So, no geno again tomorrow. but they refuse to put him on IR so they can call someone up... as it is now we have 2 lines with 0 chance of scoring
Kuhn was so bad last night, yet he's still in the lineup over Archibald. I hope JR forces Sully's hand and waives him. Can't stand him anymore.
That first line is not going to help Crosby out of his slump. Geez.
Kuhn is a GREAT 4th liner is paired with guys like Cully/Rust. That line was insane and Kuhn played the perfect role. Kuhn on a team with Reaves, Sheahan, Hags (not playing an important role), McKegg, Archi, and Rowney is ****ing terrible. And the usage of Kuhn is ****ing terrible.
I think it just goes to show how much Cullen can carry a 4th line.
Sid looks slow. Kirk has mentioned that, as have others. You know who else looks like they've lost a step? Kristopher Letang. Dude doesn't have that overpowering burst this year where he just escapes easily from any forechecker.
What we're seeing this year is just bizarre though. I never in a million years would have predicted both Letang and Sid being hot garbage for this much of the season. If it weren't for Malkin/Kessel we'd be at the very bottom of the standings. Murray has been not all that either.
We're such a mess right now. The way we have played would get a coach fired normally but clearly Sully is not going anywhere and nor should he be. I don't think many trades are available right now and we don't have a ton of assets anyways unless we're willing to throw away the one talented forward prospect we have.
This is a tricky situation. Maybe the trickiest of the Sid/Geno era. In the past the solutions were easy. Fire Bylsma. Fire Johnston. Make a trade or two to increase speed. Those solutions were sitting in front of us and fortunately JR/Mario took them. But now? We can't fire Sully. We don't have obviously tradeable guys to get rid of.
We're in a tough spot where the only answer might well have to come from within that locker room.
Correct. We forget he was playing with Kuhn and Fehr in the latter part of the 16 postseason taking on top lines and heavy D-zone starts.
Dude was the best 4C in the game for 2 years.
Letang is part of the core...but I think there's need to be at least a discussion about the longer term viability of him in Pittsburgh IMHO. You see what I see. He's not the speedy, dynamic skater he once was. Physical, mental...do idea. But he's got this year and four more at $7.25mil. That's a big chunk of change for what we may all be fearing but don't want to say. With that, there is still a market for him. Doughty and OEL are two names out there...not saying nothing about nothing...but those are two potentials, more so OEL. If you can bring him in...do you need Letang and can you fill several holes doing so?
Letang to Toronto for Kadri, Lilgenren, Grundstrom.
OEL to Pittsburgh for Lilgenren, Grundstrom, Sheary
Jake-Sid-Rust
Hags-Geno-Kessel
Rust-Kadri-Sprong
Kuhn-Sheahan-Reaves
Dumo-OEL
Maatta-Schultz
Cole-Hunwick
So basically: Letang+Sheary for OEL+Kadri. Does something like that make more sense than betting on the health of Letang?
Actaully it was Rust. Rust played a lot of 4th line minutes. Wasn't until the playoffs did Kuhn-Cullen-Fehr form. But to your point, yes Cullen was one of, if not thee, best 4Cs in the league for 2 years. We were incredibly fortunate to have had him. 30,000ft view though...he was the exception, not the rule to our 4C players.
This is actually what I see without any data, Shultz pinching is hit and miss, and he is not all that transitioning back from the offensive zone resulting often in high scoring chances against...Jesse Marshall just did an article on The Athletic where Letang was shown to statistically be doing a good job limiting chances on the ice. His issue is essentially getting poor goaltending behind him. Schultz is actually our worst D statistically in terms of bleeding scoring chances.
Jesse Marshall just did an article on The Athletic where Letang was shown to statistically be doing a good job limiting chances on the ice. His issue is essentially getting poor goaltending behind him. Schultz is actually our worst D statistically in terms of bleeding scoring chances.