Olli Määttä is Ready (Orpik Believes, Ignore Lying Burg Media Swine)

[Fordy]

He's not losing any development in the NHL. He belongs there. He's way ahead of Juniors right now, it's not gonna do a thing for him. The only argument against him is numbers.

 

[Ogrezilla]

He's not losing any development in the NHL. He belongs there. He's way ahead of Juniors right now, it's not gonna do a thing for him. The only argument against him is numbers.

my thoughts as well. I wish Despres was up too so we could compare them better.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

Two questions:

If Maatta stayed up, then would he be a better defenseman than Niskanen by the time the playoffs roll around?

Would Niskanen-Borts or Maatta-Borts be the better pairing by the time the playoffs roll around?

Yes, but so would Des.

Olli has looked amazing but I still think he should be sent down to dominate JRs, the WJC and the MC.

Give Des constant time with Bort and they'll be a great 3rd pairing. Get Nisky the F out of here.

 

[Jacob]

There's lots of cases of young players doing well in their first 5-10 games and then going down the toilet after that. Be it fatigue, loss of confidence, exposure of weaknesses.

As soon as Letang's back, and if the other 6 guys are healthy, he should go back to London.

 

[Sivek]

If he can keep it up for the next handful of games and the team realistically thinks he can play regular 3rd-pairing minutes, he should stay with the team. If there's even the slightest chance he gets jerked around after his first truly poor game and replaced by Engelland for the next 3-4 and then ends up playing sparingly, send him back. I think in the end, he'll be sent back to London.

 

[KIRK]

This discussion just got real. I might be sold. But we lose a year and possible development.

Whether or not he stays, I'd like to put one myth to bed:

Tonight, in the third, with the Canes coming in waves and that runt Gerbe making Nisky look like a total *** clown, Maatta was given over 6 minutes of ice time. And THAT was with a number of his shifts being with the fourth line. He was NOT sheltered in the third period tonight, and that was the Pens best offensive period of the season, one played without the team sacrificing anything defensively.

Say what you will, but that kid learns exponentially. And, with Letang out and Despres in the AHL, he's the only defensemen not named Paul Martin who doesn't **** his pants when he has the puck against any type of forecheck. Try to bait him into the wheel, and he waits and splits your passive forecheck. Go hard, and he uses his support guy. Go passive, and he'll just wheel back and go the other way with the puck. He made that ONE mistake on a first pass in game one, and I haven't seen him make one passing mistake since.

 

[NMK11]

The question is not is he ready for the NHL, but is he one of our best 6 defensemen? Like some people have said, if he's #7, send him down and let him play big minutes. I'd put our top 4 ahead of him clearly, after that it's a bit murkier. He's definitely better than Engelland It's pretty close between him and Nisky, and I can't really say I've seen enough of Bort or Despres to make a call there.

 

[KIRK]

If he can keep it up for the next handful of games and the team realistically thinks he can play regular 3rd-pairing minutes, he should stay with the team. If there's even the slightest chance he gets jerked around after his first truly poor game and replaced by Engelland for the next 3-4 and then ends up playing sparingly, send him back. I think in the end, he'll be sent back to London.

That's definitely big. He's got a trip to the zoo in Philly and home games against the Canucks, the Avs, and the Isles. Let's see how he looks in those.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

keeping Maatta and trading Niskanen doesn't take away from the defensemen depth that Shero likes though, even if it burns contract years from Despres.

It doesn't burn contract years from Despres. It burns years for Maatta.

Needlessly, since we can put Despres in his place on the bottom pairing and lose nothing.

That's the way I see it. He's impressed the hell out of me, but he's not going to offer us enough to burn a year of his ELC on...especially not when he'd be getting 25 minutes a night on a top OHL team that is guaranteed a berth to the Memorial Cup.

And we have Despres. If we didn't, I could be swayed. But we do.

