This worries me more than anything. Hockey IQ is way underrated, IMO. Seems we have stocked up on talented players with questionable / slow decision-making this off-season (Kap, Matheson, Ceci). We also added guys who are probably smart players but lack talent (Jankowski, Rodrigues, Sceviour).
- Hockey66

Kapanen will surprise you. His hockey IQ isn't bad. And he mostly played 3RW behind Marner and Nylander, so he was often without Tavares and Matthews.

Kapanen will surprise you. His hockey IQ isn't bad. And he mostly played 3RW behind Marner and Nylander, so he was often without Tavares and Matthews.
- bikeguy99

I can see Kapanen potting 25 goals next season. No reason why he can't. Crosby loves to play with hustle guys.

@MattStrat also if you want to disqualify Hossa because he was barely here, the answer is still Dupuis until proven otherwise.
- Victoro311

Indeed.

On the flip side, Crosby, Guentzel, and whomever were absolutely dominant at 5v5 the prior season.
- Tojo.

This is true. No matter the set up the top 6 looks good.

This is true. No matter the set up the top 6 looks good.
- MattStrat

It does, but not to be a killjoy the the third line is potentially worse than the fourth line in terms of offense. The Pens are keyed up to be the most top-heavy they've been in a long time.

Dubas ripped Rutherford off. Rodian Amirov and Filip Hallander for Kapanen? Ouch

Wait, was that a positive blog by RW?
- Douchetacular

Read it again, he got a subtle Tanev shot in there

"Not suited to play with Sid"

Because guys who skate fast, have hustle, can forecheck and grind in the corners are totally unsuited to play with Crosby

Kunitz and Dupuis say Hi

Dubas ripped Rutherford off. Rodian Amirov and Filip Hallander for Kapanen? Ouch
- RogerRoeper

Wake me up when either of them do anything at the NHL level in 2-3 seasons

Read it again, he got a subtle Tanev shot in there

"Not suited to play with Sid"

Because guys who skate fast, have hustle, can forecheck and grind in the corners are totally unsuited to play with Crosby

Kunitz and Dupuis say Hi
- TheGame316

Kunitz and Duper were better prior to joining the Pens than Tanev was prior to joining the Pens.

I'll bet Kessel was terrible on those charts too, but he scores so it was fine. Kapanen scored 1.9 points per 60 last year so if he gets any type of bump from the better talent he's playing with there will be no complaints.
- Tojo.

That’s kind of the part where I think analytics has to try to account for is finishing talent when it comes to players who may not control the play but when they finish at a rate that Kessel did, what kind of overall impact he had on the team. Some models do an okay job at it.

Read it again, he got a subtle Tanev shot in there

"Not suited to play with Sid"

Because guys who skate fast, have hustle, can forecheck and grind in the corners are totally unsuited to play with Crosby

Kunitz and Dupuis say Hi
- TheGame316

Tanev is not a full time top 6 players, but he should definitely have his role increased. He's the kind of player that would "free up" space for Sid and Guentz. He doesn't need to score. Just beat the other team to the puck and occupy defenders. Let Sid and Guentz work their magic.

One of my biggest disappointments with Sullivan the last couple of years is his personnel usage and I think he under utilized Tanev last season. I would have given him a handful of offensive opportunities every game.

I think Kap is next Duper. Similar player. Fast, tenacious. Not the most gifted hands. I think Rutherford paid too much, but he's the perfect addition for the top line. I love the top 6. Don't think the bottom 6 will score nearly enough.

I can see Kapanen potting 25 goals next season. No reason why he can't. Crosby loves to play with hustle guys.
- Barnaby36

He isnt a hustle guy....

You guys have the wrong perception of him and you will be disappointed if you continue to do so.

He he is a north-south tunnel vision player. you'll see him blow past players in a straight line and since he has zero intentions to drive the net, once he gets to about halfway into the O zone along the boards he will stop and turn the other way and pass to the D man.

He will do that 10 times a game and it will drive you crazy because if he had any grit he would drive the net and score 30 goals a season. He has zero playmaking skills.

He is a really good 3rd liner than can PK extremely well. A good player but you guys are way off on your perception of what type of player he is.

He will annoy the other team which is a plus, he loves to chirp.

Kunitz and Duper were better prior to joining the Pens than Tanev was prior to joining the Pens.
- j.boyd919

Kunitz for sure but production wise Duper had one good season, like 6 or 7 seasons before joining the Pens, that bested Tanevs best season. Other than that all less production than Tanevs best or basically on par or worse than Tanevs one season with Pens. Duper was a throw in with Hossa and was a 4th liner/scratched the whole 2008 and 2009 runs to finals. He just really started to find his grove with Sid and Kuni a few years after the 2009 cup. 25 even strength goals in a season is pretty impressive.

Kunitz and Duper were better prior to joining the Pens than Tanev was prior to joining the Pens.
- j.boyd919

Was Duper though? Mind you Dupuis played about six seasons prior and Tanev had played four. Aside from one 40+ point year, Dupuis was a 25 point guy for the most part until he came to the Pens.

I'll be the first to admit I knew nothing about Dupuis prior to him coming to the Pens, but from what I gather he wasn't really a player most people noticed.

Tanev is not a full time top 6 players, but he should definitely have his role increased. He's the kind of player that would "free up" space for Sid and Guentz. He doesn't need to score. Just beat the other team to the puck and occupy defenders. Let Sid and Guentz work their magic.

One of my biggest disappointments with Sullivan the last couple of years is his personnel usage and I think he under utilized Tanev last season. I would have given him a handful of offensive opportunities every game.

