I'm sure glad Crosby came out and finally said he wanted to play here for his entire career. I was starting to panic and think he might get traded 🙄.


https://pittsburghhockeyn...with-pittsburgh-penguins/
- nateca444

Love this article! I hate when the press starts throwing articles out there to for click bait!

I am the only one on this board that ever liked ZAR. Even I soured on him last season but clearly his shoulder was limiting him big time.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

lol wut? Last season was ZAR's best season as a Penguin. He had a great year and was 25th in Selke voting.

lol wut? Last season was ZAR's best season as a Penguin. He had a great year and was 25th in Selke voting.
- j.boyd919

I think the only guys who hate ZAR on this board are Rino and Madmike. If the Selke were purely based on defense, ZARshould have won it last season.

It’s not about demoting Blueger or taking away his ice time. It’s about getting scoring depth and contingencies to counting on guys with a poor history of offensive production to continue to score at 1st line rates at 5v5. That stat you asked for, of Blueger’s 1.0 pts/60 last year? That’s incredibly bad offensive production. This year he’s at 2.8, which is great, but you also need to be able to brace for a regression to the mean by constructing the other bottom 6 line to be offensively oriented.

The ZAR-Blueger-Tanev line is great. It was great last year when it was a pure checking line and didn’t score at all. It’s extra great this year that it’s scoring and looks like the second coming of Kennedy-Staal-Cooke. If it regresses to the mean and stops scoring, it will still be great and have a defined every night role of eating some really hard minutes against the opponent’s top lines. But if they do stop scoring, it’s absolutely imperative the other bottom 6 line can pick up the slack, and right now the jagaloons we have not only don’t score, but can’t stop the other team from generating grade A chances either.
- Victoro311

I just don't see it that way. We had a guy last year who played almost exclusively on the top line and his numbers weren't any better. We didn't dare take him away from the top players.

If eventually Blueger Tanev and whoever cool off, then we can look for a top center. Until then, we should be looking for better wings, that is more pressing. I don't care if we get Jack Eichel to play 3C, our fourth line is going to suck.

I just don't see it that way. We had a guy last year who played almost exclusively on the top line and his numbers weren't any better. We didn't dare take him away from the top players.

If eventually Blueger Tanev and whoever cool off, then we can look for a top center. Until then, we should be looking for better wings, that is more pressing. I don't care if we get Jack Eichel to play 3C, our fourth line is going to suck.
- Thunderbolt

I mean, getting a winger accomplishes what I want. Get a winger and either Zucker or Kapanen are pushed down to the bottom six and with McCann at center you have a bottom 6 line that a shot at having an offensive pulse and you no longer absolutely need Blueger to more than double his previous scoring rate or have Aston Rees in Rocket contention to continue finding success.

I think the only guys who hate ZAR on this board are Rino and Madmike. If the Selke were purely based on defense, ZARshould have won it last season.
- Victoro311

I think #12 is a good player but do you see the players that have won the Selke? Kool Aid is good but be careful how much you drink.

I just don't see it that way. We had a guy last year who played almost exclusively on the top line and his numbers weren't any better. We didn't dare take him away from the top players.

If eventually Blueger Tanev and whoever cool off, then we can look for a top center. Until then, we should be looking for better wings, that is more pressing. I don't care if we get Jack Eichel to play 3C, our fourth line is going to suck.
- Thunderbolt

Dude we can't roll with the 4 lines we have, bottom line. We only have three lines and we should be doing anything to construct the best line possible. If ZAR-BLUE-TANEV keep it up and we construct another third line there is nothing wrong with having two 1st lines and two 3rd lines. It's how you try and win. And obviously the lines that are playing the best that night will get more minutes. Easy peasey.

Dude we can't roll with the 4 lines we have, bottom line. We only have three lines and we should be doing anything to construct the best line possible. If ZAR-BLUE-TANEV keep it up and we construct another third line there is nothing wrong with having two 1st lines and two 3rd lines. It's how you try and win. And obviously the lines that are playing the best that night will get more minutes. Easy peasey.
- 668710

Right now we have one top line and 2 third lines......the 4th line doesn’t play meaningful minutes. once again we will be physically worn out come the end of the season. Take three guys off the taxi squad and send a message to others....

