Confirmed with Link: Penguins acquire Joseph Blandisi from Anaheim

[Ugene Magic]

 

[WheresRamziAbid]

Lovejoy, Hainsey, and Kunitz? Fringy bad bandaids?

Kunitz by then was a fringy roster forward. Lovejoy a ho hum 6th d man and hainsey was a 6 playing as a top pair guy.

Nobody in good conscience can say that, that version of Kunitz was heads and shoulders over what ZAR is and yet that player was a top 6er and ZAR is a 4th liner. Is Johnson as a 6th dman significantly different from Lovejoy. And definetly better than 1st pair Hainsey.

The worstt guys on our healthy roster like Johnson and ZAR are comparBle to guys playing top 6 and first pair minutes in those years but somehow weve "gotten away from our identity"

 

[NMK11]

That's an...interesting lineup. If you're going to stack the top 6, why not put Brassard with Malkin instead of Sheahan?

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

In 2016, here are the lines they used the night they won the Cup:

Sheary-Crosby-Hornqvist
Kunitz-Malkin-Rust
Hagelin-Bonino-Kessel
Kuhnhackl-Cullen-Fehr

Dumoulin-Letang
Maatta-Lovejoy
Cole-Schultz

Murray
Fleury

(Injured list: Dupuis, Daley, S. Wilson, Porter).

Kuhnhackl was definitely a plug, and honestly, so was Fehr, at least the way he was playing at the time.

With a fully healthy lineup, Wilson's either in the pressbox or in the AHL. Same with Blandisi.

Kuhhackl and Fehr are snipers compared to Wilson, though. They might not have been able to chip in offensively often, but both were at least able to chip in with a timely goal on occasion to go along with their "intangibles". Wilson literally is a non-factor 100% of the time offensively.

There's carrying plugs by NHL standards, and then there's carrying a guy who literally cannot score at the NHL level.

 

[NMK11]

Kuhhackl and Fehr are snipers compared to Wilson, though. They might not have been able to chip in offensively often, but both were at least able to chip in with a timely goal on occasion to go along with their "intangibles". Wilson literally is a non-factor 100% of the time offensively.

There's carrying plugs by NHL standards, and then there's carrying a guy who literally cannot score at the NHL level.

Kuhn being the worst player in that lineup was actually having a good year too. He regressed to the point of being a 12/13F over the next year or so, but plenty of people thought he may have the better scoring touch over Rust at the time.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Trying to equate ZAR with Kevin Porter and Garrett Wilson...Classic.

Kevin Porter was a fill in. A place holder much loke Ebbett was used. He was eventually passed by people playing better. Just like Wilson will be. Because with a full healthy roster its arguable that Wilson is even on it, let alone playing. But lets change the subject to ZAR who is better thatn either by a long shot. And also better than players on those cup rosters.

Oh man, here we go. Ya I changed the subject. This literally went exactly how I said it would with you missing the actual point and focusing on some coal miner.

You think the discussion is about Wilson when he’s just a small symptom of the concern.

It’s not difficult to understand why I brought up being worried about ZAR being used in a role he lacks the skill set for.

Or would you like to tell me how he’s a top six talent. I’d love to read that uh, analysis.

 

[WheresRamziAbid]

Kuhhackl and Fehr are snipers compared to Wilson, though. They might not have been able to chip in offensively often, but both were at least able to chip in with a timely goal on occasion to go along with their "intangibles". Wilson literally is a non-factor 100% of the time offensively.

There's carrying plugs by NHL standards, and then there's carrying a guy who literally cannot score at the NHL level.

Thers also a difference between the playoffs and regular season. Wilson is out pacing the 6 point pace of Kevin Porter. I mean hes right in line in usage, scoring and purpose as Sestito was. Did anyone have a panic attack about him?

 

[Ugene Magic]

That's an...interesting lineup. If you're going to stack the top 6, why not put Brassard with Malkin instead of Sheahan?

Hornqvist is supposedly on his way there. I doubt they would send him out there if they are not going to use him.

 

[wheelz87]

That's an...interesting lineup. If you're going to stack the top 6, why not put Brassard with Malkin instead of Sheahan?

The Brassard we thought we were getting or the Brassard that I forget is playing half the time?

 

[WheresRamziAbid]

Oh man, here we go. Ya I changed the subject. Ok... this literally went exactly how I said it would with you missing the big point and focusing on some coal miner.

You think the discussion is about Wilson when he’s just a small symptom of the concern.

It’s not difficult to understand why I brought up being worried about ZAR being used in a role he lacks the skill set for.

Or would you like to tell me how he’s a top six talent. I’d love to read that uh, analysis.

