Who is our worst defenseman?

Who is our worst defenseman?


  • Total voters
    120
  • Poll closed .

DegenX

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Aug 14, 2011
14,622
5,683
Dumo-Letang
Maatta-Schultz
Petterson-Johnson
Riikola-Oleksiak

Unless someone’s traded which I think will happen.
I think Maatta is a goner. Pettersson with Johnson has been way more than I could have hoped for. As much as we might have use for a scoring winger, if Pettersson just continues to stabilize that pairing it was worth the price of admission. It's still early, blase, blase, but he's been a difference maker so far. I think it's going to be:

Dumo - Latang
Riikola - Schultz
Pettersson - Johnson

And, maybe Maatta gives us that scoring winger back. Although I'd still like to swap him for Montour :laugh:
 
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Tom Hanks

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Nov 10, 2017
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I think Maatta is a goner. Pettersson with Johnson has been way more than I could have hoped for. As much as we might have use for a scoring winger, if Pettersson just continues to stabilize that pairing it was worth the price of admission. It's still early, blase, blase, but he's been a difference maker so far. I think it's going to be:

Dumo - Latang
Riikola - Schultz
Pettersson - Johnson

And, maybe Maatta gives us that scoring winger back. Although I'd still like to swap him for Montour :laugh:

Yeah I’d rather move Maatta because of value wise. Oleksiak just needs to go too. He’s too dumb on the ice. Swap him for a bottom pair RHD/#7
 
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Empoleon8771

Registered User
Aug 25, 2015
80,405
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Redmond, WA
If Oleksiak would use his size like he should use his size, I'd be way happier with him. Have we ever seen him actually blow someone up with a hit? The only physicality he brings is that he's a fighter, I don't think he's actually a physical defenseman. There's a reason that you can find only a few hits on Youtube that Oleksiak has thrown, it's all his fights when you look up "Oleksiak hit".

I don't even know what Oleksiak provides. He's not a puck mover, he's not a shutdown guy and he's not a physical defenseman. The closest description for him may be an enforcer, I don't know what else fits better than that.
 

Nbaro09

Registered User
Dec 7, 2018
12
5
If Oleksiak would use his size like he should use his size, I'd be way happier with him. Have we ever seen him actually blow someone up with a hit? The only physicality he brings is that he's a fighter, I don't think he's actually a physical defenseman. There's a reason that you can find only a few hits on Youtube that Oleksiak has thrown, it's all his fights when you look up "Oleksiak hit".

I don't even know what Oleksiak provides. He's not a puck mover, he's not a shutdown guy and he's not a physical defenseman. The closest description for him may be an enforcer, I don't know what else fits better than that.

I totally agree he almost never hits people.. he started out this year well offensively but that has trailed off immensely
 

Gurglesons

Registered User
Dec 18, 2009
91,481
73,649
San Diego, CA
last-train-tocool.blogspot.com
I think Maatta is a goner. Pettersson with Johnson has been way more than I could have hoped for. As much as we might have use for a scoring winger, if Pettersson just continues to stabilize that pairing it was worth the price of admission. It's still early, blase, blase, but he's been a difference maker so far. I think it's going to be:

Dumo - Latang
Riikola - Schultz
Pettersson - Johnson

And, maybe Maatta gives us that scoring winger back. Although I'd still like to swap him for Montour :laugh:

Imagine if we like..

Played Pettersson with someone good and kept Maatta though.
 

DegenX

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Aug 14, 2011
14,622
5,683
Imagine if we like..

Played Pettersson with someone good and kept Maatta though.
1. Pretty unlikely we're going to move JJ after just signing him and his recent improvement with Pettersson
2. Riikola is less expensive than Maatta and has shown he's capable
3. Maatta isn't really a fit in this system.
4. Of the D we could realistically move, Maatta has the highest potential return.
 

