Speculation: Olli Maatta

[Creativero]

It's his skating, which has been poor from the get go. You don't become slower from not playing, you get rusty. As it stands, Olli Maatta is the anti-thesis of the direction this team is headed with being fast.

Maybe give him one more year, if he doesn't turn it up, which he most likely won't because again - it's his skating that is getting him in trouble - then you take what you can get for him. Or if it's that bad, you absolutely leave him open for the expansion draft and get out from that contract.

I don't know what you mean by "you get rusty" and Matta is clearly skating slower than he was a couple years ago so what are you trying to say here. What does he need to "turn up"?

 

[Creativero]

I feel a lot of people are really revising history on this guy. He wasn't a bad skater before the illness and injury. Noboby was saying that, and why would you play an 18 or 19 year old when he's one of the worst skaters in the league. Doesn't make any sense. Just because he wasn't exceptionally fast before doesn't mean he can't skate slower.

 

[Snooki Stackhouse]

Shut him DAHN

 

[KIRK]

The knee jerk reactions here are absurd. Yes he is down after everything he went through but his skating will come back as will his confidence... Even if he gets sat this postseason

We should leave the long term prognosis to next year.

The short term prognosis is that whether it's skating or confidence or injury, Maatta is a liability out there right now and needs to sit.

Whether or not Schultz is the answer, Maatta isn't.

(I know it doesn't matter, as it's comparable to what I've been saying about Kunitz and Sundqvist).

 

[Empoleon8771]

I find it funny how so many people turned on Pouliot for struggling after not playing for 2 months against the best team in hockey, yet Maatta has been even worse than Pouliot and there were a lot more Pouliot critics than Maatta critics.

 

[Gunnar Staal]

Maatta (and Pouliot) needs a nice, long summer with Gary Roberts. That should help him out quite a bit in the skating department.

 

[KIRK]

Maatta (and Pouliot) needs a nice, long summer with Gary Roberts. That should help him out quite a bit in the skating department.

And for now?

 

[Honour Over Glory]

I find it funny how so many people turned on Pouliot for struggling after not playing for 2 months against the best team in hockey, yet Maatta has been even worse than Pouliot and there were a lot more Pouliot critics than Maatta critics.

I think both are better suited for the Western Conference and I wouldn't be sad if both are moved in the Summer for quicker young defensemen. If Minnesota offered Brodin for Maatta, I would take it and run. Then I would move Pouliot for a winger to any team desperately wanting a young D like him in the West.

I think Maatta would benefit big time with the Western Conference style, especially a team like the Wild and Brodin is more suited to the Pens style, he's a mobile guy, solid in his own end, had a rough year though.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I feel like some people have the memory of a fish on here. Do people forget how good Maatta was at the start of last year? Him having 1 bad season overall doesn't mean we should trade him. Everyone wanted to play the young guys, these are the growing pains that come with playing young guys.

 

[Jacob]

And for now?

Play Schultz.

 

[Lim Ran]

Play Schultz.

Agreed.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I feel like some people have the memory of a fish on here. Do people forget how good Maatta was at the start of last year? Him having 1 bad season overall doesn't mean we should trade him. Everyone wanted to play the young guys, these are the growing pains that come with playing young guys.

I don't think this is typical young guy growing pains. These are lots of health problem pains. I really hope a healthy offseason gets him back on track.

 

[KIRK]

Play Schultz.

Of course. And, if Dumo is out, I'd play Pouliot.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Of course. And, if Dumo is out, I'd play Pouliot.

I will be surprised if we sit Maatta regardless of Dumo. If Dumo is out, I would be beyond shocked.

 

[KIRK]

I will be surprised if we sit Maatta regardless of Dumo. If Dumo is out, I would be beyond shocked.

Oh I know, but I can hope can't I?

 

[Ogrezilla]

Oh I know, but I can hope can't I?

sure, its worked so well for Sundqvist

 

[KIRK]

sure, its worked so well for Sundqvist

It's a good parallel. All I know is the two things Sundqvist does well (defense and ragging the puck/board battles) will free up Malkin a little to play to his strengths. Similarly, because Maatta is every bit the turnstile Schultz or even Pouliot would be but doesn't move the puck as well, inserting Schultz and even Pouliot before Maatta helps our transition game (something that was exposed a bit by the Bolts speed on the backcheck).

 

[Ogrezilla]

It's a good parallel. All I know is the two things Sundqvist does well (defense and ragging the puck/board battles) will free up Malkin a little to play to his strengths. Similarly, because Maatta is every bit the turnstile Schultz or even Pouliot would be but doesn't move the puck as well, inserting Schultz and even Pouliot before Maatta helps our transition game (something that was exposed a bit by the Bolts speed on the backcheck).

I definitely agree. Right now, Maatta has no real advantage over Schultz.

 

[Gurglesons]

I definitely agree. Right now, Maatta has no real advantage over Schultz.

I mean, he has the advantage of actually being able to handle the minutes he is given where as Schultz will probably look super exposed if we were playing him on the PK and 17+ a night. Also, if you don't give Schultz those minutes either Cole or Lovejoy is getting them, so it is still ******.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I mean, he has the advantage of actually being able to handle the minutes he is given where as Schultz will probably look super exposed if we were playing him on the PK and 17+ a night.

I really disagree that Maatta has been able to handle that role these playoffs. He's been really bad. Maybe Schultz will be bad too. But maybe he won't be.

 

[Gurglesons]

I really disagree that Maatta has been able to handle that role these playoffs. He's been really bad. Maybe Schultz will be bad too. But maybe he won't be.

I mean he is playing sound positionally. The issue is that he's had a concussion / multiple issues this year. I don't think the solution is to bench Maatta, even on his worst day he is a better option than Lovejoy or Cole playing 20+ a night.

Also, let's not pretend that the two other top d in his draft class aren't having the same exact issue that he is. Dumba and Trouba have both looked just as miserable this year without the consistent injuries.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I mean he is playing sound positionally. The issue is that he's had a concussion / multiple issues this year. I don't think the solution is to bench Maatta, even on his worst day he is a better option than Lovejoy or Cole playing 20+ a night.

I really don't agree. He's playing really bad hockey right now.

Also, let's not pretend that the two other top d in his draft class aren't having the same exact issue that he is. Dumba and Trouba have both looked just as miserable this year without the consistent injuries.

who said anything about Dumba or Trouba?

 

[Darth Vitale]

Maatta's skating was not this bad a year or two ago. It wasn't good, but this is a different level of bad.

Agree completely. People forget there was a decent stretch of games when he first started playing for us where he was a really solid D. And while his skating was never great it wasn't like this. But of course half the board forgets the little details about injuries and cancer, about young D losing confidence if relied on too heavily when they start making mistakes (we did), and how long it takes to develop D in general. All they can remember is how much we need him to awesome right now, and if he's not awesome, he's a dumpster fire and let's trade him for Tim Horton's gift cards.

People are going to eat their words on this one in a couple years. That is if the Penguins organization knows how to handle the situation.

 

[socko]

Well didn't the Pens have a much slower team a few years ago too? You can get away with slower players sometimes based on the style of play your team plays. If you're going to play a fast free flowing game, Maatta is not going to look good because he is super slow.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Well didn't the Pens have a much slower team a few years ago too? You can get away with slower players sometimes based on the style of play your team plays. If you're going to play a fast free flowing game, Maatta is not going to look good because he is super slow.

a year ago, Maatta was a mediocre skater. Not ideal, but he wasn't super slow until this year. That gives me hope he can at least get back to that.