Malone

[Henry Hank]

Like Orpik, I think the Pens need to make a decision on Malone now. There's no time left to wait for him to start developing. He's a free agent after next season so the main thing to worry about is will he contribute enough to next year's team to be worth having?

I actually think Malone is starting to settle in as a solid third liner. He's a good penalty killer. He would have had three straight 20 goal seasons if not for his injury. On the other hand, I think he's proven by now that he's not going to produce as everyone hoped he would. If he can't produce with Crosby, well, that's it. Everyone trashes Recchi but he put up nearly 70 points as a 39-year-old with Crosby and that would have been top three on most teams.

Malone wouldn't be a bad third liner especially because of what he brings on the PK, but the Pens may have a bit of a log jam if Recchi and Roberts come back. Malone's the best choice to go because they could replace him with a fourth line center, for example, who is good on faceoffs and can replace Malone on the PK. Maybe soon-to-be former Predator Scott Nichol would be a good choice.

[Psychlone]

If Malone isn't going to score then I think he's easily replaceable with a younger player from Wilkes Barre. I say get rid of him.

[Mad City Mike]

Like Orpik, I think the Pens need to make a decision on Malone now. There's no time left to wait for him to start developing. He's a free agent after next season so the main thing to worry about is will he contribute enough to next year's team to be worth having?

I actually think Malone is starting to settle in as a solid third liner. He's a good penalty killer. He would have had three straight 20 goal seasons if not for his injury. On the other hand, I think he's proven by now that he's not going to produce as everyone hoped he would. If he can't produce with Crosby, well, that's it. Everyone trashes Recchi but he put up nearly 70 points as a 39-year-old with Crosby and that would have been top three on most teams.

Malone wouldn't be a bad third liner especially because of what he brings on the PK, but the Pens may have a bit of a log jam if Recchi and Roberts come back. Malone's the best choice to go because they could replace him with a fourth line center, for example, who is good on faceoffs and can replace Malone on the PK. Maybe soon-to-be former Predator Scott Nichol would be a good choice.

Malone will be gone if there are any takers. And finding a taker won't be easy. He is a 28-year-old middling type of player. As you say, he's a third liner at best. If I am the Pens, I can fill that role with a Ryan Stone for much less money than I'd have to pay Malone.

[SoupOrSam]

Like Orpik, I think the Pens need to make a decision on Malone now. There's no time left to wait for him to start developing. He's a free agent after next season so the main thing to worry about is will he contribute enough to next year's team to be worth having?

I actually think Malone is starting to settle in as a solid third liner. He's a good penalty killer. He would have had three straight 20 goal seasons if not for his injury. On the other hand, I think he's proven by now that he's not going to produce as everyone hoped he would. If he can't produce with Crosby, well, that's it. Everyone trashes Recchi but he put up nearly 70 points as a 39-year-old with Crosby and that would have been top three on most teams.

Malone wouldn't be a bad third liner especially because of what he brings on the PK, but the Pens may have a bit of a log jam if Recchi and Roberts come back. Malone's the best choice to go because they could replace him with a fourth line center, for example, who is good on faceoffs and can replace Malone on the PK. Maybe soon-to-be former Predator Scott Nichol would be a good choice.

Assuming we do replace him with a center we than have a HUGE issue. We have an overabundance of centers throughout this franchise. Do we convert them to wingers(which isn't as easy as saying 'hey, play over there') or do we use them as trade bait? Which centers stay centers? Shero has a lot of thinking to do and I am glad it's him and not me. There's some tough and hard choices to make for the coming months. I'm going to do what I do best: sit back, watch, and listen since theres no reason to get worked up about something I have no control over.

[bh]

Like Orpik, I think the Pens need to make a decision on Malone now. There's no time left to wait for him to start developing. He's a free agent after next season so the main thing to worry about is will he contribute enough to next year's team to be worth having?

I actually think Malone is starting to settle in as a solid third liner. He's a good penalty killer. He would have had three straight 20 goal seasons if not for his injury. On the other hand, I think he's proven by now that he's not going to produce as everyone hoped he would. If he can't produce with Crosby, well, that's it. Everyone trashes Recchi but he put up nearly 70 points as a 39-year-old with Crosby and that would have been top three on most teams.

