Proposal: Edm-pitt

[Riptide]

If that’s a possibility, JR should 100% pull the trigger.

Why... so we can have 9 NHL D on the roster and 3 guys instead of 2 sitting in the pressbox when healthy? Honka makes zero sense for Pittsburgh unless Rutherford actually plans on moving someone... and considering that we just played a 4 game stretch that had 2 SOs and a 1 goal game, while scoring 23 goals... I don't see him in much of a hurry to move someone from the blueline.

Honka was a nice pipe dream before Schultz turned the corner, and before we got Oleksiak and signed Johnson. Not to mention getting Riikola in FA. Now he wouldn't even address a need. I like the kid's potential, but we have even less room for him on the blueline then we do for Sprong on RW.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Puljujarvi to penguins
Sprong to oilers!.

easy no from the Oilers

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Why... so we can have 9 NHL D on the roster and 3 guys instead of 2 sitting in the pressbox when healthy? Honka makes zero sense for Pittsburgh unless Rutherford actually plans on moving someone... and considering that we just played a 4 game stretch that had 2 SOs and a 1 goal game, while scoring 23 goals... I don't see him in much of a hurry to move someone from the blueline.

Honka was a nice pipe dream before Schultz turned the corner, and before we got Oleksiak and signed Johnson. Not to mention getting Riikola in FA. Now he wouldn't even address a need. I like the kid's potential, but we have even less room for him on the blueline then we do for Sprong on RW.

Worry about the logjam when Schultz comes back, send Riikola back down (would help him to play), Ruh back to 7D. Letang injury scare last night spooked me because as much as I love Dumo; Pens are going to have problems moving the puck if he gets hurt.

Am enticed by the possibility of getting a young and skilled RD (the gold standard of assets) in return for a winger. Honestly, Sprong or not I think he’s a good target. If we can keep our top prospect and do it, even better.

 

[Riptide]

Worry about the logjam when Schultz comes back, send Riikola back down (would help him to play), Ruh back to 7D. Letang injury scare last night spooked me because as much as I love Dumo; Pens are going to have problems moving the puck if he gets hurt.

Am enticed by the possibility of getting a young and skilled RD (the gold standard of assets) in return for a winger. Honestly, Sprong or not I think he’s a good target. If we can keep our top prospect and do it, even better.

And what has Honka done to earn minutes over Riikola or Ruhwedel? Ruhwedel played almost 19 minutes against Vancouver lastnight... and you think Rutherford (or Sullivan) would bench him for Honka?? Ruhwedel in his first season with us in 34 games had the same amount of points (2g/10pts) as Honka has over 3 seasons and 64 NHL games. And this is supposed to be a kid who's known for his offensive game.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

And what has Honka done to earn minutes over Riikola or Ruhwedel? Ruhwedel played almost 19 minutes against Vancouver lastnight... and you think Rutherford (or Sullivan) would bench him for Honka?? Ruhwedel in his first season with us in 34 games had the same amount of points (2g/10pts) as Honka has over 3 seasons and 64 NHL games. And this is supposed to be a kid who's known for his offensive game.

Absolutely nothing. I’m aware of Honka and his play style and what he is supposed to be.

It’s a gamble. You’re betting on his talent, pure and simple. Same way sticking with Sprong is (who I like) a gamble, because he could be a cheap scorer or his trade value could have peaked.

And yes if JR swung a trade (Sheahan, Oleksiak are great examples last year) for an underperforming player I do think Sullivan slots him into the lineup.

Just like what Honka does and think he’d be a very solid fit here. No need to get super worked up over it, just a guy I’d definitely buy low on.

 

[Riptide]

Absolutely nothing. I’m aware of Honka and his play style and what he is supposed to be.

It’s a gamble. You’re betting on his talent, pure and simple. Same way sticking with Sprong is (who I like) a gamble, because he could be a cheap scorer or his trade value could have peaked.

Just like what Honka does and think he’d be a very solid fit here. No need to get super worked up over it, just a guy I’d definitely buy low on.

I'm not opposed to it in theory (because the promise of his potential is tantalizing)... but the simple fact is we just don't have the room for him this season, and nothing we've seen from him really shows that he deserves to have the room made to accommodate him.

And the difference between Sprong and Honka, is that Sprong is playing nightly. So while he's still log jammed on RW, at least he's playing in the vast majority of our games. The same would probably not be said for Honka if he magically appeared here.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

I'm not opposed to it in theory (because the promise of his potential is tantalizing)... but the simple fact is we just don't have the room for him this season, and nothing we've seen from him really shows that he deserves to have the room made to accommodate him.

Schultz is down and out for so long that I’m not sure this is true. Also not sure if Riikola is some sure thing. I think Ruh is the best 7D in the league- but that’s where I prefer him. Overall, I am scared shitless if another injury hits.

