Confirmed with Link: Justin Schultz (50% retained) to Penguins for 3rd round pick

[Empoleon8771]

Noah Welch

Noah Welch was drafted 15 years ago and traded away from the Pens 9 years ago, so I don't know how he's at all relevant here. We're talking about recent busts, not busts drafted 15 years ago.

 

[billybudd]

Noah Welch

I don't understand Welch's career trajectory. He looked like a nailed on third pairing guy, disappeared, then reappeared 5 years later as one of the best D in Sweden.

 

[clefty]

Welch lost about 2 years with a really bad shoulder injury. On return, his physical game and his offensive upside were all but gone.

 

[JTG]

Welch and Morrow did have pretty similar scouting reports when they were drafted. Welch was much, much bigger though.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Even Samuelsson is still a borderline # 7 on the Yotes.

No he's not.

 

[wgknestrick]

Morrow's offensive game just hasn't developed, which is really what made him a worthwhile top prospect in the first place. Without that, I think all anyone can hope for is him becoming a vanilla, middle of the road, two-way guy like Bret Hedican or Greg DeVries or something.

D man peak around age 28....He's just 23.

Letang scored .32pts/game at that age. Morrow scored .24pts/game and I don't think Morrow is on the #1 PP like Letang was. I think your expectations aren't quite set right for him considering he still has 5 years to reach his full potential. I think Morrow will be a fine, above average top 4 guy....maybe a top 2. His slap shot is still great.

 

[SEALBound]

I would take Morrow back here as a project. We have enough projects but I would still do it. Clendening Part 2 perhaps.

Beautiful skater, monster shot from the point on the PP, seemed relatively poised in the pre-season games he had here in 2013. Still bummed we traded him. A Morrow-Despres what-could-have-been pairing

 

[#1GuinFan]

Was thinking today that another defensemen worth looking at in the offseason as a reclamation project would be Jared Cowan. Get him on an AHL deal and rebuild his game there.

 

[Tasty Biscuits]

Eh... It's tough to rebuild hockey IQ when there's not any there in the first place.

 

[Extra Texture]

Man, I havent thought about Noah Welch in a very long time. I remember back in 2002, still depressed about the Jagr trade, I remember reading hockey's future and seeing Welch and Whitney and thinking the future was bright, somehow.

The bar was low in those days. I also remember being thrilled the Pens signed Daigle.

I would take Morrow back here as a project. We have enough projects but I would still do it. Clendening Part 2 perhaps.

Beautiful skater, monster shot from the point on the PP, seemed relatively poised in the pre-season games he had here in 2013. Still bummed we traded him. A Morrow-Despres what-could-have-been pairing

I feel as though Boston has soured on him. They seemed to play him alot early in the year, but recently his minutes have dwindled.

Only thing is they are only sure to have Chara/Seidenberg/McQuaid/Krug (at a significat raise) on their blueline next year. Providing for a UFA, they might have to keep Morrow to make the money work.

 

[UnderratedBrooks44]

I would take Morrow back here as a project. We have enough projects but I would still do it. Clendening Part 2 perhaps.

Beautiful skater, monster shot from the point on the PP, seemed relatively poised in the pre-season games he had here in 2013. Still bummed we traded him. A Morrow-Despres what-could-have-been pairing

Why can't we give reasonable descriptions for players we like

 

[Pens1566]

Noah Welch was drafted 15 years ago and traded away from the Pens 9 years ago, so I don't know how he's at all relevant here. We're talking about recent busts, not busts drafted 15 years ago.

Because that's really one of the best examples we have. And, some of us have been around that long.

 

[SEALBound]

Why can't we give reasonable descriptions for players we like

Beauty of a skater, clapper from the point ain't seen since Ally Mac.

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

Beauty of a skater, clapper from the point ain't seen since Ally Mac.

What the hell are you talking about?! Gonorrhea?

 

[UnderratedBrooks44]

Beauty of a skater, clapper from the point ain't seen since Ally Mac.

But what is this sauce like?

 

[Chuck Norris Trophy]

I thought this was the Justin Schultz-topic.

