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Speculation: Top-4 Defender

MrBurghundy

MrBurghundy

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Oct 5, 2009
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Jag68Sid87 said:
I want Bortuzzo to get his shot, too, but I just don't know if he's ideal for the Letang pairing (because Letang would have to play the left side full time. Not saying he can't do it, and it might work, but it comes with a bit of risk).
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Is there a reason Bortuzzo couldn't play the left side, or are you just making that assumption based on nothing? You know, because they are both right handed shots, I'd prefer to keep the Norris candidate defenseman in the spot he's most familiar with, but that's just crazy old me.
 
Zen Arcade

Zen Arcade

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I'm not sold on Gunnarsson at all. He's another jack of all trades type defenseman. He'd become a whipping boy pretty fast here, I think.
 
Mr Jiggyfly

Mr Jiggyfly

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Jan 29, 2004
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Zen Arcade said:
I'm not sold on Gunnarsson at all. He's another jack of all trades type defenseman. He'd become a whipping boy pretty fast here, I think.
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Gunner is bad in a bad type way.

Not sure why anyone would want him on the Pens.

G'Damn that's funny though (reading what people say he is like and knowing reality).
 
Zen Arcade

Zen Arcade

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Mr Jiggyfly said:
Gunner is bad in a bad type way.

Not sure why anyone would want him on the Pens.

G'Damn that's funny though (reading what people say he is like and knowing reality).
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I'm glad someone else feels like this, I was starting to think I might be crazy or something. :laugh:

I think he gets the benefit of having Leafs fans acting as his PR team, because he's looks good to them by the virtue of being competent at a bunch of stuff. I can't say I blame them, I got excited about some pretty cruddy players when the Pens were awful.

If he went to a team where just being OK wasn't all that people wanted, he'd be a lot less highly regarded.
 
Mr Jiggyfly

Mr Jiggyfly

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Zen Arcade said:
I'm glad someone else feels like this, I was starting to think I might be crazy or something. :laugh:

I think he gets the benefit of having Leafs fans acting as his PR team, because he's looks good to them by the virtue of being competent at a bunch of stuff. I can't say I blame them, I got excited about some pretty cruddy players when the Pens were awful.

If he went to a team where just being OK wasn't all that people wanted, he'd be a lot less highly regarded.
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Weird... All the Leafs fans I know think he is junk. He is... Pretty bad. I see 60+ Leafs games a year with my wife being a huge fan, so I'm pretty comfortable with what my eyes see.
 
Zen Arcade

Zen Arcade

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Mr Jiggyfly said:
Weird... All the Leafs fans I know think he is junk. He is... Pretty bad. I see 60+ Leafs games a year with my wife being a huge fan, so I'm pretty comfortable with what my eyes see.
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All I know is, a Pens fan suggested trading Orpik for him on the trade board, I responded by saying Gunnarsson was closer to Niskanen than a top pairing defender and I called him average, that was an act of war for Leafs Nation, I guess.

I've seen a lot of them calling him a first pairing defenseman, not just on the Leafs, but in the league as a whole.
 
Riptide

Riptide

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Zen Arcade said:
I think he gets the benefit of having Leafs fans acting as his PR team, because he's looks good to them by the virtue of being competent at a bunch of stuff. I can't say I blame them, I got excited about some pretty cruddy players when the Pens were awful.
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I dunno... I've watched a lot of Leaf games (about the only other team I watch than the Pens), and have always been impressed with him. Give him another partner than Dion who's defensively challenged, and I think he'd be fine.
 
Riptide

Riptide

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Zen Arcade said:
All I know is, a Pens fan suggested trading Orpik for him on the trade board, I responded by saying Gunnarsson was closer to Niskanen than a top pairing defender and I called him average, that was an act of war for Leafs Nation, I guess.

