Nick Bonino has been Brandon Sutter's cheaper replacement this year and when you compare Bonino's 2015-16 underlying numbers to what Sutter gave Pittsburgh in his tenure with the team they are very similar (read as not very good).
Neither player is great defensively but Bonino has shown the ability to generate a decent amount of offense at even-strength which was supposed to be one of the bonuses of moving on from Sutter. So far this year that has not been the case.
What used to be at a first line level with Vancouver is now at a fourth line level with Pittsburgh.
Possession has dropped as well
So will the Penguins actually miss him if he is out for an extended period of time?
Despite the drop off in his play since coming to Pittsburgh there is one variable that is pointing towards improvement. It is the same variable that has impacted many of the other Pittsburgh players' improvement in recent weeks. That variable was changing the head coach.
Under Mike Johnston Nick Bonino had an even-strength points per 60 of 0.80. Under Mike Sullivan it has almost doubled to 1.4. Now that isn't back to the Vancouver level of production but I imagine when Bennett returns to the lineup the top nine forward group should get a boost regardless of how they structure the lines.
Possession has improved as well since the coaching change. What was a Score-Adjusted Fenwick of 47.8% is now at a respectable 51.0%.
In the meantime If Nick Bonino is unable to play the Penguins have Eric Fehr who should be more than capable of jumping into the third line center role. Fehr was very productive in a similar role with Washington last season. This should also allow Sergei Plotnikov to re-enter the lineup.
Daniel Sprong ranks # 4 overall on the list. He trails only Dylan Strome, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander.
Sprong probably shouldn't have started the season in the NHL, but he made a reasonable case after strengthening up over the summer and improving (albeit nowhere near perfecting) his play away from the puck. His offensive tools -- skating, puck skills and shot -- are all high-end, and his playmaking has impressed me more than during his draft season. As of next fall, he could be with the Penguins for the long haul.
Former Penguins prospect Kasperi Kapanen is ranked #26.
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One of my favorite players growing up is the subject of a "throwback Thursday" video.
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