GDT: Penguins Training Camp

[K Fleur]

Ha... with this team, no doubt. But I've always kinda been of the mindset that you can't PLAN your roster around injuries and have to rely on your system and quality callups from the farm, instead.

I don't know how enthusiastic guys like Hornqvist, Rust, McCann and Bjugstad would be toiling on the 4th line for big chunks of the season. Not just that but it seems like a huge waste of cap space. This team needs more ELCs and bargain contracts in those positions.

I think they'll solve it. I hope. It's just kind of an awkward situation ATM.

In Hornqvist’s case he’s been a guy that’s always given me the vibe that you can put him wherever in the lineup and he’ll always bringing the same energy. That’s not a guy whose enthusiasm or hunger I’ve ever worried about just his health. Probably has a bit to do with being the last pick in his draft.

 

[Gurglesons]

If Johnson Letang is even on the table we're in huge trouble.

Weren’t they actually fine last year?

Like, it handicaps Letang, but it isn’t like that hasn’t happened to Letang prior to Dumo in terms of every pairing.

 

[JackFr]

Weren’t they actually fine last year?

I'm out and can't bring up the numbers but I'm 99% sure they were really not

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

In Hornqvist’s case he’s been a guy that’s always given me the vibe that you can put him wherever in the lineup and he’ll always bringing the same energy. That’s not a guy whose enthusiasm or hunger I’ve ever worried about just his health. Probably has a bit to do with being the last pick in his draft.

Yeah you're probably right, there. Hornqvist more or less takes his assignment and just keeps on moving along without complaint.

I'm just saying these guys are all highly competitive and aren't machines. You can't just plug them in like cogs and not expect the possibility of some resentment or bruised ego.

And like I said... there are the cap implications of using guys like that in such a sparing role. The players I listed account for something like 13+ million in space. I just really feel like they need to make a move and get this forward group a little more efficient. But I mean... if it works it works.

 

[Tacitus Kilgore]

I've been digging through twitter and I've found literally no one who has given a comprehensive analysis of the scrimmage. I would have expected someone to be doing play-by-play of the game, but nope. Pretty much all I've found was who scored the goals an 1 tweet about Kahun doing well.



I'm surprised no one has died yet considering it's Friday the 13th.

Well, it's not even noon yet. Oh god why did they schedule ANYTHING on Friday the 13th. No wonder Sid ain't there. At least I haven't heard that he was

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Weren’t they actually fine last year?

Like, it handicaps Letang, but it isn’t like that hasn’t happened to Letang prior to Dumo in terms of every pairing.

Pretty sure he dragged Letang down badly and killed his ES production when they were together. Letang’s possession number being dragged down just don’t look as ugly.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Team needs to establish an EN1 line.

Team calls a time out, gets Mario down from the owners box to go over some strategy involving the bold new approach of "don't shoot it over the glass".

 

[Gurglesons]

I'm out and can't bring up the numbers but I'm 99% sure they were really not

Not saying it is preferred. Just if JJ is used you ice him 6th most and exclusively give him soft minutes with Letang.

 

[Andy99]

Not saying it is preferred. Just if JJ is used you ice him 6th most and exclusively give him soft minutes with Letang.

If JJ can even get off a 5-foot pass in the DZ to Letang skating up the ice I'll be amazed....

 

[dogthateats]

Cute

 

[dogthateats]

 

[dogthateats]

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I realize simply saying you want to be a leader doesn't make you one. But man... Geno sure seems to be right in the middle of everything from day 1, this year.

 

[cookthebooks]

geno aging into leadership like a couple other prominent russians? yes please

 

[dogthateats]

 

[dogthateats]

Malkin has me pumped and it is not three hours into training camp day 1.

 

[Dominance]

Every other team is shuddering right now.

 

[TimmyD]

Geno saying Tanev and Gally are hungry really makes me excited.... I think that has been a big issue the last few seasons is that we didn't have enough hungry blood in this lineup... I actually think that line has the potential to work well

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Weren’t they actually fine last year?

