Confirmed with Link: Steve Downie signs with Pittsburgh (1 year/$1 million)

[Jaded-Fan]

First time Pens play the Flyers and Downie does this to Giroux he will be a fan favorite.



Yes, he will take phantom reputation calls for clean hits, like he did in this video. But the Pens have been sorely lacking in the dick factor basically for the last four years.

It is long past time that the Pens put some dick back in the game.

And you know that Downie will be dying to send a message that first Flyer game to win over the fans.

 

[Darth Vitale]

He led the police on two high speed chases a couple of months apart, you have to admire that sort of dedication to your craft.

Until this thread I almost forgot about Billy Tibbetts.

I wonder if he ever met up with Trevor Gillies in the ECHL at any point. I'd enjoy seeing that.

 

[Section32]

Yes, he will take phantom reputation calls for clean hits, like he did in this video. But the Pens have been sorely lacking in the dick factor basically for the last four years..

Hey, I am not one to go on other team's boards and cause a kurfuffel, but Cooke just left over a year ago and Neal was traded weeks ago. I would consider both guys high on the "d*ick Ladder."

Nevertheless, I understand completely why the team made the move.

The Rangers were allowed to get away with way too much in the last series. Sid and Geno need protection, and as long as Downie can keep his craziness within certain limits, this will help you guys out immensely.

Cheers

 

[Darth Vitale]

Notes on the "dick ladder" from a Rangers fan. I love this board.

You're right though about Neal and Cooke. I'm pretty sure everyone else in the league considered them both to be dick players, albeit for different reasons / a different history. Looking forward to some rematches in the fall!

PS - you guys were a bit overmatched by the Kings (nobody from the east other than Boston maybe was going to beat those guys this year) but thought your guys kept the series competitive and entertaining. That said, I'm glad you lost.

 

[JTG]

Never liked him, but this is the type of signing you make for a 4th liner.

 

[mpp9]

Never liked him, but this is the type of signing you make for a 4th liner.

Tocchet and JR called him a top 9 forward. And will see time with Sid.

 

[JTG]

The guy has some skill. Honestly, putting him on Geno's LW is probably where he should be. He plays that mucker role and it seems Geno does well with guys like that.

 

[mpp9]

The guy has some skill. Honestly, putting him on Geno's LW is probably where he should be. He plays that mucker role and it seems Geno does well with guys like that.

I don't think he's played LW much if at all. At least not that I've seen in watching the Avs and Lightning.

He showed he could keep up with MSL and Stamkos. And he played with Duchene a little as well. I'd like to see him with Sid. Ideally with a better LW on that line than Kunitz. Plus you get the benefit of having him out there next time someone tries to **** with Sid.

 

[Fordy]

i think trying downie on both of the top two lines is basically necessary. he's shown the ability to deliver with star players on two separate teams. he's had some injuries and some issues but it's absolutely worth a shot to see if he still can do it. he's only 27. if it works out we just got a top six forward for a million dollars, and an immediate screaming deterrent for one of the two at all times. does a guy wanna risk his health and go after crosby or malkin? i think they'd be more worried about their knees

we need a guy like that and we've been missing it for a while. he would be worth it for that alone even if he could barely scratch the fourth line

 

[Waffle Fries]

i think trying downie on both of the top two lines is basically necessary. he's shown the ability to deliver with star players on two separate teams. he's had some injuries and some issues but it's absolutely worth a shot to see if he still can do it. he's only 27. if it works out we just got a top six forward for a million dollars, and an immediate screaming deterrent for one of the two at all times. does a guy wanna risk his health and go after crosby or malkin? i think they'd be more worried about their knees

we need a guy like that and we've been missing it for a while. he would be worth it for that alone even if he could barely scratch the fourth line

If we don't bring in another forward, I definitely agree. I'd rather Downie get the spot than Dupuis.

