Hey guys I'm back. Today I'll be grading the Pens so far after 21 games in the season. I'll be going in alphabetical order so here we go:
Craig Adams: Every year I wonder why Craig Adams is on the team. He doesn't score goals or put up alot of points or really stand out in games. Well, something I've learned in hockey is that if you're standing out, it's usually because you're doing something wrong. So Craig Adams' play by not standing out is actually a good thing. That one goal he has is also a plus considering he can't buy multiple goals. Grade: C
Arron Asham: After being signed from Philly, I specifically remember hating this guy, not for his talent but because he pestered people. Now, I see it from the other side and love it. It's weird to think he's developing chemistry with Malkin. He was hurt early and is now seeing top-6 time. He hasn't made the most of it but that chemistry will keep coming. Grade: C+
Mike Comrie: Talk about disappointing. This guy was heralded as the signing of the offseason. Bargain basement price, good skill. Thankfully it's such a low cap hit. Mike Comrie saw top-6 time early in the season and then started free falling in the lineup with almost no production. He was on the top PP unit and then his poor play allowed Letang to show up. He needs to go to the minors for awhile to figure it out or something. Grade: F
Chris Connor: When I heard he was getting called up, I was hoping he'd get some top-6 time with either Crosby or Malkin, but he's been solid on the third line with Letestu and Kennedy. That may be the fastest line in all of hockey right now. He hasn't put up any points yet but he will. Grade: I (I haven't seen enough to make a truly fair grade yet.)
Matt Cooke: Quick, who leads the NHL in shorthanded points? If you couldn't guess, it's Matt Cooke. With Jordan Staal out, Matt Cooke has taken over as the Pens top penalty killer and he's filling the job admirably. It also doesn't hurt that he has 11 total points in 21 games, which puts him on pace for 43 points. That contract he signed in the offseason looks good so far. Grade: B
Sidney Crosby: What can you say about Sid that hasn't already been said? His 14 goals are tied for second in the league, his 19 assists are good for second in the league, and his 33 points are good for, you guessed it, second in the league. He's been the Pens most consistent player, which has been exemplified by the 8 game point streak he's on right now. People can rave about Steven Stamkos as much as they want, but the best player in the league so far has been Sidney Crosby. Grade: A+
Pascal Dupuis: Dupuis has been thought of as the throw in the Marian Hossa deal, but he has stuck with the Pens for 3 years now. He's had multiple opportunities to play with Sid over those three years and I feel this was his last chance. He's making the most of it. He has 5 goals, which is good for third on the team. It is very weird thought that he has 4 assists, considering Sid and Chris Kunitz have 21 combined goals. Good PKer, definitely worth the 1.4 million cap hit right now and he's definitely due a raise. Grade: B-
Deryk Engelland: Godard who? The Pens have found a new enforcer and his name is Deryk Engelland. But here's the kicker, this guy can actually do his job of fighting and play his position. He has averaged about 11 minutes a night. He's been solid some nights and not so solid other nights. He's been better than Ben Lovejoy though. Grade: C
Marc-Andre Fleury: Hey, it's everyone's favorite goat. The beginning of the season was rough for MAF 1-6-0 sub .900 save percentage, plus 3.00 GAA. But now, he's turned it around. He's 4-0-1 in his last 5 starts. The Carolina game wasn't sensational by any stretch of imagination, but games like that will happen. HCDB's system hasn't been very kind to MAF, but hopefully with an improved defense corps in front of him, those numbers will get better. Grade: C+
Eric Godard: Not much to say. He's an enforcer and probably won't be resigned. Plays sparingly in games, no real production to speak of. Grade: I
Alex Goligoski: Talk about the most inconsistent Pens player. There are nights where he looks like he could replace Gonchar and there are nights where he looks like he needs to go. He's tied for fifth in points on the Pens with Matt Cooke. His defense needs work badly. I'd say to play him with Michalek, but he's got his own struggles. I'll get onto that. Grade: C-
Andrew Hutchinson: He's a fill-in defenseman. If he deserved to be on the big league roster, he would be. But there's a reason in the minors and we saw it when he was up here. Grade: D
Brent Johnson: Johnny is the reason the Pens are fourth in the conference right now. With Fleury struggling early, Johnny's strong play held the Pens in games and had them winning. The magic has worn off some, and with Fleury back in form, Johnny has moved back to his backup role. But he has shown he can be solid when we really need him to be. Grade: A