I think #12 is a good player but do you see the players that have won the Selke? Kool Aid is good but be careful how much you drink.
- Malkin

Most of those awards are BS anyways. Who cares about them. Bottom line is ZAR has always been defensively good and now it seems he's found a little scoring touch. We'll see if that can continue.

Most of those awards are BS anyways. Who cares about them. Bottom line is ZAR has always been defensively good and now it seems he's found a little scoring touch. We'll see if that can continue.
- 668710

While I do agree with you ....some impressive selke winners . He is playing good hockey and that’s what matters.

I think #12 is a good player but do you see the players that have won the Selke? Kool Aid is good but be careful how much you drink.
- Malkin

He... was 25th in Selke voting last year. No kool aid has been drank.

He... was 25th in Selke voting last year. No kool aid has been drank.
- j.boyd919

25 in the league.....you don’t seem like everyone gets a trophy kind of guy?

25 in the league.....you don’t seem like everyone gets a trophy kind of guy?
- Malkin

25th out of 600+ players is pretty (frank)ing good. I’m not really sure what you’re getting at because whatever it is, it’s not makin’ sense.

Wasn’t too long ago that Bellerive looked like he was trending towards being an NHL bottom Sixer. Absolutely nothing to lose from trying him at 4C over Jankowski who might be the worst forward in the NHL getting regular minutes.
- Victoro311

Bellerieve did not get steady enough time last year to bring up. Still young, but needs to get more playing time in AHL. Not sure where he's playing this year, but he's got 2 goals in 3 games.

I am the only one on this board that ever liked ZAR. Even I soured on him last season but clearly his shoulder was limiting him big time.
- YouMeAndDupuis9

Well this is just false. ZAR has lots of supporters here. Definitely has his detractors too.

Dude we can't roll with the 4 lines we have, bottom line. We only have three lines and we should be doing anything to construct the best line possible. If ZAR-BLUE-TANEV keep it up and we construct another third line there is nothing wrong with having two 1st lines and two 3rd lines. It's how you try and win. And obviously the lines that are playing the best that night will get more minutes. Easy peasey.
- 668710

If it's so easy, why can't we find a better 3C? Jankowski was handed the job, he failed. Bjugstad couldn't stay healthy, we sent him to Minnesota for a 7th and we are still paying him. McCann failed at the end of last year, got scratched, yet we are trying to go back to him. Lafferty even played a game at 3C against Montreal and got the whole line benched. Bring some kid up for the 4C and be done with it.

It’s not about demoting Blueger or taking away his ice time. It’s about getting scoring depth and contingencies to counting on guys with a poor history of offensive production to continue to score at 1st line rates at 5v5. That stat you asked for, of Blueger’s 1.0 pts/60 last year? That’s incredibly bad offensive production. This year he’s at 2.8, which is great, but you also need to be able to brace for a regression to the mean by constructing the other bottom 6 line to be offensively oriented.

The ZAR-Blueger-Tanev line is great. It was great last year when it was a pure checking line and didn’t score at all. It’s extra great this year that it’s scoring and looks like the second coming of Kennedy-Staal-Cooke. If it regresses to the mean and stops scoring, it will still be great and have a defined every night role of eating some really hard minutes against the opponent’s top lines. But if they do stop scoring, it’s absolutely imperative the other bottom 6 line can pick up the slack, and right now the jagaloons we have not only don’t score, but can’t stop the other team from generating grade A chances either.
- Victoro311

I'm sure there will be some regression, but I'm not certain it will be down to last year's levels. We will enjoy finding out if these guys can grow offensively. I think they may be able to score enough to be the 3rd line and take the tough minutes. But agree that if they're taking the tough minutes, the 4th line should be built more offensively.

ZAR is playing well. Zucker looked like he just said screw it all, I'm shooting the puck.
- Thunderbolt

While recovering he said he watched footage of himself to see why he’s getting hurt. Tweaked his game a bit, adjusted his diet and off ice training. Slimmer, stronger, faster, smarter i guess.

