Although it seems almost impossible given the perpetually sorry state of our defense this season (a minus-52 goal differential), have Kyle Dubas and the Penguins unearthed a couple of diamonds in the rough for our blue line corps?
And, no, I’m not referring to Pierre-Olivier Joseph, reacquired in December, who piled up minuses at a staggering rate before recently going on IR. (Minus-15 in 24 games, to be exact.) Or Ryan Shea, also recently placed on IR after signing an extension.
Rather, I’m talking about Vladislav Kolyachonok, claimed on waivers from Utah on February 10, and Conor Timmins, acquired from Toronto at the trade deadline for the proverbial bag of used pucks disguised as a fifth-round pick.
While the former is a portsider and the latter a right shot, superficially they share many of the same attributes.
Both are comparatively young and have decent size, especially by Penguins standards. The 23-year-old Kolyochonok stands 6’2” and weights a healthy 195 pounds. Timmins, 26, measures 6’3” and tips the scales at a comparatively robust 213 pounds. Coach Mike Sullivan recently labeled Timmins “thick,” and he wasn’t referring to the newcomer’s mental acuity.
After watched Ichabod Crane-types like POJ, Marcus Pettersson and even Ryan Graves thrash about, a most welcome change.
Both are mobile. Both appear to see the ice well. While neither is a bruiser in the Luke Schenn mold, they don’t shy away from contact and will even initiate when the situation calls for it.
I’ve been most impressed with Kolyachonok’s all-around game, especially his passing. It’s crisp, accurate and generally tape-to-tape, a rarity in these parts. The former second-round pick of the Panthers seems cool under fire as well.
Although his Corsi through five games (47.65) isn’t anything to write home about (keep in mind the Pens have been heavily outshot over that stretch) his play driving and expected goals for percentage are (54.09). And he’s fit in surprisingly well next to mainstay Kris Letang.
Timmins, likewise, has been solid or better during his three games with the black-and-gold, all wins. His Corsi’s 57.69, sterling considering how underwater we’ve been as a team. His xGF% (52.21) is pretty darn good as well.
Although Conor generally makes the safe play, the former second-round pick of the Avs flashed his latent offensive skills (he once tallied 61 points in junior) during Thursday night’s win over the Blues. Spotting an opportunity to join the play, he plucked a reverse pass off the sideboards, cruised to the right circle and coolly took a moment to pick his spot before lashing the puck past Jordan Binnington for his first goal as a Pen.
For the evening, Timmins finished a plus-three in 16:57 of ice time.
Just as important, the St. Catharines, Ontario, native seems to have had a settling influence on Graves, who notched his first goal of what’s largely been a lost and, dare I say, hugely disappointing season. While it may be too much to hope for, perhaps Conor can help his ex-Avs tandem-mate rediscover his game.
Then we’ll have gained three defensemen instead of two.
