Confirmed with Link: Pens Sign Finnish Defenseman Juuso Riikola

bambamcam4ever

107 and counting
Feb 16, 2012
14,302
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That’s Gagarin Cup Champion Sergei Plotnikov to you! :sarcasm:


I’m actually estatic with this signing, especially for free. Maybe he can teach Olli how to actually use his body. Not even hit-wise, just positionally speaking. A dman who can (allegedly) shoot and skate and pass and play good defense? Who wouldn’t be estatic?
What games are you watching if you think Maatta has poor body positioning?
 

AjaxTelamon

Registered User
Jul 8, 2011
6,068
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Oleksiak always seemed better on the right to me anyways, I'd like to see this guy take that 3rd pair LD spot and push Ruh to #7.

If they can't trade Hunwick, they may want to look at buying him out here after 6/15 or whenever it starts this year. Looks like we'd owe 2/3 of his remaining 4.2m over (4) years, with cap hits of:

2018-19: 460k
2019-20: 1.2m
2020-21: 700k
2021-22: 700k

Not that bad, especially if you replace him with the Fin for 2 of those years.
 
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Pancakes

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Mar 4, 2011
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Reading the Athletic article on this guy makes me excited.

We'll see. The offensive numbers aren't eye popping, and I'd hope for them to be for him to be an impact NHLer. Put Schultz, Maatta, etc over there and they'd light it up.

But maybe this guy can be something given time. I suspect he starts in WBS and is on the first call-up list if someone gets hurt.
 

Corvidae

Registered User
May 5, 2009
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I feel that way on all our picks...……..till they get to camp.

That's very optimistic of you to assume he'll make it to camp without something terrible happening.

Month-to-Month with ______ around early August. He'll get to WBS circa February 2019.
 

USMC607

Registered User
Apr 4, 2013
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That's very optimistic of you to assume he'll make it to camp without something terrible happening.

Month-to-Month with ______ around early August. He'll get to WBS circa February 2019.

As long as hes not taking a stroll by a lake and contracts ebola from a mosquito bite.
 
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SHOOTANDSCORE

Eeny Meeny Miny Moe
Sep 25, 2005
10,952
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They do have full time skating and skills coaches.

With that’s said, there isn’t much a player can do at this point to improve skating. These players had access to the best skating coaches in the world long before they played an NHL game.

Really, OM skating is not the prettiest but it’s average. It’s his explosiveness and first three strides that are lacking - that gets addressed in the weight room. However, a players body is a players body and everyone has their limits. I’m sure he’s worked on it.
Are you sure? The last I remember, the skating coach was a part time gig.

Maybe he has reached his physical limits, and if a power skating coach isn't able to squeeze a bit of improvement out his first few steps, then maybe we should start shopping him. I guess we just have to trust JR's assessment of the situation.

Anyway, back on topic.
 

Honour Over Glory

Fire Sully
Jan 30, 2012
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Are you sure? The last I remember, the skating coach was a part time gig.

Maybe he has reached his physical limits, and if a power skating coach isn't able to squeeze a bit of improvement out his first few steps, then maybe we should start shopping him. I guess we just have to trust JR's assessment of the situation.

Anyway, back on topic.
Olli would have to be a fool not to identify that as a weakness he needs to work on, again he's headed into what, year 6 of his career? or 5 if you take that injury riddled year out.

During that entire time, he's really been the same for his skating, one would think that if he knew it was an issue and worked on it, we sure as hell are not seeing the fruits of that labor because there is nothing to bare from all that work.

With Olli, this is it. He might get a little better with his shot and what not, but his skating will never be any better, just think about this, at some point, it'll actually get worse.
 
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cygnus47

Registered User
Sep 14, 2013
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Olli would have to be a fool not to identify that as a weakness he needs to work on, again he's headed into what, year 6 of his career? or 5 if you take that injury riddled year out.

During that entire time, he's really been the same for his skating, one would think that if he knew it was an issue and worked on it, we sure as hell are not seeing the fruits of that labor because there is nothing to bare from all that work.

With Olli, this is it. He might get a little better with his shot and what not, but his skating will never be any better, just think about this, at some point, it'll actually get worse.

It got better this year with a short off-season. I think this will probably be the last chance at it though. If he doesn't take another step forward this off-season I won't expect any further improvements. I don't expect that much anyway though, if he could be even average that would be huge.
 

The Old Master

come and take it.
Sep 27, 2004
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That's very optimistic of you to assume he'll make it to camp without something terrible happening.

Month-to-Month with ______ around early August. He'll get to WBS circa February 2019.
that's me...only good thoughts.....till i c reminds me of something I keep forgetting.
 
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Honour Over Glory

Fire Sully
Jan 30, 2012
77,316
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I feel like this kid is going to shock us and actually look very good. From all the things I have seen and read about him...

His size isn't an issue with his defending.
He skates fantastically.
He has a wicked shot, albeit a slow wind-up though.
Good at joining the rush, but also good in his own end.

I think he's been putting it all together the last 2-3yrs and has finally shown enough to turn heads, I wonder how many other teams were in on him before he chose the Pens (and their insane lack of depth in that position) as his choice.
 
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Honour Over Glory

Fire Sully
Jan 30, 2012
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Listen as long as he doesn't have a cancerous tumor on his lymph node, lyme disease, mumps, or gets concussed in practice....he should be fine.


Quick, someone put this kid in a padded room with rubber utensils.
 
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Burn

Registered User
Mar 24, 2018
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Olli would have to be a fool not to identify that as a weakness he needs to work on, again he's headed into what, year 6 of his career? or 5 if you take that injury riddled year out.

During that entire time, he's really been the same for his skating, one would think that if he knew it was an issue and worked on it, we sure as hell are not seeing the fruits of that labor because there is nothing to bare from all that work.

With Olli, this is it. He might get a little better with his shot and what not, but his skating will never be any better, just think about this, at some point, it'll actually get worse.
Went to the practice after last years first game, where Mattaa was beat from a bad pivot at least 4 times.

He worked on that before and after the practice. I think it'll always be a problem and its not about fixing it as much as using the IQ to hide it and not let it hinder his game.

Overall I think he had his best year since the first half of his rookie year. The Pens have to be on him to make that his standard.
 
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Darth Vitale

Dark Matter
Aug 21, 2003
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I heard he has gout.

:sarcasm:
.... Riikola won't fix Letang but he may help soothe that nasty cough

I haven’t been this excited since we signed plotnikov

Hahaha. It's comments like these that make for a winning forum.


Golden helmet Janne Pesonen!

That was my very first thought watching the videos:
"how good can this guy be if he's not even wearing the golden helmet? Am I supposed to be excited we got Pesonen Lite?" But seriously. Free / zero risk Euro-assets who play the defense. I'm for it.

I feel that way on all our picks...……..till they get to camp.

You mean rookie camp right? Kidding. Technically would this guy be at the development camp? Too old right? Real Camp or bust?
 

WheresRamziAbid

Registered User
Oct 31, 2013
7,183
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I still cant believe we got a good Euro FA. I was told that no one would ever want to sign here again after we destroyed Plotnikovs career/life/soul?
 

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