Tribute Most Important Winger of Sid/Geno Era?

[Trade]

I voted Kunitz because of his style and being involved in 3 of our Cups is better than 2. The core likely only has 1 Cup if we never get Phil and Horny, so it’s tough to say

Phil is probably the correct answer. We’ve always been at our best when we have players producing away from Sid and Geno.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Gotta go with Uncle Phil

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Kessel. He's the first (and last) truly elite winger we've had that gave the club options when it came to setting up multiple scoring lines.

Every other winger before and after him relies on Sid/Geno to be at their best to be effective. Kessel could actually "carry" a line and provided that third elite player to the team.

 

[Smoke]

Kunitz was great but Kessel was just on another level during the back to back cup years.

 

[Peat]

Probably best not to overthink this one. Kessel was the best forward not named Sid or Geno - sometimes didn't need that qualifier - for two cups. Case closed.

You can make a case for Kunitz and Hornqvist as warriors and culture changers and they're good cases, but Kessel was a culture changer in himself. Both in the minor way of adding a bit of levity to a tightly wound room (or so I see it), but just in the swagger way. You look at Phil Kessel on your bench and you feel good about it.

Jake, for all his quality, I think his sometimes underappreciated quality, simply arrived too late to be the most important.

 

[Headshot77]

Phil Kessel was robbed of a Conn Smythe in 2016. He was dominant in a way I've never seen another Pens winger be dominant.

 

[Le Magnifique 66]

In order for me it would be Kunitz, Kessel and Dupuis

 

[KrisLetAngry]

Phil Kessel was robbed of a Conn Smythe in 2016. He was dominant in a way I've never seen another Pens winger be dominant.

It was definitely competitive in 2016. I won't disagree with that.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Kessel
Kunitz
Hornqvist
Guentzel

In that order

 

[Rodgerwilco]

Between Kessel and Hornqvist for me, but I voted Kessel.

He added that pure shooter's mentality to the team, and with the way the rosters of the 2016 and 2017 teams were put together, allowing his level of skill and scoring ability to be on the 3rd line was an incredible dynamic to the team.


While Hornqvist was incredibly important to the multiple cup runs as well, I think Kessel edged him out in terms of overall impact.

 

[Buddy Bizarre]

Phil Kessel was robbed of a Conn Smythe in 2016. He was dominant in a way I've never seen another Pens winger be dominant.

"Robbed"?
I don't quite think so.

There were 3 people who had a reasonable case for CS. Kessel was one of them. It wasn't a heads and shoulders above the rest type of situation at all.

 

[ChaosAgent]

"Robbed"?
I don't quite think so.

There were 3 people who had a reasonable case for CS. Kessel was one of them. It wasn't a heads and shoulders above the rest type of situation at all.

4 - Murray, Crosby, Kessel and Letang

 

[Maninthebox87]

Marian Hossa… not just for his run that year but I never thought in a million years they would acquire someone of his caliber. Going forward it kind of set the tone that the penguins were all in and wouldn’t be afraid to go for a big acquisition.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

 

[Honour Over Glory]

We’ve always been at our best when we have players producing away from Sid and Geno.

This is currently why we suck now.

They won 2 cups because that 3rd line was able to score in addition to the top 2 lines. The fact that Sullivan uses the bottom 6 the way he does now with punishing usage and deployment, he almost makes it virtually impossible to produce on that line.

It would be great if when Rakell and Rust were back we'd see a 3rd line of O'Connor, Eller, Puustinen.

 

[bambamcam4ever]

Not my answer, but a winger that seemed to have a significant impact on at least Crosby that I don't see talked about in recent times: Bill Guerin.

He sure robbed Crosby of the scoring title in 2009-10

 

[DoktorZaius]

It's gotta be Kessel...honestly he could have won the Conn Smythe in 2016, HBK was that dominant.

Pretty crazy that the Real Deal James Neal put up 40g here and is (rightfully) left off the poll as an option. At least he netted us Hornqvist, who was very important when it mattered.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

He sure robbed Crosby of the scoring title in 2009-10

He was the top scoring winger that season. Second if you want to do points-per-game with so many games played.

 

[Turin]

Phil Kessel, not close either.

 

[EXTRAS]

Puustinen

 

[dalewood12]

Peak was Kessel, for his run in 2016, but for the entire era, you gotta give it to Kuny.

 

[PaulD]

My vote for Jake, however, is that his 2018 playoffs (with Sid) were Conn Smythe worthy. He just got unlucky about the rest of the team. He then clearly surpassed Kessel as our best winger in 18-19. Then a few years later, he had an insane series in 2022 against the Rangers.

Kessel and Hornqvist certainly look very important today as we see the dysfunctional PP. Without them we may have had a trash PP during the Cup runs - preventing them from happening

Sid and Jake in 2018 were our best post seasons since Sid and Geno in 2009

Guentz and Kessel......not even close

Kessel

1. Kessel
2. Kunitz
3. Hornqvist

 

[bambamcam4ever]

He was the top scoring winger that season. Second if you want to do points-per-game with so many games played.

He was on the 1st PP and played 17.5 minutes a game, mostly with Crosby. It would be hard not to

 

[Sidgeni Malkby]

Easy Kessel. Was a game changer!

 

[Rakell67]

Great debate! My fav was Kunitz. Loved how he ran over Timmonen in that Flyers' series.