GDT: Rookie Tournament in London (9/5 vs. Ottawa, 2 p.m.)

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Good to hear Dea will be getting a longer look. He seems like a bit of a longshot but it certainly doesn't hurt, considering what the team is working with. Or not working with.

It's also encouraging to hear that Kuhn had a nice tournament. And that Maatta continues to impress.

 

[penguins2946*]

Dea is invited to Pens main camp !!!

Source for this?

 

[wej20]

Pens were missing a ton of their F prospects. I understand why they scored like 2 GPG. From the sounds of it on twitter:

-Jarry showed excellent movement and athleticism, Murray solid as well
-Kuhnhackl, Megna and Uher all played very well, with Kuhn being the best
-Dea and Kuhnhackl played well together (potential WBS pair?)
-Maatta was Pens best defender, followed by Dumoulin
-Harrington and Pouliot weren't bad, but weren't as good as they were hyped to be (especially with Pouliot)

Not much about this tournament on twitter.

Dea's going back to junior even if he gets signed.

 

[maxpenguins6630]

Source for this?

His Facebook

 

[wej20]

and on his twitter to.

 

[Jacob]

Good for him.

 

[vikingGoalie]

One word of advice, if you have never played goalie before, don't critique a goalie's style of play. Hartzell NEEDS to be a butterfly goalie. He has the tools and size to one day become a legit butterfly goalie. If you make him turn into a hybrid, it will only hurt. That is exactly what happened to Fleury. He was an elite butterfly goalie, then the Pens changed him into a hybrid mess.

After the prospect camp in 2012, I talked to Matt Murray about what the Pens do to their goalies (we both work with goalie coach Sean Moloney, and just happened to be scheduled together). He talked about the stupid things that Meloche and the Pens tried to make him do. Basically, long story short is that Meloche tries to make goalies play like Brodeur, because that is how he played. Other than Brodeur, those goalies don't succeed in today's NHL anymore.

In today's NHL, there are 2 successful types of goalies (both of which are branches of butterfly goalies), blocking goalies like Lundqvist and reacting goalies like Quick. The most successful goalies play to their strengths. Fleury had the skills to be an elite reacting goalie, but the Pens decided it would be better for him to be a blocking goalie, which really hurt any chances of him becoming an elite goalie. If the Pens would have focused on improving his strengths from the very start, instead of making him become a more well-rounded goalie, he would be much more successful today.

The Pens need to shape Hartzell into a style similar to Rinne's, not change him into a goalie with Brodeur's style. Changing him into a hybrid between a standup and a butterfly goalie would be incredibly stupid. That would ruin him.

I agree with this in general. I kinda disagree that Fleury was being morphed into a brodeur as Fleury has never resembled that style of play. Fleury never does a half butterfly (or almost never) rarely does he make a save standing up. How many times do you see Brodeur make a glove save from his knees? How many times have you seen Fleury make a glove save without going to his knees first (he does but rarely).

I do think you make a good point, my nit picking aside, that goalie coaches should NEVER try and turn a goalie into something they are not. Meloche was an utter train wreck and I've been hoping for his dismissal for 3+ years now. (ever since he got MAF to do the one pad up, on pad down on the post manuever that was helped us lose the Montreal series).

 

[penguins2946*]

I agree with this in general. I kinda disagree that Fleury was being morphed into a brodeur as Fleury has never resembled that style of play. Fleury never does a half butterfly (or almost never) rarely does he make a save standing up. How many times do you see Brodeur make a glove save from his knees? How many times have you seen Fleury make a glove save without going to his knees first (he does but rarely).

I do think you make a good point, my nit picking aside, that goalie coaches should NEVER try and turn a goalie into something they are not. Meloche was an utter train wreck and I've been hoping for his dismissal for 3+ years now. (ever since he got MAF to do the one pad up, on pad down on the post manuever that was helped us lose the Montreal series).

Actually, loading the post is actually pretty common amongst butterfly goalies. I personally don't use it, but I know goalies who do and are successful with it. What I do is basically go into a butterfly on the post with my toe inside the net and I lean onto the post to take away any short side holes. That's really popular in Western Canada, while loading is very common in Eastern Canada.

Anyway, on the topic of Fleury, the Pens management screwed him over with trying to change him into a hybrid. He needed to stay as a pure reacting goalie, nothing else. For goalies, it's better to focus on making your strengths stronger than making your weaknesses stronger.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Some observations on how our individual d each performed at the the tourney from Nasreddine:

http://penguins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=681768&navid=DL|PIT|home

After I read the first couple I figured he'd just be blowing smoke with these guys, but he has some real pointed criticisms as he went along. Makes the compliments stand out.