Gurglesons

Registered User
Dec 18, 2009
91,481
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San Diego, CA
last-train-tocool.blogspot.com
1. Pretty unlikely we're going to move JJ after just signing him and his recent improvement with Pettersson
2. Riikola is less expensive than Maatta and has shown he's capable
3. Maatta isn't really a fit in this system.
4. Of the D we could realistically move, Maatta has the highest potential return.

I’d assume Maatta would be swapped with a D and we don’t technically have to move Johnson. We can just scratch him.

I don’t really think he’s doing a ton out there to support Pettersson’s game. Honestly, I bet Pettersson looks even better if we move him to Schultz.
 

Nakawick

Minty Fresh
Apr 5, 2010
11,291
2,796
The Range
Packaging Rig with a pick and or prospect could land us something decent at any position.
If we move Maatta we would have to have a better replacement coming back.
JJ isn't getting moved this season.
 

Honour Over Glory

Fire Sully
Jan 30, 2012
77,316
42,447
Packaging Rig with a pick and or prospect could land us something decent at any position.
If we move Maatta we would have to have a better replacement coming back.
JJ isn't getting moved this season.
I’d package the Rig and a pick for Lovejoy and if they can retain because of that pick, great. If not it’s fine too just keep the pick.

Then I try to move Maatta for anything we can get because lovejoy adds a solid veteran that allows the team to keep playing Riikola and Pettersson with JJ and Lovejoy.

Dumo, Letang
Pettersson, Johnson
Riikola, Lovejoy

Then when Schultz comes back. He can rotate in until he gets enough practices and games in.

I would try to see if I could get Ferland for Maatta and something.
 

Peat

Registered User
Jun 14, 2016
29,290
25,206
I have to say, I find it curious that many of us believe Maatta is movable for value back while simultaneously believing him to be worse than two guys on cheaper contracts. I know that's partially based on us knowing that value is in the eye of the beholder and not us, but even so, we also know the beholders here aren't complete idiots, and if they're seeing what the majority of fans in this forum are seeing, they'd have to be complete idiots to do it.

Also I'm pretty sure Maatta isn't going anywhere this season unless there's a pretty spiffy return.
 

Tom Hanks

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Nov 10, 2017
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I guess this is one race Olli Maatta will finally win in.

Really strange to see that Oleksiak isn’t the clear cut number 1 in this poll. Really strange. Maatta has had a lot of bad games this season but has been good for most of his career. Oleksiak has also had a lot of bad games this season but really doesn’t have much career success as a back up like Maatta.
 

Pens x

Registered User
Oct 8, 2016
16,184
7,959
Can people explain to me how they are just now realizing Maatta sucks? It’s not like he suddenly became a slow player - he’s always been this way.
 

Trade

Guentzel is ELITE
Apr 13, 2015
7,077
6,294
Yet you didn't respond in the other thread when people called you crazy for willing to do Lucic for Johnson.
Prime Lucic on Geno's wing was like a wet dream for me back in the day, but Lucic is a shell of his former self and not even McDavid can help him. Obviously stylistically you'd think he would mesh with Geno over McDavid, but that'd be a ballsy gamble.
 

Empoleon8771

Registered User
Aug 25, 2015
80,405
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Redmond, WA
Prime Lucic on Geno's wing was like a wet dream for me back in the day, but Lucic is a shell of his former self and not even McDavid can help him. Obviously stylistically you'd think he would mesh with Geno over McDavid, but that'd be a ballsy gamble.

Lucic isn't a NHLer anymore, how good of a fit he is with Malkin doesn't really matter to me anymore :laugh:

The dude plays like half of his ice time with McDavid, Draisaitl or RNH and has 1 ES goal and 10 ES points in the last 80 games. I don't even know how that's possible.
 

CrosbyMalkin

Registered User
Aug 7, 2005
6,700
1,722


There's no way I'd ever describe Johnson as "great". He's a physical #5 defenseman who can skate well and is good on special teams, there is nothing great about him.[/QUOTE
Dumo-Letang
Maatta-Schultz
Petterson-Johnson
Riikola-Oleksiak

Unless someone’s traded which I think will happen.