 

[clefty]

D man peak around age 28....He's just 23.

Letang scored .32pts/game at that age. Morrow scored .24pts/game and I don't think Morrow is on the #1 PP like Letang was. I think your expectations aren't quite set right for him considering he still has 5 years to reach his full potential. I think Morrow will be a fine, above average top 4 guy....maybe a top 2. His slap shot is still great.

Okay, couple of things.

Firstly, Letang is a terrible comparison. By every possible metric Letang was light years ahead of Morrow at every age bracket.

It's also kind of inaccurate what you say about Letang being where he was at 23, because he was actually 23 for most of the 2010-11 season where he broke out offensively and was sixth in Norris Trophy voting. Letang wasn't on the top powerplay unit his first three years either, it wasn't until Gonchar left that that happened.

But even with that aside, he did still have a 10-goal season and a 13 point playoff season on a Cup winner while Morrow was putting up mediocre AHL numbers at the same age. If Letang had been playing in the AHL those years his offensive output would have put Morrow's to shame, quite easily.

Morrow is only in the NHL at all at this point because of his waiver status. Even then he's healthy scratched more often than he plays. The signs aren't great.

Secondly, I never said he wouldn't develop an offensive game, I said he hasn't which is pretty inarguable right now from where I'm sitting. He really hasn't shown much at all at any level since leaving junior hockey. And if it doesn't develop, that kind of drops his ceiling a great deal, doesn't it?

 

[scb23]

Oil fan coming in peace. What's going on with Jultz? Is it true he's only played 5 min in the playoffs? Is he injured or still just a bad hockey player?

 

[DegenX]

Oil fan coming in peace. What's going on with Jultz? Is it true he's only played 5 min in the playoffs? Is he injured or still just a bad hockey player?

Your guess is as good as anyone's. It seems the coaching staff feel the need for a more defensive D pairing with Malkin back in the line-up.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Oil fan coming in peace. What's going on with Jultz? Is it true he's only played 5 min in the playoffs? Is he injured or still just a bad hockey player?

I like how those are the only 2 options

Schultz isn't playing because Sullivan seems to be more confident with a DFD in Lovejoy in the lineup than an OFD in Schultz. With Maatta's recent defensive issues, I can't really blame Sullivan for not wanting to have Schultz in there, although I'd rather him play over Lovejoy.

 

[scb23]

I like how those are the only 2 options

Schultz isn't playing because Sullivan seems to be more confident with a DFD in Lovejoy in the lineup than an OFD in Schultz. With Maatta's recent defensive issues, I can't really blame Sullivan for not wanting to have Schultz in there, although I'd rather him play over Lovejoy.

Sorry, haha. Just genuinely curious. Thanks!

 

[billybudd]

Oil fan coming in peace. What's going on with Jultz? Is it true he's only played 5 min in the playoffs? Is he injured or still just a bad hockey player?

He doesn't kill penalties and the coaches presently want someone who does. Most of us would rather he be in than Maatta right now, given that Olli is skating like a tractor these days.

In any event, on-ice performance isn't what got him scratched. It isn't like he just fell apart one day. He got lost in a numbers/specialization game.

 

[Shady Machine]

Yeah it's pretty simple. Sit Olli for a game and see what Daley-Letang, Dumo-Lovejoy, Schultz-Cole does for you. Olli hasn't been terrible after game 2 of Rangers series, but even aside from his skating, he has turned the puck over several times leading to goals or great chances. Schultz offensive upside is so much more than a Olli skating in mud and I can't imagine his defense being much worse.

 

[Will Hunting]

I like how those are the only 2 options

Schultz isn't playing because Sullivan seems to be more confident with a DFD in Lovejoy in the lineup than an OFD in Schultz. With Maatta's recent defensive issues, I can't really blame Sullivan for not wanting to have Schultz in there, although I'd rather him play over Lovejoy.

Well, you answered it before in your statement. Schultz should be playing, but it´s instead of Maatta, not instead of Lovejoy. Even Pouliot is better than Maatta. Shady Machine was spot on, too.