 

[vikingGoalie]

Some observations on how our individual d each performed at the the tourney from Nasreddine:

http://penguins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=681768&navid=DL|PIT|home

After I read the first couple I figured he'd just be blowing smoke with these guys, but he has some real pointed criticisms as he went along. Makes the compliments stand out.

far too early to tell I know. But I don't like the vibe I'm getting about Pouilet. Things like lackadaisical are not words I want to hear about a player who wants to make a career in the NHL.

 

[mpp9]

He thinks Maatta is going to force management's hand in earning a spot? Damn.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

He thinks Maatta is going to force management's hand in earning a spot? Damn.

No way that happens considering the numbers game with one-way NHL contracts AND the even greater praise he had for Dumoulin.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

His quote on DP doesn't paint him in a very good light. I bolded what stood out to me below:

He played all three games and I think that was good for him. I thought he really struggled the first game. His puck decisions and his play with the puck, should normally be one of his strengths. But he was a little soft, a little lackadaisical at times. So I think it was good for him to get the rhythm and I thought (Sunday) was his best game. But you see he’s a smooth skater and you saw that in the tournament. Under pressure he has that poise, you can see he’s comfortable in the offensive zone. For a skilled guy like him, he’s got the strength in the D zone. When he decides to really battle and compete, he wins his battles. So for him, it’s just I think consistency he’s lacking from game to game and shift to shift. At least he improved, so he’ll be interesting to see at camp.

Not something you'd expect to be said about an 8th over all draft pick.

 

[wej20]

Hopefully he has a better showing at main camp.

 

[vikingGoalie]

His quote on DP doesn't paint him in a very good light.
....

Not something you'd expect to be said about an 8th over all draft pick.

darn it I wanted Forsberg with the #8. Our winger depth is laughable, our D prospects won't all even get a chance to play for the Pens.

Still time, but yea I was hoping a #8 overall pick after a year in the jr's would be ready to at least play in the A. but it's sounding like he's back in portland again then a year in WBS. in my own head a #8 overall shouldn't require 3 years before they are competing for a job in the NHL. might not pan that way but I got a bad feeling about this...

 

[Shady Machine]

darn it I wanted Forsberg with the #8. Our winger depth is laughable, our D prospects won't all even get a chance to play for the Pens.

Still time, but yea I was hoping a #8 overall pick after a year in the jr's would be ready to at least play in the A. but it's sounding like he's back in portland again then a year in WBS. in my own head a #8 overall shouldn't require 3 years before they are competing for a job in the NHL. might not pan that way but I got a bad feeling about this...

Considering he HAS to go back to Portland if he doesn't make it to the NHL, I'm not worried at all.

 

[Shady Machine]

Can we please trade Nisky already? I want to see some Dumo.

 

[wej20]

Maybe Shero is waiting to see if guys get injured at camp meaning a better market for Nisky.

 

[#66]

His quote on DP doesn't paint him in a very good light. I bolded what stood out to me below:




Not something you'd expect to be said about an 8th over all draft pick.

DP is a strange player. You can see the elite skill and I think he's OK defensively but he gets pushed around a lot. Those strength issues really, REALLY hold him back. The strange thing for me is that he doesn't play like a game breaker even though the ability is there. Its hard to explain but I felt the same way about Whitney.

Right now I think he projects to being more of a Goligoski than a Letang.

 

[Shady Machine]

Maybe Shero is waiting to see if guys get injured at camp meaning a better market for Nisky.

Yeah I'm thinking that's the case. It's just a weird situation for Nisky to be in.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

darn it I wanted Forsberg with the #8. Our winger depth is laughable, our D prospects won't all even get a chance to play for the Pens.

Still time, but yea I was hoping a #8 overall pick after a year in the jr's would be ready to at least play in the A. but it's sounding like he's back in portland again then a year in WBS. in my own head a #8 overall shouldn't require 3 years before they are competing for a job in the NHL. might not pan that way but I got a bad feeling about this...

Sorry guys. I guess I should be happy that our team's top prospect was described as lackadaisical and that he doesn't always battle and compete. My bad.

 

[vikingGoalie]

Considering he HAS to go back to Portland if he doesn't make it to the NHL, I'm not worried at all.

If his issues are physical and skill building then I see where u are coming from.

If his issues (as it sounds) are unwilling to battle/compete/mental those are harder for players to change.

 

[Super Sniper Cele]

So when is training camp? I haven't heard any information on it at all.

 

[Rico Fatastic]

Players report Wednesday.

http://penguins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=681801

 

[Shrimper]

Good to see Dea get a tryout. Sounds promising and could be sleeper player with the potential to move up in the coming years.