Olli Määttä will stay with Pens (it's 40 roster games, not him playing 40.)

[PensFan101]

Really happy for Olli and hope he stays up the whole season, moreso because it hurts London's defence that much more.

After several conflicted seasons watching Harrington and Maatta, I finally get to see the good side of the equation. Thanks Shero!

 

[Mordax]

...and seem to be on the ice for the majority of the goals against.

Martin and Orpik play against the best players on the other team every night

No chance that those are related!

 

[cheesedanish87]

Once Letang gets back, he should be playing against the other team's top line. He'll finally have a consistent partner in Scuderi, one who compliments him very well and can insulate Letang's short comings. Plus, while those skilled forwards can make any defenceman look foolish from time to time, Letang can make them look foolish too. The transition game is so much better with him in the lineup.

Martin and Orpik can then play against the 2nd line more often than not which is for the best, while Maatta can be better protected and not be relied upon as much. I'm not sure I want Niskanen traded. Letang is often injured and he's a good stop gap in the top 4.

I hope Letang is good enough to play against other teams top players, one of the reasons i wanted pens to trade Letang in the summer is because i don't think hes good enough in his own end to play against those players.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I hope this is the right decision. For heaven's sake... if they are going to keep him on the roster... then they'd better play him despite the inevitable mistakes.

Happy for the guy, though. He's certainly earned it. Also happy as a fan... he absolutely looks like the real deal.

 

[Shady Machine]

I suspect you're right, but who knows. IMO the RFA years are what really matter, so it's totally possible Shero could ship him back before that point if he starts to struggle with the physicality of the game or something like that.

Yes they can send him back and they might, but that's not their intention at this point.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

Honestly, I don't know that it'd be a stretch to say Orpik-Martin has been their worst pairing this season. Very mistake prone, and seem to be on the ice for the majority of the goals against.

Really? I think they've been pretty darn good tbh. They play extremely tough minutes compared to the other two pairings.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

I think this decision shows Shero/Bylsma do reward young players if they truly show they are the best player for the available position. A lot of people took them to task for jerking around Tangradi, but it turns out that he just sucks.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

I think this decision shows Shero/Bylsma do reward young players if they truly show they are the best player for the available position. A lot of people took them to task for jerking around Tangradi, but it turns out that he just sucks.

What about Brian Strait? Beau Bennett? Robert Bortuzzo? Simon Despres?

I'm not drinking the Kool-Aid.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

It's completely fair to point out that Orpik and Martin handle a lot of tough minutes.

I also think it's completely fair to say they've had a very mediocre start, at best. Regardless of the above fact.

 

[Darth Vitale]

What about Brian Strait? Beau Bennett? Robert Bortuzzo?

I'm not drinking the Kool-Aid.

What about Brian Strait? He was a borderline NHLer, and was never going to get any real ice time on this team. Yah he made the comment about the coaches and thats' fine. He can say what he wants, but he's just not that great of a hockey player. There was no "wrong doing" WRT to how this team handled him. People need to get over this ****.

Bennett has been given a lot of ice and responsibility for a rookie (not sure how anyone groups him in with "rookies unfairly treated" theory), and Bortuzzo is getting more ice too. He'll be a fixture this season, most likely. Engo's days are numbered (and he's another guy who is not that good of a player who got plenty of looks anyway).

Tangradi is a case where people need to differentiate between "good enough to play here" and "good enough to play somewhere". No he doesn't "suck", but he was not nearly skilled enough or consistent enough to be a regular on this team, for what we wanted his role to be (power forward type / net-front type). Again, while he was given the yo-yo treatment a couple times the bottom line is, he did nothing in any one game to make the coaches say "wow this guy deserves more regular looks". And in Winnipeg he hasn't been much better so...

...people need to just get over this Bylsma hates rookies stuff. Yah sometimes he's a little inconsistent in how he handles them, but it's very clear that when a player makes the most of his initial games on the ice, they get more games.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

What about Brian Strait? He was a borderline NHLer on this team and was never going to get any real ice time.

Bennett has been given a lot of ice and responsibility for a rookie, and Bortuzzo is getting more too.

The point still remains.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

What about Brian Strait? Beau Bennett? Robert Bortuzzo? Simon Despres?

I'm not drinking the Kool-Aid.

Where would Despres play right now? He's not better than Niskanen or Maatta at the moment so he doesn't deserve to be up here. Bortuzzo fills a different role.

Bennett is being handled just fine. I don't see the problem.

Strait probably should've been traded instead of waived, but he never would've played in Pittsburgh's defense corps anyway.

Bortuzzo's time is now and he's playing great. He played okay last year but the pens didn't trust him for a stretch run and in the playoffs. Again, what's the huge issue here?

None of these guys are ruined. And none of these guys are so special that you have to give them preferential treatment and force them into the lineup.

 

[Darth Vitale]

The point still remains.

Sorry I edited my post [added specifics]... you may want to go read it. What "point" are you talking about? Specifically? I don't see that any point remains WRT how this team handles young players with upside, except that maybe it's not as consistent as it could be (mostly WRT to Despres). The guys who get the boot are the guys who either have little upside or who never show any signs of reaching it. This is the NHL, not house peewee league. Feelings get hurt and stuff. It's rough.

