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Filatov or Prucha possible Crosby Wingers? Habs and Frolov pt. 2? Versteeg |
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It's getting interesting again. This year far earlier than last.
On Crosby's Linemate and The Penguins Second Gear...
There was only one other year I remember hearing talk that Sid wanted a scoring winger to play with. It came during the first Winter Classic in Buffalo, I wrote about the Pens pursuing Hossa to be that guy and sure enough a month or so later he was that guy.
Well this year I am hearing the same rumblings...and now it appears as though the Pens may be considering two "projects" of sorts to see if either may be the answer. Those players are Nikita Filatov and Petr Prucha. Last night there were strong rumors circulating that the Jackets were in Pittsburgh scouting Alex Goligoski...How do you think that report went? something like....
"Alex looked ok tonight with a goal and three assists...two of which were shots that were deflected in. I would maybe say we should consider the player."
I was a big Prucha fan back in NY, but he really hasn't shown the ability to shine under pressure.
Nikita Filatov is an interesting case for sure. He has what some are calling "uncoachable" traits and despite being a great kid to talk to has never been able to stick in the Jackets line-up. Perhaps playing with Crosby Nik Filatov could become flat-out dangerous. Right now, he has obviously lost his game completely. Some say he needs to be told just go out and score goals again.
The other player the Penguins would love to grab would be RJ Umberger. The Pens have always loved RJ.
All that being said, one player to watch on Pittsburgh in my opinion is Mark Letestu. Where the hell did this kid come from? I love to watch this kid skate and honestly although he wears Ron Francis' number 10, he more brings to mind Kevin Stevens in his skating style and confidence with the puck.
All this said, the penguins looked just fantastic last night as they played in a gear we haven't seen in some time...from almost anyone.
It made me think about the Penguins a little more.
For the past several years there have been two Penguins teams. Or actually should I say two gears we have seen the Penguins play? One before January 1, and one after. The Penguins have always started slow and then turned it up...almost pacing themselves exactly right for the playoffs...
In 2006-07 on January 1st they were 16-15-6 (38 points) 14th in Conference
they ended 47-24-11 (105 point) 5th in the conference.
In 2007-08 on January 1st they were 21-16-2 (44 points) 4th in Conference
they ended 47-28-8 (102 point) 2nd in the conference.
In 2008-09 on January 1st they were 19-15-4 (42 points) 7th in Conference
they ended 45-28-9 (99 point) 4th in the conference.
In 2009-10 on January 1st they were 26-14-1 (53 points) 4th in Conference
they ended 47-28-7 (101 point) 4th in the conference.
In 2006-07 on January 1st they were 25-12-3 (53 points) 1st in Conference...
This shows two trends to me:
#1. The Penguins have a second gear and can indeed turn it up when they want to. On average, the Penguins have finished nearly 4 spots higher at the end of the season compared to their ranking on January 1.
#2. The Penguins are getting better with every passing year.
So given these facts, the Penguins could be quite the force moving forward here. Last night we saw them hit another level. It may have been rest. It may have been saying good-bye to the HBO cams. It may have been skating indoors on real ice again...
But what if last night we sat the Penguins second gear circa 2010-11? Given their first gear this season teams in the NHL should be prepared to bring it when the Pens come to town.
On the Habs...
A source today told me to be on the lookout once again for the Canadiens to make a move, noting, "They have been carefully setting up a deal for the last 15 days." This time however, the deal is for a forward, and a familiar name...Alexandre Frolov has struggled this season. "His ice time was barely ten minutes last night."
Yet the chemistry he once had with Cammalleri in Los Angeles has not been forgotten and there is a movement among some in Montreal's organization that Frolov could find that touch again if re-united with Mike.
Speaking of good friends...
A source told me yesterday to look further into the rumored Versteeg deal which fell apart in the 11th hour last Thursday. Apparently the Sharks expressed interest in Versteeg but may have needed another deal to happen first which never went down. This is curious because the Setoguchi link to Toronto is still very real and the basic knowledge exists that Setoguchi and Versteeg are very close friends.
more to come...
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