GDT: Penguins @ Canadiens (Quebec City)

[Speaking Moistly]

As someone who gets off on stroking his own ego and tooting his own horn: I did.

I specifically said that not only was he not good, but that putting him in Bylsma's system was extra-special levels of idiotic.

Even then he went from okay to "oh my god what is that?" But part of that is probably, iirc, that the team went more Bylsma and away from tweaks Martin had made, now that I think about it. Kind of never mind.

 

[JTG]

Nisky was a just a castoff a majority of the people on this board wanted thrown on waivers a few years ago. JT was one of the few who thought he could be redeemed.

Sometimes guys just need a chance and the ice time to prove themselves. Guys like Cole, Dumo and even Clendening/Erixon fit in that category IMHO.

Cole and Clendening have the look of two guys who could really turn their games around and do well. Cole has already sort of began a transformation of sorts last season. I thought he was outstanding in the playoffs. Hopefully he builds on that.

Clendening absolutely has the look of a guy we can develop and flip. Had Martin not gotten hurt, I do believe we would have flipped Niskanen. I don't really get the people dissing on CLendening though. He's spoken about like he's some seasoned veteran that's been around for a while and hasn't developed. He's 22 years old.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

yeah, things could be way worse. And really, the issue wasn't signing Scuderi, it was refusing to re-sign Niskanen early OR trade him. The issue was not trading Orpik a year early. The issue was not giving Despres and Bort the bottom pair for an entire season. The issue was not giving Dumoulin half a year last year. The issue is not trading Scuderi when they had an option to trade Scuderi.

Now, if they play Lovejoy and Scuderi this year, if they keep Gonchar around, now they are just not only living with problems, they are compounding their problems and inviting more.

Yeah. It's kind of a death-by-thousand-cuts thing. The way the team mishandled Niskanen, overall, wasn't going to end up being a huge deal in and of itself. But it was one miscue among many that were all kinda tied together. It's like they wanted all of the defensemen, unrealistic and crazy as that seems. But they had no real plan beyond "we want all the defensemen."

And now, in a relatively short span, they are in the weird position that they are in... regarding their blueline. Kind of crazy, actually... considering it was such a "pillar" of the franchise for so many years. I'm not even necessarily *****ing about it (even though this group certainly makes me nervous). It's just quite the turnaround.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

yeah, things could be way worse. And really, the issue wasn't signing Scuderi, it was refusing to re-sign Niskanen early OR trade him. The issue was not trading Orpik a year early. The issue was not giving Despres and Bort the bottom pair for an entire season. The issue was not giving Dumoulin half a year last year. The issue is not trading Scuderi when they had an option to trade Scuderi.

Now, if they play Lovejoy and Scuderi this year, if they keep Gonchar around, now they are just not only living with problems, they are compounding their problems and inviting more.

If Lovejoy, Scuderi and Gonchar are in the top six for the Pens this season, they'll miss the playoffs. And they'll have no one to blame but their own insane love affair with useless veterans.

I can't believe we're less than two weeks away from the start of the season and not only is Scuderi still on the team, but him playing regularly is a possibility. My only hope is that Dumoulin and one of the "extra bodies" like Clendening or Erixon play well enough to force Scuderi out. But the chances of that happening are about as high as my chances with Mila Kunis (just watched Ted and she was on my mind).

 

[IcedCapp]

If Lovejoy, Scuderi and Gonchar are in the top six for the Pens this season, they'll miss the playoffs. And they'll have no one to blame but their own insane love affair with useless veterans.

I can't believe we're less than two weeks away from the start of the season and not only is Scuderi still on the team, but him playing regularly is a possibility. My only hope is that Dumoulin and one of the "extra bodies" like Clendening or Erixon play well enough to force Scuderi out. But the chances of that happening are about as high as my chances with Mila Kunis (just watched Ted and she was on my mind).

