Preseason thread

Postby **Gaucho** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 9:15 am

Sprong at the very least will get the 9-game tryout. He's still rough around the edges, but he's done everything to deserve it. Unlike a number of guys who were thought to have a good shot at making the team.

Postby **pens_ct** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 10:05 am

Sprong at the very least will get the 9-game tryout. He's still rough around the edges, but he's done everything to deserve it. Unlike a number of guys who were thought to have a good shot at making the team.

Without a doubt he has been the best young player at camp. You worry about whether a 18 year old is physically strong enough, and mentally tough enough to take the grind of the NHL. Well I think he answered the first part of that during camp, and the other part might not be an issue if he's only here for 9 games. I don't see how playing in the Q again really helps his game, the question is does he play well enough to secure a spot on the third line? I'm not sure it helps his development playing 8 minutes a night on the fourth line in the NHL.

YouTube · Postby **mikey** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 12:09 pm

Kevin Porter and David Warsofsky on waivers today.

Postby **Corvidae** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 12:20 pm

Nikita Markitin on waivers from Edmonton. If Scuderi disappeared I would be interested.

Postby **pens_ct** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 12:27 pm

Kevin Porter and David Warsofsky on waivers today.

With Porter on waivers I assume Farnham.has made the team.Hopefully as nothing more than the thirteen forward.

Postby **pens_ct** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 12:31 pm

Gonchar reportedly released

Postby **Avyran** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 12:31 pm

https://twitter.com/emptynetters/status ... 2210621440

Pouliot, Dea, Rust to WB/S. Gonchar released.

Postby **Corvidae** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 12:32 pm

Sprong at the very least will get the 9-game tryout. He's still rough around the edges, but he's done everything to deserve it. Unlike a number of guys who were thought to have a good shot at making the team.

Like Crosby? I think he'll still make it but he really needs work on the defensive aspects of his game to be a top #1 center. He also seems to be too pass happy and really forces it at times. Those no-look drop-passes aren't going to cut it in the big leagues.

Postby **Corvidae** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 12:35 pm

https://twitter.com/emptynetters/status ... 2210621440

Pouliot, Dea, Rust to WB/S. Gonchar released.

Deserves it, looked pretty good, and I get him and Wilson mixed up because of how uninteresting they both are.

Great call on letting Gonch go. It certainly wasn't a bad idea to have him around DP and Maatta in the preseason but that's enough of that

Postby **DigitalGypsy66** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 12:41 pm

Tangradi on waivers...

YouTube · Postby **mikey** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 12:41 pm

Can't say I disagree with any of those moves. Porter is probably first call-up if a bottom six guy goes down...never looks out of place up in the show, just not always usable...signing of Cullen pushed him down a peg...

Postby **DoDiligence** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 12:57 pm

Wonder if Gonchar sticks on the coaching staff.
Would be amazing if Sprong made team but won't be surprised when he is sent back to juniors after 9 games.

Postby **cadams** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 1:06 pm

so lines opening night:

Kunitz-Crosby-Kessel
Plotnikov-Malkin-Hornqvist
Perron-Bonino-Dupuis
Bennett-Cullen-Sprong

Well balanced, I like Bennett on the LW more when he plays a defensive role. Put Bonino down there when Fehre is back and that's a deep team.

Defense though, not so much until Cole, Clendening and Dumoulin show they can be dependable top 5 guys.

Postby **columbia** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 1:27 pm

I've seen very little of the pre-season action:

Clendening or Erixson?

Postby **Avyran** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 1:35 pm

Yohe put up a bunch of Rutherford quotes.

On Sprong being kept all season: “I’m not even looking that far ahead. He’s earned a spot with the team. He’s quite a player. I expect him to be in the lineup in Dallas.”

On Sprong’s rapid development: “Anytime a guy comes out of his draft year and does something like this – it’s like Olli Maatta, almost – that’s exceptional. He’s played very well.”

On Pouliot: “He’s come a long way. His preparation for camp was very good. A year ago, he was coming off shoulder surgery. He couldn’t prepare properly. We put him in tough spots last year. We don’t want to do that again. He was very close to making the team. It won’t surprise me if he’s back in Pittsburgh in the near future. He just needs to play games, get more confidence. He’s going to contribute to the Penguins this year.”

On releasing Gonchar: “It was difficult. I know what he can bring to a team. I believe, at this point of a player’s career, it takes longer to get going. He was moving better and better each game. But with some of the guys we have, and with some who would have to go on waivers, it became too difficult to keep him.”

On Gonchar’s future with the Penguins: “I told him that if he doesn’t decide to play somewhere else, the option is open to be in the organization. I’d like to keep him around. I believe he can help us in many ways. He knows that option is there. I think he’ll talk with his family, spend some time with them. This is a tough time in a player’s career.”

On Clendening: “He’s had a good camp and he’s still young. He’ll be in the mix for top-six work this season.”

On Tim Erixon: “He’s had an injury during camp. He’s still got some work to do to get to the level where we want him to be.”

On Rob Scuderi: “He’s a steady force. Even when something goes wrong or when he’s on the ice for a couple of goals against, he’s still a steadying force. He’s a veteran. He showed it again in camp. He’s made his way onto our top six.”

Postby **Arturs Irbe** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 1:47 pm

I've seen very little of the pre-season action:

Clendening or Erixson?

From what I saw, Clendening looked pretty stable. He's a RH shot as well so that might help his chances to get into the lineup.

Postby **Avyran** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 2:13 pm

Wonder if Gonchar sticks on the coaching staff.

https://twitter.com/JennMenendez/status ... 1788318721
Looks like that may happen.

Postby **Pavement** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 2:24 pm

I'm glad they didn't sign Gonchar. Would be good to see him on the staff though.

Postby **Gaucho** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 2:35 pm

What happened to Kühnhackl, is he injured?

Edit: yes.

Postby **Corvidae** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 2:47 pm

Yohe put up a bunch of Rutherford quotes.

On Sprong’s rapid development: “Anytime a guy comes out of his draft year and does something like this – it’s like Olli Maatta, almost – that’s exceptional. He’s played very well.”

I wish people would stop say this about Maatta. He went back to London for a year after being drafted.

On Rob Scuderi: “He’s a steady force. Even when something goes wrong or when he’s on the ice for a couple of goals against, he’s still a steadying force. He’s a veteran. He showed it again in camp. He’s made his way onto our top six.”

What a ****in' idiot. He was absolutely terrible and this confirms that we're in for another year of veteran blowing and hypocritical accountability standards. Not that this was ever really in question.

Postby **Gaucho** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 2:51 pm

That quote on Scuderi is sort of bylsmaesque.

Postby **columbia** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 2:53 pm

Even when something goes wrong or when he’s on the ice for a couple of goals against

Yes, we can count on that.

Postby **Gaucho** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 2:54 pm

I believe he meant to say "and".

Postby **Corvidae** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 2:58 pm

I just realized that Scuderi will be 37 in December.

I do not blame him for no longer being effective at that age. I do not blame him at.

Postby **Gaucho** » Sat Oct 03, 2015 3:13 pm

Maybe they can trade Pouliot for a defenseman.