Brooks Orpik

[doublewinder]

Confused.
Everybody in PIT couldn't wait for him to leave after last season; despite scoring some big goals, he was bashed for being a pylon cone.

Do we miss him?
How has he done in Washington, stats appear to show he's been a top 4...so WTF...how is that possible given all the flack he took last season?

[thehockeyguru]

Confused.
Everybody in PIT couldn't wait for him to leave after last season; despite scoring some big goals, he was bashed for being a pylon cone.

Do we miss him?
How has he done in Washington, stats appear to show he's been a top 4...so WTF...how is that possible given all the flack he took last season?

He signed a deal the Pens couldnt and shouldnt have matched. I dont know what you are getting at.

[skullman80]

The contract he got was absurd. I mean good for him that he cashed out, but no way for that money.

[Faubert5]

By the end of that contract we'll be glad we didn't do it and without the rash of injuries probably wouldn't be talking about it.

[DigitalGypsy66]

With the Pens GM team's record, I'm sure they'll trade Harrington for him in a year or two.

[NailedPenguin]

He scored some big goals? As in one? That I remember correctly deflected off an Islander or two before going in?

[Silentom]

All I miss about Brooksie is the stare. Other than that it was time for both parties to walk their separate ways.

[Morkle]

I never cared for Brooks. He was the king at committing penalties and crying about it.

[tifosi77]

I think the team does miss him, but I feel that Washington was almost trolling Pens fans with that absurd contract offer. Good on him, I don't begrudge him his riches. But that was a stupid contract.

[King Colby]

I think they trolled their own fans with that one. Awful.

[mikey]

Still not a good contract, but he's playing well over there for sure. We were right to let him walk...

That said, our fanbase and others, are always of the "grass is always greener" mentality...because we over-analyze every second of 82 games, while most of us only hear about how other teams and players play...their faults aren't magnified for us like ours are...that's why people like myself don't get into a panic about a lot of things because I know how other teams conduct their business...

[meow]

I never cared for Brooks. He was the king at committing penalties and crying about it.

He should have thanked the ref.

[NailedPenguin]

Were seeing where loyalty to aging, declining players ring offered more money than the pens can afford to give out gets you in Kunitz Dupuis and Scuderi

[darkstar57]

He also is playing for a defensive minded coached in Trotz and not having to make 50 foot break out passes out of his zone.

I figured he has 1-2 good years left him under a defensive coach, but he'll tail off significantly towards the end of the contract

[Staggy]

I would have loved to have Brooks here for this year. He'll probably be pretty decent next year as well. But that contract will be an albatross in a few years and there's no way we should have given it to him. A 2 year ~$10 million offer was about all I would have been in favor of offering and obviously no way he would or should accept that.

[Pavel Bure]

Confused.
Everybody in PIT couldn't wait for him to leave after last season; despite scoring some big goals, he was bashed for being a pylon cone.

Do we miss him?
How has he done in Washington, stats appear to show he's been a top 4...so WTF...how is that possible given all the flack he took last season?

Know what I miss? Those multi-colored snow ones at the circus. Yeah they were usually hard as rocks and quite frankly not that good but the joy of getting mom to buy one was awesome. Yeah about one bite of them would be good and then they'd turn into that weird freezer burn slush but man the monkey in the tree decided he didn't like ground dwellers. He started throwing coconuts at them and laughing. The ground dwellers bided their time for the monkey would soon run out of fruit to throw and he would get thirsty. He came down from his tree and bent over to drink from the pool is warm this time of year. I mean yeah it's still early spring but it has a heater, who wouldn't love that? It might as well be a bath. All you have to do is sit in it and glide around. So relaxing you start to feel your eyes on the prize of hockey. Look the Stanley cup is important and I think Brooks Orpik understands that.

[LITT]

Brooks OrPECK

[MalkinIsMyHomeboy]

Cardboard Brooks resigned here for a discount at least

[Tico Rick]

By the end of that contract we'll be glad we didn't do it and without the rash of injuries probably wouldn't be talking about it.

We could have used his veteran leadership this year, and the Caps are now benefiting from it, but in a couple of years that contract will be a dead weight that drags down the Caps.

[Tico Rick]

By the end of that contract we'll be glad we didn't do it and without the rash of injuries probably wouldn't be talking about it.

Yep. We could have used his veteran leadership this year, and the Caps are now benefiting from it, but in a couple of years that contract will be a dead weight that drags down the Caps.

[wallflower]

Aw, he was my favorite.

I think they could've actually used his leadership this season but that deal...geez oh man.

[doublewinder]

I guess my questions are:

-Was he top 4 defenseman last season(s) for us or trsh?
-Is he playing well this season...and WHY if he did suck the past few years for us did he suddenly turn around?

[mikey]

- top 4
- Yes, coaching/system, change of scenery.

[Avyran]

I guess my questions are:

-Was he top 4 defenseman last season(s) for us or trsh?
-Is he playing well this season...and WHY if he did suck the past few years for us did he suddenly turn around?

He played top 4 minutes for us, yeah. Our top 4 was Letang, Martin, Niskanen, & Orpik. However, that does not mean he was good. Bylsma's system needed lots of movement & puck skills from the defense: something Orpik does not have in great numbers. It's the same reason why Scuderi looked absolutely abysmal. Bylsma did not really adjust his system to meet the players; he assumed the players would play his system.

Because of this, he is playing better this year. Trotz does not require nearly as much from the defense in his system at Washington. He is also alongside John Carlson, a very, very good defender in his own right. In this system, Oprik can do what he is good at - play defense. Combine that with the lax rules meaning clutch & grab is more viable (which Orpik somewhat needs now), and everything's sorta working out for him. The Caps are not trying to ask more than Orpik is capable of, and it makes him appear much better.

As for the contract... ask the Caps again in 2-3 years if it's a good contract or not.

[doublewinder]

So basically Orpik was a bad top 4 last year, but a solid top 4 this season due to coaching and obstruction.
Got it.

So we don't really miss Orpik from last season.
What about Nisky?