If you don’t get your hopes up about Billy Guerin, you will like him much better. I was a little surprised when looking at Billy Guerin’s career stats while researching numbers to do a 10 game report on how he is doing so far with the Penguins. What stood out most of all with his career stats was that nothing stood out, not one really big season.
I was expecting to see big numbers from a guy that was an incredible goal scorer. What I found was only 2 years that he had 40 goals or more, and the year he had his most goals, 41, he only had 66 total points that season. In Billy Guerin’s NHL career he has 406 goals and 403 assists. Even players you consider pure goal scorers like Temmu Selanne, who once scored 76 goals in a season, have more assists in their career than goals.
Billy Guerin has 10 points in 9 games with the Penguins. His numbers since the NHL lockout year are less than stellar as you can see here:
38 year old Guerin has lost a step, he is not the speedster he used to be. I know what your thinking, who wouldn’t look a little slower next to Crosby and Kunitz. When the Penguins are on the power play is when his lack of endurance and passing abilities show. Against Philadelphia, he gave the puck up many times on poor passes and not being able to get to it fast enough, causing the team to have to get back on sides and regroup wasting time and energy.
By the numbers, Kunitz and Sykora have put up way better power play numbers and overall numbers over the last few years. Having Guerin on the powerplay makes absolutely no sense when you have better players. If you are thinking that Guerin is going to put up crazy numbers, you are mistaken. Guerin has scored an average of 23 goals & 46 total points a season since the lockout, to put that into perspective, 41 year old Mark Recchi, the guy that the fans chased out of town for being to old and unproductive has averaged 21 goals & 58 points a season and got paid way less.
The question is, will we see Guerin in a Penguin uniform next year? I don’t think so. He is currently making 4.5 million a year. For him to stay in a Penguin uniform that number would probably have to drop to about 1.5 million. Though the Islanders could not find any takers other than the Pens at 4.5 million, at around 2.5 million there will be bidders.
Guerin will score big goals in the playoffs, he has been and will be a great addition on Crosby’s line, just don’t expect him to put up numbers every night, and you will not be disapointed.
Some more on Petr Sykora – he was picked as the drop of the week in three fantasy league recommendations:
DROP OF THE WEEK: PETR SYKORA W PIT
Petr Sykora scored over 80 points once…but that was seven years ago. The last three years he’s been putting up 50 to 60 points even though he’s been played alongside Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. With Bill Guerin and Chris Kunitz arriving in the ‘Burgh it’s looking like Sykora’s minutes are getting smaller and smaller. Sykora is on the decline…not the thing you want on your team in the last few weeks of the year.
He has a good chance ending his career like Satan. If he’s hurt then I’ll take it back but more and more he looks to be going thru the motions.
More on Petr Sykora – Petr Sykora and the Pens are talking contract and Sykora wants three-years. Pens have offered two-years. With a FEB/MAR 2-month performance of 5 goals and 2 assists – it would be nice to be a fly on the wall during those talks, wouldn’t it. It’s amazing how similar Guerin and Sykora stats (goals to assists)are.
I’m not disappointed in Guerin, I know he is not a consistent point getter( he played for the Islanders and scored 41 for the Bruins) Now Sid has someone to play with and Petr doesn’t get more than one minute on the powerplay or he gets the next shift after the advantage and plays with Ruslan and Max.
Guerin is what he is. He’s never really been a consistent player but he does have 10 points in the 9 games he’s been here. That’s not too shabby since no one else has put up those type numbers on Crosby’s line all year except Malkin. Possibly your “expecting to see incredible numbers” that’s probably why you sound so dissapointed. He does have 5 points in his last 4 games whereas Peter Sykora has 5 points in his last 17 games.
I’m with shoot66 – the guy has 3 goals and has 7 assists in 9 games. He has sent Crosby and Kunitz both on breakaways that they have scored on. Look at all the other people that have played on Crosby’s line that have failed. Satan is a complete failure.
Are you trying to put down Bill or just excpect nothing from him, but when he does score all hail Billy. this was the best trade deadline deal, Ray’s other two “great” signings where are they now Pesonen and Satan for 4 million those two idiots did nothing. Bill looks great can’t wait for playoffs