Like, it handicaps Letang, but it isn’t like that hasn’t happened to Letang prior to Dumo in terms of every pairing.

I don’t think it’s really on the table when we’re healthy anyway. Doubt they break up 8-58. Like it’s only Day 1 of camp, team is split up into 3 groups and Sullivan still threw an AHL lifer next to Letang rather than JJ.

IIRC they were technically fine but JJ turned that pairing from “top 3 in NHL” to “acceptable”. Could be wrong though.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Good lord, Geno. Maybe a bad season full of turmoil and sadness was ultimately for the best.

I think Biz was saying something about it the other day -- Malkin has one monster season left in him. I don't know how much I'd have believed that half a year ago but I'm starting to come around.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

Not saying it is preferred. Just if JJ is used you ice him 6th most and exclusively give him soft minutes with Letang.

You can’t have half of Letang’s ES minutes killed by JJ. Dragging down the big guns to prop up that anchor hurts the team. We saw it when Letang got to cart him around for some games and we saw it with Malkin and Kessel getting him for so much of the season.

The problem really is that there’s no good answer for the Johnson mess other than WBS. If he has to be played then it’s make everything else as strong as possible. Super low minutes for JJ with the bottom 6 and whichever RD doesn’t get Pettersson. Johnson gets his strong side so people can pretend that helps, the top 6 doesn’t get saddled with him, the 4 best D don’t get him, Dumoulin and Pettersson pick up some minutes with the 5D so the bottom pairing isn’t always shit, and you hope the bottom 6 come close to being even with him. The top 6 and top 4 are set up to thrive as much as possible because they’re worth more. The bottom 6 and bottom pairing aren’t constantly subjected to him.

 

[Dominance]

You can’t have half of Letang’s ES minutes killed by JJ. Dragging down the big guns to prop up that anchor hurts the team. We saw it when Letang got to cart him around for some games and we saw it with Malkin and Kessel getting him for so much of the season.

The problem really is that there’s no good answer for the Johnson mess other than WBS. If he has to be played then it’s make everything else as strong as possible. Super low minutes for JJ with the bottom 6 and whichever RD doesn’t get Pettersson. Johnson gets his strong side so people can pretend that helps, the top 6 doesn’t get saddled with him, the 4 best D don’t get him, Dumoulin and Pettersson pick up some minutes with the 5D so the bottom pairing isn’t always ****, and you hope the bottom 6 come close to being even with him. The top 6 and top 4 are set up to thrive as much as possible because they’re worth more. The bottom 6 and bottom pairing aren’t constantly subjected to him.

We’re a contending team, though, and one that should be putting its all into maximizing a closing window. There is no justification to talk like this, about “minimizing” the damage done by an anchor. We should be doing whatever it takes to get rid of him - including putting something like our 2021 1st on the table.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

The idea of JJ having to take even one shift with Letang in order to help mitigate his shittiness when he should just simply be sent down makes me twitch a little bit.

Seriously, though... where are all the "JaCk JoHnSoN LoOkS Gr8 OuT tHeRe, HaTeRz!" Tweets? So long as he was simply skating faster than frozen mud and tossing a couple easy passes, there should have been at least a few. Dude is a bit of a catalyst for debate, after all.

 

[Gurglesons]

Good lord, Geno. Maybe a bad season full of turmoil and sadness was ultimately for the best.

I think Biz was saying something about it the other day -- Malkin has one monster season left in him. I don't know how much I'd have believed that half a year ago but I'm starting to come around.

It was Ryan Whitney referring to EJ from NHL Network.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

It was Ryan Whitney referring to EJ from NHL Network.

Nice. Thank you... I knew I saw it somewhere in that video.

And again... maybe I'm reaching a bit here but I love the fact that Crosby seems to be stepping aside just a tad to give Geno an opportunity to take the reigns when it comes to addressing the media, etc. We haven't heard much from Sid so far... heard a lot from Geno.

Assertions like that I usually find to be a little silly. But it's Crosby.