Steve Downie

[duul]

What was he like for you guys last year? Any plan to resign him? He is really intriguing me as a potential RW on the Oilers. He could ride shotgun with McDavid or play down on our 3rd line with Draisaitl and Lander.

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[Whale Mingo]

He was a great addition to the team. He supplied grit, toughness and protection while contributing 14 goals and 14 assists. Nobody during the Rags series this year took shots at Sid's head unlike last year because they knew we had a nuclear option.

The detractors will point out the penalties, and there were a lot of them. Sometimes he gets penalties just for being Steve Downie. That's just part of the package.

For the $1MM price tag I would sign him again with zero hesitation. The man knows his role and plays it as well as possible.

 

[Hobodrifter]

He was a great addition to the team. He supplied grit, toughness and protection while contributing 14 goals and 14 assists. Nobody during the Rags series this year took shots at Sid's head unlike last year because they knew we had a nuclear option.

The detractors will point out the penalties, and there were a lot of them. Sometimes he gets penalties just for being Steve Downie. That's just part of the package.

For the $1MM price tag I would sign him again with zero hesitation. The man knows his role and plays it as well as possible.

Agreed. I would like to see him back. At the very least he always played like he gave a crap.

 

[Waffle Fries]

He's a good depth player if you don't mind the reputation calls.

 

[Cherpak]

He was a great addition to the team. He supplied grit, toughness and protection while contributing 14 goals and 14 assists. Nobody during the Rags series this year took shots at Sid's head unlike last year because they knew we had a nuclear option.

The detractors will point out the penalties, and there were a lot of them. Sometimes he gets penalties just for being Steve Downie. That's just part of the package.

For the $1MM price tag I would sign him again with zero hesitation. The man knows his role and plays it as well as possible.

Yeah and that was a big problem as the season went along. The Pens were getting less and less calls for while the calls against seemed to increase ten fold.

I'm not sure he will be back.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I love him as a player, but the reputation just isn't worth it imo. I feel like any time those penalties happened, they snowballed into us playing frustrated very quickly.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

You can't have his reputation on top of being-on-the-Penguins calls. Otherwise I'd want him to return.

 

[Speaking Moistly]

I really liked Downie, but the ****ing penalties that weren't him misbehaving were a real downside. You have him doing something wrong and on top of that the reputation calls. I'd take Downie the player back, but the refs complicate it, and the speed on the wings. But I did think that the team had a certain swagger when he was in the lineup.

 

[billybudd]

Love Downie. Did great for us. Was my team MVP through January. Fearless. Smarter and handsier than you'd think.

The problem is that the referees won't let him play. I'd describe it as persecution.

In 30 years of watching hockey, I've never seen a player get consistently as raw of a deal from stripes. He got a penalty for Byfuglien pushing him face first into the boards after he scored a goal. It became a huge liability.

 

[Kristopher Letang]

I liked Downie the moment he signed and I still like him. He's so underrated as a player and his impact on the roster is great. For the first time in so many years Sid didn't have to deal with the opponent's stupidity. I remember one game vs Boston, Marchand wanted to talk to Crosby and wasn't even allowed to skate towards him because of Downie. It was so great to see. Everyone in the league know that Downie can REALLLY GO CRAZY for his teammates. But yeah, the refs call him for nothing.

 

[66-30-33]

Like him but we need to move on, the guy brings a ton of penalties, lots are not warranted either.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

I love him as a player, but the reputation just isn't worth it imo. I feel like any time those penalties happened, they snowballed into us playing frustrated very quickly.

This.

If he didn't come with the huge negative with the refs I'd be calling loudly for him to return...but with that the negatives undo most of the positives.

 

[KrisLetAngry]

I want the POS line

Cooke la Pierre Downie

I'm all for it. I'd love to see it happen

 

[Al Smith]

Love Downie. Did great for us. Was my team MVP through January. Fearless. Smarter and handsier than you'd think.

The problem is that the referees won't let him play. I'd describe it as persecution.

In 30 years of watching hockey, I've never seen a player get consistently as raw of a deal from stripes. He got a penalty for Byfuglien pushing him face first into the boards after he scored a goal. It became a huge liability.

The best was the call for clipping after he hit a guy in the midsection behind the net. Beyond the reputation calls, he did take a lot of stupid penalties, but seemed like a really good teammate.