I've seen a lot of them calling him a first pairing defenseman, not just on the Leafs, but in the league as a whole.
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I wouldn't trade Orpik for him... only because Orpik brings a physicality that we otherwise lack. But Gunnar is a guy who can play 20min+ a night.
 
Mr Jiggyfly

Mr Jiggyfly

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Zen Arcade said:
All I know is, a Pens fan suggested trading Orpik for him on the trade board, I responded by saying Gunnarsson was closer to Niskanen than a top pairing defender and I called him average, that was an act of war for Leafs Nation, I guess.

I've seen a lot of them calling him a first pairing defenseman, not just on the Leafs, but in the league as a whole.
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Oh... the trade board, where common sense goes to die... Sort of like Letang wouldn't be enough to fetch Eberle.
 
Zen Arcade

Zen Arcade

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Riptide said:
I wouldn't trade Orpik for him... only because Orpik brings a physicality that we otherwise lack. But Gunnar is a guy who can play 20min+ a night.
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Maybe in a pinch, like Niskanen. He's not an ideal guy to be logging those types of minutes, in my opinion.
 

Geno Machino

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Jan 6, 2013
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Mr Jiggyfly said:
[/QUOTE]

Cute! But I very Rarely drink ! But go on with your Strait Love affair he won't make the Pens




CAREER POTENTIAL: Steady depth defenseman with a little upside.

[URL="http://forecaster.thehockeynews.com/hockeynews/hockey/player.cgi?5735"]http://forecaster.thehockeynews.com/hockeynews/hockey/player.cgi?5735[/URL]

But continue deluding yourself
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Geno Machino

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Mr Jiggyfly said:
That settles it then.

Brian is going to be really disappointed you decided he isn't going to ever play for the big club.
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didn't say he would NEVER play for them I just said he isn't a Shutdown D Man ! But continue on your magic Carpet ride
 
JTG

JTG

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Riptide

Riptide

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redsono93 said:
What do you think of inviting Paul Ranger to camp? He'd be good as a 5th or 6th Defensemen.
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What can he do that one of: Strait, Bort, Dumoulin, Despres, Harrington, Maatta, Pouliot, Morrow, can't?

Yes 3-4 still need some time before getting a chance... but Strait and Bort are young NHL ready D. Despres can play now, and showed that last year. Dumoulin is looking very very good in the A right now, and could almost certainly play now. The rest likely need 2-4 years before they'll be ready.
 
Mr Jiggyfly

Mr Jiggyfly

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Geno Machino said:
Not at this point in time genius !! keep on smokin those Joints
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Usually people who want to make an intelligent point, don't leave things open for interpretation.

Let's see a quick example:

"He won't make the Pens"

"He won't make the Pens at this point"

Slight difference between the two statements. I know those last few words would of been difficult to type out and all...

Just because you think it in your head, doesn't mean others know wtf you mean.

And uh, Strait is waiver eligible and one of the best blueliners in the A. So if he doesn't make the team now, he will be claimed.

So exactly when did you think he was making the team?
 

Geno Machino

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Jan 6, 2013
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JTG said:
You should have seen Rob Scuderi's scouting profile on there when he was with the Pens.


Geno Machino continues to be my favorite poster
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Yep because one nobody became a somebody It will happen with all of them:laugh:
 
Zen Arcade

Zen Arcade

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Geno Machino said:
Cute! But I very Rarely drink ! But go on with your Strait Love affair he won't make the Pens




CAREER POTENTIAL: Steady depth defenseman with a little upside.

http://forecaster.thehockeynews.com/hockeynews/hockey/player.cgi?5735

But continue deluding yourself
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ASSETS: Keeps the game simple and limits his mistakes in the defensive zone. Is quite reliable. Can play a shutdown role, too.
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:huh:

Anyway, forecaster is a good resource for finding out the type of game someone plays, but it's far from the be all end all of player analysis.

They had Nick Boynton's upside listed as "franchise defenseman" when he was struggling to find a job as a #6.
 
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