Gonchar may be coming back

[Digitalgypsy66]

Aren't the Pens short on quality forwards? Skate 11-7, and Sarge plays on the PP or if a d-man gets tossed/injured. As long as the price is right (cheap), I'm all for it during a short season. I'm not sure I'd want to watch him back there for 82+playoffs, but for 48+playoffs, I'm all in.

[KennyTheKangaroo]

Gnochar

[KG]

I just checked out the roster, first time in a while as I"m getting excited that there may be a deal done sooner then later....In addition to Gonchar, man do the Pens need another top 2 line wing!

Neal/Malkin/Kunitz
Dupuis/Crosby/Kennedy?

They will probably break up that first line but they really need another wing....Doan would have been nice

[BCG51585]

I just checked out the roster, first time in a while as I"m getting excited that there may be a deal done sooner then later....In addition to Gonchar, man do the Pens need another top 2 line wing!

Neal/Malkin/Kunitz
Dupuis/Crosby/Kennedy?

They will probably break up that first line but they really need another wing....Doan would have been nice

Not to get off topic, but don't you pretty much have to give Tangradi a chance to sink or swim here as a top line winger?

[Buccobruce]

Not to get off topic, but don't you pretty much have to give Tangradi a chance to sink or swim here as a top line winger?[/quote]

A few weeks back I was listening to dejan kovacevic on trib radio and I think he was talking to yohe when they thought there would be a season when burkle and crosby got involved with talks...anyway his top 2 lines where Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis and Kennedy-Malkin-Neal. I don't know if that slides Tangradi to third or fourth line or if Jeffrey finds a way back in lineup but nevertheless I found that interesting.

On to Gonchar part of me wants him back to man the point and put malkin back on half wall and that makes both power plays stronger with Kunitz on 2nd pp. But I would want him on 2nd or third pairing. The other part of me feels the defense is already too soft as is and adding gonchar isn't addressing that. Id also would want to see cost because ottawa isnt giving him away either especially with Cowen out for year.

[KG]

Not to get off topic, but don't you pretty much have to give Tangradi a chance to sink or swim here as a top line winger?

A few weeks back I was listening to dejan kovacevic on trib radio and I think he was talking to yohe when they thought there would be a season when burkle and crosby got involved with talks...anyway his top 2 lines where Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis and Kennedy-Malkin-Neal. I don't know if that slides Tangradi to third or fourth line or if Jeffrey finds a way back in lineup but nevertheless I found that interesting.

On to Gonchar part of me wants him back to man the point and put malkin back on half wall and that makes both power plays stronger with Kunitz on 2nd pp. But I would want him on 2nd or third pairing. The other part of me feels the defense is already too soft as is and adding gonchar isn't addressing that. Id also would want to see cost because ottawa isnt giving him away either especially with Cowen out for year.[/quote]

If Tangradi is able to play effectively as a top 9 forward then that would help the offensive depth. I agree with the lines above.

Kunitz, Crosby, Dupuis
Kennedy, Malkin, Neal
Tangradi, Sutter, Cooke

If Tangradi can progress he and Kennedy could switch lines. Also have to see if Jeffrey fits into the lineup anywhere...

[Defence21]

Not to get off topic, but don't you pretty much have to give Tangradi a chance to sink or swim here as a top line winger?

A few weeks back I was listening to dejan kovacevic on trib radio and I think he was talking to yohe when they thought there would be a season when burkle and crosby got involved with talks...anyway his top 2 lines where Kunitz-Crosby-Dupuis and Kennedy-Malkin-Neal. I don't know if that slides Tangradi to third or fourth line or if Jeffrey finds a way back in lineup but nevertheless I found that interesting.

On to Gonchar part of me wants him back to man the point and put malkin back on half wall and that makes both power plays stronger with Kunitz on 2nd pp. But I would want him on 2nd or third pairing. The other part of me feels the defense is already too soft as is and adding gonchar isn't addressing that. Id also would want to see cost because ottawa isnt giving him away either especially with Cowen out for year.[/quote]
Re: lines
I would give either Bennett or Tangradi a look on one of the top lines. I understand why people would want to put Kunitz back with Crosby, but the way the Kunitz-Malkin-Neal line played last season, I wouldn't break them up -- at least initially. I'd see what Crosby can do with Dupuis and a rookie, and if it doesn't work, then make some changes.

re: Gonchar
Yes, the defense is soft already, but I don't see a problem with adding Gonchar to the mix in that regard. I'd prefer to see him on the third pairing with Niskanen, allowing for him to QB the top PP unit. Orpik-Letang, Martin-Despres, Gonchar-Niskanen.

[Gaucho]

I think Niskanen is more or less pencilled in on the 2nd pairing. Not sure I like that. I feel we need a Top 4 defenseman and a Top 6 forward.