Sadly, he was one of the Pens' more skilled wings, and he's the only one who brought any intimidation factor. I think the Pens would rather get that element from someone else, but if they don't, I could see him coming back after some Matt-Cooke-type counseling.

 

[#66]

Don't like him. Pushes and shoves once the refs come around and very few legit fights. He's also not a smart agitator... maybe I got spoiled by watching Max, Roo and Cooke for the past few years but Downie can walk.

I actually didn't like Laps either but he did look good in the playoffs and is a pretty good 4th line center. Hoping for a 4th line of.... Farnham-Lapierre-Megna... I know its unlikely.

 

[Penguinator]

I kinda like the one where he was pushed on Price by Markov & ended up getting a goalie interference penalty. Only time we lost to habs last season, good times!

Downie was so pissed he punched the penalty box glass.

But seriously though, i'd be pissed too if i was hunted by refs like that...

 

[No Quarter*]

I hope we bring him back

 

[Harvey Birdman]

I want the POS line

Cooke la Pierre Downie

I'm all for it. I'd love to see it happen

While that line would be awesome to witness... I have a feeling we'd only be even strength for the initial face off of the game... Then short handed for the rest of all 3 periods due to all the reputation calls.

 

[StroShow]

liability with the reffs , they will call anything border line against him , other then that he was pretty good. Got a lot of playing time with the injuries and produced as well , 14 goals

 

[Your Boy Troy]

I'd bring him back for the right price/term; provides high production offensively while bringing grit to his game. Fully capable of moving up and down the line-up. The cons of his game were that he was a loose cannon, small, and was an average to below-average skater. Prior problems with concussions.

The organization did a horrible job using him. When signing him, Rutherford and his puppets were convinced that he should do the heavy lifting of enforcing for the team. I am lead to believe this after him stating to the media how he was going to protect Sid and Geno and make sure that he would hold the opposing players accountable for their actions (which obviously never happened).

Reasons why this was a moronic decision:

- Previously had a bad reputation with officials; his fare share of dumb penalties.
- Durability was in question.
- Small for the role.
- A mediocre middleweight fighter.
- Can't keep his mouth shut or his stick down.

It was a disaster from the beginning. He should have been told from the beginning to stay in line while someone else did the role.

I am sure he would be an asset on Edmonton. Just don't try to convince him he's an enforcer. Let that be Gazdic's role.

 

[Zen Arcade]

BGB, the problem is that there was no one else to play that role.

I don't think it was the team pushing him, Downie's just not the type to let stuff slide, he has too much pride for that.

Ideally Downie is a secondary deterrent and someone else does the heavy lifting.

 

[Penguinator]

I'd bring him back for the right price/term; provides high production offensively while bringing grit to his game. Fully capable of moving up and down the line-up. The cons of his game were that he was a loose cannon, small, and was an average to below-average skater. Prior problems with concussions.

The organization did a horrible job using him. When signing him, Rutherford and his puppets were convinced that he should do the heavy lifting of enforcing for the team. I am lead to believe this after him stating to the media how he was going to protect Sid and Geno and make sure that he would hold the opposing players accountable for their actions (which obviously never happened).

Reasons why this was a moronic decision:

- Previously had a bad reputation with officials; his fare share of dumb penalties.
- Durability was in question.
- Small for the role.
- A mediocre middleweight fighter.
- Can't keep his mouth shut or his stick down.

It was a disaster from the beginning. He should have been told from the beginning to stay in line while someone else did the role.

I am sure he would be an asset on Edmonton. Just don't try to convince him he's an enforcer. Let that be Gazdic's role.

Cooke was told by Mario that if he didn't change, he'd be gone.

An Avs friend of mine said that Downie simply CAN'T BE CONTROLLED. The guy has issues so however good he is at what he does best, he's just a ****ing liability with the refs. My friend told me that Patrick Roy regularly patted him on the shoulder, telling him to calm down. Nothing worked, Downie's madness can't be stopped as it's always a question of time before he loses it again.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I really liked what he brought to the team, but the reputation penalties that refs patently made up make re-signing him a non-starter.

We can't afford to ice a guy who led the league in both PIMs and minor penalties. Not this team, which already had a problem with phantom calls.

 

[Greeneye]

He provides a ton of entertainment value and I hope the Pens bring him back.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

I'd rather he continue to play with us...then against us.