Line Combos: HFBoards Decides: Opening Lineup - DP

[Randy Butternubs]

To clarify, these polls are for voting who you want in what spot -- not what you expect the Penguins to do.

HF believes that Murray should be the starter at the home opener.

Some assumptions, as of 8/31/2016 (new in bold):

• Phil Kessel will be healthy and will start the season.
• Crosby and Malkin are our top two centers and will not play wing.
• Patric Hornqvist is a right winger and will either be with Crosby or Malkin.
• Letang is on the first D pairing on the right side.
• Chris Kunitz has iron.
• Sprong will NOT be ready for opening day.
• Matt Cullen will be the 4th line center if he does not win a vote for one of the top wingers.
• Bryan Rust can play LW and RW.
• Matt Cullen and Eric Fehr can play all 3 forward positions.
• Dupuis is not coming back. Just. Don't.
• Trevor Daley will be healthy for the start of the season.
• Those FA defenseman signings will not be in the opening lineup, unless as a 7D.
• Where Derrick Pouliot ends up in his individual poll will help determine the rest of the defensive lineup.

I will add more assumptions as the HFBoards lineup is decided.

Moving on to Derrick Pouliot, where do you think he should start the season?

Poll specific assumptions:

• If he is not voted to the second pairing, a Maatta-Daley pairing will be awarded to it
• If he is not voted to the third pairing, a Cole-Schultz pairing will be awarded to it
• If he is voted to the third pairing, Cole will be his partner and Schultz will be the 7th D

Next poll will start in about 3 days.

Objections?

Current HFBoards Lineup:

XXX-Crosby-XXX
XXX-Malkin-XXX
Hagelin-Bonino-Kessel
XXX-XXX-XXX

Dumoulin-Letang
XXX-XXX
XXX-XXX
XXX

Murray
MAF

Click to read more...

 

[Ogrezilla]

Can we add Dallas as an option?

I don't know where I think he should start, but I expect him to start as our 7th D.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Pouliot should be in a battle with Schultz for the bottom pair OFD role. If Schultz out plays Pouliot, Schultz should play. If Poo out plays Schultz, Pouliot should play.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

I think we should do it without Kessel. Otherwise most people will just pick the lineup we had going into the playoffs, except with either Schultz or Pouliot in for Lovejoy. I think taking out Kessel makes things more interesting & likely more probable of what we're going to face on opening night.

But that's just my opinion. If you want to do it with Kessel in the lineup I won't complain.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

I picked Pouliot to be the 7th dman. I still like Schultz better.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

I think we should do it without Kessel.

What's done is done. But it seems like these polls will go quicker than last year, so I may do an alternate take after we complete this one.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

What's done is done. But it seems like these polls will go quicker than last year, so I may do an alternate take after we complete this one.

It's cool, I picked Pouliot to be our 7th dman. I think I would rather have Schultz in there but it would be nice to have Pouliot with the team just in case Daley isn't 100%.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Belongs in WB/S.

Will start as the 7th defenseman.

 

[Beauner]

He should play. I'm tired of ******* around with young players. Giving rookies a shot worked out pretty well for Sheary/Rust/Kuhn. I know that's not the norm but it's proof that giving a kid a chance can yield great results. Let's find out what we have in this kid, for better or worse.

 

[Tasty Biscuits]

Why would people WANT Pouliot to be the 7th D-man? Either give him regular minutes on the 3rd pair or all of the minutes in WBS.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

If he earns a spot he earns a spot. If not then not. I want him to earn a spot but do not think that he will this year. At least out of training camp.

 

[PensandCaps]

i want a schultz/DP pairing. cole is garbage

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Why would people WANT Pouliot to be the 7th D-man? Either give him regular minutes on the 3rd pair or all of the minutes in WBS.

Yeah. That's kind of my thought, as well.

I think he needs more top minutes in the AHL. Playing 40 games on the third pairing isn't going to help him reach his potential. If he actually has any potential.

But I guess I also understand why people would want to maybe get on with seeing what a guy expensively acquired for a top pick can do at the NHL level after four years of not-much. The Penguins, I think, included.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I don't think Pouliot has anything to gain from playing in the AHL. His issues aren't his talent level, they are almost completely his lack of urgency in the defensive zone. He's not going to get any more urgent defensively/any better in the defensive zone by playing in the AHL at this point. 40 games in the NHL while practicing against Crosby and Malkin would probably benefit him more than 70 games in the AHL while practicing against Guentzel and Simon.

I know there is no one here saying this, but there's no way that Schultz should be given a locked in spot out of training camp. He's just as much of a project as Pouliot is, if not even more so. I'd probably feel more comfortable with Pouliot in over Schultz because Pouliot at least knows how to play in the defensive zone and plays with some grit.

 

[Gurglesons]

Can't wait until Schultz shows his true colors and Pouliot is continually out performing him and still riding the pine. I mean he basically out performed him last year and then was benched for the end of the season because of our winning streak.

Hopefully the fact that Pouliot was always being given more minutes than Schultz (even in the playoffs) is a sign that the coaching staff isn't going to Despres him. His advanced stats, eye test, and actual points are very similar to what Despres was doing before he got traded and the fact that people think Schultz can replace Daley is really worrying.

If Daley isn't ready at the beginning of the season I'd easily roll

Dumo - Letang
Maatta - Pooh
Cole - Schultz

Over giving Schultz 18 - 20 minutes a game.

 

[T1K]

I can't believe that some of you would prefer to see Pouliot as the 7th D man instead of playing every night in the AHL. Schultz was good last season. I wouldn't say he is a lock over Pouliot, but he is deservedly ahead of him in the depth chart going into the season.

 

[ColePens]

Cole was not good in the regular season, but earned his spot in the postseason. Without knowing anything from camp, I have DP as #7 and has to earn that 3rd pairing. Cole/Schultz should be together to start camp and then Schultz, DP, and Cole should be battling for 5/6/7. The only 4 guarantees should be Letang, Dumo, Maatta, and Daley.

 

[Zero Pucks]

I'd rather see Cole in the press box than Pouliot.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I can't believe that some of you would prefer to see Pouliot as the 7th D man instead of playing every night in the AHL. Schultz was good last season. I wouldn't say he is a lock over Pouliot, but he is deservedly ahead of him in the depth chart going into the season.

Pouliot was clearly better than Schultz in the regular season imo. There's no way that Schultz should "deservedly" be above him on the depth chart. They should be equals fighting for the last spot.

 

[HellasLEAF]

What about in nets. Is Murray the man now?

How will this play out you reckon..

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

What about in nets. Is Murray the man now?

How will this play out you reckon..

That's one of the big questions of the season, right there.

If not the question.

EDIT: Also, the poll directly before this one addresses just that.

 

[High Flying Birds]

It's a waste having him as the 7th dman. He should be getting regular minutes either at the NHL level or failing that, top pairing minutes in the A.

A really strong training camp would go a long way in cementing his place with the big club though.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

I'm going to be pissed if he's left to rot in the press box.

 

[Malkinstheman]

I'm going to be pissed if he's left to rot in the press box.

This team cant stay stay healthy for more than a week so we dont have to worry about ice-time. Bound to be a few injuries in training camp too.

 

[ColePens]

He needs to earn a spot, though. He shouldn't be penciled in prior to camp. Only 4 of them should be. Cole/DP/Schultz should be pushing one another, in a good way, for 5/6.