Ryan Wilson: Random Wednesday Notes Random Wednesday Notes

first!
something tells me pittsburgh will not play near as good as they did last year when mike sullivan took the reigns. I hope dearly I am wrong and sid has ANOTHER 100+ points season and wins everything again.

That Bruins prediction seems off... way off...
How does losing one of their best scorers and adding Backes make them a better team?
Is it the Dom Moore signing?

Strange. I see them much like last year. A bubble team.

first!
something tells me pittsburgh will not play near as good as they did last year when mike sullivan took the reigns. I hope dearly I am wrong and sid has ANOTHER 100+ points season and wins everything again.
- martox

I assume you are referring to a different season... as Sid only had 85 points last year.

I don't expect Torres to actually make the team.

Think he's just there to throw some fire on training camp and get the Canes revved up to start the year as they are notorious slow starters.

I assume you are referring to a different season... as Sid only had 85 points last year.
- mlindsay

Pick one, because he's had 5 in his career...

I assume you are referring to a different season... as Sid only had 85 points last year.
- mlindsay

ye. not last season

Putting a point projection for Pittsburgh is dangerous to me. Yes, virtually the same team is back, save Lovejoy. That is good or bad. There were no significant improvements to this roster, while others did improve their's.

You have to think Sheary, Rust, a healthy Malkin and a healthy Fehr do see point increases. Crosby should have more points too.

But ... in order to have that type of point projection happen, a healthy roster much happen; no let up from the HBK line and the defense all around must play like they did in the playoffs. Oh yes, the goalie duo has to play up to their capabilities. Will there be a problem having a 1A and 1B goalie? They spoke well last year in the play-offs, but now that a new season is coming - will this turn out to be a Luongo/Schneider thing in vancouver?

Torres was a beast. Everything came from his speed, he was flat out fast. If he can still skate he should make the team. Guys like Cooke and Raffi just go to hard, they can't help it.

first!
something tells me pittsburgh will not play near as good as they did last year when mike sullivan took the reigns. I hope dearly I am wrong and sid has ANOTHER 100+ points season and wins everything again.
- martox

I am tempering reg season expectations. I'd expect closer to 105 pts than 115. I see was winning the presidents trophy again

Torres was a beast. Everything came from his speed, he was flat out fast. If he can still skate he should make the team. Guys like Cooke and Raffi just go to hard, they can't help it.
- Grinder47

ahhhhh.....you are the gift that just keeps on giving arent you?

So I was bored and wanted to see what this forecast model looked like in real production, assuming that all 7 players will see roughly the same amount of 5on5 time as they did last season. Here's the comparison of the forecasted production versus last seasons 5on5 production, the forecast is based on everyone playing all 82 games so I also adjusted last seasons production to account for them playing 82 games

Crosby - 49.5pts(.6pts/gm) vs 62.5pts(.76pts/gm)
Hagelin - 37.4pts(.46pts/gm) vs 55.8pts(.68pts/gm)
Hornqvist - 35.9pts(.44pts/gm) vs 36pts(.44pts/gm)
Kunitz - 37.1pts(.45pts/gm) vs 34.9pts(.43pts/gm)
Kessel - 37.3pts(.45pts/gm) vs 42pts(.51pts/gm)
Malkin - 37.6pts(.46pts/gm) vs 44.6pts(.52pts/gm)
Bonino - 28.6pts(.35pts/gm) vs 33.8pts(.41pts/gm)

Of course this is all dependent on them playing 82 games and seeing the same rate of 5on5 time as last season but how can the forecast have Sid dropping considerably lower than his career low season where he slumped for the 1st 3 months, how can it forecast Hagelin, Kunitz, Kessel & Malkin to all have roughly the exact same 5on5 production and how can it not only have Sid producing less 5on5 but also Kessel & Malkin producing considerably less 5on5? I would say that if this forecast model is as accurate as it claims the Pens are in a lot of trouble in 2016-2017 with Sid, Geno and Phil all seeing considerable drops in their 5on5 production, the power play is going to have to be historic.

I don't expect Torres to actually make the team.

Think he's just there to throw some fire on training camp and get the Canes revved up to start the year as they are notorious slow starters.
- BINGO!

For your sake you should hope not, Torres lighting a fire usually results in someone missing half the season if not having their career ended. Would be a shame if him "throwing some fire on training camp" as you put it costs them Staal for the season.

For your sake you should hope not, Torres lighting a fire usually results in someone missing half the season if not having their career ended. Would be a shame if him "throwing some fire on training camp" as you put it costs them Staal for the season.
- jaydogg1974

Has he ever injured a guy in training camp? Because as far as I am aware he has not.

Brad Malone has, though...

Has he ever injured a guy in training camp? Because as far as I am aware he has not.

Brad Malone has, though...
- BINGO!

Not to my knowledge but most players also aren't going into training camp to throw some fire which was the part I was referencing, as with most players I'm sure Torres will be going to camp to work hard and to try to make the team, him going in there to throw some fire would be the issue because he has a track record of crossing the line when he tries to play that way.

Not to my knowledge but most players also aren't going into training camp to throw some fire which was the part I was referencing, as with most players I'm sure Torres will be going to camp to work hard and to try to make the team, him going in there to throw some fire would be the issue because he has a track record of crossing the line when he tries to play that way.
- jaydogg1974

Only way he can play. Only way he should be expected to play.

ahhhhh.....you are the gift that just keeps on giving arent you?
- pensfan024

Every women I have ever spent a considerable amount of time with tell me the same thing.

Congrats Philly for having the dumbest looking sweaters for the 16-17 season!

If you would use stats and look at Raffi's career objectively, not being impaired by your dumb eye test he's really not a dirty player. He thrown like 4 times the amount of hits than a normal player with the same number of games played and has only been suspending 5 times? I'm not sure. So there's that.

If you would use stats and look at Raffi's career objectively, not being impaired by your dumb eye test he's really not a dirty player. He thrown like 4 times the amount of hits than a normal player with the same number of games played and has only been suspending 5 times? I'm not sure. So there's that.
- Grinder47

and two of those suspensions were more than 20 games, including an all-time high 41. Yep, what a great player. Dude shouldn't have the chance to continue playing based on his history.

This projection has Kunitz as a more productive even strength player than Malkin or Kessel?

So did the Penguins sell their leftover "Vegas Gold" material to the Flyers for their new jerseys? Jesus gold/orange/black is a terrible combination.

So did the Penguins sell their leftover "Vegas Gold" material to the Flyers for their new jerseys? Jesus gold/orange/black is a terrible combination.

- mw630[/img]

Yeah, those are gawd awful.

So did the Penguins sell their leftover "Vegas Gold" material to the Flyers for their new jerseys? Jesus gold/orange/black is a terrible combination.

- mw630

Ewwww...

So did the Penguins sell their leftover "Vegas Gold" material to the Flyers for their new jerseys? Jesus gold/orange/black is a terrible combination.

- mw630

I would say more it's in homage of the Pens winning the cup!