Seeing as though we are deep into the NHL’s offseason I thought I would present a fun exercise for today.
Yesterday on Twitter Shane O’Donnell of Hockey Prospectus and Today’s Slapshot posed an interesting question. I am going to borrow his premise
Take 2: Given the chance to add any player to your fav team's roster for the 15/16 season for free (no trade cost), who would it be and why?
— Shane O'Donnell (@shane1342o) September 2, 2015
Now the answer to the top question was a no brainer for me. I chose Connor McDavid. I think a lot of other people did as well which is why he ended up posing the second question.
So if cost to acquire and cap hit are no issue who would you want the Penguins to acquire?
For me I look at this Pittsburgh roster and see a big hole at the defense position. I am going with a defender and I am going to go with the most dynamic one I can find. I choose Erik Karlsson.
I don’t want a classic “shutdown defender… I want somebody who oozes skating and puck skills while being able to contribute to controlled zone exits and entries. Erik Karlsson is the most dynamic defenseman in the game now and he has two Norris Trophies to back that up including the most recent one in 2015.
Maatta-Karlsson Pouliot-Letang Cole-LoveJoy
Karlsson and Letang are minute monsters and that allows Mike Johnston to use his bottom pairing more sparingly, but considering that the bottom pairing has two competent NHL players on it he wouldn’t even have to shelter them too much.
Pittsburgh’s top four defense in this scenario is littered with high end puck skill and great skating defensemen.
Adding Erik Karlsson to the Penguins power play is almost unfair. I imagine Karlsson and Malkin playing catch up top with either player having the ability to let a bomb go from the point. PK units would be spread out because they would have to respect both players. This doesn’t even account for Phil Kessel sneaking in on the weak side or having Sidney Crosby as direct puck support on Malkin’s side. Scary stuff.
So with all of that said who would you add to your favorite team’s roster?
Thanks for reading!
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