Malone wouldn't be a bad third liner especially because of what he brings on the PK, but the Pens may have a bit of a log jam if Recchi and Roberts come back. Malone's the best choice to go because they could replace him with a fourth line center, for example, who is good on faceoffs and can replace Malone on the PK. Maybe soon-to-be former Predator Scott Nichol would be a good choice.

Malone will be gone if there are any takers. And finding a taker won't be easy. He is a 28-year-old middling type of player. As you say, he's a third liner at best. If I am the Pens, I can fill that role with a Ryan Stone for much less money than I'd have to pay Malone.

Well I think Malone should be our third line center or wing. It's what he's good at and it will give a scoring touch to our third line. He is an important part of the PK and I would love to have him, just not on the top two.

[Geezer]

Malone also needs to have fires lit under him to play with intensity. He needs to move on and get a fresh start. This season should have been his final year to develop into a keeper.

[jmh470]

While the Pens see Malone as a good 3rd liner, lesser teams will see him as a top 6 forward and will pay him accordingly. So, he will undoubtedly leave via free agency.

BTW, Malone had 14 ES goals to Recchi's 10, so the criticism leveled at Recchi is valid.

[Henry Hank]

The Pens will convert some centers to wing. Staal may see some time at center, but he's going to play wing mainly because that's the only way he's going to play a top six role with Crosby and Malkin around. Christensen probably still ends up on the wing. A big deal is made about his work along the boards and such, but I didn't think it was ever much of a problem when he was playing on the wing because he was usually paired with Colby on the other wing who does a lot of the dirty work. I liked both the Christensen-Crosby-Armstrong and Christensen-Talbot-Armstrong lines. I think Therrien gets tired of Christensen's work ethic which is why he ends up on the fourth line, but with his skill and shot he's going to get a chance eventually and I hope it's here. Actually, the idea of a Christensen-Talbot-Armstrong third line is one big reason why I'd like to see Malone traded. I'd rather see Christensen on that line and if Malone's not on the third line there's no real point in having him.

[davemess]

Gotta keep him around on the 3rd line...... $1.45 mill isnt a huge figure considering it cost $1.2 to get guys like Ruutu under contract in last years free agency period.

I've always felt that Malone produces his best hockey when he is the key offensive cog on his line, playing with Talbot and Armstrong for a full year would give him that and provide the team a fantastic 3rd line.

[mikey287]

Gotta keep him around on the 3rd line...... $1.45 mill isnt a huge figure considering it cost $1.2 to get guys like Ruutu under contract in last years free agency period.

I've always felt that Malone produces his best hockey when he is the key offensive cog on his line, playing with Talbot and Armstrong for a full year would give him that and provide the team a fantastic 3rd line.

There it is, Malone is one of the best one-on-one talents on the Penguins (ducks the rotten tomato tosses) it's true, he has outstanding hands when he wants to use them, and his hockey sense is increasing with all that penalty kill work...he could be in the top tier of "eh could be 2nd, could be 3rd line" players, which is a good thing to have...

I think it's a no brainer that we keep him around...

[Jesse]

I think Filewich makes the team next year at some point.

Outside of Penalty Killing, he could be an adequate replacement.

Malone's numbers look less and less impressive when you take into account he had 2 hat tricks.

[Henry Hank]

Malone's numbers look less and less impressive when you take into account he had 2 hat tricks.

That's true. He played at roughly the same goal rate he was at the previous two season, but almost half his goals were scored in two games. He wasn't much of an asset at all in terms of scoring. That's the biggest reason why I think we ought to get rid of him. He's an effective grinder and a good penalty killer, but we can get penalty killing out of a fourth liner and I think we can do better on the third line. Personally, I'd rather see Recchi or Christensen play the wing on the third line with Talbot and Armstrong. Having depth is good and having either of those two on the third line helps us have a third line that can chip in fairly often.

[davemess]

I think Filewich makes the team next year at some point.

