

Letang, Scuds and Martin is quite a supporting cast. With a rotation of Nisky/Maatta/Bort capable of playing quality minutes.

If we are getting an actual long term solution up front, sign me up.

 

[billybudd]

The last time, he was practically a Shark or Ranger, then Sid and the Famiglia called and convinced him to stay.

I seriously doubt he's going anywhere. Depp is just depp to this regime, we don't draft guys to replace veterans (necessarily).

Eh.

I think when there's an apples to apples guy in the system, they'll cut the cord with an established player. Once it looked like Letang could move the puck as well (better, actually), Shero had no qualms about showing Ryan Whitney the door.

My understanding is, minus the open-ice hits, Dumoulin is a very similar player to Orpik and by most accounts he's ready for a roster spot right now (though maybe not a top 4 role).

Frankly, I think it's more likely Shero resigns Niskanen (and wouldn't the board blow up if that happened) than Orpik, though I don't really think either will happen.

Guess we'll find out in 8 months

 

[wgknestrick]

Orpik is allowing the most goals against per min of any D man so far this year. He is averaging a goal against / 20min = 1 goal against per game.

http://stats.hockeyanalysis.com/rat...50&teamid=24&type=goals&sort=A20&sortdir=DESC

Orpik is allowing the highest shooting % of all D while he's out on the ice.

http://stats.hockeyanalysis.com/rat...teamid=24&type=shots&sort=ShPctA&sortdir=DESC

What role is he supposedly filling at his 3.5mil / year cap hit that makes us "have" to resign him to be basically our worst D man? We all know he doesn't provide any offense, so when he is our worst D man at allowing goals against, what value is there? Now look at all the young, cheap talent we've drafted. Hell, Bortz has been better than him this year and he was probably our 6th best D prospect over the summer.

Orpik's play has fallen off drastically in the last year and it is only logical to move on from here.

 

[Shady Machine]

Considering Martin is hovering around 1 as well, don't you think SOME of that comes from getting the more difficult assignments?

 

[Captain Hook]

I can't remember a guy like Orpik fetching much. He's older and he's a rental. I can remember a few similar types of D-Men like Nicklas Grossman, Eric Brewer etc. going for a couple of picks in the 2nd and 3rd round range but that's it. I doubt Orpik would get much more and I don't think he'll be traded anyway. He also has a NTC which would limit his value.

 

[IcedCapp]

I can't remember a guy like Orpik fetching much. He's older and he's a rental. I can remember a few similar types of D-Men like Nicklas Grossman, Eric Brewer etc. going for a couple of picks in the 2nd and 3rd round range but that's it. I doubt Orpik would get much more and I don't think he'll be traded anyway. He also has a NTC which would limit his value.

Neither one of those players was/is AN AMERICAN HERO. A LEADER. A GRITTY VETERAN. A PHYSICAL FORCE PATROLLING THE ICE, TERRORIZING EVERYONE.

Bruce Orpek is worth at least 5x whatever you were thinking he was worth.

 

[Captain Hook]

Neither one of those players was/is AN AMERICAN HERO. A LEADER. A GRITTY VETERAN. A PHYSICAL FORCE PATROLLING THE ICE, TERRORIZING EVERYONE.

Bruce Orpek is worth at least 5x whatever you were thinking he was worth.

I have no doubt people here can make quite the sales pitch when it comes to our players. I'd hope Shero can as well but I think we need to be realistic about what we'd get in return too. I can't remember a really good young player getting traded for a player like Orpik. It only takes one stupid GM for it to happen though. Zhitnik was a different type of player than Orpik but Waddell was dumb enough to trade a good young player like Coburn for him. Like I said, it only takes one stupid GM.

 

[mpp9]

I have no doubt people here can make quite the sales pitch when it comes to our players. I'd hope Shero can as well but I think we need to be realistic about what we'd get in return too. I can't remember a really good young player getting traded for a player like Orpik. It only takes one stupid GM for it to happen though. Zhitnik was a different type of player than Orpik but Waddell was dumb enough to trade a good young player like Coburn for him. Like I said, it only takes one stupid GM.

Or a desperate GM with a hole on their blue line.

 

[Greeneye]

I'd like to say that Shero/DB will see Orpik is not the player he once was and let him go. With that being said I fully expect him to sign an extension before the deadline.

 

[Fire Shero*]

Shero is allergic to change. I would be shocked if he isn't re-signed to a 4-year deal worth $16 million. But but but he plays well in the playoffs. He plays well is comparison to how he plays in the regular season.

We have all of these young prospects, at some point you have to play some of them. Or I guess you could trade them for Brenden Morrow.

 

[cygnus47]

Shero is allergic to change. I would be shocked if he isn't re-signed to a 4-year deal worth $16 million. But but but he plays well in the playoffs. He plays well is comparison to how he plays in the regular season.

We have all of these young prospects, at some point you have to play some of them. Or I guess you could trade them for Brenden Morrow.

I'm all for trading Orpik if its early in the season, but he is a weapon in the playoffs. That much is true.

 

[tinkezione]

If Pens win the Cup, I'd bank on him leaving to finish his career elsewhere with the big money. If not, I'm still inclined to think he's going because of our D depth, depending a bit on how the young D corps develop over the season. In conclusion, I'm not expecting to see him next season in Pens uniform.

 

[mpp9]

Move on from him either way.

 

[Fire Shero*]

I'm all for trading Orpik if its early in the season, but he is a weapon in the playoffs. That much is true.

I never suggested trading him. I think you keep him for the playoffs and wait for some team to overpay him in the off season. I just hope that team isn't the pens, but I'm sure it will be.

 

[tinkezione]

...Cooke embarrassed the organization.

More info on this? Didn't Cooke just do a magnificent job in cleaning his act up and actually serve well as a decent-handed grinder? I recall he was a goner solely on contractual basis.