M-A Fleury sent down to the AHL... what you say?

[Raging Bull]

I think people tend to forget how long it takes for a goalie to develop. Fleury will go down, have a great year in the AHL, have a great camp next year, probably challenge for the starting role and maybe split duties with JT. It is not like Rick Dipietro is a freakin' star right now either folks. Give goaltenders time.

 

[Hunter Gathers]

I think people tend to forget how long it takes for a goalie to develop. Fleury will go down, have a great year in the AHL, have a great camp next year, probably challenge for the starting role and maybe split duties with JT. It is not like Rick Dipietro is a freakin' star right now either folks. Give goaltenders time.

No one is denying that. But he had a pretty shakey year in the AHL last year and that is completely undeniable.

 

[Slabber Chops]

For those who had realistic expectations, Fleury is probably developing at a reasonable pace.

Ideally, he would have spent that first year after getting drafted with Cape Breton. Last year he could have started his professional career, continue it with WBS this season, and finally be the backup for Pittsburgh next season before taking the starting job in '06-'07. So in his fifth year after being drafted, he would be ready to be the starter-- that's probably a reasonable timeframe for talented goalies that aren't superhuman (Lehtonen).

Instead, that first year where Fleury bounced around from team to team was kind of a waste, largely due to bad management in Pittsburgh. But I'd say things are still on track for Fleury. Let him start this season in WBS (which is undoubtedly the right move), be the backup next season, and then assume the starting job in '06-'07.

Honestly, I don't think we should have expected Fleury to be all that further ahead in his development at this time. We were just impatient as fans, just as Penguins management was.

I think we should really worry about Fleury if he doesn't improve upon from last season.

He's already shown plenty of signs of a considerable improvement from last season. The acid test that will show from the AHL this season is consistently applying this improvement through a whole season..

 

[Jaded-Fan]

No one is denying that. But he had a pretty shakey year in the AHL last year and that is completely undeniable.

Actually a pretty shakey playoffs. His year was not too bad. Not all-world but hardly shakey and not bad at all for a 1st pro season:

2004-05: In his first full pro season, posted a record of 26-19-4 and a 2.52 goals against average with five shutouts in 54 games … Set new team records for wins, shutouts, minutes played and games played by a goaltender …

http://www.pittsburghpenguins.com/team/bio.php?id=106

 

[Zen Arcade]

Caron played in that game.

Typical Pens fan, making excuses for MAF. :

 

[clefty]

It's not that. In the AHL compared to other goalies his same age, he did not look at good.

Having seen him play in a number year, he looked just fine until the playoffs.

Lehtonen looked much better in the AHL at the same age. So did Toivonen.

So what? How does that detract from the talent Marc-Andre Fleury has? Who's talking about Lehtonen and Toivonen?

 

[clefty]

I am one who thinks that if the draft was re-held that he would not go first overall either.

I had Zherdev ranked above him and still do to this day. Zherdev will be a monster in the NHL, IMO.

I would rank Suter, Staal, Zherdev, Vanek, Phaneuf, and possibly Horton or Carter above him or at least on par with him at this point if the draft was re-done.

It has nothing to do with your rankings. The Pens needed a goaltender, things would be dry on the farm right now if they didn't have him.

And to the poster a few posts up -- you think he has more talent than Lehtonen? And the point about NHL games: Yes, they haven't played them or only in stints but Fleury was pretty bad in the NHL and the other players "stints" were undoubtedly better.

I don't care how much talent Lehtonen has, he's in Atlanta. Lehtonen has utterly no implication on anything here. Whats your point? The Penguins shouldn't have taken Fleury because Lehtonen is better?

 

[Dominator13]

Fleury's a 1 year wonder

Price will be better long term! has more tools...

i love being biased, but seriously the potential is close to the same, there just in different stages of ther careers

 

[Jacob]

Seriously, is there something in the water up in Quebec?

 

[jmelm]

Fleury was by far the best goaltender in the Penguins training camp and preseason.

He is only down because they want to give both him AND Thibault lots of playing time, so Fleury can develop and Tbo can be sharp.

I expect that by the end of the season, Fleury will be up here with the Pens and should be the 1-2 punch the Pens have going into the playoffs. If Fleury has an elite season in the AHL, he might even emerge as the Pens starting goaltender by the end of the season. Either way, between those 2 guys, we'll be alright.

I could also see the Pens trading for another back-up goalie (ie Noronen) if Caron sucks, for whatever reason, and enter into the playoffs with a more experienced back-up.

 

[Raging Bull]

Fleury's a 1 year wonder

Price will be better long term! has more tools...

i love being biased, but seriously the potential is close to the same, there just in different stages of ther careers

Fleury>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Price

 

[Habsaku]

Good move, Fleury is a tremendous talent and he wasnt going to recieve the ice time he needed for this year. Maybe he needs another year after this one too. There is no rush for him to be in the big leagues.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Fleury was by far the best goaltender in the Penguins training camp and preseason.

He is only down because they want to give both him AND Thibault lots of playing time, so Fleury can develop and Tbo can be sharp.

