Pens need to bring up Nathan Legare to play on the 3rd line w/ Janko and J.McCann. He’s 6,0, 210 pounds, has a good shot, a right -handed shot. He’d be good on our 2nd power play too. He’d put 2 fast, good shooting wingers on the sides of M.Jankowski, who is more of a big, defensive center.
Everyone wants the “HBK” line back. It’s impossible when you don’t have young, entry-level contracts on your team. When we had won the cup in 2016-2017, we had J.Guentzel and B.Rust on entry level contracts. 2 top 6 Fowards on cheap deals. Of course we can have a 3rd line w/ a 6-8M/yr P.Kessel and a 4-5M/yr Carl Haglin. Thats a luxury you just CAN’T afford when we are paying Guentzel 6M/yr and Rust 3.5M/yr. now. Not to mention Zucker 5.5M and Kapanen is on a good 3.2M/yr deal. But we are paying all 6 of our top 6 Fowards now. None of them our on their entry-level deals. Not to mention 3.5M for B.Tanev.
We need another entry-level contract and we have to give N.Legare a shot. He scored 3 goals in 2 pre-season games last year. He played the best out of any prospect in our training camp last year. He’s defiantly physical ready. Poulin is a left-handed shot and plays Left Wing, so he doesn’t fit. And now P.O-Joseph doesn’t fit that we traded for Matheson. We have to let Legare be ready, let him play out of a slump if he has to. Just the Pirates and K.Hayes this year. You have to give your young guys a shot. Like the Seattle Seahawks and their SB years. You need that mix of young and old and you defiantly need the young playmakers cheaper contracts.
That moves Rodriguez to our 4th line RW until Z.A.R is back and healthy. Puts S.Lafferty, who is only 24 years old , 6’1, 190, right-handed shot, plays center, LW and RW and A.Angello, who is 6-4, 210 pounds, 24 years old, another right-handed shot and can play center and RW as our healthy scratches and offensive depth. And We should sign T.Hamonic to help out Matheson, who is pick-moving, offensive-minded defensemen. And leaves C.Ruhwedel as our 7th RD and J.Rikkola as our 7th LD.
Bury C.Sceviour’s contract is the minors until the trade deadline and we can trade his expiring 1.2M contract for something.
I would be very happy if the Penguins could bring in someone like Travis Hamonic. He has not wanted to play far from home in the past. I like bringing up rookies, but the coach has to give them equal ice time. Good one!!
"When we had won the cup in 2016-2017, we had J.Guentzel and B.Rust on entry level contracts. 2 top 6 Fowards on cheap deals."
edit: guentzel was on the team in 2017 only. also rusty wasn't really a bona fide top-6 then...he bounced around alot from 1st to 4th but mainly a bottom 6.
I really don't think Legare is close to ready. his defense is lacking and he had a down year in the Q. Poulin will be given a training camp look but even he I have doubts if he would be ready. Poulin is a LW so IDK why he has been branded as a RW...do the pens think he can play RW???
I think Poulin is a LW. Hes definitely a left-handed shot. And that usually makes for more comfort and most coaches putting you on the left side. I doubt he plays RW except in some short stints on line mix-ups.
In 2016-17. Our 1st line was Kuntiz(who wasn’t getting paid as much as Zucker) and Hornquist. Our 2nd line was for sure Guentzel/Malkin/Rust(sometimes D.Simon or Connor Sheary, who both were on cheap deals also). Which left Kessel and Haglin on our 3rd line(yes, Kessel played on the 2nd line w/ Malkin at the beginning of the season, but come play-offs, it was all Rust). Our 4th line was Simon or Sherry/M.Cullen/E.Fuhr. And Oli Maatta was also on a entry-level deal at the time. Which like I said, was the reason we were able to have such big names on our 3rd line. You can’t pay all top 6 Fowards and expect to have players like Kessel and Haglin on your 3rd line. You need that youth too. You especially need the youth’s cheap entry level contracts.
Legare was one of our top prospects in last years training camp. His defense wasn’t a problem. And isn’t a problem. He’s good in the defensive zone and has a great shot. What is lacking is his skating. But being 6’0, 210pounds makes up for that. Being strong makes up for being a fast skater. I think you have to give Legare a chance to be ready. He’s a RW, right-handed shot, really good on the power play. And w/ Janko being more of a defensive-minded Center. Having 2 scoring wings on his side is a good mix. And like I said, Legare isn’t bad in the defensive Zone. Neither is McCann. And our 4th line is our top defensive line anyways that usually plays the other teams top line defensively. And Legare wont be used on the PK. Janko will with Tanev and Blueger. And obviously Z.A.R when he comes back and healthy.
McDavid, Connor
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