thehockeyguru wrote:FLPensFan wrote:steelershark wrote:Pens lose 4-3 in OT, 3-1, 4-1, 3-1 to the Islanders and its like 2010 with the Rangers. Only instead of MAF losing the series, it's Jack Johnson. wow!!
Hmmm...not sure I've seen anyone here saying Jack Johnson lost us the series. Matter of fact, I'm quite certain nobody here is saying that.
What we are saying is, Jack Johnson doesn't fit the style of play the Penguins identify with.....that his play was just as bad as the decade worth of data saying it was a bad signing....that this team has way too much cap $$ spent on defense...this team has problems generating offense from the backend....and that JJ's contract is not very good.
I agree that several D have to go given their cost but HOW can anyone think Gudbranson should be one of them?
Look at his stats since he joined the Pens, given it's just a 19 game sample. 19 games - 0 goals 2 assists +7 and only 4 PIMS. ATOI 18:58. CF% 54.7
Factor in the guys intangibles, like his pedigree and his willingness to stick up for teammates and his ability to clear the front of the net, you just dont move this guy. IMO you find a slick puck moving LHD and have Gudbranson be apart of your 2nd pairing.
He's not first on my list to move for sure. His stats turnaround from Vancouver to Pittsburgh was quite remarkable, after literally being the worst d-man in GF% in the league with VAN, and bottom 5 in CF%.
But here's the picture on the larger scale:
1) 4M is a lot of money to be spending on a bottom pairing defenseman. If the guy is a 100% solid fit for your system, then maybe I'm ok with it. Gudbranson is solid, but, I still don't think he
2) His skating is an issue. Straightline, he's fine, but he can easily be beaten by most slick skating forwards that can shift laterally quickly. That's Gudbranson's biggest weakness.
3) Quite frankly, I like Gudbranson as an all around player better than Johnson. I think for the "pushback" element, Gudbranson showed more physicality and willingness to stick up for teammates than Johnson did all year. But blocks and hits and stuff by Johnson, blah, blah, blah.
4) The Penguins need to stop being enamored with "just OK." I keep bringing them up, but, I look at Carolina's defense and wish that the Penguins had something like that. All 4 of their top guys can move the puck, and do it very well, and they have some younger guys too like Bean that also fit that mold. I'm not sure why GMJR decided to listen to fans/media, or who these people were that said we need "pushback," as GMJR was directly quoted saying "You guys said we need pushback, and now we have that."
I don't think it will happen this way, if at all, but, in terms of must move these guys on defense, Johnson is #1, Maatta is #2, and Gudbranson is #3. So if we moved 1 & 2, I'd be ok Gudbranson staying on. But the Penguins need to reshape their defense and get cheaper on defense. We saw how an injury to Justin Schultz hampered their ability to move the puck from the backend....because only Letang and Schultz excel in that area. That's not that everyone else sucks, but 58 and 4 are on a much different level.