Then Johnston can experiment in camp which two combinations of

Kunitz/Hornqvist - Crosby/Malkin - Bennett/Downie

works the best.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I expect lines to be a lot less static this year. Downie will move up and down the line-up and play some with each of Sid and Geno most nights I think. Especially if we don't make any big moves for a top 6 wing, our strength is our depth instead of top end talent. Versatility comes with that if you know how to take advantage of it. Give opponents different looks throughout the game. Bennett for a few shifts, Downie for a few shifts, hell even Dupuis if you catch Sid's line out against a slower d-man or something. I would expect to see some Hornqvist/Kunitz-Sid-Geno shifts, with Sutter being 2C and Spaling/Goc being 3C for the following shifts.

We should have a sort of base set of lines, but I hope they aren't set in stone. Even as far as which center Kunitz and Hornqvist play with; shuffle it around on occasion. If you're playing a team who splits their top 2 d-men to cover Sid and Geno, stack Kunitz and Hornqvist on a line. Force them to choose between having a pairing good enough to cover our best line or having one of Sid or Geno going up against neither of them.

 

[JTG]

We do sort of have some flexibility in the lineup currently. Guys like Downie, Comeau, Bennett, and Goc can play up and down the lineup.

 

[Ogrezilla]

We do sort of have some flexibility in the lineup currently. Guys like Downie, Comeau, Bennett, and Goc can play up and down the lineup.

and without the top end wing talent we'd like to have, it seems like we need to at least take advantage of the strengths we do have with how this team is built.

 

[JTG]

and without the top end wing talent we'd like to have, it seems like we need to at least take advantage of the strengths we do have with how this team is built.

That is true, but I just have a gut feeling that this train ride is far from over.

 

[Dupree13]

It's incredibly optimistic to think Downie could be a legit answer for the top 6. He had exactly one season of decent (but not great) production, and this was 5 years ago.

Other than that he's tended to produce like a 4th liner when healthy.

Is it worth a shot, given the current options? Maybe, but a guy like Pascal Dupuis, who almost nobody wants to see in the top 6, has had significantly better and more consistent production over the past 3-4 years and seems a much better bet to succeed in that role.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

It's incredibly optimistic to think Downie could be a legit answer for the top 6. He had exactly one season of decent (but not great) production, and this was 5 years ago.

Other than that he's tended to produce like a 4th liner when healthy.

Is it worth a shot, given the current options? Maybe, but a guy like Pascal Dupuis, who almost nobody wants to see in the top 6, has had significantly better and more consistent production over the past 3-4 years and seems a much better bet to succeed in that role.

No, it's optimistic to think he will stay healthy.

He was a #1 pick for a reason. The guy has talent and I think he could be a legit top six guy. He can skate, he can shoot, he can stick handle, he can pass, he can beat guys 1-1. He has skill. I don't think anyone would ever question his skill set. He is definitely more talented than Dupuis.

But he can't stay healthy and he can be really stupid. If he can stay healthy and not be a fool on the ice, I would be more than fine with him a top six spot over a guy like Dupuis. However, those two scenarios are a long shot.

 

[mpp9]

It's incredibly optimistic to think Downie could be a legit answer for the top 6. He had exactly one season of decent (but not great) production, and this was 5 years ago.

Other than that he's tended to produce like a 4th liner when healthy.

Is it worth a shot, given the current options? Maybe, but a guy like Pascal Dupuis, who almost nobody wants to see in the top 6, has had significantly better and more consistent production over the past 3-4 years and seems a much better bet to succeed in that role.

He put up 46 pts in that season in Tampa. And up until his stint with Philly, was on the same pace of production since then. So no, he hasn't produced like a 4th liner.

He has a meanstreak and good playmaking abilities. Why not try him in the top 6 over Dupuis? We've got nothing to lose.

 

[Fordy]

It's incredibly optimistic to think Downie could be a legit answer for the top 6. He had exactly one season of decent (but not great) production, and this was 5 years ago.

Other than that he's tended to produce like a 4th liner when healthy.

Is it worth a shot, given the current options? Maybe, but a guy like Pascal Dupuis, who almost nobody wants to see in the top 6, has had significantly better and more consistent production over the past 3-4 years and seems a much better bet to succeed in that role.

If Downie is optimistic Dupuis is idiotic and sadistic. Please stop bringing this up.

