Post-Game Talk: Cole's Plus/Minus: Pens run Wild in the Minnesota Snow!

[Dennis Reynolds]

It's hard finding a spot where Hornqvist fits five-on-five. I don't know that I love where I have him here, but when healthy, I'd like to see something like this:

EDIT: Maybe make McCann/Tanev/Hornqvist interchangeable.
Guentzel - Crosby - McCann
Rust - Malkin - Galchenyuk
Tanev - Bluger - Hornqvist
Johnson - Blandisi - Lafferty
Simon, Kahun

Dumoulin - Letang
Petterson - Schultz
Riikola - Marino
Ruhwedel

Murray
DeSmith

That's 23 players. Trade/demote anyone not mentioned.

 

[BrokenStick]

On a less positive note, the team was basically playing the "Just survive until Sid's next shift" game until Hornqvist broke Dubnyk.

Hopefully what transpired after that point gives those guys some confidence.

I thought it was a bit of a rough game for Petterson-Schultz, Blueger, and ZAR. JJ was ok other than committing a lot of interference, even though he only got caught once.

 

[JRS91]

Joseph Blandisi, Sam Lafferty, and Adam Johnson should be on this team permanently.

Zach Aston-Reese, Dominik Kahun, and Dominik Simon should not.

I cannot believe GMJR dealt Olli Maatta for Dominik ****ing Kahun. It's Despres/Lovejoy bad.

I remember how much people hated that trade, and we won it in the end.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Sid keeps doing Sid things, but I'm most excited about the kids stepping up and taking advantage of the opportunity. Obviously can't expect them to have 2 or 3 point games every game, but it's nice to see they're capable of providing some offensive pop as well as energy/hustle.

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

I remember how much people hated that trade, and we won it in the end.

It only appears that way because his career was ended prematurely. He was on a trajectory to be an absolute stud. Lovejoy was a plug. There are 50 defensemen between the NHL and AHL who can bring exactly what he did, which was nothing special.

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

Sid keeps doing Sid things, but I'm most excited about the kids stepping up and taking advantage of the opportunity. Obviously can't expect them to have 2 or 3 point games every game, but it's nice to see they're capable of providing some offensive pop as well as energy/hustle.

They're hungry. They haven't won anything, but they want to.

 

[Gurglesons]

It only appears that way because his career was ended prematurely. He was on a trajectory to be an absolute stud. Lovejoy was a plug. There are 50 defensemen between the NHL and AHL who can bring exactly what he did, which was nothing special.

I think you are underrating what Lovejoy brought in his career, but Despres was obviously much better and with much greater potential.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

It only appears that way because his career was ended prematurely. He was on a trajectory to be an absolute stud. Lovejoy was a plug. There are 50 defensemen between the NHL and AHL who can bring exactly what he did, which was nothing special.

I, for one, loved watching Lovejoy ice the puck 9 times a game.

 

[heysmilinstrange]

Despres: The Original Sprong, But Good

 

[SEALBound]

Joseph Blandisi, Sam Lafferty, and Adam Johnson should be on this team permanently.

Zach Aston-Reese, Dominik Kahun, and Dominik Simon should not.

I cannot believe GMJR dealt Olli Maatta for Dominik ****ing Kahun. It's Despres/Lovejoy bad.

We got a 24yo RFA wing who makes less than 1mil and 3 mil in cap space...what more could you really want from a Maatta trade? The return was cap space, not so much Kahun. Not only that but the pick we got in addition to him was used to trade up to get Legare so...I'm 100% good with the trade.

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

Hornqvist broke Dubnyk.

Excellent way to put it. Was it like three shots in a row that went in after that?

And he had Hartman chasing him around the rest of the game.

10/10 God-tier agitating.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Excellent way to put it. Was it like three shots in a row that went in after that?

And he had Hartman chasing him around the rest of the game.

10/10 God-tier agitating.

All he has to do is get punched a dozen times and chopped at with sticks all the time!

Which is why I'm worried about how he's going to age, particularly with the NTC.

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

We got a 24yo RFA wing who makes less than 1mil and 3 mil in cap space...what more could you really want from a Maatta trade? The return was cap space, not so much Kahun. Not only that but the pick we got in addition to him was used to trade up to get Legare so...I'm 100% good with the trade.

My problem with it is that there are two other defensemen who should have gone before him.

 

[SEALBound]

My problem with it is that there are two other defensemen who should have gone before him.

Yeah that's not the post you made.

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

Yeah that's not the post you made.

I've made that post multiple times prior to today and later on in this thread.

And you're cherry picking one post and apparently being a dick?

Ok.

 

[BrokenStick]

I think we might need to cool our jets about some of the young guys right now, though.

It's exciting, but I doubt they'll all be able to keep it up.

AJ's speed and tenacity are noticeable, but the rest of his game still needs a little work.