I expect that by the end of the season, Fleury will be up here with the Pens and should be the 1-2 punch the Pens have going into the playoffs. If Fleury has an elite season in the AHL, he might even emerge as the Pens starting goaltender by the end of the season. Either way, between those 2 guys, we'll be alright.

I could also see the Pens trading for another back-up goalie (ie Noronen) if Caron sucks, for whatever reason, and enter into the playoffs with a more experienced back-up.

............. and in an amazing coincidence the call up will come with 24 games remaining in the season thereby avoiding a pre-new CBA huge contract bonus for playing 25 games or more. (Actually with maybe 18 or 19 games left . . . want to leave some leeway for some playoff starts and still not hit that magic 25).

 

[Dominator13]

Fleury>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Price

exagerate with moderation please, i was kidding about earlier, but Fleury could of just as well picked 5th overall and Price was drafted a year earlier, he'l goal for canada in december

back to the thread, might as well pt Fleury in Wilkis-Barre until he's ready for the no.1 goalie spot, he wont learn anything watching Thibault play

 

[Gophers]

I'm pretty sure if they re-did the draft right now that the Penguins would still pick MAF first overall.

I doubt it

 

[clefty]

I doubt it

The Penguins needed a top up and coming goaltender.

 

[neelynugs]

its a good thing for him to play 60 games rather then play 20 games in the NHL. Hes a young man, he has get better and get stronger. Just look what Dumb New York Rangers did to Blackburn. Brought him into the leauge way too early, and now hes screwed for life. F U Glen Sather. You jack ***.

Fleury is what? 21? Hes hella young, and will make the team next year, along with Malkin. They are gonna break them in together the same year probably.

maybe, maybe not. playing 60 games in the AHL is great to learn how to shoulder a heavy workload. then again, playing 20 games in the NHL, and practicing against the most elite talent in the world daily is also a great situation. i think it was win-win in that regard, and whoever mentioned the insane bonus structure likely hit the nail on the head.

 

[Gophers]

The Penguins needed a top up and coming goaltender.

In that perspective, then yes, but as top player available i would opt for someone else.

 

[tom_servo]

I'll say that circumstances have made Pittsburgh's choice look better than it would've looked otherwise. If they hadn't been able to land Malkin and Crosby in the next two drafts, then taking something of a gamble on Fleury (and passing on Staal and Zherdev) wouldn't be looking so hot right now. If I'm redoing the '03 draft with Malkin and Crosby in my pocket, then I'll take the goalie.

I still have faith in Fleury. He was once again the best goalie in camp, and he's only 20. He's got a goalie coach, and the uncontested starting job in the AHL. If his numbers don't actually regress from here, then it'll be years before he can be called a bust.

 

[clefty]

In that perspective, then yes, but as top player available i would opt for someone else.

At the time there wasn't a consensus no. 1, and I still don't think there is even today. I mean, the uncertainty is what caused the Penguins to trade up in the first place. I think in that kind of a situation its good to go for position.

maybe, maybe not. playing 60 games in the AHL is great to learn how to shoulder a heavy workload. then again, playing 20 games in the NHL, and practicing against the most elite talent in the world daily is also a great situation.

The thing is, it doesn't have to be a choice per se between one or the other this way. Fleury can have the best of both worlds by taking on a starters load in Wilkes-Barre this season, and serving as Thibault's backup next season. One of the major things he needs ironed out is his consistency from game one of the regular season, right through to the last game of the postseason. For that reason (amongst others), I think the AHL option is best.

 

[Felix Unger]

Gosh.. Sometimes i wonder if there's anyone here that has either (i) been twenty or (ii) remembers being twenty.

What I remember about being twenty is (i) believing I had the skills to do whatever it took (in my field, etc. which was not hockey), (ii) being so incredibly prone to distraction that sometimes I couldn't even get through tying my own shoe without moving on to something else first. The result, of course, was tripping over my shoelace while "chasing tail". To an observer, this would not tend to a favorable outlook on my future.

There's several reasons goaltenders take longer to develop. One is, they have to develop the ability to maintain concentration in a way that skaters who are in and out in short shifts do not. Twenty year olds, generally speaking, do not have that ability.

Cheers,

Dan-o

 

[Whakahere]

Gosh.. Sometimes i wonder if there's anyone here that has either (i) been twenty or (ii) remembers being twenty.

What I remember about being twenty is (i) believing I had the skills to do whatever it took (in my field, etc. which was not hockey), (ii) being so incredibly prone to distraction that sometimes I couldn't even get through tying my own shoe without moving on to something else first. The result, of course, was tripping over my shoelace while "chasing tail". To an observer, this would not tend to a favorable outlook on my future.

There's several reasons goaltenders take longer to develop. One is, they have to develop the ability to maintain concentration in a way that skaters who are in and out in short shifts do not. Twenty year olds, generally speaking, do not have that ability.

Cheers,

Dan-o

Lies all lies. I remember when I was 20 I had the greatest concen .... wait .... that's better I have tied my shoe laces.
So you say it gets better with age?