News Article: Simon Despres: Arrested Development (Not Actually Arrested You Dolts)

[IcedCapp]

http://thehockeywriters.com/simon-despres-arrested-development/

Click to read more...

 

[Captain Hook]

I first read that and thought he actually got arrested. That's about the last thing this team needs. Thank God that wasn't what the article is about

 

[Jaded-Fan]

I first read that and thought he actually got arrested. That's about the last thing this team needs. Thank God that wasn't what the article is about

LOL.

Me too. Please change the title of this thread.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

I thought he'd been arrested too, my face probably looked ridiculous.

 

[Beauner]

Dammit you got me too.

 

[Crafton]

was waiting for this to get posted, but i was too busy working on my 'critically acclaimed' main board thread.

 

[IcedCapp]

I wasn't attempting to "get" anyone... I simply copy-pasted the title of the article..

 

[Big McLargehuge]

I was not fooled.

 

[Sivek]

Mike Colligan has written some solid articles. Still don't buy DB having Despres play top-4 minutes this year, especially if Niskanen returns.

 

[Sideline]

Mike Colligan has written some solid articles. Still don't buy DB having Despres play top-4 minutes this year, especially if Niskanen returns.

Colligan is a better writer than any of the other guys and gals that covers the team.

 

[JTG]

I agree with the article. I said that I would have liked to see Despres have 48 games of experience before the playoffs because we at least then would have known what we had. His young legs would have helped us a lot more, and he may have taken all those mins away from Eaton.

 

[djt153]

yeah, i think his opinion would qualify as consensus around here

 

[Darth Vitale]

Elmer needs ice time.

 

[orby]

Despres deserved top-4 minutes by the end of last season and deserves them even more this season. Letang-Despres has the potential to be one of the best defensive pairings in the league if Bylsma gives them time to work through their chemistry. Here's hoping Disco gets his head screwed on straight over the offseason.

 

[djt153]

Despres deserved top-4 minutes by the end of last season and deserves them even more this season. Letang-Despres has the potential to be one of the best defensive pairings in the league if Bylsma gives them time to work through their chemistry. Here's hoping Disco gets his head screwed on straight over the offseason.

i would say those are the two defensemen that should be split apart and paired with more stay at home oriented partners, but what do i know?

 

[MrBurghundy]

i would say those are the two defensemen that should be split apart and paired with more stay at home oriented partners, but what do i know?

Letang plays more defensively responsible when Despres is on the ice. Plus they seem to have chemistry together, and both have speed to cover up for the other's mistakes.

 

[jmelm]

Letang plays more defensively responsible when Despres is on the ice. Plus they seem to have chemistry together, and both have speed to cover up for the other's mistakes.

Letang showed some comfort with Despres towards the end of the season when Elmer improved his game (aka made the simple & correct play more often) and his consistency.


But prior to that, Letang looked VERY uncomfortable with Despres, probably because Letang did not feel fully confident in Despres and that Letang had to over-function or make sure he was there to cover Simon's back. I imagine that if/as Despres' game continues to improve, both Letang & Despres can continue to become comfortable together.


If the chemistry is not there for some reason, I thought Letang and Bortuzzo looked excellent together at times, so that's a great Plan B (in which case you may look at a guy like Dumoulin or Harrington to partner with Letang going forward, short and/or long term)

 

[MtlPenFan]

"The Penguins kept him in the lineup during stretches when he was struggling. They tossed him in the press box after some of his most impressive games. There was no rhyme or reason to the moves."

Sounds about right.

 

[Waffle Fries]

“If there’s one thing I need to address for myself is taking more of a role in the locker room, becoming a bigger leader for our team and the younger guys coming,” he said. “If we have a young guy like Simon (Despres), I’ll try to help him out and make sure he gets better every day and is a better player to help our team win. We have a lot of talent in the system in Simon and all those draft picks that we have. We need to get them into the lineup as quickly as possible and make sure they contribute.”

http://penguins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=676425&navid=DL|PIT|home

At least Letang thinks like we do.

 

[orby]

http://penguins.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=676425&navid=DL|PIT|home

At least Letang thinks like we do.

maybe this is why Letang is supposedly uncomfortable playing for Bylsma...

i would say those are the two defensemen that should be split apart and paired with more stay at home oriented partners, but what do i know?

letang was generally paired with Eaton in the playoffs and he was decidedly uimpressive (defensively) in doing so. when he played with Despres - at least toward the end of the season - he definitely played a more conservative game that accentuates his defensive strengths.

Maybe he fools himself into thinking his partner will bail him out when he plays with stay-at-home guys, or maybe he's actively trying to set an example for Despres...who knows. But I liked what I saw from that duo.

 

[Tender Rip]

Well, having argued how monumentally stupid it would be (and ultimately was) not to give Despres lots of time with Letang early on to see what we had there - and ranting yet more when he would get benched for being one of our best D-men - I can only approve of the article.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Reirden kind of sucks. Meloche re-signs and some how Shero decides to invest a boat load in Letang only to keep the guy that hasn't evolved Letang's game, for 2 more years.

The brilliance is sheer lunacy.

 

[#66]

 

[Penguins23]

Reirden kind of sucks. Meloche re-signs and some how Shero decides to invest a boat load in Letang only to keep the guy that hasn't evolved Letang's game, for 2 more years.

The brilliance is sheer lunacy.

Resigned. /pet peeve.

 

[KIRK]

Got to post the conclusion for the apologists:

When Despres had the puck on his stick, he made patient yet decisive plays and sidestepped opponents with ease. He made good decisions when pinching in the offensive zone — a rare attribute for a young defenseman. He wasn’t afraid to unleash his hard, low shot and was great in the Penguins’ transition game. Simon Despres could have helped the Penguins win a Stanley Cup.

He could have been a lot of things, or he could have been a bust.

The Penguins never gave themselves a chance to find out.

And, lest we forget, the same goes for Bennett.