Due Respect to Dupuis' OFFENSIVE Game...

[TheGoldenJet]

Dupuis is scoring at a 0.50 goals-per-game clip, with virtually no PP time to speak of. I for one can't bring myself to take a guy like that for granted, even if he is playing with Sid. I'm not a fan of dropping Dupuis from the top 6 with the way he's playing, particularly not for Morrow, who is a much slower player and (let's face it) no longer playing anywhere near the best hockey of his career.

That said, Iginla and Crosby together has been every Canadian hockey fan's dream for a long time, so I would roll with a top 6 of:

Dupuis-Crosby-Iginla
Kunitz-Malkin-Neal

This would give Morrow free reign on the third line, where he would not need high end speed to deal with bottom 6 D-men, and maximizes all of the scoring wingers' potential.

 

[madinsomniac]

Dupuis is scoring at a 0.50 goals-per-game clip, with virtually no PP time to speak of. I for one can't bring myself to take a guy like that for granted, even if he is playing with Sid. I'm not a fan of dropping Dupuis from the top 6 with the way he's playing, particularly not for Morrow, who is a much slower player and (let's face it) no longer playing anywhere near the best hockey of his career.

That said, Iginla and Crosby together has been every Canadian hockey fan's dream for a long time, so I would roll with a top 6 of:

Dupuis-Crosby-Iginla
Kunitz-Malkin-Neal

This would give Morrow free reign on the third line, where he would not need high end speed to deal with bottom 6 D-men, and maximizes all of the scoring wingers' potential.

So you dont want Dupruis off the top line, but have no problem breaking up the Kunitz/Crosby duo... seriously, Duper is a great guy, but he absolutely is a third liner in talent. Matt Cooke was scoring at a higher rate when they demoted him back to the third last year.

Kunitz - Crosby- Iginla
Morrow - Malkin - Neal
Cooke, Sutter, Dupruis
Adams Vitale Bennet/Kennedy
That gives each of the top three lines a playmaker, a gritty guy, and a scorer, each has some speed, each has defensive capabilities, and the fourth line gets a scorer or two on occassion...

 

[AgentM]

We currently have 3 of the top 4 goal scoring wingers in the entire league in out Top 6 (Bizzaro World!) and Iginla isn't one of them

Duper has had an incredible season and I'm coming around to letting him stay on Sid's line as long as it keeps playing like this. That way Neal-Malkin-Iginla can slaughter second defensive pairings all playoffs long

 

[WVP]

Dupuis is pretty much a must re-sign at this point. It's obvious he wants to be here but I wonder if some stupid contract that he'll surely get offered will tempt him to leave.

So many options with Iginla, Bennett and Dupuis, moving forward, if we can re-sign Iggy....

Dupuis - Crosby - Iginla
Kunitz - Malkin - Neal
Cooke - Sutter - Bennett

or

Bennett - Crosby - Iginla
Kunitz - Malkin - Neal
Cooke - Sutter - Dupuis

Redonk lines...

Having Bennett and/or Dupuis on the 3rd line will really add something. We will have went from our wingers being a running joke to having by far the best wingers in the game. And of course the best centers....

 

[WVP]

We currently have 3 of the top 4 goal scoring wingers in the entire league in out Top 6 (Bizzaro World!) and Iginla isn't one of them

Duper has had an incredible season and I'm coming around to letting him stay on Sid's line as long as it keeps playing like this. That way Neal-Malkin-Iginla can slaughter second defensive pairings all playoffs long

It is tempting. I mean, Crosby has that first line looking like the Globetrotters vs the Generals, basically every shift for the past few months.

 

[end]

What makes Dups work is his speed. Sid seems to work best with these kind of guys, it's not a matter of having an incredible shot or great talent; just about the ability to be wherever he wants (which is usually a step ahead of regular skaters) and occasionally receive a pass.

 

[Shrimper]

Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis
Morrow-Malkin-Neal
Cooke-Sutter-Kennedy
Glass-Vitale-Adams
Kunitz-Crosby-Iginla

#done

 

[Shwag33]

we currently have 3 of the top 4 goal scoring wingers in the entire league in out top 6 (bizzaro world!) and iginla isn't one of them

Duper has had an incredible season and i'm coming around to letting him stay on sid's line as long as it keeps playing like this. That way neal-malkin-iginla can slaughter second defensive pairings all playoffs long :d

no wingers!!!!!!!!

 

[Crosberry87]

Pascal is the most underrated player in the NHL. Even us Pens fans are constantly trying to put him on the 3rd line or including him in some trade. He really does it all - scores, skates well, plays D, hits, PKs. And he can play on any line. All this for 1.5 mill per season. I just hope re stays here after his contract is up. Duper

 

[Shwag33]

Pascal is the most underrated player in the NHL. Even us Pens fans are constantly trying to put him on the 3rd line or including him in some trade. He really does it all - scores, skates well, plays D, hits, PKs. And he can play on any line. All this for 1.5 mill per season. I just hope re stays here after his contract is up. Duper

Same... I hope he stays here almost regardless of price. He deserves it.

 

[od71]

Pascal is the most underrated player in the NHL. Even us Pens fans are constantly trying to put him on the 3rd line or including him in some trade. He really does it all - scores, skates well, plays D, hits, PKs. And he can play on any line. All this for 1.5 mill per season. I just hope re stays here after his contract is up. Duper

Agree

 

[specialized]

I think dupper deserves to be on the top line with Crosby and Inginla and move Kunitz down to Malkins line that was so great last year, I actually think the 3rd line should be Morrow,Sutter and Kennedy, I like that speed and right shot on the 3rd line. and if Bennett is not getting top six minutes I would send him down to WBS so he progresses into a scorer, instead of regressing into a 3rd line checking fwd.

 

[AquaticBirdman]

What's funny is that when we re-signed Duper I'm sure he had offers from other teams for more than what we are currently paying him. I'm pretty sure he could've easily gotten 2-2.5 million elsewhere if he wanted. However some players just know when they have a really good thing going with their current team. Hopefully this weighs into Kunitz's thought process as well next season.

 

[Ziggyjoe21]

Bylsma won't break up the 1st line for now, and there's no reason to.

Iginla should either play with Geno and Neal, or drop down with Sutter and Cooke so we have 3 legit scoring lines.

Also, imagine a 2nd PP with Letang and Iginla/Kunitz. Unreal.

The options are endless.