Voted Neal, the following is in response to thread #19:
It's also funny how a player can overstay their welcome (Adams/Orpik) and become villains. It's also funny how a great player can become forgettable because of Cup wins (Neal/Hossa). And some of the grinder favorites TK/Colby are sort of getting forgotten. Kennedy was every bit as popular as Rust. Even with his chest snipes.
This has been a lot of fun but I am quite shocked at the names up there.
I’ve only followed the Pens for 10 years and not fully engaged then. 6 years ago I watched more and last 4 years I watch pretty much every game.
So newer players are fresher in my memory plus I know more about hockey now to notice what players are doing even if they aren’t scoring.
If Bones wins this one I have no idea who I’d pick from what’s left. Neal maybe because of his snipes?
Pretty much nailed it between you two. With that in mind i'm now tempted to vote for Neal instead of
Maatta. It's not like Maatta fell off a cliff after... yikes! ...i just looked him up and i didn't remember him being so plagued by injuries/illness:
2014-15 Tumor (thyroid cancer?) removed only to reinjure the same shoulder he had surgery on in the off-season, later the Pens would announce he'd miss the remainder of the season and get another surgery, meanwhile he got the mumps... I don't remember a player being so cursed in one season!
2015-16 Slammed from behind into a bench door, misses 3-4 weeks. Then in game 2 of PO against Caps, Orpik hits him on the head, misses a few games while traitor is suspended 3 games.
2016-17 Misses 6 weeks due to broken hand (ended up being 24 games).
2017-18 Light at the end of the tunnel! Plays ALL 82 games!