With some lag time before the start of the playoffs, I thought it would be a good time to grade our Penguins. I’ve assigned grades to management and the coaching staff as well.
Some (my esteemed colleague Other Rick) might consider me an easy grader. Indeed, basking in the afterglow of our unexpected MassMutual East title, I doled out A’s like checks on the first of the month, to borrow from Mike Lange.
Grades are totally subjective, based on the opinions of yours truly. I’m splitting the feature into three parts, the Forwards, the Defense and Goalies and Management so I don’t put you to sleep (lol).
Without further ado, here are my grades for the forwards:
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Grade: A+ |
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Player |
Pos. |
The Skinny |
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Carter |
C |
Nine goals in 14 games says it all. Big, skilled and remarkably fast for his age, he brought a much-needed north-south style and shoot-first mentality to the mix, not to mention leadership and a veteran presence in the locker room. A tremendous pickup. |
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Grade: A |
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Player |
Pos. |
The Skinny |
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Crosby |
C |
From the opening drop of the puck, Sid played a remarkably consistent, 200-foot game. His longest pointless stretch was three games, and that came late in the season. Not only are his leadership and focus exemplary, at age 33 his skills are remarkably intact. Sid led the Pens with 24 goals, 38 assists and 62 points…a 92-point pace for a full season. Still an amazing player. |
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Guentzel |
LW |
With 23 goals and 57 points, Jake authored a remarkable comeback from a serious shoulder injury. Initially a bit gun-shy in traffic, he shook off his inhibitions and hit his stride in March, scoring in four-straight games. While no one can replace Patric Hornqvist as a net-front presence, Jake wields a magic wand when it comes to deflections around the cage. |
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Rust |
RW |
Nobody gets more out of his God-given ability than “Rusty.” The hustling winger proved his break-out 2019-20 campaign was no fluke, racking up 22 goals to nearly lead the team a second-straight season. Remarkable stuff from a former 80th overall pick who was projected to be a bottom-six energy guy. |
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Grade: A- |
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Player |
Pos. |
The Skinny |
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McCann |
C-LW |
Following an ice-cold finish to the 2019-20 season (no goals in his last 25 games), no one was quite sure what to expect from McCann. Good things, it turns out. After shifting to left wing, first with Evgeni Malkin and then Carter, he blossomed into one of the team’s top scorers with 14 goals while eliminating some of the streakiness from his game. Great speed and hustle, deadly shot and release. |
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Gaudreau |
C-RW |
A true feel-good story. Pressed into service due to injuries, Gaudreau seized the opportunity with both hands. Gritty, crafty and remarkably able along the wall for a player his size, he was tough on draws (53.7 percent) and surprisingly productive. May have carved out a permanent spot in the lineup. |
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Grade: B+ |
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Player |
Pos. |
The Skinny |
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Kapanen |
RW |
Following a late start due to COVID restrictions and a much publicized benching and sit-down with Mike Sullivan, Kapanen proved to be everything hoped for…and more. With his blazing speed, keen anticipation and underrated hands and finishing skills, he was especially adept at forcing turnovers and capitalizing. Lethal off the rush. |
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Tanev |
RW |
When injuries shook the forwards, Tanev stepped into a top-six role and flourished. Displaying better hands and finishing skills than previously shown, he was on his way to a career year until felled by a lower-body injury. Feisty and fearless with a non-stop motor, Turbo’s the ultimate in-your-face energy guy. A truly special player. |
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Zohorna |
LW-C |
Yet another depth guy who excelled. When injuries pressed the hulking Czech into service, he displayed soft hands, a high hockey IQ and surprising speed for a player of his dimensions (6’6” 220). A sleeper and a keeper. |
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Grade: B |
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Player |
Pos. |
The Skinny |
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Malkin |
C |
A bipolar season for Malkin. The big guy unexpectedly stumbled out of the starting blocks and looked languid and slow to boot. Then, after showing gradual improvement in February, Geno caught fire in March and tallied points in eight straight games before being felled by a knee injury. Quietly tallied points in 22 of his last 30 games. |
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Blueger |
C |
Known for his tireless work ethic, on and off the ice, Blueger evolved into a solid bottom-six center who kills penalties and handles defensive chores with aplomb. Fast and tenacious with underrated skills, Teddy scored at a highly respectable 40-point clip over a full season. Also displayed grit by dropping the gloves twice against larger, tougher opponents. |
