This is what I'm afraid of. I think he's fun to watch. He gives opposing players fits. The best in the business at upsetting players. He can play all three forward spots on the third and fourth line. Tougg as nails. A much better Steve Downie. Effective on the PK.
- SuperSchennBros

He's about to be 32. I just think his best years are behind him. He did not have a good year this past season.

Yeah. I get the feeling Ott is going to be one those long term deals a team will regret. His perceived value is greater than his actual value imo.

Kulemin had the lowest ozone starting % on Toronto. He faced a fairly tough level of competition as well.
- PhillySportsGuy

oh yeah. i dont want him for his offensive ability. i think he can realistically pot you around 12. anything extra, gravy. but i like him defensively. people want him to be that 25 goal guy, and he just isnt. he doesnt fit the russian slick sniper mold. if he was north american, he could just be considered a good defensive guy.

maybe with all the negative sentiment, you can poach him cheaply, which would only make him more valuable. nice third liner on the cheap, hopefully get sutter on a reasonable RFA term, then use the savings from both to bring back jussi.

jussi/sutter/kulemin for a combined 7.5 a year. hell yes.

And probably about to pull down $3.5-4.5M per.
- Tomahawk

I don't like that either.

oh yeah. i dont want him for his offensive ability. i think he can realistically pot you around 12. anything extra, gravy. but i like him defensively. people want him to be that 25 goal guy, and he just isnt. he doesnt fit the russian slick sniper mold. if he was north american, he could just be considered a good defensive guy.

maybe with all the negative sentiment, you can poach him cheaply, which would only make him more valuable. nice third liner on the cheap, hopefully get sutter on a reasonable RFA term, then use the savings from both to bring back jussi.

jussi/sutter/kulemin for a combined 7.5 a year. hell yes.
- stayinthefnnet

That might be doable for the Pens.

He's about to be 32. I just think his best years are behind him. He did not have a good year this past season.
- PhillySportsGuy

But so SHINEY... want!

( we can always just trade Mez, erm I mean Vinny, for picks, right?)

He's about to be 32. I just think his best years are behind him. He did not have a good year this past season.
- PhillySportsGuy

Who on Buffalo had a good season this year? Doesn't mean I wouldn't scoop up some of their players.

That might be doable for the Pens.
- PhillySportsGuy

yeah. i think all things considered, they could do a lot worse.

i really would like goc resigned for the fourth line too.

Who on Buffalo had a good season this year? Doesn't mean I wouldn't scoop up some of their players.
- SuperSchennBros

he was underwhelming to me in the playoffs with the blues. which should have been his time to shine.

Who on Buffalo had a good season this year? Doesn't mean I wouldn't scoop up some of their players.
- SuperSchennBros

He didn't really play well with the Blues either.

Im not saying he's a bad player. I'm just saying he's not going to worth his price tag. He will end up costing almost as much as Stralman. I would much rather have Stralman at $4M than Ott at $3-3.5M

But so SHINEY... want!

( we can always just trade Mez, erm I mean Vinny, for picks, right?)
- Tomahawk

2 firsts

yeah. i think all things considered, they could do a lot worse.

i really would like goc resigned for the fourth line too.
- stayinthefnnet

Goc or Stempniak would be good.

I think the hope should be that Bennett is going to become a solid third line player and the young D can step in.

Pens will go into next season hoping for their young players to step up though. They'll be hoping for a bounce back year from Letang as well.

I'm not sure Pouliot is ready for NHL action yet. His defensive game could use some work.

yeah. i think all things considered, they could do a lot worse.

i really would like goc resigned for the fourth line too.
- stayinthefnnet

Is Brandon Sutter as awful as his numbers look? Goc would seem to be a more economical third line C for you guys.

No older guys unless it's for a year.

No older guys unless it's for a year.
- jstross

Thats discriminatory. Ill be notifying my attorney. Stayinthefnnet esq.

Is Brandon Sutter as awful as his numbers look? Goc would seem to be a more economical third line C for you guys.
- Tomahawk

sutter is seriously a great example as to how you guys should handle schenn. once a guy gets adequate wingers, he becomes a totally different guy.

im not saying sutter is a stud, or even jordan staal. but he is a good defensive guy, with deceptively good hands. the problem was, the majority of the year he skated with taylor pyatt and tanner glass. when you have gibbons and megna taking shifts on the first line, imagine the depth issues down at the third.

so no, sutter was not good enough to bring those two back from the corsi abyss.

but once guys like stempniak and bennett (not exactly world beaters, but guys at least deserving of being given a stick) were on his line, he looked like an entirely different player. its not hyperbole to say that he was their best forward in the postseason. i would really like him retained, and he is an RFA so that will help, but again it needs to be cost feasible.

