Scoring Winger Or Shutdown Center?
Matt Bodenschatz | Pittsburgh Penguins
Feb 25, 12:26 PM | Hype this story!
Let’s take a break from the Olympics for a moment to get back to what is truly important: the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The NHL’s trade deadline is less than one week away, and with the Olympic break, roster evaluations have been underway for teams since early February.
In Pittsburgh, we saw coach Dan Bylsma utilize Jordan Staal on a scoring line with Evgeni Malkin for several games.
While he wasn’t a winger on the line, it’s safe to say the definitions of positions were a bit obscure, as Malkin continued to play a similar style to when he is a center.
The Staal experiment is an interesting one, as it brings up a situation that has been the topic of debate for several years, now.
As things stand right now, the Penguins are in need of one more capable body on the second line.
The problem is, they have just over $3 million of full season cap space to work with, according to CapGeek.com. In other words, any scoring line winger they seek to obtain would come with potentially significant flaws. After all, if a “scoring winger” is making $3 million or less, he isn’t a superstar.
So, the logical question is, should the Penguins pursue a flawed scoring line winger, or would it be more resourceful to promote Staal to a scoring role, thus allowing general manager Ray Shero to shop for a traditionally more affordable third line center?
It’s a nice idea in theory, but if such a move reduces the effectiveness of the third line and, thus, limits Bylsma’s ability to role three lines regularly, it just doesn’t make much sense.
Enter Steve Ott.
The Dallas Stars center plays an in-your-face, nasty game comparable to that of Matt Cooke’s. He also has a scoring touch and a defensive prowess, making him a viable replacement for Staal.
And, with a $1.425 million cap hit, a looming unrestricted free agent status, and Dallas’ likelihood of being deadline sellers, he’d be a quality addition, while still leaving room for the addition of a much-needed defender.
I’ve been of the mindset that having three dominant centers has made the Penguins a difficult team to play against in the playoffs, thus leaving me disinterested in moving Staal to a scoring role.
But, if such an opportunity to add a player of Ott’s skill and tenacity should arise, I think I might be in favor of bumping Staal into a scoring role.
What are your thoughts?
Comments
SprJudd
Feb 25, 12:46 PM
I’ve been in favor of adding Steve Ott, James Neal, and Mark Fistric for a while now. Neal would give them a young scoring winger, Ott would give them another sandpaper guy (as well as insurance in case Matt Cooke walks as a free agent), and Fistric would be the snarly guy on D that they sorely need. Granted, it may be hard to pry all 3 away, but maybe not impossible – it’s all a matter of what Joe Nieuwendyk wants in return. Of course, acquiring Ott (or somebody like him) would make getting a guy like James Neal unnecessary because it would allow Staal to move to a scoring role and Geno to be the scoring winger.
I’m no GM (and I won’t start pretending I’m one), but I think hockey media outlets are wrong when they say Shero doesn’t have assets to trade like the last couple years. Mid-round draft picks can always be traded, and I think Dustin Jeffrey & Mark Letestu are big-time trade bait. I’m not necessarily a fan of trading away Goligoski either, but he’s a valuable commodity (young, inexpensive, offensive defenseman who is still developing) that some GM’s may be willing to pay handsomely for.
Matt Bodenschatz
Feb 25, 01:06 PM
@Sprjudd, let’s not forget Luca Caputi. He’s young and has a strong upside, but his development has slowed in Pittsburgh, causing some worries. It may be best to trade him now before his stock drops significantly.
SprJudd
Feb 25, 01:15 PM
@Matt – I’m not convinced trading Caputi is a good idea unless it is to help the Pens get somebody like James Neal or another young talented winger. Caputi is still a young guy who is only in his 2nd professional season, so some ups and downs are to be expected. By no means am I saying Caputi is untouchable – far from it, in fact – but I don’t believe he gets moved unless the return is good. I think Pens fans have gotten a bit spoiled with the development of young guys like Sid, Geno, Staal & Letang. They can’t all develop that quickly.