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Angello |
RW |
Played in 19 games when injuries shook the team and performed very well. A good skater for a man of his size (6’5″ 210), Angello was a consistent physical presence, piling up 51 hits and occasionally contributing on the scoresheet despite limited ice time. He was on the ice for only one 5v5 goal against (five for). |
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Grade: B- |
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Player |
Pos. |
The Skinny |
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Rodrigues |
C-RW |
After initialing washing out in a top-six role, Rodrigues emerged as a fast, versatile performer with a creative streak and a flair for offense. His ability to slot up and down the lineup and adjust to varying linemates and roles made him a real asset. A little weak defensively and along the wall or his grade would be higher. |
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Aston-Reese |
LW |
Having trimmed down and gained a step over the offseason, Aston-Reese started out like a house afire with goals in his first three games. However, after contributing with solid two-way play for most of the season ZAR slipped over the final six weeks, contributing a lone goal over his final 19 games. Solid defensively, but not as assertive physically as he could be. |
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Grade: C+ |
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Player |
Pos. |
The Skinny |
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Sceviour |
C-RW |
The veteran forward was fairly nondescript for large portions of the season, not doing anything to hurt the team but not really helping, either. However, he sprang to life a bit down the stretch, recording a pair of two-point games and was generally solid and reliable. A decent depth player. |
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Grade: C |
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Player |
Pos. |
The Skinny |
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Zucker |
LW |
One of the more polarizing players on the Pens this season, Zucker’s performance can best be described as checkered (a team-worst minus-8). Struggled early while showing little chemistry with Malkin but seemed to find his stride a bit after returning from a lower-body injury. Despite his inconsistent play, he scored at roughly a 20-goal clip. |
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Grade: C- |
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Player |
Pos. |
The Skinny |
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Lafferty |
C-RW |
Aside from Zucker, perhaps my biggest disappointment. I love the package Sam brings…speed and an abrasive attitude along with a decent skill set and the ability to win faceoffs. Yet the Hollidaysburg native is mistake-prone and seems to lack hockey sense at times. He’s consistently in the red on 5v5 shot attempts as well. |
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Jankowski |
C |
Vacillated between giving him a C- or a D+. The big center did okay defensively and against expected goals for and against values, but never really seemed to do much with the exception of a four-game hot streak in early April (six points) when he was being pushed by Gaudreau for playing time. The one off-season addition who didn’t pan out. |
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Grade: D |
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Player |
Pos. |
The Skinny |
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O’Connor |
LW |
Rookie winger didn’t live up to the hype that pegged him as the next John Marino coming out of training camp. After collecting an assist in his debut, was mostly invisible for the remainder of his cameo. Clearly needed some seasoning in the minors and got it, performing well with the Baby Pens (17 points in 18 games). |
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Grade: Incomplete |
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Player |
Pos. |
The Skinny |
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Currie |
C |
Pressed into service for one game when injuries were at their nadir. |
Rick
Great job evaluating the Pens roster. I only have a couple that I would
probably grade a little differently. Zucker & Aston Reese.
I agree Zucker has been up and down but considering Malkin was a
total bust early in the season and then his injury I thought his play
was better than adequate. Plus he never quits moving his feet and
not afraid to do the dirty work.
To me, Aston Reese-type players are a dime a dozen. I know he finally put
a few pucks into the back of the net but his goals are of the iffy variety. What
I mean by that is they can go either way and he could end up scoring 5 next
season. He doesn’t assert himself enough for my liking.
That’s my two cents – looking forward to seeing your grades on our backline
players.
Thanks Mike. Always good to hear from you and get your take.
Zucker has played better of late and he’s been noticeable in a good way, for the reasons you mentioned and more. He seems to be doing a better job of handling the puck and getting involved in the play. It’s just that the first month or so was such a lost time for him. Skating next to a sluggish Malkin didn’t help, but Jason didn’t seem to do a lot to help his cause, either.
I hear ya’ on Aston-Reese. In some ways he’s kind of been the flip side of Zucker…hot early, cold of late. And I agree, I wish he were more assertive around the net and in general. I considered giving him a C+ but he is good defensively…the fewest goals against per 60 minutes at 5v5 behind Angello and Gaudreau. And he works so well with Blueger and Tanev when they’re all healthy.
Rick