I'm sure there will be some regression, but I'm not certain it will be down to last year's levels. We will enjoy finding out if these guys can grow offensively. I think they may be able to score enough to be the 3rd line and take the tough minutes. But agree that if they're taking the tough minutes, the 4th line should be built more offensively.
- Tojo.

2 of the 3 on the buzz saw line have only played a couple of years and are still learning and growing their game. They absolutely will have regression because they mostly play against other teams top lines and some days ovi or barzal or Marchand will be in beast mode.

Idc what kind of 4th line is built as long as it does what it is supposed to. Scoring would be great. So would a shutdown line that actually shuts it down. Or 3 goons that can at least not get scores on whilst (frank)ing things up. I’ll take anything useful.

I think #12 is a good player but do you see the players that have won the Selke? Kool Aid is good but be careful how much you drink.
- Malkin

ZAR was statistically the best defensive forward in the league last year by just about every metric. But the Selke goes to the best two-way player and offense matters for the award voting. Which is why I said: if the Selke were given out just for defense, he should have won it.

I'm sure there will be some regression, but I'm not certain it will be down to last year's levels. We will enjoy finding out if these guys can grow offensively. I think they may be able to score enough to be the 3rd line and take the tough minutes. But agree that if they're taking the tough minutes, the 4th line should be built more offensively.
- Tojo.

I don’t either. Last year’s scoring levels were non-NHL caliber, they were just so good defensively that it didn’t matter. Blueger has obviously developed further, possibly a lot (it took Rust a few years to become what is somehow a statistically elite scoring winger as a relatively older prospect so anything’s possible), and ZAR looks like he’s on a different level of fitness this year. Tanev is same old Tanev, which is a good thing. I do think this line has an offensive potential it didn’t have last year, but also that it’s real capability lies somewhere between what we’re seeing now and last year, and just that amount of regression will necessitate a second bottom 6 line that can chip in offense.

But hey, if they’re the new Staal line, that’s great, and fixing this team just became a gagilion times easier.

ZAR was statistically the best defensive forward in the league last year by just about every metric. But the Selke goes to the best two-way player and offense matters for the award voting. Which is why I said: if the Selke were given out just for defense, he should have won it.
- Victoro311

15 goal season and his type of defensive game he will be a top 5 guy. Big payday. He is good player....great penalty killer as well

If it's so easy, why can't we find a better 3C? Jankowski was handed the job, he failed. Bjugstad couldn't stay healthy, we sent him to Minnesota for a 7th and we are still paying him. McCann failed at the end of last year, got scratched, yet we are trying to go back to him. Lafferty even played a game at 3C against Montreal and got the whole line benched. Bring some kid up for the 4C and be done with it.
- Thunderbolt

I didn't say anything about getting a 3C, I just said construct the best line possible. I'm all for calling up Legare and Poulin for 9 game tryouts and letting McCann center them and see what happens. Can't be worse than what is currently the 4th line. I'm a Blueger fan and if his line keeps it up they really are a third line. What I'm getting at is, you try and make the other line just as good or better if you want to win the cup. You don't just call up some kid to be 4c and call it a day.

25th out of 600+ players is pretty (frank)ing good. I’m not really sure what you’re getting at because whatever it is, it’s not makin’ sense.
- j.boyd919

I mean he got one fourth and one fifth place vote. I don't think the voting means anything after the top 5 or so. It's not that type of ranking.

I didn't say anything about getting a 3C, I just said construct the best line possible. I'm all for calling up Legare and Poulin for 9 game tryouts and letting McCann center them and see what happens. Can't be worse than what is currently the 4th line. I'm a Blueger fan and if his line keeps it up they really are a third line. What I'm getting at is, you try and make the other line just as good or better if you want to win the cup. You don't just call up some kid to be 4c and call it a day.
- 668710

I 100% think they should get a look at those two. I wonder if they won't just wait until later in the season to do it.

If we get toward the deadline and look like a lock for the playoffs I think Granlund and Virtanen could be some useful pickups.