[The Current One]

Kennedy on a top line? Lol

[ulf]

quote fail city

[shmenguin]

whenever hockey comes back, the cap will drop and teams will have to adjust accordingly. this means that we are no longer in the market for another wing. we'll have to live with 3rd line players in our top 6 if we want to keep sid and geno on this team.

[Pitt87]

I just checked out the roster, first time in a while as I"m getting excited that there may be a deal done sooner then later....In addition to Gonchar, man do the Pens need another top 2 line wing!

Neal/Malkin/Kunitz
Dupuis/Crosby/Kennedy?

They will probably break up that first line but they really need another wing....Doan would have been nice

Not to get off topic, but don't you pretty much have to give Tangradi a chance to sink or swim here as a top line winger?

For a few shifts, maybe, but he's been extremely slow in the NHL, let alone if he plays with Sid...

I still want to see Neal play with Sid. I think its a very natural fit.

[MRandall25]

I just checked out the roster, first time in a while as I"m getting excited that there may be a deal done sooner then later....In addition to Gonchar, man do the Pens need another top 2 line wing!

Neal/Malkin/Kunitz
Dupuis/Crosby/Kennedy?

They will probably break up that first line but they really need another wing....Doan would have been nice :)

Not to get off topic, but don't you pretty much have to give Tangradi a chance to sink or swim here as a top line winger?

For a few shifts, maybe, but he's been extremely slow in the NHL, let alone if he plays with Sid...

I still want to see Neal play with Sid. I think its a very natural fit.

Neal scored 40 with Geno. I'm not breaking that up unless he hits a bad slump.

[Pitt87]

I just checked out the roster, first time in a while as I"m getting excited that there may be a deal done sooner then later....In addition to Gonchar, man do the Pens need another top 2 line wing!

Neal/Malkin/Kunitz
Dupuis/Crosby/Kennedy?

They will probably break up that first line but they really need another wing....Doan would have been nice

Not to get off topic, but don't you pretty much have to give Tangradi a chance to sink or swim here as a top line winger?

For a few shifts, maybe, but he's been extremely slow in the NHL, let alone if he plays with Sid...

I still want to see Neal play with Sid. I think its a very natural fit.

Neal scored 40 with Geno. I'm not breaking that up unless he hits a bad slump.

You always put your best shooter with your best passer. I don't see how you put Sid with anyone BUT Neal...

[SLF66]

The ironic thing is that this is the third year of that deal that Shero didn't want to give Gonchar.

Oh well, at least we signed Martin/Michalek!

(could've signed Gonchar, Scuderi, and Gill for a similar price)

[shmenguin]

Nope. We had no cap space when gill and scuderi left. We signed m+m the following year.

And gonchar wouldn't have helped over the last 2 years

[SLF66]

While Letang is a great, GREAT, all around defenseman, he cant run a PP like Gonchar. Sullivan did that well last year (until he was benched when Sid came back), but the year before the PP was a major factor in the Pens elimination.

Should've kept Gonchar

[MRandall25]

We wouldn't have made the playoffs in 2010-11 if we had Gonchar playing 20 minutes a night. He was on of the worst defensemen in the league in +/-, and there's no telling how bad the D would've been with all those injuries and forcing him to play an even bigger role.

No thanks.

[ulf]

oh nice, I feel a good +/- argument coming on. Hockey must be close.

[MRandall25]

oh nice, I feel a good +/- argument coming on. Hockey must be close.

I realize it isn't the best stat, but when you're at the bottom of the league in it, there's something wrong.

[relantel]

hockey on the horizon - good. Even if it carries Gonchar rumors with it.

[Malkamaniac]

Nope. We had no cap space when gill and scuderi left. We signed m+m the following year.

And gonchar wouldn't have helped over the last 2 years

I don't understand why people continually fail at understanding this.

[GenoMachino71]

Mark Madden just said he would trade Joe Morrow for Gonchar

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

[mikey287]

It's impossible that that was said...

[Jesse]

Since departing for Ottawa, Gonchar has been nothing short of atrocious. He's been burned with regularity, he can't control a gap to save his life, his almost non-existent physical presence from his time here has somehow diminished even further, and even his presence on the power-play has been hindered by his age and lack of mobility on the blueline.

I would rather play Ben Lovejoy, my least favorite defenseman on this team, for 15 minutes a night, than bring this sailed ship back into the harbor.

He had a whopping 5 goals in 74 games. He logged a -4 despite playing against the worst competition other teams had to offer. His Corsi QoC was -.8 - which is about as bad as it gets. Which essentially means, he was playing against players who were outshot and outpossessed every shift they were on the ice. 12 goals in 141 games isn't enough for me to want to bring this guy back. In fact, Ottawa, as a team, had their overall Corsi % drop by 4% when Sergei Gonchar was on the ice. In short, that's pretty awful.