Geno is way better at center...better question can o'reilly play wing?
- SayWhat...NoWay

Exactly. If O'Reilly could play LW (I think Neal changed to RW) I'd be glad to accept him on this team. Or even play on Crosby's line.

So he countrred with michslek letang fleury for lundqvist ryan phaneuf... Should i do it
- nh4442

Well i think lundqvist and ryan are better stat wise over michalek and flower..but letang over dion..hope this helps a little haha

I'm suspicious. I wouldn't give up Letang. But this is a pretty good package with Lundqvist/Ryan. Phaneuf suxs.
- Orpik44

Yeah... I don't know what your league keeps as stats but Dion is most certainly an anchor, unless you never play him.

Would you rather have a pretty solid defensive, 2-way guy handling the coverage and the super dynamic offensive player focus on turning the puck over and taking outlet passes? Geno can still take face-offs if he so chooses but he's not the good at it.
- Gian_Carlo

Can O'Reilly play physical, backcheck and score 25 goals/year? He would never get the C spot from Malkin. Maybe take a few draws.

Would you rather have a pretty solid defensive, 2-way guy handling the coverage and the super dynamic offensive player focus on turning the puck over and taking outlet passes? Geno can still take face-offs if he so chooses but he's not the good at it.
- Gian_Carlo

Whats wrong with a 2 way winger Hossa was one of the best at tht when he was here.

Would you rather have a pretty solid defensive, 2-way guy handling the coverage and the super dynamic offensive player focus on turning the puck over and taking outlet passes? Geno can still take face-offs if he so chooses but he's not the good at it.
- Gian_Carlo

I'll take the guy who is one of two people ever (Bobby Orr the other) to win the Calder, Hart, Conn Smythe, Ted Lindsay, and Art Ross.

Whats wrong with a 2 way winger Hossa was one of the best at tht when he was here.
- SayWhat...NoWay

Gian_Carlo, what would be the cost of Steve Downie?I can see him fitting in right away and gelling with Cooke/Sutter

Can O'Reilly play physical, backcheck and score 25 goals/year? He would never get the C spot from Malkin. Maybe take a few draws.
- Orpik44

Look, don't fashion your own manacle here with the positions. Go out one level of abstraction, take away the LW/C/RW, make the value F. F1, F2, F3.

Think Red Wings. Sometimes they say, ok, team we're playing tonight is weak on their right D-men. You get Zetterberg and Franzen playing LW with Datsyuk and Filppula playing C. If they play a team with bad checkers, they go Datsyuk and Z on a line together with either Brenner or Franzen. If they're playing a team with good depth, Z plays center behind Datsyuk and they split the wing duties accordingly. They adapt and exploit without throwing their hands up in the air over something arbitrary like what definition their Fx role constitutes.

Look, don't fashion your own manacle here with the positions. Go out one level of abstraction, take away the LW/C/RW, make the value F. F1, F2, F3.

Think Red Wings. Sometimes they say, ok, team we're playing tonight is weak on their right D-men. You get Zetterberg and Franzen playing LW with Datsyuk and Filppula playing C. If they play a team with bad checkers, they go Datsyuk and Z on a line together with either Brenner or Franzen. If they're playing a team with good depth, Z plays center behind Datsyuk and they split the wing duties accordingly. They adapt and exploit without throwing their hands up in the air over something arbitrary like what definition their Fx role constitutes.
- Gian_Carlo

Ok...sooo can o'reilly play wing at all or has he?

Ok...sooo can o'reilly play wing at all or has he?
- SayWhat...NoWay

Scouts say no he can't and that alone rules him out of Pitt... Which is too bad, he could be a good fit and the pens have the pieces to meet that trade.

Ok...sooo can o'reilly play wing at all or has he?
- SayWhat...NoWay

My advice is to not insist on static limitation with dynamic players.

My advice is to not insist on static limitation with dynamic players.
- Gian_Carlo

The problem here is that to pay $4mil. to a guy that is not a sure thing on the wings would be stupid on our part. I'd rather get Downie for our 3rd line or Duchene (if he was available)

I'll take the guy who is one of two people ever (Bobby Orr the other) to win the Calder, Hart, Conn Smythe, Ted Lindsay, and Art Ross.
- Gunner Staal

The problem here is that to pay $4mil. to a guy that is not a sure thing on the wings would be stupid on our part. I'd rather get Downie for our 3rd line or Duchene (if he was available)
- Orpik44

Downie would get your guys into a lot of unnecessary fights for doing stupid, stupid things. He's a total liabilty and you have already a good 3rd line. Duchene will stick with the Avs at least the length of his current contract.

If we can get past the mental block of who needs to play what position;

Kunitz/Crosby/Dupuis
Neal/O'Reilly/Malkin
Cooke/Sutter/Kennedy

3 really balanced lines. All 3 centers are above 50% face off (Sid and Ryan O are 56% and 53% [2011-12] respectively versus Malkin at something like 46%. Sutter is at 50.3% this season). Defensive play at the center position is strong to the point where it's almost surplus to requirement even as the potential offense per line is way, way above league average.

It's either that or make a move for top line LW unknown, give Kunitz back to Malkin, and stay at Dupuis on top line RW.

Edit: I believe that O'Reilly is the best top-six forward available on the trade market in terms of his value and equity right now and will be until a Louie Eriksson or someone like that is offered. I understand that adding a C is not ideal for Pittsburgh but they're not trying to build Camelot, they're trying to add a top-six so that they aren't scoreless through 5 players on 2nd line LW.

Downie would get your guys into a lot of unnecessary fights for doing stupid, stupid things. He's a total liabilty and you have already a good 3rd line. Duchene will stick with the Avs at least the length of his current contract.

If we can get past the mental block of who needs to play what position;

Kunitz/Crosby/Dupuis
Neal/O'Reilly/Malkin
Cooke/Sutter/Kennedy

3 really balanced lines. All 3 centers are above 50% face off (Sid and Ryan O are 56% and 53%
- Gian_Carlo[2011-12] respectively versus Malkin at something like 46%. Sutter is at 50.3% this season). Defensive play at the center position is strong to the point where it's almost surplus to requirement even as the potential offense per line is way, way above league average.

It's either that or make a move for top line LW unknown, give Kunitz back to Malkin, and stay at Dupuis on top line RW.

Edit: I believe that O'Reilly is the best top-six forward available on the trade market in terms of his value and equity right now and will be until a Louie Eriksson or someone like that is offered. I understand that adding a C is not ideal for Pittsburgh but they're not trying to build Camelot, they're trying to add a top-six so that they aren't scoreless through 5 players on 2nd line LW.

Let me qualify this by saying I'm not a guy that would shell out a nice return for a youngster what has had one solid year. That said, I can envision that type of lineup, if the Pens made an offer. I would imagine it would be a first and a D prospect, but isn't Colorado much like our farm system in a sense - more D prospect laden and in need of forwards?

I can see Columbus making a play for him. After all, they have three first round picks.

Let me qualify this by saying I'm not a guy that would shell out a nice return for a youngster what has had one solid year. That said, I can envision that type of lineup, if the Pens made an offer. I would imagine it would be a first and a D prospect, but isn't Colorado much like our farm system in a sense - more D prospect laden and in need of forwards?

I can see Columbus making a play for him. After all, they have three first round picks.
- Oneonta Penguin

I think Pittsburgh is sort of automatically trading a D prospect whatever they do. Beyond that I'm not sure what Colorado would ask for; they're being vague. I think a first and a good prospect is too much considering he's unsigned. As far as his track record, the NHL pays on potential these days and it's not often a high-end RFA such as this can be acquired.