Jag68Sid87
Sullivan gots to go!
Obviously he's just citing a certain type of player, but maybe a guy like Jussi Jokinen as a more grounded example? That type of player isn't a burner but can play the game and produce points, and they have reasonable contracts. Stempniak's name came up in another context as an even more affordable type of guy. We need a couple more of those and a couple less Kuhnackls, at least in terms of scoring.
Of course what we actually need is a young budget player filling a role or two like that but that's another conversation.
Any examples of players we could actually acquire? Cause I'm blanking on any.
I agree we definitely should acquire someone with a scoring touch.
Yes, we need cheap scoring talent. How do you acquire that? Well, you can't if you keep throwing away high draft picks. Which, again, is why I want to miss the playoffs.
The Jokinen's and Stempniak's of the world are solid examples, but you have to get them BEFORE free agency because once they hit the market they no longer become viable options because they won't give you cap relief.
So basically, it's a combination of rejects/projects and the draft. We tried this year with both options...Plotnikov and Sprong. Which goes to show that the coach is also a very important factor here.
If your coach prefers Kevin Porter over Daniel Sprong or Sergei Plotnikov, it doesn't really matter.
Where is there a Luc Robitaille that's available?
The speed thing is taking a Hagelin over a Perron (and I wasn't happy with the trade at the time), not a Grabner over Robitaille.
I only bring up the speed thing because it has clearly become an identity for the Pens and has been successful over the last stretch run. It's obviously not the only way to win, but I'd take a speedy guy over a skill guy that can't score.
Well Perron is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. Everybody hated on the guy for months. Was he worth a 1st rounder? No. But had we left him the hell alone, put him on LW next to Crosby and Hornqvist and just let him do his thing, he would have never been traded. We placed him in a position to fail and he did.
I like Hagelin. But he can't score goals to save himself. I don't have a problem having him on this team, but to play him anywhere above the third line is foolhardy.
And what do you mean a skill guy who can't score? What skills are you talking about? If a guy is a scorer and he's not scoring, that's a problem. But usually, if you acquire guys who can score, they do.
Teams that win build around a particular concept. They overload on one or two things that other teams are incapable of matching. If they have an unbeatable goaltender, maybe they stack defensive players to reinforce that (Devils, historically). If they have guys who make quick decisions, they get rid of anyone who doesn't (Chicago with Pirri and the Hayes brothers). If they have bruisers, they intimidate you and play psychological games (Boston, for years). If they have big players, they lean on you and win 7 game wars of attrition that you'll be more damaged by than they will (Los Angeles).
It's less that speed is the ideal concept for the Penguins to build around, so much as it's the only thing they have the personnel to build around. If we were to angle toward becoming like the Kings (which is what I want, in an ideal world); that's a five or more year process.
Detroit Red Wings with Luc Robitaille were a tough out because every line had at least two guys intuitively capable of beating a goaltender. You could out-shoot them 40 to 13 and lose 4-3.
2016 Pittsburgh Penguins with Luc Robitaille are a bunch of fast guys and a slow guy. That doesn't get you anywhere. The roster works at cross purposes with itself.
I'm glad you brought this up. Because I completely agree. And since Crosby and Malkin have been here, we've NEVER actually built the type of team to win consistently. What can THIS team do with those two players that would separate themselves from the pack? Score. At will. Rutherford had the right idea last summer, he wanted to build four lines of offense. His coaches haven't followed suit. The previous coach wanted to defend, this coach wants to win the Dan Bylsma lookalike award and play an all-out speed game without creativity.
Speed isn't going to break through a big defensive outfit when they're on their game. Creativity, skill and talent will.
Every time we THINK we have the type of explosive offense this team needs to win regularly, we trade somebody, demote somebody, lose somebody to injury and we're back to square 1.
I'd like to see us get more scoring on this team. Keep Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Kessel, Pouliot and Bennett. Add Sprong next year. Add another LW to play in the top six. THEN have guys like Hagelin and Hornqvist and Fehr and Bonino and Sundqvist provide the support.
We have the goaltending locked down now for years. The blueline is missing a piece, but we at least have Letang, Maatta, Dumoulin and Pouliot to build around. Fill in the rest with whatever.
If we keep thinking Crosby and/or Malkin are going to save us, we'll wake up one day with two 35-year-old-plus superstars wondering if they can go on a 'hot streak' so that we can make the playoffs.
This cycle needs to stop. Miss the playoffs, get another stud offensive player, get a little bigger on D, shed some salary where you can in order to fit everybody in, and start building this teams' only REAL identity...which has been their identity since BEFORE Lemieux arrived even: offense, offense and more offense.