Simon Despres is a pretty good hockey player

[bh]

I say again, it's pretty obvious Despres is following the Kris Letang model.

Letang's 2nd year in the league: 63 games = ~ 77% of the season.

Despres' 2nd season so far: 17 games = ~ 74% of the season.

I don't see Despres getting more than 75ish percent of the games. I don't really know what's wrong with that, either.

The fact he's better than the guys playing instead of him, for starters.

Sometimes these young guys need more breaks than the older players as they are not used to playing at such a high intensity so often. We want Despres fresh for the playoffs, not on his last legs.
I remember Vital, played like he was shot out of a cannon for the first few months he was on the big team, but after a while you could see he was worn down. He needed a rest. Maybe they are just trying to not over exhert him as well?

[meecrofilm]

they didn't move letang in and out of the lineup like they're doing with despres, so this doesn't really follow the "letang model".

Bingo.

Fact is, Despres is one of our 6-best defenseman right now, and by extension it's stupid not to play him whenever healthy.

[MrBrightside]

I say again, it's pretty obvious Despres is following the Kris Letang model.

Letang's 2nd year in the league: 63 games = ~ 77% of the season.

Despres' 2nd season so far: 17 games = ~ 74% of the season.

I don't see Despres getting more than 75ish percent of the games. I don't really know what's wrong with that, either.

The fact he's better than the guys playing instead of him, for starters.

Sometimes these young guys need more breaks than the older players as they are not used to playing at such a high intensity so often. We want Despres fresh for the playoffs, not on his last legs.
I remember Vital, played like he was shot out of a cannon for the first few months he was on the big team, but after a while you could see he was worn down. He needed a rest. Maybe they are just trying to not over exhert him as well?

Despres has played in 4 games since February 15. I think a 21-year-old can handle a bit more exertion.

[tfrizz]

I say again, it's pretty obvious Despres is following the Kris Letang model.

Letang's 2nd year in the league: 63 games = ~ 77% of the season.

Despres' 2nd season so far: 17 games = ~ 74% of the season.

I don't see Despres getting more than 75ish percent of the games. I don't really know what's wrong with that, either.

The fact he's better than the guys playing instead of him, for starters.

Sometimes these young guys need more breaks than the older players as they are not used to playing at such a high intensity so often. We want Despres fresh for the playoffs, not on his last legs.
I remember Vital, played like he was shot out of a cannon for the first few months he was on the big team, but after a while you could see he was worn down. He needed a rest. Maybe they are just trying to not over exhert him as well?

Despres has played in 4 games since February 15. I think a 21-year-old can handle a bit more exertion.

This smells of textbook "Bylsma giving preference to veterans" procedure. I know we all joked about it when Eaton was signed, but I never thought it'd actually happen!

[MRandall25]

How many times does it have to be said? The. coach. doesn't. make. all. of. the. lineup. decisions.

[Idoit40fans]

I say again, it's pretty obvious Despres is following the Kris Letang model.

Letang's 2nd year in the league: 63 games = ~ 77% of the season.

Despres' 2nd season so far: 17 games = ~ 74% of the season.

I don't see Despres getting more than 75ish percent of the games. I don't really know what's wrong with that, either.

The fact he's better than the guys playing instead of him, for starters.

Sometimes these young guys need more breaks than the older players as they are not used to playing at such a high intensity so often. We want Despres fresh for the playoffs, not on his last legs.
I remember Vital, played like he was shot out of a cannon for the first few months he was on the big team, but after a while you could see he was worn down. He needed a rest. Maybe they are just trying to not over exhert him as well?

Despres has played in 4 games since February 15. I think a 21-year-old can handle a bit more exertion.

This smells of textbook "Bylsma giving preference to veterans" procedure. I know we all joked about it when Eaton was signed, but I never thought it'd actually happen!

I don't know if thats just a Bylsma thing. Thats someting that is coming through Shero. The Pens have always had more than 20 vet nhl skaters in the organization.

[Gaucho]

So are we going to ignore the reported injury so we can continue our mindless ranting?

[Idoit40fans]

Are you talking about the injury he suffered at the morning skate?

[meecrofilm]

Yes, because it happened after he was paired with Bortuzzo at practice, plus DB said it was a minor fingernail injury and he would've returned had the skate not ended.

[Idoit40fans]

And more importantly, a game hasn't gone by since it happened.