I think Kap is next Duper. Similar player. Fast, tenacious. Not the most gifted hands. I think Rutherford paid too much, but he's the perfect addition for the top line. I love the top 6. Don't think the bottom 6 will score nearly enough.
- madmike71

Dallas's bottom 6 also didn't score enough. One guy in double digits with 11 goals and nobody above 21 points. But they had a lot of defensive specialists.

Would I like to see the bottom 6 improve? Absolutely, and hopefully post trade deadline that group looks better. I don't think that sinks them if the bottom 6 is largely good defensive players though, so long as they're good players at something.

https://www.radio.com/937...cially-be-released-monday

Reverse retro Sweaters are officially out Monday....

Was Duper though? Mind you Dupuis played about six seasons prior and Tanev had played four. Aside from one 40+ point year, Dupuis was a 25 point guy for the most part until he came to the Pens.

I'll be the first to admit I knew nothing about Dupuis prior to him coming to the Pens, but from what I gather he wasn't really a player most people noticed.
- Rinosaur

Hell even when he was on the Pens, he wasn't a player most people noticed. Granted the 48 point season is a bit of an "outlier" season prior to joining the Pens, he played top line minutes that season and on the PP, once joining the Pens he was a ~40 point player when he was given the shot on the top line.

Tanev didn't even put up a point per game in college, whereas Dupuis had 105 in 51 games, so it's not like Dupuis didn't have an offensive pulse before the NHL and came out of nowhere. Just looking at the overall pedigree of the players I just don't see Tanev as a top 6 forward.

Hell even when he was on the Pens, he wasn't a player most people noticed. Granted the 48 point season is a bit of an "outlier" season prior to joining the Pens, he played top line minutes that season and on the PP, once joining the Pens he was a ~40 point player when he was given the shot on the top line.

Tanev didn't even put up a point per game in college, whereas Dupuis had 105 in 51 games, so it's not like Dupuis didn't have an offensive pulse before the NHL and came out of nowhere. Just looking at the overall pedigree of the players I just don't see Tanev as a top 6 forward.
- j.boyd919

I wasn’t trying to necessarily argue that Tanev is a top six forward, just that neither was Dupuis before he came to the Pens.

That said, I don’t think Tanev would be totally lost in a Dupuis-like role. I wouldn’t necessarily expect much higher output, but I could see him providing a necessary role that would open up room for Sid or Geno.

I wasn’t trying to necessarily argue that Tanev is a top six forward, just that neither was Dupuis before he came to the Pens.

That said, I don’t think Tanev would be totally lost in a Dupuis-like role. I wouldn’t necessarily expect much higher output, but I could see him providing a necessary role that would open up room for Sid or Geno.
- Rinosaur

Yeah I get that, but I look at that one season to show that Dupuis has had success in the top 6 albeit in one season and look to his numbers in juniors to show that he has had an offensive pulse before. I just don't see that anywhere in Tanev's history. Granted, I don't think I thought he was top 6 material when he was the throw in at all, but that 48 point season did show some success at playing up the lineup. Definitely not saying I was advocating putting him in the top 6 back then.

Has anyone read any predictions on what the divisions might look like next year if as expected they realign and have an all-Canadian division for the season?

Most likely scenarios I see are we either have the same division or swap Columbus and Carolina for Boston and Buffalo.

@MattStrat also if you want to disqualify Hossa because he was barely here, the answer is still Dupuis until proven otherwise.
- Victoro311

Guerin was old but was still one of Sid's best RW he ever played with. In terms of years here you have to go Dupuis, Guerin, Hossa. But reverse that list in terms of skill.

Has anyone read any predictions on what the divisions might look like next year if as expected they realign and have an all-Canadian division for the season?

Most likely scenarios I see are we either have the same division or swap Columbus and Carolina for Boston and Buffalo.
- Tojo.

This is just me but Maybe...
1)Bruins, Rags, Isle, Devil's, Flyers, Caps.
2)Sabres, Pens, Jackets, Canes, Bolts, Panthers
3)Wild, Hawks, Wings, Blues, Preds, Stars
4)Avs, Yotes, Knights, Ducks, Sharks, Kings.
5)Nucks, Oil, Flames, Jets, Sens, Habs, Leafs

This is just me but Maybe...
1)Bruins, Rags, Isle, Devil's, Flyers, Caps.
2)Sabres, Pens, Jackets, Canes, Bolts, Panthers
3)Wild, Hawks, Wings, Blues, Preds, Stars
4)Avs, Yotes, Knights, Ducks, Sharks, Kings.
5)Nucks, Oil, Flames, Jets, Sens, Habs, Leafs
- 668710

I think this close to how it should look. I would tweak a few teams around but I think this is on the right track. It's a tough task because some teams in certain regions will get the poop end of the stick because they're kind of in no-mans-land like DAL, COL and BUF.

This is just me but Maybe...
1)Bruins, Rags, Isle, Devil's, Flyers, Caps.
2)Sabres, Pens, Jackets, Canes, Bolts, Panthers
3)Wild, Hawks, Wings, Blues, Preds, Stars
4)Avs, Yotes, Knights, Ducks, Sharks, Kings.
5)Nucks, Oil, Flames, Jets, Sens, Habs, Leafs
- 668710

I feel like I've heard 4 divisions.

I feel like I've heard 4 divisions.
- Tojo.

Same, but I like the five idea better. Honestly, I think the league should set up four or five bubble cities for the first few months of the season.