And say Honka did come in and play well and force the teams hand on a roster move when Schultz returns- isn’t that a problem every team wants?

To your second point, maybe he hasn’t if you’re just going off pure production. But honestly he’s got 100x a better profile than Big Rig did last year coming off the same team. Honka has really good possession numbers over a decent sample (even better when you see them relative to his teammates) and his points really aren’t horrible when you consider his TOI and below average PDO. He also flashes every time I watch him, so I’m biased. Also, I think the work Gonch did with Schultz makes every toolsy RHD seem like a good option.

 

[BringJordanHome]

Watching these Puljujarvi threads just make me depressed as everybody already seems to have given up on him

 

[Riptide]

Schultz is down and out for so long that I’m not sure this is true. Also not sure if Riikola is some sure thing. I think Ruh is the best 7D in the league- but that’s where I prefer him. Overall, I am scared ****less if another injury hits.

To your second point, maybe he hasn’t if you’re just going off pure production. But honestly he’s got 100x a better profile than Big Rig did last year coming off the same team. Honka has really good possession numbers over a decent sample (even better when you see them relative to his teammates) and his points really aren’t horrible when you consider his TOI and below average PDO. He also flashes every time I watch him, so I’m biased. Also, I think the work Gonch did with Schultz makes every toolsy RHD seem like a good option.

Would depend on who it hit. Letang? That's an issue. Pretty much anyone else, and it's not a big deal as long as it's not a season ending one. I mean in the last game Ruhwedel was #4 in TOI ahead of Dumoulin and Johnson, playing just under 19 minutes. Riikola in 5 games so far has averaged 17:30 and looked good. As long as we do not lose Letang, then no matter who else we lose (even Dumoulin), as long as it's not a season ending injury we'll be fine. It would start to be an issue if we had to go deeper then our #8, but short of that, it's not a big deal.

And yet Oleksiak out produced him last season coming off the same team.

 

[Shootertooter]

I would not use this year's stats as it is early and Draisaitl has been HORRIBAD. He only woke up in the Pens game.

Anyways, you've convinced me. Sprong is better. Keep him

I kind of agree with this, as an outside fan, I'd rather have Sprong.

 

[zar]

That's not even entirely accurate. Puljujarvi's two most common centers are Strome at 37:40 and Draisaitl at 30:57. From the looks of it, the two most common wingers on the other side are Caggiula at 26:52 and Rieder at 26:16.

His two most common linemates last year were Lucic at 465:51 and McDavid at 256:51.

So I'm not sure Puljujarvi hasn't been put in a position to play with some elite centers.

Which site are you using where it says McDavid is his 2nd most common line mate. Not saying it isn’t the truth... I just have to see it to believe it.

 

[ManofSteel55]

Which site are you using where it says McDavid is his 2nd most common line mate. Not saying it isn’t the truth... I just have to see it to believe it.

Yeah, I certainly don't recall him getting much time with McDavid and he didn't get much top line powerplay time. Maybe McDavid is just triple shifted, ha ha ha.

 

[ColbyChaos]

Which site are you using where it says McDavid is his 2nd most common line mate. Not saying it isn’t the truth... I just have to see it to believe it.

Dobber’s Frozen pool is usually the go site in terms of players most frequent linemates

 

[Fourier]

Yeah, I certainly don't recall him getting much time with McDavid and he didn't get much top line powerplay time. Maybe McDavid is just triple shifted, ha ha ha.

The numbers are correct. But what is not said is that in those 256 minutes with McDavid he scored 5 goals and had 51 SOG's. Prorate that to the 1000+ ES minutes a top 6 winger typically gets and you have 20 ES goals which is excellent production. I'm not saying he would have scored at this rate had he been on McDavid's wing all year but it shows that when given the chance he did produce. This has been one of the problems many of us have with how he has been used. When he does have success with someone he is quickly moved somewhere else. Now the narrative from McLellan is that he is only comfortable playing with Strome. This despite JP saying otherwise.

Yamamoto has not had much luck scoring either but he seems to be much more in the coaches favour because despite his size he plays a style I think McLelann really likes. Yamamoto is surprisingly good defensively and is feisty as hell.

 

[Sota Popinski]

I don't think either team would do this, the Oilers would be downgrading in terms of prospects and the Penguins are buying high on a guy who is struggling. I'm not interested in trading a good NHL ready prospect for a guy who is struggling, and I doubt the Oilers want to downgrade their prospect for nothing.

Sprong has been NHL ready for 3 years now, according to Pens fans.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Sprong has been NHL ready for 3 years now, according to Pens fans.

I mean, he probably has been NHL ready for 3 years now (at least offensively). The Penguins just actually have had good depth, so they didn't need to rush him. He has been a NHL caliber player since the 2016-2017 season, the Penguins just didn't bother rushing him into the NHL because they didn't need him (and injuries to Sprong, specifically in the 2016 playoffs).