To say it’s been an unusual season thus far for our Penguins would be putting it mildly.
A piping hot 8-2-2 start, as encouraging as it was unexpected, raised expectations that this group might possess playoff pedigree. A limbo bar that has since been ratcheted down closer to the floorboards on the heels of a ghastly 1-5-4 slide.
Indeed, the way things are going? It feels like we’ll be hard-pressed to win a game here and there. Especially since we face one of the more difficult schedules the rest of the way. Hardly conducive to qualifying for the playoffs on both counts.
While I have no doubt the team will recover somewhat when Evgeni Malkin and Blake Lizotte return from IR, should our priorities change? Should developing youngsters take priority over making a playoff push?
At the present, the Pens seem to be walking the line, to borrow from country music legend Johnny Cash. Yes, there is some development taking place, most notably with the “Kid Line” of Ben Kindel, Rutger McGroarty and Ville Koivunen. Filip Hållander was likewise filling a prominent role until sidelined with a blood clot. Coach Dan Muse has recently dressed 26-year-old Jack St. Ivany, a rare prospect holdover from the Ron Hextall era, in place of veteran Connor Clifton.
Following an early season run with the big boys, Harrison Brunicke has been loaned to Team Canada for the IIHF World Junior Championship.
Is it enough?
Personally, I’m disappointed we’ve elected to plug injury gaps with marginal veterans Kevin Hayes and Danton Heinen. While I get the logic to an extent—in theory veterans are less likely to make mistakes at critical times, going forward I don’t think this would be the best policy. Especially since our masquerade as a playoff contender appears to be over.
For starters, I’d like to see Kyle Dubas promote Tristan Broz and Avery Hayes while cutting bait with the aforementioned vets. Especially if Malkin and Lizotte aren’t due back any time soon.
A center by trade who can also play wing in a pinch, the 23-year-old Broz leads the Baby Pens with 10 goals. Peppery right wing Hayes is right behind him with nine.
If some lineup shuffling is required to accommodate them, particularly among the veterans?
So be it.
Perhaps promote defenseman Owen Pickering, who quietly seems to be finding his game (13 points in 27 games), as well.
The only position where I’d urge more caution?
In goal.
Given the porous nature of our team defense of late, I’d be reluctant to expose either Sergei Murashov or Joel Blomqvist on a regular basis. Perhaps call them up individually and on a cameo basis, much as they’ve done with Murashov. However, I wouldn’t force-feed regular NHL duty onto them just yet.
It’s possible, perhaps even probable, Dubas will wait until the trade deadline to effect serious changes to our roster. It isn’t hard to envision any or all of Anthony Mantha, Rickard Rakell or Bryan Rust departing through trades, which would create openings aplenty.
A final word of caution. Not every prospect that glitters turns into NHL gold.
I’m reminded of the high hopes I once had for former Pens prospect Nathan Légaré, now toiling in the Devils organization. I’m going from memory, but I believe JFresh rated him only a 3.6 percent chance of becoming a regular in the bigs. An assessment that appears spot-on.
Ditto former first-rounder Brayden Yager, who has only four goals in 28 games with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. Suffice to say, he’s adjusting to the pro game.
Closer to home, despite some very good underlying metrics, Koivunen has struggled mightily to produce. Raising legit questions about his future as well.
Despite the best intentions and rigorous development plans, lots of kids simply don’t make it.
Still, it’s time to find out what we’ve got.
It’s time to start promoting the kids in earnest.
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Rick,
Having played Goal, I am more aware of the pressures of that position than any who has never or rarely put the pads on. Furthermore, look up the stats for HDCA, our Penguins Defense may not rate the top third of the league but they also do not rate in the bottom third. There are 13 worse defenses than Pgh. In fact one of the Defenses worse than the Penguins boasts the odds on favorite to be named Rookie Goalie of the year, Minnesota's Jesper Wallstedt who is the same age as Joel Blomqvist 23 - so much for the excuse of young Goalies. Wallstedt, despite backstopping a worse defense, owns a 9-2-2 record with a 0.933 Sv% and posted 4 SO s.