That is what I think the pairings will be also unless someone is traded.

Honestly it is hard to pick who is the worst defenseman out of the top 8. I think all are top 6 NHL defensemen or better. I think the Pens have found the best pairings for now until Schultz gets back.

JJ has been playing solid 2nd pairing defense after his terrible first 19 games. I am fine with his bad start because many very good defenseman took even longer to adjust to the Pens such as Gonchar and Martin. JJ now has played solid 2nd pairing defense and has even had top 3 minutes in 7 of his past 17 games while being a plus 1. JJ is no longer that defenseman that can get you 40 points but he can play a solid 2nd pair minutes and hold his own.

Maatta I don’t even need to defend he is a top 4 defenseman and it is not even close. Has been for 2 Cup teams and while not perfect he is a solid 2nd pairing defenseman.

Oleksiak can definitely play well as a 3rd pairing defenseman but he can have those clunkers. I like his physical attributes with his size, skating, and shot. When he plays within himself he is no doubt a solid defenseman.

I think the Pens have 8 defenseman that are all NHL start worthy and Rhuwedel as a solid number 7 that can play in the top 6 when needed. Defenseman is not the issue, Chemistry has been the problem and finding the right fit for each pairing has been most of the issues. I am fine with a Maatta-Schultz 2nd pairing going into the playoffs. Pettersson-JJ has looked like a fine pairing to me so far. Pens are going to have some choices to make when Schultz gets back. I like all 8 of those defenseman but those seem to be the best pairings I have seen for the Pens out of the 3-8 guys.
 

EightyOne

My posts are jokes. And hockey is just a game.
Nov 23, 2016
12,697
12,034
Can people explain to me how they are just now realizing Maatta sucks? It’s not like he suddenly became a slow player - he’s always been this way.

For a fact, Maatta slow talk has been around for YEARS.

It's not a revelation.
 

Pens x

Registered User
Oct 8, 2016
16,184
7,959
For a fact, Maatta slow talk has been around for YEARS.

It's not a revelation.
But the majority of this board would have laughed at me if I said he sucks and should be traded a year ago. I’m just confused as to what took people so long to realize his rookie year was a fluke and that’s he’s drastically overrated.
 

Turin

Registered User
Feb 27, 2018
21,884
25,277
But the majority of this board would have laughed at me if I said he sucks and should be traded a year ago. I’m just confused what took people so long to realize his rookie year was a fluke.

This is BS. Both his rookie year being a fluke and the idea that you were the first person to not like Maatta. People here have ripped his skating for 3 years now. Like longer than you’ve been posting.
 
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CrosbyMalkin

Registered User
Aug 7, 2005
6,700
1,722
Maatta is winning this thing by a large margin. Scary to think we have that many posters that believe this. Maatta is a sure fire top 4 defenseman and has been for several years so if he is our 8th best defenseman then we have 8 2nd pairing or better defenseman then.

These same type posters acted like Rust was a bad signing after having a poor start. Same type of posters that said Letang sucks and we need to trade him last summer. The same type posters that said the Pens should try and go for a lottery pick because they never will make the playoffs during the first half of each of the past 3 Cup teams that all had bad first half’s. This is the what have you done lately reactionary crowd. I am glad they are not the GM’s.

I have no problem trading Maatta for a nice upgrade elsewhere because I think he has the most value of the 4 mentioned above. So for the right piece I could see Maatta going.
 
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DegenX

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Aug 14, 2011
14,622
5,683
For a fact, Maatta slow talk has been around for YEARS.

It's not a revelation.
Folks might be calling him out more because of the reveal at the beginning of the season that he'd worked on his skating over the summer. Now everyone is focused on it. My issue isn't just his lack of speed, but also his decision making. I don't know if he just had better partners covering for him, or his medication is causing some brain fog or he's over thinking things or all of the above, but what made him a good defenseman was his hockey IQ and that hasn't been on display much this year.
 

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