Pittsburgh Penguins 08-09

[Fire0nIce228 1]

http://penguins.nhl.com/team/app/?service=...rticleid=402939

Its been posted for most of the day around the NHL but I didnt see a topic, and there is no Penguins 08-09 topic so here goes. Personally, I think too much money, too long for Staal. I was almost hoping the Pens would package him for a trade for someone like Alexander Frolov. With the Staal signing, it doesnt leave too terribly many good people to use as trade bait. As it is, if he doesnt vastly improve by the end of this contract they will need to move on. For so long he didnt want to be a third line center, and now hes cool with it for another 4 years..weird to me. Satan is expensive and underperforming, Letang and Goligoski are looking like our best bait right now. However, that is if the Penguins even make a deal like they did last year for Hossa considering how terribly they're playing. I would have loved to get Frolov somehow.

Heres hoping Staal gains 25 pounds, learns how to skate, and Colby Armstrongs impending return to the Penguins locker room..

At any rate,

Pittsburgh Penguins: Discuss

[hockeysc23 0]

Seems they are paying a fair amount for his potential. Deal seems a little high now but I bet they are either factoring in it will be a steal later on in the years OR someone might trade for him since he is locked up.

[Fire0nIce228 1]

Very true, he could break out at any time, or he could bog down in the below average for a number 2 pick type of play that he has had going on currently. Of course they're hoping he blows up, but they trade idea seems plausible...especially if some GM sees his potential as worth much more than the 4mil the Penguins tied him to. Just seems as though neither side wants to part..

[Eazy_b97 1]

I think he's overrated and it's too much. His rookie season is likely his max potential. He scored more as an 18 year old in the NHL than he has in any season since entering the OHL. He's top 20 in ice-time (last I checked) for forwards in the NHL, and top 3 on the Pens. He gets played like a first line forward and doesn't seem to produce. With money tied up in Malkin/Crosby, I don't think they'll ever get much production out of Staal. Not the PPG output some claim at least. I do see potential, I'm just not sure he'll ever reach it.

[RadioGaGa 162]

One of the aspects of the deal is that it is long term (relatively) and the money isn't crazy (ie: 6-7Mil+)....which means you can trade for him and now you aren't going to lose him to FA, but also won't be breaking the bank to keep him.

Dreger (TSN) thinks this deal will have teams LINED UP to get him in March.

[Chadd 916]

While his ice time is high, most of it is even strength and PK. And very few of those even strength shifts are with talented players from the limited number of pens games that I've seen. I think he will be a 30 goal guy on the right team and the best thing the Pens can do is trade him.

[fastmiele 59]

Its going to be interesting following his career development. Don Cherry went on a limb a year or two ago and predicted that EVENTUALLY he would be a better overall player than Alexander Ovechkin. Laugh at it all you want but Don Cherry also predicted that Joe Thorton would EVENTUALLY be a better overall player than Sergei Samsonov. This was in their rookie year and Samsonov was doing quite well compared to the struggling Thorton.

Who knows maybe Don Cherry thinks Jordan Staal will grow/fill in and become the next Joe Thorton. He was also saying that Ovechkin plays too much of a reckless/dangerous game and that one day he is going to get nailed.

[Chadd 916]

Its going to be interesting following his career development. Don Cherry went on a limb a year or two ago and predicted that EVENTUALLY he would be a better overall player than Alexander Ovechkin. Laugh at it all you want but Don Cherry also predicted that Joe Thorton would EVENTUALLY be a better overall player than Sergei Samsonov. This was in their rookie year and Samsonov was doing quite well compared to the struggling Thorton.

Who knows maybe Don Cherry thinks Jordan Staal will grow/fill in and become the next Joe Thorton. He was also saying that Ovechkin plays too much of a reckless/dangerous game and that one day he is going to get nailed.

The good old canadian boys are always better than the euros.

[HattrickSwayze 3]

I think Jordan Staal's a bit over rated too. I personally don't think he's a $4 million a year player. Right now, I think he's a $2.5 million a year player at most. I think he's a decent grinder right now, but I don't think I would've paid him that much.

And I'm pretty sure he'll never be better than Ovechkin. Maybe when Ovechkin's retired, or if he gets hurt.

[gymmonster 4]

imagine if the pens had taken toews

Crosby

Malkin

Toews

:o!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RiSeOnFiRe 0]

don cherry is a tool. this is a decent deal, there have been worse contracts handed out.

[maxamillion 3]

the pens are going to be in cap hell next year. 40 mil tied up in 7 guys?

[TomMc#4 0]

i think the deal is pretty fair towards the pens. he's a big time PK player at the moment and obviously has the talent to be a 1st or 2nd line centre. an injury to malkin or crosby and you will see his numbers rise with better players and the deal wont seem so bad. the potential is definately there

[slacker76 3]

When Staal finally fills out he'll be a standout. Currently his awkward skating and stick handling show the random flashes of greatness. Which quickly disappear with bad decision making and penalties at the worst possible times. The huge upside will be if Staal fills out to his potential size and finally decides to get his nose dirty. Playing a little more like his big brother wouldn't hurt. Currently he'd be more effective hitting guys with his purse.

[chilaxin12 2]

I think its a great move for the Pens, people are going to be lined up to trade for him, and if they keep him he can still get better. Look at Bobby Ryan, 2nd pick in 05, just now starting to come out and is becoming a real solid player, he is still 1 year older than Staal, everyone forgets that he is still just a 20 year old and is the fastest player to reach 200 games played in NHL history. Eric's break out year wasnt until he was 21 and he had the benefit of playing a whole season in the AHL where he got to play on the top scoring lines and powerplay units, Jordan still wont be 21 until the start of next season, great move by Pitt even better move by another team who picks him up to be a 2nd line player and gives him more time to show some skill.

[Fire0nIce228 1]

2 goals in 2 games for Staal with the new deal, but the Penguins continue to lose and not play anywhere close to a 60 minute game..Time for coach to go.

What are pens chances of getting savard out of chicago?

[Chadd 916]

2 goals in 2 games for Staal with the new deal, but the Penguins continue to lose and not play anywhere close to a 60 minute game..Time for coach to go.

What are pens chances of getting savard out of chicago?

They need Hartley or Tortorella to coach the position players but stay away from Fleurry. As much as I love Savard, he is not ready to be the "final piece" type of coach.

[Fire0nIce228 1]

Perhaps you are right. Isn't Tortorella an in your face kick-your butt kind of coach? Maybe someone like that could get the young kids to play harder and tougher, as it is very rare to see MT show any emotion..

[RiSeOnFiRe 0]

I really like the sound of Torts running the Pens. he'll hold his players responsible for every shift.

[Chadd 916]

I really like the sound of Torts running the Pens. he'll hold his players responsible for every shift.

The problem is that he has been less than stellar in his handling of goalies and MAF appears to be very fragile mentally.

[fieldofdreams 0]

don cherry is a tool. this is a decent deal, there have been worse contracts handed out.

DiPietro, anyone?? What did he get, 85 years? How is that working out for the Isles so far?

[DEATHTRON 19]

How is the team infront of him working out....he can only stop so many pucks, asking him to score goals is getting a bit absurd. He has been injured, but at least the Isles have a decent goalie for years to come. Not to mention they got him for a fair price compared to other starting goaltenders.

Zach

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

Questions for pens fans, and it's not applicable as both are under contract, but it came up on saturday night (couple of guys from the beer league team get together, watch caps/habs, play poker, talk hockey)....

If you could only take one guy, who would you take, Crosby or Malkin? Based on their play so far the past couple of seasons

[interpathway 9]

Crosby.

[Fire0nIce228 1]

Crosby.