Orpik's Inevitable Re-sign (Now with 100% Less Nathan Horton)

[KIRK]

Letang: 25:00
Martin: 23:00
Scuderi: 21:00
Niskanen: 20:00
Maatta: 16:00
Bortuzzo: 15:00

Done. Martin gets a rest from current, Scuds stays about the same, Nisky same, Maatta 1.5 mins more, Bort same.

Maatta with PP time, Bort with PK time against 2nd PP's.

It's easy if you keep Niskanen.

 

[AjaxTelamon]

I can answer that for them, They'll rotate Despres, Maatta and Bortuzzo there, giving Martin the crap job of adjusting to three players tendencies, maybe four.

*PROFIT*

Martin would love you long time if you could cut his ice time by 3 mins a game and not have him dealing with pucks in his skates from Orpik all night long.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Adequacy works when you get a lucky draw like 2009. The only good defensive team had Datsyuk hurt, which meant no shutting down Geno.

But, I also remember 2008. I remember how stacking for both Sid and Geno meant beating even the good defensive teams in the playoffs and pretty much dominating en route to the finals (where I'll argue that but for Geno hurt and the rookie cup jitters, the 2008 squad fully healthy beats the 2008 Wings squad even with Datsyuk healthy).

I guess that I'd just rather have the Pens settle for adequacy somewhere other than with Sid and Geno.

I didn't say the options were adequate, I said they were more than adequate. And frankly, that's an understatement for this top 6:

Kunitz - Crosby - Bennett
Jokinen - Malkin - Neal

That's a very, very good set of wingers. Better than we had in either '08 or '09, in fact.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Letang: 25:00
Martin: 23:00
Scuderi: 21:00
Niskanen: 20:00
Maatta: 16:00
Bortuzzo: 15:00

Done. Martin gets a rest from current, Scuds stays about the same, Nisky same, Maatta 1.5 mins more, Bort same.

Maatta with PP time, Bort with PK time against 2nd PP's.

So you're playing Niskanen with Martin.

Oh yeah, that's always looked great.

For anyone who wants Maatta to stay or Despres up, this question is precisely WHY it must happen. Otherwise, the excuse and even the need to resign Orpik is there.

By the way, saying it would be a 'crap job' for Martin to adjust to a pair of young defensemen makes me wonder what one would call being Orpik's partner.

But I digress . . . le familia rules

I'm not saying it isn't an option moving forward, I'm saying it's not something I want to see when none of the options even have a full year of bottom pairing duty under their belt. And I really don't like the idea of Nisky in that spot either.

I'm not sure why this is even a pressing issue. Orpik/Martin was the least of our worries last year when it mattered.

 

[KIRK]

I didn't say the options were adequate, I said they were more than adequate. And frankly, that's an understatement for this top 6:

Kunitz - Crosby - Bennett
Jokinen - Malkin - Neal

That's a very, very good set of wingers. Better than we had in either '08 or '09, in fact.

'09, yes. '08 . . . I think not. Hossa and Dupuis > Kunitz and Bennett, and it's not even close. Malone and Sykora versus Jokinen and Neal could be argued either way.

 

[IcedCapp]

It's a shame we don't know if Despres could handle 20 a night

 

[KIRK]

It's a shame we don't know if Despres could handle 20 a night

And this summer we'll be saying the same of him AND Maatta when Orpik or, as a fallback, Nisky resigns.

 

[Ogrezilla]

It's a shame we don't know if Despres could handle 20 a night

out of everything that went wrong last year, this is the thing that bothers me the most.

 

[KIRK]

out of everything that went wrong last year, this is the thing that bothers me the most.

Wait until Maatta is sent down and the Pens resign Orpik or, in a pinch, Nisky.

 

[IcedCapp]

out of everything that went wrong last year, this is the thing that bothers me the most.

People told me I was overreacting to the eaton signing. It cost us so so so much.

 

[Uemoda]

It's a shame we don't know if Despres could handle 20 a night

I really don't think he can. I'm outspoken on this, but I never thought he was the superstar people make him out to be. He has potential, but his brainfarts tend to overshadow that. And it's not like he's an offensive dynamo at the moment either.

I'll take Maatta 10 times out of 10.


And if we re-sign Orpik (likely), I'll be pretty irritated. He's not good.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I really don't think he can. I'm outspoken on this, but I never thought he was the superstar people make him out to be. He has potential, but his brainfarts tend to overshadow that. And it's not like he's an offensive dynamo at the moment either.

I'll take Maatta 10 times out of 10.


And if we re-sign Orpik (likely), I'll be pretty irritated. He's not good.

we should at least know if Despres can handle 3rd pairing duties.

 

[IcedCapp]

I really don't think he can. I'm outspoken on this, but I never thought he was the superstar people make him out to be. He has potential, but his brainfarts tend to overshadow that. And it's not like he's an offensive dynamo at the moment either.

I'll take Maatta 10 times out of 10.


And if we re-sign Orpik (likely), I'll be pretty irritated. He's not good.

Despres was fine until he started getting yanked around. By the end of the year he played like a young player who lacked confidence.

Maatta is great. I want him to play.

I do not understand what the team is doing with Despres and Bortuzzo

 

[KIRK]

Despres was fine until he started getting yanked around. By the end of the year he played like a young player who lacked confidence.