 

[Fraction Jackson]

Other than that he's tended to produce like a 4th liner when healthy.

The 46-point season was his first full season in the NHL. The next year he had 32 in 57 games. The next year he had 41 points split between Tampa and Colorado. He missed almost all of the short season the next year. Last year was literally the only time he "produced like a 4th liner" since becoming an NHL regular, and he wasn't healthy last year, anyway.

Downie might not be the answer, but to say that he's produced like a 4th liner when healthy is flat out wrong, unless you expect 4th liners to put up a shade over .5ppg.

 

[Ogrezilla]

of forwards with 1000 minutes played between 2009 and 2013, Downie was 40th for even strength points per minute. Tied with Anze Kopitar, Brad Marchand, Henrick Zetterberg, Justin Williams and Bobby Ryan. Obviously, all of those players played a lot more minutes and also scored a lot more on the powerplay so their total scoring was higher, but I think it shows that Downie can be effective when he is playing.

If you shift that to go from 2010-2014 to take away his best year and include his worst year, he drops all the way down to 100th for forwards. This puts him right below Patric Hornqvist and Jeff Carter and right above Scott Hartnell and TJ Oshie.

If he's healthy, he's an effective forward. Sadly in all of those time frames, he's played between 1000 and 2000 minutes less than the guys his numbers line up with. And he's likely never going to be a powerplay guy.

 

[WayneSid9987]

If he's healthy, he definitely has some top 6 attributes to his game. His board work and coming away from the boards with possession has always been his strong suit.

At this point, i just want him to be as healthy as he can be and go from there. I don't consider him a lock for anything but he'll do well here, if he's healthy imo.

 

[Darth Vitale]

of forwards with 1000 minutes played between 2009 and 2013, Downie was 40th for even strength points per minute. Tied with Anze Kopitar, Brad Marchand, Henrick Zetterberg, Justin Williams and Bobby Ryan. Obviously, all of those players played a lot more minutes and also scored a lot more on the powerplay so their total scoring was higher, but I think it shows that Downie can be effective when he is playing.

If you shift that to go from 2010-2014 to take away his best year and include his worst year, he drops all the way down to 100th for forwards. This puts him right below Patric Hornqvist and Jeff Carter and right above Scott Hartnell and TJ Oshie.

If he's healthy, he's an effective forward. Sadly in all of those time frames, he's played between 1000 and 2000 minutes less than the guys his numbers line up with. And he's likely never going to be a powerplay guy.

Interesting numbers. Hopefully he can keep his brain from malfunctioning and we should be all right in terms of adding some toughness without creating an offensive black hole wherever he is in the lineup. See also Mac, et al.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Interesting numbers. Hopefully he can keep his brain from malfunctioning and we should be all right in terms of adding some toughness without creating an offensive black hole wherever he is in the lineup. See also Mac, et al.

There really is no reason to compare him to guys like Mac at all. Even in his worst year last year he put up 24 points in 62 games. That's better than Sutter last year. At his worst, Downie puts up 3rd line numbers.

 

[Darth Vitale]

There really is no reason to compare him to guys like Mac at all. Even in his worst year last year he put up 24 points in 62 games. That's better than Sutter last year. At his worst, Downie puts up 3rd line numbers.

Yah I didn't mean to suggest we should compare them, more like every time we tried to "get tough" we signed someone who was absolutely useless as a hockey player. Downie obviously has some decent skill, especially for a tough guy. As from the start my main concern is between his ears. We'll see if his recent surgery and association with Tocchet keep him out of trouble. I don't mind some penalties, but hopefully he stears clear of the suspension nonsense.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Yah I didn't mean to suggest we should compare them, more like every time we tried to "get tough" we signed someone who was absolutely useless as a hockey player. Downie obviously has some decent skill, especially for a tough guy. As from the start my main concern is between his ears. We'll see if his recent surgery and association with Tocchet keep him out of trouble. I don't mind some penalties, but hopefully he stears clear of the suspension nonsense.

He's going to be a lot like Cooke when he got here in that regard. Except I think there's a potentially higher skill ceiling but also probably a lower floor due to injuries and whatnot.