Season Preview '13 (or The Prodigal Bot returns)

[netwolf]

Since the lockout is over, I decided to come back with a look towards the start of what will be a drag race of a compressed, shortened NHL season. Because the Gorilla is asleep, it isn't showing on the main reports page, but the direct link does work: http://www.letsgopens.com/camp_reports.php?id=76

Thanks for reading.

[FreeCandy44]

Did you offer it a banana?

Quality work as always netwolf.

[netwolf]

He's sleeping. For now, I have a fan set up in front of a bowl of banana pudding to see if it wakes him up. If not, then I'll throw it at him. He may also have forgotten who I am.

[mikey287]

Nice to see some regulars coming back to the fold...

[Luckybreak]

Great read Netwolf! Everyone is speculating over who will get a shot in the top 6 and I'm excited to see who grasps the opportunity. Unfortunately the questions surrounding the defence leave an uneasy feeling in my gut. I have genuine concerns about the projected top four and don't see any potential line combinations as being capable of a long playoff drive. The Flyers fiasco still haunts me...

[ulf]

Bowser and netwolf back in the same day? Good, I felt guilty almost getting near netwolf's post count. Good read, the d-pairing battle will be interesting.

[The Snapshot]

Nice read Net. Thanks.

The only point of contention I have is that you mention Eric Tangradi as a possible winger in the top six. I saw him play live last night again in WBS. He is no different despite reading about his offseason training. He is still slow, still soft and still has no instincts. He is also not suited to a 4th line role because he is slow and disinterested in the physical side of the game by nature.

I wish people would just forget about him. Dave Roche was a better prospect.

[Gaucho]

Ouch.

[relantel]

Is it odd I read it thanks to a Stoosh twitter post on my phone before I wrested control of my laptop from my 8yo to read it from here?

PS - it was a good read. And really hard questions for the bottom of the D depth chart.

[netwolf]

Great read Netwolf! Everyone is speculating over who will get a shot in the top 6 and I'm excited to see who grasps the opportunity. Unfortunately the questions surrounding the defence leave an uneasy feeling in my gut. I have genuine concerns about the projected top four and don't see any potential line combinations as being capable of a long playoff drive. The Flyers fiasco still haunts me...

Despite the hole in the top 6, I think they're in pretty good shape up front. The only potential problem is a long-term injury in their top 5. Barring something unexpected, they don't have the depth to overcome that.

Defense is more of a concern. They basically need every to stay healthy, Martin to finally settle in here, AND Niskanen to continue trending up (or at least not regress).

[netwolf]

Nice read Net. Thanks.

The only point of contention I have is that you mention Eric Tangradi as a possible winger in the top six. I saw him play live last night again in WBS. He is no different despite reading about his offseason training. He is still slow, still soft and still has no instincts. He is also not suited to a 4th line role because he is slow and disinterested in the physical side of the game by nature.

I wish people would just forget about him. Dave Roche was a better prospect.

Like I said, I'm not for handing him the job, but before I was to rule him a bust, I'd like to see what he can do at the NHL level with better linemates than Joe Vitale and Craig Adams, no offense to either of those guys. It's definitely a stretch to suggest he could pull it off, but he wouldn't be the first guy to play better in the NHL than the AHL, or that plays better with better guys.

I have not seen any WB games this year, but I do recall reading earlier in the year, when the team was rolling, that he was a big part of it, and was a dominant player. I have read about the recent struggles as well (his and the teams). Younger players do that.

This is not to excuse his play to this point, or to prop him up as the next great Penguin. I'm just saying some guys take longer to figure it out. The clock is ticking for sure, but I'm not ready to give up on him yet. Even that heartless Russian kid eventually got his act together, right?

[netwolf]

And I always liked Dave Roche.

[FreeCandy44]

Big Dog gets 15 goals this year.

[columbia]

In Wilkes-Barre?

[FreeCandy44]

Scranton actually.... ;)

[luv66]

interesting ...
https://twitter.com/PensNation_Ken/stat ... 0854493185

[Idoit40fans]

No one cares about the season until netwolf is making contributions. Not unlike browns fans waiting for that first loss to start rooting for draft position.

[Idoit40fans]

interesting ...
https://twitter.com/PensNation_Ken/stat ... 0854493185

Who is this guy and what does he know?




