Penguins Update: How Do You Like Your Crow?

I’ll take mine medium-well, thank you.

Yes, it’s comeuppance time for yours truly. Time to eat some crow and own up to every misread and wrong prediction I made going back to the offseason. Might want to pour yourself a cold one. You’re gonna’ be here for a while.

In my defense, I was fully on board with the Kasperi Kapanen trade and didn’t squawk a skosh about former GM Jim Rutherford parting with a fifteenth overall pick to nab him.

However, I quickly reversed course and vigorously protested when JR sent net-front warrior Patric Hornqvist to Florida for promising but error-prone (and mega-compensated) defenseman Mike Matheson and journeyman forward Colton Sceviour.

Following Matheson’s first two games I labeled the trade “a disaster of epic proportions.” Fast forward a few months…the disaster’s evolving nicely under the tutelage of assistant coach Todd Reirden into a fast, skilled, relatively giveaway-free defender with tons of upside.

Despite being waived twice and receiving limited ice time, Sceviour’s been a solid contributor, tallying 1.84 points/60 minutes 5v5. For reference, Sidney Crosby’s produced 1.73 points/60 5v5. Bryan Rust, 1.43/60.

On to October 9…the first day of free agency. I was crestfallen to learn we’d signed Evan Rodrigues, only recently dealt to Toronto in the Kapanen deal, and Mark Jankowski. I’d hoped JR would sign Dominik Kahun, who we’d traded the previous spring to Buffalo for Rodrigues. I wanted no parts of Jankowski, a big, soft center.

Well, Rodrigues has been better and more productive than I anticipated. He’s slotted up and down the lineup while filling a valuable Swiss Army Knife-type role, especially when we suffered a spate of injuries to our forwards. The fact that he’s a right-handed shot who can take faceoffs hasn’t hurt, either.

It should be noted that I initially had Jankowski properly pegged. However, drunk on highlight video Kool-Aid, I changed my opinion and wrote a positive article titled, “Could Jankowski Work Out for the Penguins?”

Uh…that would be a no.

By far my most vociferous protests…and most egregious error in judgment…came on October 17, when JR signed much-maligned defenseman Cody Ceci. Hot on the heels of buying out Jack Johnson, a player frequently compared to Ceci.

I hated this signing. I mean, really hated it. Ceci’s metrics were horrible, actually exceeding Johnson’s in terms of sheer God-awfulness. He’d been the worst player in the NHL two years running in 5v5 shot differential.

Frankly, I thought JR had lost his mind.

Heck, Mike Sullivan seemed to validate my low opinion of Ceci when he benched the Ottawa native for three games following the season opener. It took a Biblical plague of injuries to open the door for Cody.

Then he began to play. And not just play, but play well. Really well. Contrary to the yards of well-documented criticism, Cody’s been solid, poised and physical in his own end and a better skater than I imagined. He’s displayed a hard, accurate shot from the point and a knack for knowing when to join and, at times, even lead the rush.

In short, he’s resembled a former fifteenth overall pick, which he is.

To add to my shame, he and Matheson have paired up to make a very good defensive tandem. How good you ask? Over a recent 14-game stretch, Ceci tallied two goals and 11 points. Matheson, three goals and 11 points in 13.

I guess two wrongs can make a right.

My final whiff? I opined before the season started that I didn’t think we were a playoff team. Too many holes, especially up front. Yeah right. It isn’t a stretch to say we boast perhaps the deepest collection of forwards in the league.

In conclusion? Don’t quit your day job, kid.

There is one prediction I hope I get right. Actually, more a gut feeling than a prognostication. I won’t come flat out and repeat it because I don’t want to jinx us. But it involves a certain silver punch bowl donated to the NHL by Lord Stanley of Preston.