Outside of Penalty Killing, he could be an adequate replacement.

If Filewich makes the team i think he will end up playing with either Crosby or Malkin....... we need to sign 2 Scoring Wingers this summer and its unlikely we can get 2. One UFA and Filewich seems more likely as top 6 wingers for next year.

[Armyrulez]

I have said for a long time now that if our 3rd line could be:
Malone-Talbot-Army
We will be able to compete for a long time for the cup, I believe with a few FA pickups in the offseason, that is the 3rd line that we're looking at next season, and I for one, can't wait.

[Geezer]

I think Filewich makes the team next year at some point.

Outside of Penalty Killing, he could be an adequate replacement.

Malone's numbers look less and less impressive when you take into account he had 2 hat tricks.

Hasn't Filewich been a good penalty killer at WBS? I know that doesn't mean that he'll be effective in the NHL, but he has that backround I believe

[netwolf]

Malone's numbers look less and less impressive when you take into account he had 2 hat tricks.

Hat tricks are bad now?

[wondermoose]

Like a vast majority of players on this team, people have certain expectations for Ryan Malone, and that's for him to be a top line forward. I think he's shown that's not him, he's not that type of player, and instead looks far more impressive on those third and fourth lines where he isn't facing the teams top defenses. Not to mention his PK ability... He really stepped that up this year. As far as I'm concerned, aside from Crosby, Staal, and Geno, we don't have any true top 6 forwards, except for Roberts if we retain him. The closest, talent and effort wise, is probably Ouellet, Christensen, and Army. For the right price, we keep Malone for the role he's played the past couple months.

[emptyfriend]

Malone's numbers look less and less impressive when you take into account he had 2 hat tricks.

Hat tricks are bad now?

I think his point was when you factor in the 2 hat tricks, 6 goals in 2 games, he really didn't score in that many games now did he?

[netwolf]

Malone's numbers look less and less impressive when you take into account he had 2 hat tricks.

Hat tricks are bad now?

I think his point was when you factor in the 2 hat tricks, 6 goals in 2 games, he really didn't score in that many games now did he?

I know what he meant, hence the

[emptyfriend]

Malone's numbers look less and less impressive when you take into account he had 2 hat tricks.

Hat tricks are bad now?

I think his point was when you factor in the 2 hat tricks, 6 goals in 2 games, he really didn't score in that many games now did he?

I know what he meant, hence the

SMILEYS SUCK

[bhaw]

I think Malone has had one too many chances here to produce anything. He isn't scoring. His assets are on the PK and grinding. He's a 3rd liner. Unfortunately for him, we have a plethora of those and most produce more often than Malone and also kill penalties.

Is he a UFA this year? Or are we talking about trading him? Not sure if we could get much for a trade if that's the case.

[mikey287]

Why were his expectations 1st liner? Who came up with that? You mean the kid that a 4th round pick that unexpectedly made the NHL in his first camp? That kid is supposed to be a 1st liner...?

I think everyone got him confused with Colby, a good number of people thought Colby would be a first liner because of his chemistry with Crosby...he's not a first line player, we all know that now, but he gets a pass...not that he does bad things, but Malone and Colby are very comparable players, Colby is a better hitter, Ryan has better hands...I don't know why we couldn't bare the thought of losing Colby after the "first line potential" tag was given to him here, but Malone, who really never had that first line potential at any point of his development, gets shunned for not producing...

Malone scored 22 goals and 43 or 44 points his first two pro-seasons (no real AHL time) and if we played all year this season, guess what, 21 goals, 40 points...not bad for a third liner...he can't play with Crosby, he needs to be the best player on a line to make offense, he's excellent one-on-one, I think he'd be a fantastic third liner, that could fill in 2nd line in case of injury...

[shotty71]

Malone = see Gary Roberts

[ams]

Malone = see Gary Roberts

If only...

I do like the idea of a Colby/Talbot/Malone 3rd line, however the economics of such a line may preclude it from happening.

[Corvidae]

I think Malone doesn't have enough skill to get away with being so inconsistent. Enough said. Send him packing. He doesn't add anything that could easily be replaced and upgraded.