Goc or Stempniak would be good.

I think the hope should be that Bennett is going to become a solid third line player and the young D can step in.

Pens will go into next season hoping for their young players to step up though. They'll be hoping for a bounce back year from Letang as well.

I'm not sure Pouliot is ready for NHL action yet. His defensive game could use some work.
- PhillySportsGuy

your analysis here is pretty spot on to me. you know, maybe playing these younger guys when you had like a 20 game frickin cushion in the regular season wouldnt have been such a death knell danny boy.

bennett needs to stay healthy. the tools are there, but its hard for a young guy to gain traction missing large swaths of games at a time.

i think letang can bounce back if healthy as well. if he is paired with martin, and forced to be more accountable by a new coach, he could shine more by simplifying his game. i realize theres a lot of ifs there for a 7.3 million dollar guy, but the talent is there in buckets.

Thats discriminatory. Ill be notifying my attorney. Stayinthefnnet esq.
- PhillySportsGuy

your analysis here is pretty spot on to me. you know, maybe playing these younger guys when you had like a 20 game frickin cushion in the regular season wouldnt have been such a death knell danny boy.

bennett needs to stay healthy. the tools are there, but its hard for a young guy to gain traction missing large swaths of games at a time.

i think letang can bounce back if healthy as well. if he is paired with martin, and forced to be more accountable by a new coach, he could shine more by simplifying his game. i realize theres a lot of ifs there for a 7.3 million dollar guy, but the talent is there in buckets.
- stayinthefnnet

At least Martin would help by being in the right place. It seems like Letang was paired with randoms for much of the season.

Wasn't it Martin-Orpik and Maata-Niskanen?

(frank)ing Rangers

At least Martin would help by being in the right place. It seems like Letang was paired with randoms for much of the season.

Wasn't it Martin-Orpik and Maata-Niskanen?
- PhillySportsGuy

well, originally it was meant for scuderi to come over, and provide that stabilizing veteran presence. hen he broke his ankle. by the time he really came back, letang was having issues of his own with his stroke and what not. so the pairing was never really healthy much at the same time. then when they were, it became very obvious that scuderi just really stunk, and if you wanted to have letang play big minutes, you couldnt have scuderi out there with him.

martin is essentially considered the stabilizing presence on the back end.

sutter is seriously a great example as to how you guys should handle schenn. once a guy gets adequate wingers, he becomes a totally different guy.

im not saying sutter is a stud, or even jordan staal. but he is a good defensive guy, with deceptively good hands. the problem was, the majority of the year he skated with taylor pyatt and tanner glass. when you have gibbons and megna taking shifts on the first line, imagine the depth issues down at the third.

so no, sutter was not good enough to bring those two back from the corsi abyss.

but once guys like stempniak and bennett (not exactly world beaters, but guys at least deserving of being given a stick) were on his line, he looked like an entirely different player. its not hyperbole to say that he was their best forward in the postseason. i would really like him retained, and he is an RFA so that will help, but again it needs to be cost feasible.
- stayinthefnnet

His possession numbers from the regular season were Lecavalier-esque... but yeah, could be his linemates.

Thats discriminatory. Ill be notifying my attorney. Stayinthefnnet esq.
- PhillySportsGuy

ill be down on market street this summer. although ill trade suburban station for temples.

His possession numbers from the regular season were Lecavalier-esque... but yeah, could be his linemates.
- Tomahawk

if he thinks he is going to be blown away with like a 5 million dollar a year contract as a youngish RFA, id tell him to (frank)ing kick rocks.

but for say 3 and change if possible, most certainly. im telling you, it was night and day once he had even passable linemates. its not like stempy is corey perry. but my god, taylor pyatt and tanner glass are possession black holes.

you give sutter say jussi jokinen and beau bennett for 82 games, and those numbers will skyrocket.

id say 15 goals, 45 points and stellar defense would be his floor.

(frank)ing Rangers
- PhillySportsGuy

the path to the cup always seems a bit easier when other teams lose their starting goalies.

He didn't really play well with the Blues either.

Im not saying he's a bad player. I'm just saying he's not going to worth his price tag. He will end up costing almost as much as Stralman. I would much rather have Stralman at $4M than Ott at $3-3.5M
- PhillySportsGuy

this is a fair assessment and I agree