[Gaucho]

Since when do we believe anything DB says?


Never mind. Carry on.

[meecrofilm]

How many times does it have to be said? The. coach. doesn't. make. all. of. the. lineup. decisions.

So every game DB gets a list from Shero that says "scratch these players"? Nope.

In some situations he may not have a complete say (potential trade showcases), but DB still has the majority of the say as the head coach. He hands in the lineup card. He could scratch Crosby if he wanted to, but obviously he wouldn't last very long if he did.

[slappybrown]

How many times does it have to be said? The. coach. doesn't. make. all. of. the. lineup. decisions.

So every game DB gets a list from Shero that says "scratch these players"? Nope.

In some situations he may not have a complete say (potential trade showcases), but DB still has the majority of the say as the head coach. He hands in the lineup card. He could scratch Crosby if he wanted to, but obviously he wouldn't last very long if he did.

I think its more collaborative than that; I don't think MRandall was insinuating it was Shero handing pieces of paper down from on high. They have daily discussions about who is playing and how players are performing. I imagine Shero and DB had an idea of who was playing and discussed it after the last game. Its not this isolated process as 24/7 showed.

[joe icepick]

Wake up Ray!

[DelPen]

So are we going to ignore the reported injury so we can continue our mindless ranting?

A) yes, the fingernail injury can be ignored because it wasn't anything to be concerned about and B) this is not mindless ranting, there is not a good reason to not dress Despres if he is healthy.

Even the argument "well he's not physical enough" or "he's a rookie" should maybe be tested in the middle of the season against a team we could play in the playoffs so we find out now and not in April?

I'll say it until I am blue in the face, Despres and Bortuzzo need experience now so if they need to play due to injuries in the playoffs there's no worries and we can also asses them now so we know if we need help at the deadline.

But that's fine, go with a guy who is barely a #7 on a good team and a guy who has a lengthy injury history so when they get hurt or are deemed worthless in playoff hockey we throw rookies into the fire or we trade for overpriced deadline trash.

Shero is as much to blame for this is Bylsma since it keeps happening.

[MrBrightside]

I don't particularly care if it's Shero or Bylsma or both responsible for it. The idea that you'd sit a guy who has been AT WORST the 5th best defenseman on the team this season for a guy that was unwanted in the NHL for almost a year and who was barely playing in WBS is absurd regardless of who is calling the shot. It's like they lay awake at night trying to think of ways to not play anyone under the age of 25.

[slappybrown]

So are we going to ignore the reported injury so we can continue our mindless ranting?

He appeared to be out from the morning pairings pre-injury, unless you think Eaton and Engelland were playing together as the scratched unit, which nope.

[Shakes]

If 24/7 showed us nothing else (and it showed us plenty), it's that all the playing time/call-ups/waivers/etc. decisions are made by DB and RS together.

[Cr@zy871]

If 24/7 showed us nothing else (and it showed us plenty), it's that all the playing time/call-ups/waivers/etc. decisions are made by DB and RS together.

I have Despres as a 3.5 last game... Where did you have him?

[shmenguin]

a conspiracy theorist would say that they're messing with depres to keep his next price tag low.

[Gaucho]

As I said, I wouldn't scratch Despres either. Maybe that's why I'm not an NHL coach. *shrug*

[Cr@zy871]

So are we going to ignore the reported injury so we can continue our mindless ranting?

It was reported he had a nail issue, so I don't think it is anything too major. Made it seem like he would have been back to practice.... If it hadn't ended by the time he was patched up.

[MRandall25]

I still don't see why it matters. They know more than we do about how he's developing.

[shmenguin]

the one actual defense of this decision i have is that depres is a minor penalty machine. plus, the game could get out of hand like usual and they think the other guys will be able to manage that better.

though i'd rather depres get an interference penalty than engelland engage in the philly theatrics again

[MrBrightside]

I still don't see why it matters. They know more than we do about how he's developing.

So you are suggesting that people on a message board should never second-guess or take issue with management's decisions since they know more than we do? Interesting. That just eliminated the need for 94% of the internet.

What I do know is that they are 13-4 with him in the lineup and 2-4 with him sitting, and he has the best +/- of any defenseman on the roster. Obviously far from perfect statistics, but I'd suggest those things help make the case for why he should be playing over guys like Mark Eaton.