On the Tom Sestito PTO. It is only a PTO so it really doesn't matter that much, but as far as Sestito's value as an NHL player? There is none. He isn't any good and whatever value people think he has is the product of a dated philosophy that some people just aren't willing to move past. If you think fighting is still a deterrent in hockey it is because you are grew up being told that it was a thing and you aren't willing to move past it. You continue to blindly accept that as fact without having any specific examples of it being true. You are on the wrong side of hockey's evolution. It is as simple as that.

Can anyone name me a tangible instance in the last 5 years where an enforcer "protected" someone in Pittsburgh? Anyone? Bueller?

— Jesse Marshall (@jmarshfof) August 26, 2015

The idea that an enforcer can "protect" an NHL start is the most antiquated, non-realistic thing I hear every season with these signings.

— Jesse Marshall (@jmarshfof) August 26, 2015

It's like the term "tough to play against." You know who's tough to play against? Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel...

— Jesse Marshall (@jmarshfof) August 26, 2015

Aint' tough to play against an "enforcer" - you chip the puck past them and skate right through the zone. They might hit you? So what.

— Jesse Marshall (@jmarshfof) August 26, 2015

Fighting didn't deter Trevor Gilles from using Eric Tangradi's head as a pinata. It didn't stop Milan Lucic from running over Ryan Miller. It didn't stop Matt Cooke from blindsiding Marc Savard. It didn't stop Brooks Orpik from running over Jonathan Toews. It didn't stop James Neal from kneeing Brad Marchand. It didn't stop Shawn Thornton from sucker punching Brooks Orpik. It didn't stop Dustin Byfuglien from running Steve Downie over after scoring a breakaway goal. It didn't stop Steve Downie from kneeing Sidney Crosby or prevent Downie from putting Dean McAmmond on a stretcher. It didn't stop Zac Rinaldo from lighting up Kris Letang from behind. It didn't stop Shane Doan from ending Kris Letang's season. It didn't stop Dmitry Kulikov from low bridging Tyler Seguin. And having Deryk Engelland, Tanner Glass, Robert Bortuzzo, Zach Sill, and Craig Adams certainly didn't stop Marc Staal from assaulting the back of Sidney Crosby's head.

There are plenty more examples of this but the point has been made. This is all a big fallacy. It doesn't stop any of it. It is an endless circle of violence that is only stopped if the league decides to get serious on discipline. Until then feel free to believe that talent-less plugs like Sestito prevent violence at the risk of your own ignorance.

For those that understand how little value a player like Sestito has you can take solace in the fact that this PTO will amount to nothing.


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