Ex-Penguins Update: Final 2016-17 Stats

1. I debated on whether or not to post this, but figured I’d go ahead before we got too far into the playoffs.

   Better late than never … 🙂

   1. Hey Rick, I love your Ex-Pens updates and reference them all the time!

      Interesting parts this season to me is how Neal did, I still believe the Horniqvist trade was one of the best. Also, the Despres trade looks more interesting now. Who knew he was one hit away from not playing again.

      Iginla didn’t not work because he was on the wrong side, he was washed up and how about Engelland playing a whole season!

      1. Hey Phil and Rick,

         Statistically, the Neal-Hornqvist trade is a push, Neal has scored 77 Gs in 3-seasons while Hornqvist has scored 68. In points, Hornqvist leads with 146 pnts while Neal has 136. However, to me the big difference is attitudes. Hornqvist plays hard-nosed but not stupid; he has 474 hits to Neal’s 268 and more blks 149 to 79. He also is less likely to give away the puck–28 times to Neal’s 86.

         I still contend that the Despres trade was a bad trade. Lovejoy was servicable but Despres had a much greater upside and found a way to mask Scuderi’s slowing down with age. Had Despres been in Pgh he never would have received that leaping hit that Tyson Barrie delivered on him, giving him that first concussion and with Pgh’s tendency to be very conservative and holding concussions out of play until they were healthy. Then Despres, even if he receives a concussion, would not have rushed back like he did. Unfortunately, that is all water under the bridge, the trade did happen, Despres took that nasty hit and came back while still suffering symptoms, only to get hit again.

         In the end there aren’t too many ex-Pens I would want back on the Pens from that list. Yes, there are a couple of players I liked when in the ‘burgh, but outside of the Pens D, the Forwards definitely wouldn’t find much playing time here, and although there are a couple of good Gs there, they too would find ice-time at a premium. And the D on that list, yes I can think of 3 of them that I still like, I don’t like their salaries.

         1. Hey Other Rick,

            Nice digging to come up with the stats on Hornqvist and Neal since the trade.

            As I’d mentioned in my response to Phil, Neal can still shoot the puck. But I thought he’d become increasingly one-dimensional (and undisciplined, as you so duly noted) during his time here.

            Meanwhile, Hornqvist has really emerged as an all-around force. He went from a high of 86 hits during his time in Nashville (2010-11) to 227 for the Pens this season.

            What a warrior. He never backs down…or backs up.

            Rick

         2. Hey other Rick,

            Agree, kind of agree (upside aside, some guys are just susceptible to concussions & it’s hard to deny Lovejoy’s experience value during the Cup run so there is really no way of knowing) & agree (probably the only two I would like back from the list is Goligoski & Niskanen. Gogo’s style would fit in amazingly under Sullivan)

            1. Hey Phil,

               Don’t get me wrong, I do think Lovejoy was a real asset last year. Once coming back from his pressbox time he really turned it on. Maybe the rough patch he and Cole suffered under last year was due to unlearning MJs system. But during the playoff run he was an unsung key to that Cup with the quality minutes he ate up.

               It is just in my mind, I still think we win the Cup with Despres last year and have a stronger D this year than we do have. I don’t think we would have to be leaning on MAF as heavily as we are right now.

      2. Hey Phil,

         Thanks for the vote of confidence … 🙂

         I’m never sure if our readers enjoy stuff like this or not. So I kind of wing it, hoping that if I find it interesting, maybe other folks will, too.

         I totally agree with you about Neal-Hornqvist. Take nothing away from “Nealer”–he still possesses a bomb of a shot. But he depends on a guy like Malkin to set the table.

         Hornqvist gives you so much more. He’s so involved and he really sets the tone in the dirty areas. Definitely leads from in front.

         Really a shame about Despres. The guy had such a bright future. I read somewhere that he was still experiencing symptoms (such as sensitivity to light) when he came back for last season’s playoffs. I’m sure he was anxious to return. But it may have set him back even more in the long run.

         Joe Vitale, too. He suffered a concussion and other injuries during a fight with Boston’s Kevan Miller back in October 2015 and hasn’t played since.

         Loved his grit. Engelland’s, too.

         Rick

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