Penguins Update: Where Would Tatar Fit?

I’ve gone on record as saying I’d love to see the Penguins sign free-agent forward Tomáš Tatar. In my humble opinion, the one need Kyle Dubas hasn’t sufficiently addressed to date is scoring depth up front.

Indeed, his most prominent adds…Lars Eller, Noel Acciari and Matt Nieto…are more noted for goal prevention then filling the net. When all is said and done and the final tallies are in, I’m not sure this bunch will be any more productive than last season’s much-maligned group.

That’s why adding a player of Tatar’s pedigree is so appealing. A seven-time 20-goal man, he’s consistently rated among the better play-driving forwards in the NHL. Nor is he a slouch defensively.

Okay, so let’s say Dubas is able to work another miracle and somehow squeeze Tatar in under the salary cap. Where does the Slovakian winger play?

My first inclination is third line, with Drew O’Connor on the portside and the veteran Eller in the middle. However, upon further reflection, I’m not sure that would be Tatar’s optimal spot.

While O’Connor’s an up-and-comer who’s shown occasional flashes of offense, he has yet to demonstrate a consistent scoring touch at the big-league level. Solid though he may be, Eller’s never been an especially prolific setup man.

Conclusion? Tatar’s talents may largely go to waste in a bottom-six role.

Solution? Slide Tatar into a top-six role alongside none other than Sidney Crosby. Yep. The bright lights. The big time.

In addition to his offensive chops, Tatar is known for his attention to detail. Which would seem to mesh perfectly with Sid’s responsible 200-foot game.

To make room, I’d drop Bryan Rust to the third line. Yes, it would represent a demotion of sorts for Rusty, who’s ranked among our top goal-getters over the past four seasons.

However, the hustling winger experienced a rather steep decline in production and finishing (9.5 shooting percentage), masked to an extent by the fact that he notched 20 goals (the same as Tatar). Too, Rust was very effective early in his career as a bottom-sixer who slotted up and down the lineup. Chances are, he’d be effective in that role again.

And lest we forget…injuries happen. Top-line sniper Jake Guentzel a prime example. There’d be a strong likelihood that both Tatar and Rust would see ample duty in the top six.

Wherever he’d fit, I’m all for signing Tatar if we’re able.

While We’re Talkin’ Free Agents…

…I saw Nick Ritchie’s name bandied about on another site.

In many ways the yin to the smallish Tatar’s yang, Ritchie’s a veritable Mack Truck of a power forward (6’3” 236). A former 10^th overall pick by the Ducks in 2014, it’s safe to say the big guy’s fallen short of expectations. Indeed, he’s morphed into a journeyman of sorts, skating for five different teams over the last four seasons.

Yet Ritchie does possess a scoring touch (roughly 17 goals per 82-game season over the course of his career) and he’s an imposing net-front presence on the power-play thanks to his wide-bodied frame. Although he doesn’t have the rep of, say, a Tom Wilson or a Ryan Reaves, the man can hit (218 last season) and fight, and quite well. He’d solve our enforcement issues in one fell swoop.

Alas, what he can’t do is skate. At all. No great surprise, given all that bulk. And Dubas has a history with the 27-year-old left wing. He signed Ritchie as a free agent for the Maple Leafs in the summer of 2021…and quickly dispatched him to the Coyotes when it was evident the Orangeville, Ontario native couldn’t keep pace.

Casey Too?

Earlier this week Canadiens GM Kent Hughes flipped former Pens d-man Jeff Petry to his hometown Red Wings in a wonderfully humanitarian move.

The same may happen with trade-mate Casey DeSmith.

It’s been a rough stretch to say the least for Casey, whose wife is in the late stages of pregnancy. The Habs are fairly stacked in goal, so there’s a strong chance our erstwhile backup will be moved to another team.

For the record, I think DeSmith is a wholly capable backup (and one we may regret moving). His career marks (2.81 GAA, .912 SV%) compare favorably to starter Tristan Jarry (2.65 GAA, .914 SV%) and more heralded backups such as the Islanders’ Semyon Varlamov (2.65 GAA, .916 SV%).

What Casey struggles with is consistency, especially when asked to shoulder the load for extended stretches. However, with goaltending at a premium, that shouldn’t prevent him from finding a suitable home.

Hopefully one to his liking.