Matt Bodenschatz
Feb 25, 01:23 PM
@Sprjudd, no question my comment was not to indicate that he is a bust or anything of the like. In fact, I’m a firm defender of any prospect who takes time developing, as I, like you, believe many people have developed a misconception about developmental timelines of players, due to the quick transitions to the NHL for Crosby, Malkin, Staal, etc.
With that being said, there’s a concern with Caputi in that he hasn’t shown a willingness to make necessary adjustments to become an NHLer. For example, after a cup of coffee last season, Caputi had a strong idea of what was needed: a bigger body so as to put up with bigger, stronger defenders. He had all summer to add muscle and weight, yet he came into training camp no bigger than last season. His size is of concern, and that’s something he can control through means of weightlifting.
His game seems to be progessing naturally, and that’s good. But there’s only so much he’ll be able to do with his skills if he doesn’t put in the extra work to put himself in a better position to utilize those skills.
Moq
Feb 25, 01:31 PM
Pittsburgh does have assets to trade, but they don’t have the largest “wallet” in that regard. I think it’s a little naive to imagine that Jeffrey, Letestu, and Caputi are just as desirable outside of Pittsburgh. They could be interesting in conjunction with a (real) roster player and picks, but hardly on their own. So any value depends on Shero’s desire to part with roster players or picks, which is difficult to estimate exactly. Though I’m tempted, I won’t comment again on that guy Neal. That’s for a parallel universe.
Regarding the choice between decrepit winger or shutdown center I have no real preference. Whatever offers the best value, because I’m certainly open to a more permanent offensive role for Staal. There’s also something to be said for keeping things as they are and hope for a minor winger improvement. I think Shero will be patient and refuse to engage in wild gambles for uncertain gain. Find the defensive addition and see what’s availble offensively. If nothing presents itself then go with what you have.
It’s going to be very interesting as always.
SprJudd
Feb 25, 01:50 PM
@Matt – Fair enough. I misunderstood your initial comment about Caputi.
@MOQ – I’m not saying that Letestu or Jeffrey will be the centerpiece for any big trade that Shero makes. All I’m saying is that they are younger players who other teams may fancy, so Shero can potentially use them to sweeten a deal. For instance, a team like Dallas is hurting for centers and wants younger/cheaper talent – enter Mark Letestu. The guys I’m thinking teams would be willing to pay big (maybe even overpay) for are Goligoski and Letang – though I’m more certain Letang will remain than Goligoski. I don’t think it is a lock that Goligoski would be traded, but he fits a need for a lot of teams out there – including the Dallas Stars (who are looking for a young, puck-moving D-man). And with the Pens most definitely being in “win now” mode (while also keeping an eye on winning in the future), I believe Shero will pull the trigger on moving almost anybody if he thinks it will help the team win.
DaBich
Feb 25, 01:50 PM
I’m with MOQ (imagine that!) on this one. Defense first. Then see what is available for a winger, or if necessary, move Staal and bring up one of our own.
Matt Bodenschatz
Feb 25, 02:07 PM
@Moq and Dabich, there’s no question my number one priority would be defense. The team is fifth in scoring and significantly worse on defense. That being said, it doesn’t hurt to explore options — and, really, that’s Shero’s job. If there’s nothing out there that makes sense, Shero shouldn’t and won’t pull the trigger.
@Dabich specifically, I don’t think internal permanent promotion is an option for a Stanley Cup contender. This is the most difficult time of the season both physically and mentally. I’m a firm believer that you don’t just throw a baby in the water and expect it to swim. In this case, we shouldn’t expect a Baby Penguin (how about that, eh?) to be capable of filling a prominent role on a Cup contending team without significant experience to date. And, as it stands, there isn’t a single player in WBS that has enough experience to make me comfortable in a pre-playoff promotion.
Shero’s known for adding veterans — been there, done that kind of guys — for the grind of the post season. I highly doubt he’ll even consider bringing up a Jeffrey, Letestu, Johnson, or even Lovejoy unless absolutely necessary (and by that, I mean unless injury forces such a move).
Rookies need to develop throughout the season when the pressure isn’t nearly as high. Pushing them into a high-pressure situation is asking for failure, and with young players, a playoff failure easily could represent a downswing in development. Not a fan in the least.
