Faceoff Factor

The Fall of Ryan Whitney

Zack Dawson | Pittsburgh Penguins

Feb 28, 02:42 AM | Hype this story!

With the departure of defenseman Ryan Whitney, the Pittsburgh Penguins traded away one of their “core” players. The return of Chris Kunitz and prospect Eric Tangradi has already paid dividends. In his Penguins debut, Kunitz had a goal and an assist in a 5-4 overtime win over the Chicago Blackhawks. And the Anaheim Ducks now have a player who is considered a premier puck-moving blueliner.

But the climate in Pittsburgh prior to the deal was that Whitney needed to be moved. And if he wasn’t going to be moved, then he should be scratched. It was true that his return to the ice after foot surgery did not bring with it the success and caliber of play that is expected of a potential top-four defenseman. But 28 games into the season, his 15 +/ rating told the tale.

So how did a player regarded as a world-class talent become what many called a liability on the ice? There may not be any one definitive factor, but a combination of many.

The best starting point would be the expectations placed on him from the onset of his NHL career. As with most highly-touted prospects, the bar was set high. But Whitney had assets that couldn’t be taught. He had size – 6’4”, 219 lbs. And he came in with many honed skills: He could make crisp outlet passes, he had a hard slapper, he was good skater. In his first year, he registered 38 points in 68 games. For a rookie who didn’t play the full year, it was a great start, justifying the expectations to a degree.

His second season saw him take on a more prominent role with the team out of camp, and the hope was that his time with Sergei Gonchar would give him a mentor and teammate that would allow him to learn how to be what the Pens needed from him: A strong, puck-moving defenseman who could quarterback a power play but still remain responsible in his own end.

The year would look great on paper and on the score sheet: 14 goals, 59 points and a +9. However, there were aspects of his game that didn’t seem to be progressing. He continued to have breakdowns in the defensive zone, which were costly at times. He was still working on positioning. And he had not yet gained that dominant presence on the man advantage.

There were those who were willing to give up on him at that point. However, the general consensus was that this was his first full season, playing 81 of 82 regular season games and five in the playoffs. Again, the skill set that he possessed was enough to give him a free pass for the defensive gaffs with the belief that, down the line, that part of his game will pick up.

However, the following season did not look like progression. In fact, it could have been viewed as flat-out regression: 12 goals and 40 points in 76 games and a -2. The drop off was a reason for concern, but the larger concern was that the same problems with which he’d been struggling continued to arise. He was found out of position in critical moments. He still could not command the power play despite have an all-star caliber group to work with. And he would turn the puck over consistently at bad moments.

In short, Whitney had an off year. Now granted, the numbers are good for a defenseman. But given the opportunities he had on the number five power play in the NHL in 2007-2008 should have yielded more points. He only had 22 points the whole season with a underwhelming seven goals. For a guy who was supposed to pick up where Gonchar would leave off at the end of his tenure with the club, he was firing way wide.

More questions began to surround him. How long will it take for him to fully develop, and is he worth the wait? Is this perhaps as good as he’ll ever get? Are there other factors that could be contributing to the steady decline of his overall game? Regardless of the answers, the fact remained: People were beginning to lose faith in Whitney.

In August, Whitney had foot surgery, which became the next viable reason (or as some saw it, the next excuse) for his poor showing on the ice. It would keep him out of the lineup until December 23, a home game against the then last place Tampa Bay Lightning. The Pens would lose in Whitney’s return 2-0, but he appeared to make a good comeback with no visible setbacks (aside from the loss).

However, his game nosedived from that point. He started in 28 games, only registering two goals and 13 points. However, his defense was frightening most shifts. He would get caught behind the net in situations where he shouldn’t have been behind it in the first place. He would turn the puck over frequently, whether through an errant pass, losing his footing or not making a play to keep a puck alive. Game in and game out, the issues that had been such a concern continued to rear their ugly heads. General Manager Ray Shero had seen enough, and found a buyer in Anaheim.

So in the end, what led to the demise of a player who was once revered by the organization, the media and so many of the fans? Perhaps, it was the physical limitations of his foot. However, the surgery would have corrected that, helping him skate better and be a more effective puck mover. He has made a full recovery, and there have been no reported complications.

Maybe the expectations were too high for a player so young. The comparison between Gonchar and him was there, and that may have been a bit unfair. Gonchar is among the elite offensive defensemen. The proximity of the two may have contributed to that ready comparison. But Whitney had played 253 games in a Pittsburgh uniform, plenty of time to work out the issues that had arisen. Not to mention spending direct time on the ice with Gonchar himself.

Or maybe Whitney just could not adapt to the NHL level. Perhaps he just couldn’t make a complete transition to the NHL. Perhaps he didn’t have the hockey smarts to avoid mistakes on a regular basis.

In the end, the bottom line came down to a simple fact: Ryan Whitney was unable to thrive on the Penguins. He couldn’t play the system, his defense was lacking and his physical limitations kept him from taking the step towards being among the elite defensemen in the league. A change of scenery may be the perfect remedy for him, and his departure improves the Penguins up front and their defense by subtraction. So as Whitney moves on with the Ducks, so too must the Penguins. A member of their core is now gone, the Pens will go in their current direction, one that Whitney seemed to be unable to follow.

And they will be better for it.