Maatta is great. I want him to play.

I do not understand what the team is doing with Despres and Bortuzzo

Yes you do. You just can't see the #bylsmalogic.

 

[JTG]

I think some people have a very pie in the sky view of how defensive pairings work. No defenseman wants to have rotating partners throughout a game, if it can be avoided. There has to be a clear cut player moving into Orpik's spot if he is not retained.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I think some people have a very pie in the sky view of how defensive pairings work. No defenseman wants to have rotating partners throughout a game, if it can be avoided. There has to be a clear cut player moving into Orpik's spot if he is not retained.

Maatta or Despres. Or Bortuzzo. By next year, one of those 3 will be able to do it. And if they absolutely can't, then I guess you suck it up and sign Niskanen or a stop gap solution.

If we make it to this off-season without having a very good idea if one of those guys can fill that spot, then Shero has royally screwed up with his entire draft and prospect building strategy. We HAVE to use these kids.

 

[JTG]

Maatta or Despres. Or Bortuzzo. By next year, one of those 3 will be able to do it. And if they absolutely can't, then I guess you suck it up and sign Niskanen or a stop gap solution.

If we make it to this off-season without having a very good idea if one of those guys can fill that spot, then Shero has royally screwed up with his entire draft and prospect building strategy. We HAVE to use these kids.

I agree. I have a hard time envisioning Shero not reaching out to Orpik though. I ultimately think Brooks will just get more money elsewhere, and I'm not talking something in the realm of "hometown discount" territory. I have a feeling someone will give him close to a million more than what we offer, which I guess is a good thing.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I agree. I have a hard time envisioning Shero not reaching out to Orpik though. I ultimately think Brooks will just get more money elsewhere, and I'm not talking something in the realm of "hometown discount" territory. I have a feeling someone will give him close to a million more than what we offer, which I guess is a good thing.

I really hope not. I mean, I hope that happens I guess because I want him to go somewhere else. But I hope Shero doesn't even try to keep him because even if it works out it would really make me doubt that he has a good plan in place for what he's been doing. I still don't like that he offered Staal that ridiculous contract either. It would have be such a bad move for us.

 

[Muscles4Malkin]

I didn't say the options were adequate, I said they were more than adequate. And frankly, that's an understatement for this top 6:

Kunitz - Crosby - Bennett
Jokinen - Malkin - Neal

That's a very, very good set of wingers. Better than we had in either '08 or '09, in fact.

I just don't get it why Bylsma doesn't use these lines? What's the problem with his mind? At least try it, Dan.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

'09, yes. '08 . . . I think not. Hossa and Dupuis > Kunitz and Bennett, and it's not even close. Malone and Sykora versus Jokinen and Neal could be argued either way.

The 1st line is closer than you think when you consider that Dupuis was anything close to the player then that he is now. And no, the 2nd line can't be argued either way.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Dupuis is a better player now. But I don't really subscribe to this notion that he's suddenly found a new level of play. He just has the advantage of playing so many years next to one (extremely good) guy that he's adapted and found a nice comfort zone, there. That isn't a knock on him.

Any Crosby line with Hossa on it is instantly better than the Kunitz/Dupuis combo. All day every day. I agree that any line with Neal on it is better than anything else Malkin has played with in the past too, though.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Dupuis is a better player now. But I don't really subscribe to this notion that he's suddenly found a new level of play. He just has the advantage of playing so many years next to one (extremely good) guy that he's adapted and found a nice comfort zone, there. That isn't a knock on him.

Ah, but then we'd be ignoring how well he performed next to Staal when Sid was hurt.

Any Crosby line with Hossa on it is instantly better than the Kunitz/Dupuis combo. All day every day. I agree that any line with Neal on it is better than anything else Malkin has played with in the past too, though.

It's not the Kunitz/Dupuis combo though, it's the potential Kunitz/Bennett combo. And even if the Hossa/2009Dupuis combo were better than Kunitz/Bennett, it's not MORE better than the Jokinen/Neal combo is than Malone/Sykora.

Basically what I'm saying is that we have all the skilled top 6 wingers we should need right now. Trading core pieces for yet another scoring winger does absolutely nothing to change the top 6 make-up of our team so long as DB is married to KCD.

Christ, we're only a few months out from having seen that exact scenario play out before our eyes.

I just don't get it why Bylsma doesn't use these lines? What's the problem with his mind? At least try it, Dan.

Because KCD works well enough. It's just not what any of us want to see most.

 

[WVP]

Off the wall comparison time...

Watching the Crosby line and also Malkin this year, this team almost feels like they're getting their "old man strength" - 87 and 71 have matured to the point where they're not getting outmatched by any veteran team and they are overwhelming any lesser talents.

If Jokinen meshes well with Malkin and Neal, I think this team is going to be extremely powerful and near impossible to beat.

 

[JTG]

Off the wall comparison time...

Watching the Crosby line and also Malkin this year, this team almost feels like they're getting their "old man strength" - 87 and 71 have matured to the point where they're not getting outmatched by any veteran team and they are overwhelming any lesser talents.

If Jokinen meshes well with Malkin and Neal, I think this team is going to be extremely powerful and near impossible to beat.

If Jokinen meshes with Malkin and Neal like I think he will, it will be the best line in hockey this season.