Pens1967
Feb 25, 02:21 PM
I don’t know, Justin Abdelkader seemed to do just fine when the RWs through him into the fire in the finals last year. Ken Dryden did pretty well, too, iirc. :)
On a different note, look at the top talent wingers Crosby and Malkin have had on their respective Olympic teams and not really clicked. In fact, Babcock basically said he was trying to find players on the Canadian roster who fit the profile of Kunitz and Guerin for Sid.
I do agree if there’s a big trade it will be with Dallas
since their needs and what the Pens can offer mesh. I’m not really interested in Ott to replace Staal because is a shut down center on the order of Datsyuk and you need that.
Ott really doesn’t provide that skillset plus he’s a UFA and is reportedly seeking a big contract. I could see Goligoski and a 2nd for Fistric and maybe Neal if Dallas decides they don’t want to try and fit him under their budget.
Natty Lite
Feb 25, 04:25 PM
@Pens,
That is the deal that I really hope Shero can pull off, Torres and Hedja would be good too, but I see Columbus wanting more than the Pens would be willing to give.
Can’t wait to see what deals have been made during the break.
spider lockhart
Feb 25, 05:07 PM
i love torres, and would love to get him, but we need a defenseman in the worst way. don’t know much about fistric, but “snarly” works for me. i never see hamhuis or hejda either, but all of you seem to agree any of the three would fit with the pens. who is the best of the three? upside, downside of each?
Moq
Feb 25, 05:56 PM
I suspect that the continued mentioning of Neal is an attempt to raise my blood pressure to the bursting point. ;-)
After watching the Olympics I’ve changes my mind a bit about Sergei Kostitsyn. I’m not convinced that Montreal believes in him, and he might be available for a reasonable return. But I also doubt that Shero is considering that option, and would prefer someone with greater experience and physicality.
Albert
Feb 25, 11:39 PM
@Matt — you know where I stand on this.
as far as new commentary…up until recently, I thought it was best to leave Staal on the 3rd line.
If the Pens had more than ONE Top 4 winger for Crosby and Malkin (I only count Kunitz there), we might be able to get by w/ a patch/rental wing. Billy G has DEFINITELY slowed. Tenk has been invisible almost the entire season. Talbot was never considered a long-term answer and he’s been inj’d all year, none of the prospects are ready and now is not the time to throw them into the fire, etc.
Crosby and Kunitz are good together, and Billy G. will give it all he has for what I expect will be his last hurrah. That line is okay.
Malkin, however, really has no one.
Tenk is a “patch” in my opinion. he’s gone after this year. he had a decent playoffs last year, but he ALSO failed to finish on a LOT of great setups. I’m not a Tenk fan, sorry.
Malkin needs a Top Quality linemate. Someone like Malone—who can win battles for pucks and play D and go to the net. There is no one even remotely close to Staal’s talent level that the Pens could afford OR successfully pry away at any price.
So…I think the time is NOW to move Staal up to Malkin’s line. He scored 29 goals playing w/ Malkin when he was 18 y.o. rookie, so we know they have chemistry/synergy — BOTH are more effective playing together.
Backfilling a 3rd line C should be a lot cheaper—both to acquire and potentially to re-sign—than a true “scoring winger.” One that can win faceoffs >50% would also be an UPGRADE over Staal in that one area, and since Staal > Malkin at FO’s, it could have a ripple effect on Team FO % which would be a nice plus.
All that said…#1 on the wishlist is still a shutdown D.
Harley
Feb 26, 02:06 PM
I’m not sure how anyone can justly criticize Caputi for simply not putting on weight this year. His scoring has improved to the point where he’s the youngest player in the AHL’s top 10 goal-scoring, and the 2nd youngest AHLer in the top 20 in points (behind a 1st rounder who’s only a year his junior).
He also didn’t look a bit out of place during his short NHL stint this year, even though he got pushed around a bit. 20 year olds don’t all make massive weight gains over a single summer, and it isn’t necessarily a good thing if they do as it can slow players down and limit their mobility.
Don’t forget that Caputi had to work on his skating too. Asking a little much to tell him to work on his speed AND put on 15 pounds over a few months, don’t you think?
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