Blandisi doesn't impress me, at all. His goal was solely due to Dubnyk & the Minnesota D not even trying.

Lafferty has really impressed me, though. He appears to do everything positive that ZAR does while being faster, hungrier and being a surprisingly good RH face off guy.

It remains to be seen whether he can do it long-term, though.

I also wonder if Marino might take a step back at some point, or wear down due to the longer season, though I have *loved* what I've seen from him so far.

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

I think we might need to cool our jets about some of the young guys right now, though.

It's exciting, but I doubt they'll all be able to keep it up.

AJ's speed and tenacity are noticeable, but the rest of his game still needs a little work.

Blandisi doesn't impress me, at all. His goal was solely due to Dubnyk & the Minnesota D not even trying.

Lafferty has really impressed me, though. He appears to do everything positive that ZAR does while being faster, hungrier and being a surprisingly good RH face off guy.

It remains to be seen whether he can do it long-term, though.

I also wonder if Marino might take a step back at some point, or wear down due to the longer season, though I have *loved* what I've seen from him so far.

I'm probably too bullish on the youngsters. But I hope they at least ride them through any boost tonight's game may have given them.

AJ's game does need work. He's the first I'd send down of the three.

Blandisi does impress me. Good at W or C, can take draws, is super fast, backchecks with tenacity, plays physical for his size, and agitates. I've liked his game since he was a Devil.

Agree on Lafferty.

 

[Gurglesons]

I'm probably too bullish on the youngsters. But I hope they at least ride them through any boost tonight's game may have given them.

AJ's game does need work. He's the first I'd send down of the three.

Blandisi does impress me. Good at W or C, can take draws, is super fast, backchecks with tenacity, plays physical for his size, and agitates. I've liked his game since he was a Devil.

Agree on Lafferty.

Blandisi blows.

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

Blandisi blows.

I don't see how you could say that.

 

[BrokenStick]

I'm probably too bullish on the youngsters. But I hope they at least ride them through any boost tonight's game may have given them.

AJ's game does need work. He's the first I'd send down of the three.

Blandisi does impress me. Good at W or C, can take draws, is super fast, backchecks with tenacity, plays physical for his size, and agitates. I've liked his game since he was a Devil.

Agree on Lafferty.

With Blandisi, I really didn't like the little bit I saw of him last year, and that may be coloring my opinion of him now.

I'd love to be proven wrong and for us to have our next batch of Rust/Sheary/Kuhnhackl but I'm feeling cautious at the moment.

Probably because I should be asleep.

 

[Tender Rip]

We won the Lovejoy trade .

He was very solid the whole 2015-16 season and playoffs.

Despres was mega overrated by this fan base. Bottom pair guy who would have difficulty holding that position long term.

This is a ridiculous comment, sorry.
At the time of the trade Despres had made Scuderi passable and played excellent hockey.
Then on the Ducks he was even better upon arrival and actually had Ducks fans feeling sorry for us.

Then his brain got rocked and he was done as an NHL player. It was a massive mistake when it happened, but for the worst reasons turned out a big win. But dont make that about the player we actually traded at the time.

 

[JBose7]

It's amazing how structure make you so much better, when you dont feed teams transition game.

 

[CascadiaPenguin]

If GMJR had also addressed JJ and Gudbranson, maybe I'd feel differently about Maatta. Agree to disagree.

Bjugstad, ZAR, Kahun, and Simon are all so vanilla. Not terrible at anything. But also not great at anything. If you can describe a quarter of your offensive corps that way, that's a problem.

Imagine the chaos McCann/Johnson - Blandisi - Tanev would create. I wouldn't want it permanently, I don't think. But I'd like to see it.

You were hardly treated fairly in this micro-argument. BFD must have forgotten the Statute of Limitations of Silence regarding Kuhnhackl dancing Maatta and nearly potting his career highlight (in the playoffs no less) has yet to toll and we will not yet speak of such a thing in these parts. It is too soon.

On a more serious note, our sample size of Kahun's potential is TINY. Let's give the guy a chance. He played a strong game against the Ducks, and is dealing with changes in time zone, personnel, scheme and god know what else? He may find his groove. What the **** is ZAR's excuse?

 

[TheTang58]

If Hornqvist didn't play for the Pens, outside of Wilson he might be the player that I would hate most in the league.

Marchand?

 

[StroShow]

How has Jack Johnson looked the last couple of games?
Sully has kind of decided to keep him in the lineup over Gudbranson. I think it's safe to assume one of them will be gone because of the emergence of Marino.

Gudbranson should actually have some positive value around the league. GM's love that big tough d-man who can skate lol

Getting Gudbranson's 4M + Bjugstad's 4.1M out should give the team enough space for a possible Galchenyuk extension.
If they can't trade Johnson's contract, burying it in WBS for the last 3 years wouldn't be the worst thing.