I would prefer a completely revamped defense than the one patrolling the Penguins' blue line, but the problem with this team sits squarely on the shoulders of the beyond inept Goaltending it is getting from the 3 far older Goalies being given way too much TOI.
And again, let me reiterate, since you didn't address a very important part of my original comment, Blomqvist and Murashov are dominating the AHL and have been since they turned pro. They are not learning a blessed thing down there. They are only being wasted. and if they haven't already, picking up bad habits from the taking of candy from the comparative baby's they are playing against, they will be very soon.
No one can develop when they are not being challenged.
The last person anyone should ever trust when it comes to making Goaltending decisions is Kyle Dubas. He track record speaks volumes as to his knowledge or lack there of.
Rick,
You know my feelings - play the youth.
When it comes to the Goalies, I will say for the millionth time, it is hypocritical to have kept both 18yr old Kindel and 19 yr old Brunicke on the roster when both would have been better served with another season in the Juniors then turn around and say out of the other side of the mouth that 23yr old Blomqvist and 21yr old Murashov are too young. Both of those kids dominate at the AHL level because they are head and shoulders above the rest of that league and both of those kids out played the two veterans that were kept on the NHL roster, during the preseason. Playing those kids in the AHL is only wasting a season for them and really stunting their growth as they are now at risk of developing bad habits while playing against lesser talent.
There is one caveat to what I have just written; if the idiocy of the Penguins' Brainless trust that once again failed to learn from their mistakes of over generalizing the value of experience to include veteran has-been or never-was players over kids has now infected the locker room with a malaise and pathetic morale, then by all means keep those two kids from the Dubas inflicted (or whoever called those shots) disease.
Had the team started the season out, when they were playing the dregs of the league and the slow starters, giving the net to Murashov and using Jarry or Silovs as a spot back up, even with this protracted slump, the points particularly Silovs gave away early on would still have this team in decent shape through this nightmare every other night schedule. And if you add in bringing up Blomqvist as well, this team may have stolen several more points during this stretch. Good Goaltending can make up for many defensive sins.
As for Pickering, you know I know it was a mistake to use a first round pick on him, but I have come around to be pulling for the kid and I can't see how he is any worse than any of the other LHD masquerading as NHL level defensemen on this organization.
In the case of the forward, Broz and A. Hayes earned roster spots during preseason as well, but were summarily dismissed even after their Coach and GM/Whatever praised their efforts but then went with veteran losers. Broz showed he could be counted on in every aspect of the game, Even Strength, PP, PK and has the mature physical build to play 3rd line C, far more mature than Kindel who looked like he was injured on McGroarty's Goal last game when he tried to screen the Goalie. He did finish the game, but watch the replay of that goal as the kid was struggling. And it isn't the first time he has been tossed about like a rag doll.
Avery Hayes also plays like the little engine that could. Although I won't argue with you that players like Acciari and Heinen give everything they have when they are out there, the reality is that they don't have anything left to give. When you have nothing left, no matter how hard you try, you can't give anything.
As for Kevin Hayes, that shouldn't even be a discussion.
You can't win anything when you play not to lose and that is why the team is foundering again; management stopped trying to win and are simply covering up. Management is afraid to be aggressive and put its best players out there even if it means losing. The only time I would hesitate or refuse to use a prospect is when he was too physically immature and playing him could cause physical damage. (and particularly I would double down on a mistake and risk injuring a kid to try to prove I was right)
Hey Other Rick,
I'll push back slightly. IMHO, goaltenders ARE a different animal than regular skaters and need to be treated as such.
Where defensemen and forwards can get lost in the sauce to an extent, goalies are the last line of defense. Fairly or not, they garner a lot more attention and shoulder a lot of the blame when things don't go well.
For now, I'll double-down on my suggestion that Murashov and Blomqvist each be given a run of games during the second half to see how they perform. If they shine or even hold up okay, great, maybe extend the run. If not, I wouldn't subject them to too much abuse.
That's not exactly the '70s era Canadiens dynasty defense of Larry Robinson, Guy Lapointe and Serge Savard they'd be backstopping.
Rick