 

[ByeBye]

Bylsma's comments the highest praise he has given Maatta. Have to think it's no longer a given he goes back to juniors.

https://twitter.com/JoshYohe_Trib/status/387760786166132736

 

[JTG]

I'm tell you, we need to play him with Scuds. See what he can do against better opponents. Don't shelter him for a period. If he does well, do it for a game. See what he does with the chance. You can bump him right back to the 3rd pairing after, but that will help show if he's physically ready to be here yet imo. See if he can hold up for 20 unsheltered minutes a night.

I think giving him some unsheltered mins would be good. Even if he is sent back, that will at least give him a taste of what to expect.

 

[KIRK]

https://twitter.com/JoshYohe_Trib/status/387760786166132736

Of course. Say what you will, Bylsma upped the ante for Maatta in the third period. Makes stuff happen with the skilled guys. Doesn't look out of place with the fourth line. A rock defensively.

Real simple: A game at the zoo in Philly. Games against the skilled guys from Nucks, Avs, Isles . . . let's see how he looks against them, both in his own right and relative to the alternative.

 

[KIRK]

I think giving him some unsheltered mins would be good. Even if he is sent back, that will at least give him a taste of what to expect.

I think he started that tonight. 6 minutes in the third. Bigger thing, IMO, is how he looks against more skilled and/or bigger guys and mentally at the Philly zoo. IMO, that's what it's going to come down to.

 

[MonsterSurge]

Big time praise for Maatta in the presser.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

It's 3 games in for him, I would want to see him play some more special teams and increased minutes before I say he is ready, but for now, he's been insanely impressive. Physically, I think he is mature and his skills are very evident. He's one of the reasons I am ok with seeing Despres being moved for a young potential top 6 winger to add to Beau. It's the biggest weakness this team has, you lose Despres...you still have Dumoulin, Harrington, Pouliot, etc. After Beau, it gets pretty depressing.

But yeah, Olli...I hope those that wondered why we were high on this kid last year when people said the Pens should move him at the deadline for top 6 help, have their answer now.

 

[KIRK]

Big time praise for Maatta in the presser.

A summary for those of us who can't see it please?

 

[JTG]

I think he started that tonight. 6 minutes in the third. Bigger thing, IMO, is how he looks against more skilled and/or bigger guys and mentally at the Philly zoo. IMO, that's what it's going to come down to.

Saturday night will be a good test

 

[MonsterSurge]

A summary for those of us who can't see it please?

They knew he could play in the NHL at the mid point of last year, and he doesn't play like he's 19.

 

[chethejet]

Play the games he can while Letang is out. But he needs to play a leadership type Captain role in London. He was behind Harrington last year and now he has to assume the mantle of leadership. So get him some NHL exposure and then let him develop. He can become a integral part of the Pens next year. or play in the AHL. I posted last year he was the best blend of any young defenseman in the system as some saw him as behind DP and Harrington. Not so he has the Penguins highest overall ceiling. Also another year of strength and development will be essential to his staying in the NHL as early as next year.

 

[MonsterSurge]

Maatta seems so excited, but he's Finnish, so it's kind of counterproductive.

 

[KIRK]

Saturday night will be a good test

At Tampa, yes? Forgot that one.

That one, the three home games against Isles, Avs, Nucks, and the trip to the Philly zoo. We'll know by then.

Issue won't be IF he'll make mistakes. He'll make them (perhaps not as much as Nisky though). It's how he grows from them and if he's rattled by the skill, the size, the environments, or frankly anything at this point.

 

[Captain Hook]

I think he's ready enough to be a regular in the NHL but he'll still go back to junior because of our depth.

 

[Lamar Latrell]

Yes, but I'd rather delay his cost-controlled seasons another year.

 

[Captain Hook]

Yes, but I'd rather delay his cost-controlled seasons another year.

That's a good point. We don't need defense right now and saving all 3 of his ELC years will help our cap situation next year and beyond.

 

[AjaxTelamon]

He's going to physically break down, and that's going to mean he'll be sitting in the press box at some point. We don't need one less cost controlled year. We have other guys who need to be playing.

Maatta is great, and I'm excited about him being on our bottom 6 full time next year.

Scuderi Letang
Martin Depres
Bort Maatta

Will be freakin' awesome.