 

[IcedCapp]

while i will not be surprised if jeffrey is moved this year (he's the next letestu), it will not be because engo is to become the 13th forward, nor be timed to coincide with letang's return (more likely with neal's). In short, i doubt if jeffrey or engo will be here at season's end. They will become next year's draft picks.




Also he speaks french in team meetings which is strictly forbidden. We do not believe in independence for quebecers around here. That's a euro-concept, stirred up by the frenchy french and their non-pasteurized cheeses.

just you wait and see!

 

[Darth Vitale]

just you wait and see!

About what... Engo... or independence for Quebec. I'd say there's about an even chance that either thing happens.

I mean Engo might get a few more games that way or something but the odds he'll be a F all season long and not traded... I can't see it. He has no value in a trade as a F (and equally little value to the team as a F), but he does have some as a D who can fight. They'll move him.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

But then who will fight the staged fights and protect our stars with their < 5 minutes of icetime?

Who, I ask you? Who?!?

But no, really... they won't trade him. They love players like Engelland.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

I actually missed what Strait said about the coaches. Link anyone?

 

[Darth Vitale]

But then who will fight the staged fights and protect our stars with their < 5 minutes of icetime?

Who, I ask you? Who?!?

But no, really... they won't trade him. They love players like Engelland.

Harry Scrabbles, the legendary jaw-breaker? Kobachoo (who doesn't fear Kobachoo? He's tall.)?

 

[IcedCapp]

About what... Engo... or independence for Quebec. I'd say there's about an even chance that either thing happens.

I mean Engo might get a few more games that way or something but the odds he'll be a F all season long and not traded... I can't see it. He has no value in a trade as a F (and equally little value to the team as a F), but he does have some as a D who can fight. They'll move him.

yes.

 

[MtlPenFan]

I actually missed what Strait said about the coaches. Link anyone?

Just look for any link to any interview of any young player of any team who went to a new team. It always goes something like:

"I was always afraid to make a mistake because then I wouldn't know when I'd play again..."

Tangradi said the same thing when he went to Winnipeg, and now he's a healthy scratch for an already crap team. Man, if only they gave him a chance...

 

[Jag68Sid87]

Where would Despres play right now? He's not better than Niskanen or Maatta at the moment so he doesn't deserve to be up here. Bortuzzo fills a different role.

Bennett is being handled just fine. I don't see the problem.

Strait probably should've been traded instead of waived, but he never would've played in Pittsburgh's defense corps anyway.

Bortuzzo's time is now and he's playing great. He played okay last year but the pens didn't trust him for a stretch run and in the playoffs. Again, what's the huge issue here?

None of these guys are ruined. And none of these guys are so special that you have to give them preferential treatment and force them into the lineup.

Sorry I edited my post [added specifics]... you may want to go read it. What "point" are you talking about? Specifically? I don't see that any point remains WRT how this team handles young players with upside, except that maybe it's not as consistent as it could be (mostly WRT to Despres). The guys who get the boot are the guys who either have little upside or who never show any signs of reaching it. This is the NHL, not house peewee league. Feelings get hurt and stuff. It's rough.

If you guys don't think the likes of Bennett, Jeffrey, Strait, Bortuzzo, Despres et al get dicked around by this regime, especially vis-a-vis mistake-prone veterans, then let's just end this here. Agree to disagree.

 

[Shockmaster]

Where would Despres play right now? He's not better than Niskanen or Maatta at the moment so he doesn't deserve to be up here. Bortuzzo fills a different role.

Bennett is being handled just fine. I don't see the problem.

Strait probably should've been traded instead of waived, but he never would've played in Pittsburgh's defense corps anyway.

Bortuzzo's time is now and he's playing great. He played okay last year but the pens didn't trust him for a stretch run and in the playoffs. Again, what's the huge issue here?

None of these guys are ruined. And none of these guys are so special that you have to give them preferential treatment and force them into the lineup.

His normal spot is on the third line when it should be top 6. Look at how the Blackhawks handled Brandon Saad. They didn't jerk him around on the third line. His pedigree dictated that he plays with other top 6 forwards, so they played him with Kane and Toews. Sure worked out in the playoffs, didn't it?

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

I think this decision shows Shero/Bylsma do reward young players if they truly show they are the best player for the available position. A lot of people took them to task for jerking around Tangradi, but it turns out that he just sucks.

No it doesn't.

This is the first young guy they've given a fair shot to. Many other guys didn't get that shot.

Des and Bort both got dicked last year as did BB. All three should have played 40+ games each instead of a combined ~70.

 

[MtlPenFan]

His normal spot is on the third line when it should be top 6. Look at how the Blackhawks handled Brandon Saad. They didn't jerk him around on the third line. His pedigree dictated that he plays with other top 6 forwards, so they played him with Kane and Toews. Sure worked out in the playoffs, didn't it?

Your point is taken, but Saad got a total of 5 or 6 points the entire playoffs.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Jags, you also wanted Scuderi gone so that Noah Welch could take his spot.