I'd honestly rather have Gonchar as the #7 than Scuderi, as I feel Gonchar fills his role WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY better than Scuderi fills his.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

I saw Scuderi as a bad signing from day one. Rustled a few jimmies by saying so, if I recall. Not that I'm bragging, I've made bad calls in the past, and I'd really rather have been wrong about Scuderi.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

I'd honestly rather have Gonchar as the #7 than Scuderi, as I feel Gonchar fills his role WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY better than Scuderi fills his.

The potential price tag for Gonchar will also make a lot more sense than having your #7 making almost $4 million. For a team like the Pens, who are up close to the cap, that extra wiggle room would be nice come trade deadline time.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Cole and Clendening have the look of two guys who could really turn their games around and do well. Cole has already sort of began a transformation of sorts last season. I thought he was outstanding in the playoffs. Hopefully he builds on that.

Clendening absolutely has the look of a guy we can develop and flip. Had Martin not gotten hurt, I do believe we would have flipped Niskanen. I don't really get the people dissing on CLendening though. He's spoken about like he's some seasoned veteran that's been around for a while and hasn't developed. He's 22 years old.

Clendening looks like he has some puck skills. I haven't paid attention to his defense TBTH. Nuck fans made him sound like he could barely tie his skates, much like Stars fans with Nisky.

Wish he was bigger though.

 

[td_ice]

Clendening looks like he has some puck skills. I haven't paid attention to his defense TBTH. Nuck fans made him sound like he could barely tie his skates, much like Stars fans with Nisky.

Wish he was bigger though.

Yeah, I expected him to come out on the ice with a chair in front of him to stay up.

 

[Asuna]

Yeah, I expected him to come out on the ice with a chair in front of him to stay up.

Seriously...the hate was a bit absurd.

Clendening has looked good so far this preseason. I hope he makes the starting lineup (as if)

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Yeah, I expected him to come out on the ice with a chair in front of him to stay up.

At the very least, I was expecting to see Clendening use those double-bladed skates and do the snow plow to stop.

 

[billybudd]

I don't know if Clendening's been good or if that's just comparative to half the D in camp being completely (or in Lovejoy's case, partially) incompetent. It's the same way with all of Warsovski, Anderson and Erixon. Every time I think one of them has done something wrong, I look around and see Gonchar, Scuderi or, unfortunately, Pouliot doing something that plausibly explains why it wouldn't have been their fault.

It's tough to gauge which (or any) of those four can contribute best in the NHL at this point. Is Clendening better than Erixon or Anderson? Or did he just have more shifts not paired with a disaster? I don't really know the answer to that other than a shrug and acknowledgment that he's right handed.

 

[Zen Arcade]

I'm not surprised Warsofsky is doing well, if he were 6'2 or something instead of 5'8 he'd probably be an NHL regular by now.

He was always really good for Providence, but bigger players give him a hard time and that's tough for a defenseman to overcome.

 

[JTG]

Clendening looks like he has some puck skills. I haven't paid attention to his defense TBTH. Nuck fans made him sound like he could barely tie his skates, much like Stars fans with Nisky.

Wish he was bigger though.

Exactly like Niskanen. Stars fans were brutal with Niskanen.

 

[IcedCapp]

I don't know if Clendening's been good or if that's just comparative to half the D in camp being completely (or in Lovejoy's case, partially) incompetent. It's the same way with all of Warsovski, Anderson and Erixon. Every time I think one of them has done something wrong, I look around and see Gonchar, Scuderi or, unfortunately, Pouliot doing something that plausibly explains why it wouldn't have been their fault.

It's tough to gauge which (or any) of those four can contribute best in the NHL at this point. Is Clendening better than Erixon or Anderson? Or did he just have more shifts not paired with a disaster? I don't really know the answer to that other than a shrug and acknowledgment that he's right handed.

I wouldn't mind seeing Warsovski some in the regular season. Dude is slick. Confident with the puck. Some dzone gaffes, but no worse than anyone else on this team.