Tyler Kennedy: Tyler Kennedy is 24 now, and to be honest I haven't seen much of a difference between him now and when he first came into the league. TK is a double digit goal scorer with a possible upside of 20 goals. He takes a ton of shots, he's 61st in the league, which is amazing considering he's a third line player. But his shooting percentage is 327th in the league, which tells me why he'll never be a top-6 guy. That's not a bad thing though. He's been solid this year, and I don't think I've seen him this fast in a long time. Grade: C+
Chris Kuntiz: He's been on Sid's wing for 2 years now and I don't see anyone else playing there for a long time. His 7 goals are tied for second on the team with Geno. He's finally playing up to the billing. He's on pace for 27 goals. His 3 PP goals are 2nd on the team ahead of Geno. His 5 assists are a little worrying considering Dupuis and Sid have a combined 19 goals and he gets PP time. But Sid has needed a scoring winger and Chris Kunitz is filling that role now. Grade: B
Kris Letang: I'll admit it, when Kris Letang signed for a 4 year 14 million dollar deal, I was skeptical of the money. He's looked like a bargain now. His 18 points are third on the team. He's clearly the team's number one defenseman. His play is making people forget about Sergei Gonchar pretty quickly. This early into the season, I put him into Norris contention. Grade: A+
Mark Letestu: Most people saw Letestu coming into the season as the third line center. Well, his torrid early pace to this season forced a short promotion to the second line as Mike Comrie struggled. Letestu has cooled off, but he's still playing good third line hockey. He's a very underrated player right now. Grade: B-
Ben Lovejoy: He's the seventh defenseman right now. He had his chance as the sixth defenseman but played poorly in his chances. He won't play unless there's an injury or HCDB decides to sit someone. Grade: D
Evgeni Malkin: Jaromir Jagr syndrome. I can't figure him out sometimes. Some games he's completely invisible. Others he's dominating. He could lead the league in scoring if he consistently put out effort like a teammate of his. His 20 points are second on the team. The placement in scoring on the team was to be expected, but not the point total. He's regressed since his MVP type season two years ago, that or the passion isn't there. Grade: B
Paul Martin: I was talking to Black Knight about how if I could switch the defensemans' contracts between the 3 who recently signed, Letang would be making 5 mil, Martin 4, and Michalek 3.5. Martin so far hasn't lived up to the contract, but don't get me wrong, he's playing solid hockey. He needs to find the back of the net, the only one he scored was the empty netter against New Jersey. But this system is built for Paul to thrive and he will once he gets better play from his defense partner. Grade: B
Zybnek Michalek: In Paul Martin's part, I said I would have given him the 3.5 mil. That's if I could switch the contracts. Right now, I'd pay someone 3.5 mil to take him. He's playing poorly, and it wasn't just the shoulder. I think he's gotten worse since the shoulder injury. He does not want to battle in the corners anymore which you can't do if you play hockey. He needs to quit worrying about getting hurt and playing up to his contract. Grade: F
Brooks Orpik: Does Brooks Orpik really have a goal this early in the season? The answer is yes. He's really benefited from the system he's put down at times (http://djbrenic182.blogspot.com/2010/11/sorry-brooks-i-dont-agree-here.html). He's now playing with Tanger on the shutdown pair and did a number on the Sedins on Wednesday. Grade: B
Mike Rupp: He will probably never put up the numbers he did last year, so everyone should remove last year from your memories. This year's Mike Rupp is the version you should expect to see consistently. 5 points is fantastic for a fourth liner this early in the season. Grade: C+
Max Talbot: Teams have gotten some "Superstar Treatment" recently. Max is back. I don't think he should play top-6 minutes but he is a skilled bottom-6 guy. He's a fantastic penalty killer and a big time energy and sandpaper guy. Those 4 goals are pretty big right now, especially because one is shorthanded. Grade: B-
Eric Tangradi: For the first 5 games, he had a great shot to stick with this team on the second line with Mike Comrie and Geno. Both of those guys struggled early and that could be why Tangradi's play suffered so for the next 4 games he was relegated to fourth line duty. After Arron Asham came back, he was sent to the minors for seasoning. He wasn't ready for the big time yet. He might be ready later in the year. Grade: D
Going through it my top 5 Pens players would be:
1. Sidney Crosby
2. Kris Letang
3. Evgeni Malkin
4. Matt Cooke
5. Chris Kunitz
Feel free to agree/disagree. And I know alot of you will say Malkin is better than Letang. Well, he needs to show it then. Until tomorrow after the Panthers game everyone.
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