ZAR has been on the 4th line when we have a healthy roster. He is being used the same way Kuhnackl was. Except hes better at it.

But lets not let facts get in tge way of a good conspiracy.

Show me how ZAR instead of Kuhnhackl is "getting away from whats working".

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Thers also a difference between the playoffs and regular season. Wilson is out pacing the 6 point pace of Kevin Porter. I mean hes right in line in usage, scoring and purpose as Sestito was. Did anyone have a panic attack about him?

Uh, people were pretty worried about Porter being a regular at the time it seemed he was constantly being dressed.

I also don't recall JR going on record about how much they love guys like Porter and Sestito, which adds to the concern. It's one thing to play Wilson when there's injuries (which I still don't agree with), but it's another for Rutherford to literally talk about how much they love what he brings and hope to get him into the lineup more now with these moves.

 

[WheresRamziAbid]

Uh, people were pretty worried about Porter being a regular at the time it seemed he was constantly being dressed.

I also don't recall JR going on record about how much they love guys like Porter and Sestito, which adds to the concern. It's one thing to play Wilson when there's injuries (which I still don't agree with), but it's another for Rutherford to literally talk about how much they love what he brings and hope to get him into the lineup more now with these moves.

Which was silly...thats my point.

They talked up Reaves last yer too. Then traded him for the sake of cap space.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Which was silly...thats my point.

No, your point seems to be no one should be concerned about them playing a player with literally zero NHL offensive skill because one time it didn't end in disaster.

Why is it so unreasonable to just want the team to ice 12 forwards who can actually contribute all over the ice?

They talked up Reaves last yer too. Then traded him for the sake of cap space.

JR did. It was clear Sullivan was on a different page, and I'm pretty sure JR traded Reaves because it was obvious Sullivan wasn't going to use him much anyway and it allowed him to land (at the time) his dream 3C.

With Wilson, Sullivan seems to like him as much as JR does.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

ZAR has been on the 4th line when we have a healthy roster. He is being used the same way Kuhnackl was. Except hes better at it.

But lets not let facts get in tge way of a good conspiracy.

Show me how ZAR instead of Kuhnhackl is "getting away from whats working".

What’s happened when a top six goes down?

ZAR is bumped up with Crosby or Malkin and becomes an anchor because he lacks the skill set of a top six fwd.

Again, not hard to follow all the connections to their strong desire to find these gritty players and playing a useless plug on their fourth line, bumping a guy into a role he isn’t suited for, and signing a guy they thought was gritty and cock blocking an actual skilled player like TB.

 

[WheresRamziAbid]

No, your point seems to be no one should be concerned about them playing a player with literally zero NHL offensive skill because one time it didn't end in disaster.

Why is it so unreasonable to just want the team to ice 12 forwards who can actually contribute all over the ice?



JR did. It was clear Sullivan was on a different page, and I'm pretty sure JR traded Reaves because it was obvious Sullivan wasn't going to use him much anyway and it allowed him to land (at the time) his dream 3C.

With Wilson, Sullivan seems to like him as much as JR does.

Wilson hasnt played a single game that 2 regular forward were not hurt. That should be enough not to create worry from a heap of nothing.

 

[NMK11]

Thers also a difference between the playoffs and regular season. Wilson is out pacing the 6 point pace of Kevin Porter. I mean hes right in line in usage, scoring and purpose as Sestito was. Did anyone have a panic attack about him?

Yeah...plenty of people didn't like Porter being up and used as much or as often as he was. Same with Kuhn after his first year, same with Adams and Glass. It's not just a Pens problem by any means, but we do have a history of keeping borderline NHLers locked on the roster despite better options.

ZAR has been on the 4th line when we have a healthy roster. He is being used the same way Kuhnackl was. Except hes better at it.

But lets not let facts get in tge way of a good conspiracy.

Show me how ZAR instead of Kuhnhackl is "getting away from whats working".

ZAR is doing better than a lot of people thought, so credit for that, but let's not pretend that he was getting more playing time and better linemates than better players early in the year. ZAR isn't the abomination some people make him out to be, but I don't trust Sully to not move him up from the fourth line.

 

[WheresRamziAbid]

What’s happened when a top six goes down?

ZAR is bumped up with Crosby or Malkin and becomes an anchor because he lacks the skill set of a top six fwd.

Again, not hard to follow all the connections to their strong desire to find these gritty players and playing a useless plug on their fourth line, bumping a guy into a role he isn’t suited for, and signing a guy they thought was gritty and cock blocking an actual skilled player like TB.

You mean like they did multiple times with Kuhnhackl and did two straight years with Kunitz?