Pop

[luv66]

interesting ...
https://twitter.com/PensNation_Ken/stat ... 0854493185

Who is this guy and what does he know?




Pop

It does indeed look like they didn't play today
http://theahl.com/stats/official-game-r ... id=1010375

[The Snapshot]

Scranton actually....

The rink is in Wilkes-Barre.

[mikey287]

Many teams around the AHL scratching players that are NHL or at least training camp bound...no big surprise...

[The Snapshot]

Nice read Net. Thanks.

The only point of contention I have is that you mention Eric Tangradi as a possible winger in the top six. I saw him play live last night again in WBS. He is no different despite reading about his offseason training. He is still slow, still soft and still has no instincts. He is also not suited to a 4th line role because he is slow and disinterested in the physical side of the game by nature.

I wish people would just forget about him. Dave Roche was a better prospect.

Like I said, I'm not for handing him the job, but before I was to rule him a bust, I'd like to see what he can do at the NHL level with better linemates than Joe Vitale and Craig Adams, no offense to either of those guys. It's definitely a stretch to suggest he could pull it off, but he wouldn't be the first guy to play better in the NHL than the AHL, or that plays better with better guys.

I have not seen any WB games this year, but I do recall reading earlier in the year, when the team was rolling, that he was a big part of it, and was a dominant player. I have read about the recent struggles as well (his and the teams). Younger players do that.

This is not to excuse his play to this point, or to prop him up as the next great Penguin. I'm just saying some guys take longer to figure it out. The clock is ticking for sure, but I'm not ready to give up on him yet. Even that heartless Russian kid eventually got his act together, right?

That heartless Russian kid has more ability in his pinky toe than Tangradi has in his whole big, useless body.

That comment is also out of context. The fact that Tangradi has shown zero NHL ability in 40 NHL games (1 goal and 4 assists) no matter where he played or who he played with is the context here. He has 17 points in 33 AHL games this season and I saw him look absolutely useless last night. He's never been a point a game guy in the AHL either. He's just like some kind of throw-in name in every discussion of the top 6, but he has shown ZERO in his entire career to make that a reasonable statement and yet it keeps happening.

All of a sudden, and absolute slug of a player is going to be a top 6 player because he has never played with someone like Crosby? Tyler Kennedy, DJ, heck even Joe Vitale would be a more sane guy to "hope" to be able to fill that spot. The guy who is most likely as a "hope" is Beau Bennett.

[mikey287]

To be fair, Mike Knuble and Tomas Holmstrom and Ryan Smyth were also absolute slugs, absolute plugs with no discernible skills...exception rather than rule, but proper coaching and a little bit of luck, and you never know. Tangradi has shown me something at least...in scouting terms, I might not be really high on him, but I wouldn't put "no draft" next to his name based on what I've seen so far...

There's nothing concrete about his future...bad or good...at this point as far as I'm concerned. Bust or complimentary winger, neither would surprise me a great deal...

[The Snapshot]

To be fair, Mike Knuble and Tomas Holmstrom and Ryan Smyth were also absolute slugs, absolute plugs with no discernible skills...exception rather than rule, but proper coaching and a little bit of luck, and you never know. Tangradi has shown me something at least...in scouting terms, I might not be really high on him, but I wouldn't put "no draft" next to his name based on what I've seen so far...

There's nothing concrete about his future...bad or good...at this point as far as I'm concerned. Bust or complimentary winger, neither would surprise me a great deal...

If you see hockey sense and a willingness to compete physically from him....I don't claim to be a scout, but he is either stupid, scared or both. That cannot be said about any of the three guys you mention.

If we are saying he still has a possible future just because he is not old, then I guess I'll grudgingly agree, but I have never seen a single "aha" moment from him. I do know that complimentary wingers can skate and are smart. I've never seen that from him either.

I don't care enough about him personally for this to be about him as a player anymore either. I have more of a problem with him being a knee-jerk option as a top six winger. To me that is comical.

[mikey287]

Yeah, I mean, it's not a terrific bunch of tools there...you're right. But I mean, Knuble, Holmstrom and Smyth all couldn't shoot or skate...again major exceptions, 1 in 1000...but proper coaching and utiilization can make things work until a better option comes along. We'll see what training camp brings...he had his moments in the AHL this year, but he was used incorrectly because of the Penguins lack of organizational forward depth, relied upon too much to generate offense, he's not a generator, he's complimentary, at any level...