ZAR is just just this years version of old Kunitz or Kuhnhackl. Its not adding additional guys.

Wilson is a injury fill in.

This team is man for man no more spots designated to grit than they did before.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Wilson hasnt played a single game that 2 regular forward were not hurt. That should be enough not to create worry from a heap of nothing.

So you're going to ignore the part about how much the organization seems to think highly of him? That factors into the "worry factor" as well, not just the fact Wilson is getting called up and playing ahead of more talented guys on the farm every time there's an injury.

 

[WheresRamziAbid]

Yes because it is VERY clear they do not view him as a regular. Hes been their 14f bandaid. And im sure they like him in that role. But there is zero evidence they view him as anything more than a good guy in the room that can fill in.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

You mean like they did multiple times with Kuhnhackl and did two straight years with Kunitz?

ZAR is just just this years version of old Kunitz or Kuhnhackl. Its not adding additional guys.

Wilson is a injury fill in.

This team is man for man no more spots designated to grit than they did before.

They never saw Kuhn as a top six power fwd in the making. Kuhn getting an occasional bump was just a bone. ZAR is a guy they see in that top six role to counter Wilson. And they will keep trying to force it when injuries hit.

If you think he’s some top six guy in the making, great. I think he’s a fourth line tweener at best.

Now Grant is gone and served no purpose. Wilson is still up being useless, and they have no clue what TB can do. And best of all, they are trying to force ZAR into a skilled role he isn’t suited for.

That’s exactly why some of us aren’t happy they are trying to chase after grit because of scary Tom Wilson.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Yes because it is VERY clear they do not view him as a regular. Hes been their 14f bandaid. And im sure they like him in that role. But there is zero evidence they view him as anything more than a good guy in the room that can fill in.

And when injuries hit he's their 11th or 12th forward. You don't see that as an issue.

My question is, why are you even defending him as the 13th or 14th forward instead of carrying someone with more actual ability in that spot? That's the issue. That a guy with no NHL offensive ability is even an option.

Defending the move because one time Kevin Porter was the 13th forward and we ended up winning a Cup later that year seems dubious at best as a rationale for carrying him in the first place. That's like saying we should go out and get a goon who literally can't do anything but fight because we won a Cup when Eric Godard played regularly in the regular season.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

From the way it sounds, Blandisi will be given the first shot as a depth guy, because the Penguins think he has some upside and is NHL ready. From what I can see, it seems like they just want to have Wilson on the roster. JR said this about Wilson:

To me, that means "on the roster", not "playing".

Proof will be in the pudding. The guy's getting regular time right now and they talk about him like he should expect a statue next to Mario shortly.

 

[LOGiK]

Proof will be in the pudding. The guy's getting regular time right now and they talk about him like he should expect a statue next to Mario shortly.

What if you don't like pudding?

 

[WheresRamziAbid]

They never saw Kuhn as a top six power fwd in the making. Kuhn getting an occasional bump was just a bone. ZAR is a guy they see in that top six role to counter Wilson. And they will keep trying to force it when injuries hit.

If you think he’s some top six guy in the making, great. I think he’s a fourth line tweener at best.

Now Grant is gone and served no purpose. Wilson is still up being useless, and they have no clue what TB can do. And best of all, they are trying to force ZAR into a skilled role he isn’t suited for.

That’s exactly why some of us aren’t happy they are trying to chase after grit because of scary Tom Wilson.

Do you think ZAR is any worse than the corpse of Kunitz that was being dragged around. I dont. He certainly isnt worse than Kuhnhackl.

The worse case senario is they shoehorn New Adventures of Old Kunitz (ZAR) in tge same role they had old Kunitz in. I dont see how having one forward thats more gritty in mold and one 14th F that serves little purpose is any different that what theyve been doing in total.

 

[WheresRamziAbid]

And when injuries hit he's their 11th or 12th forward. You don't see that as an issue.

My question is, why are you even defending him as the 13th or 14th forward instead of carrying someone with more actual ability in that spot? That's the issue. That a guy with no NHL offensive ability is even an option.

Defending the move because one time Kevin Porter was the 13th forward and we ended up winning a Cup later that year seems dubious at best as a rationale for carrying him in the first place. That's like saying we should go out and get a goon who literally can't do anything but fight because we won a Cup when Eric Godard played regularly in the regular season.

The connwction your missing is that neither of those guy were options to play in the playoffs unless massive emergency.

Just like Wilson.

I couldnt give a fart if some plug plays in game 36, 44 and 60 because we have multiple injuries and just looking for a warm body.

Hes a spare tire, only needed to get to the tire store.