Why isn't Dustin Jeffrey getting a chance with Geno?

[knives of ice]

I just don't get what the Penguins are doing with Jeffrey. The excuse last year was that he was never healthy, which can be understood to some extent. However, when the injury bug hit the Pens last year and Jeffrey got a chance to play consistently he scored 4 goals in a 12 game stretch including a big goal against Philly. Before the injury in the 2010/11 season he put up 7 goals in 25 games as a rookie and was heralded as one of the pens best up and coming players. this is a player that scored this goal in overtime against boston, which was a pretty special play and very skilled goal

http://video.bruins.nhl.com/videocenter ... 35&lang=en

this is a guy that minimally has shown he has potential to score goals and has skill. yet, for some reason its almost as if the pens are forcing tangradi into a top 6 role - when he has shown absolutely zero offensive skill at the nhl level. mind you tangradi had 1 goal in has last 17 games for wbs yet somehow he is going to come to the nhl and be an asset on the 2nd line. not to mention the numerous chances he's gotten in the past and failed miserably with.

yeah, i know jeffrey is more of a natural center but he does and has played wing. i'm just baffled at how this guy has been used last year and this year in camp thus far. he was playing on the fifth line early in this abbreviated camp, but today he was centering the fourth so perhaps he'll get a chance.

[Noise]

Stats schmats. Jeffrey will never be a top 6 player. Tangradi probably won't either, but he has more offensive potential.

[SLF66]

Id rather give him a chance than Tangradi (although this may be the end of the line for Tangradi, now or never type deal)

[SLF66]

Stats schmats. Jeffrey will never be a top 6 player. Tangradi probably won't either, but he has more offensive potential.

Sorry but 7 goals in 25 NHL games at the start of Jeffreys NHL career says a lot more about his offensive ability than a guy with 1 goal in 40 games.

[canaan]

Throw Jeffrey on the 4th line and see what his stat line is for 40 games. That argument is so played out.

[Froggy]

Jeffery is a fringe NHLer. Not sure what people see in him that has them clamoring to see him skate with the best player in the world

[DocEmrick]

C'mon guys he was on the AHL All Star Team! Give'im a chance to skate with Sid! He can be the next Andy Hilbert!

[mikey287]

Stats schmats. Jeffrey will never be a top 6 player. Tangradi probably won't either, but he has more offensive potential.

Sorry but 7 goals in 25 NHL games at the start of Jeffreys NHL career says a lot more about his offensive ability than a guy with 1 goal in 40 games.

In a fantasy league, yes. Not necessarily in real life.

[darkstar57]

Jeffery has a lot to prove, he came back last year and was never right and guys passed him on the depth chart. It happens.

I think he'll work on the 4th line and slowly work his way up. i think he could compliment geno/neal very well

[columbia]

I don't see it as being productive to point to Jeffrey or Tangradi as a reason for the other to get significant playing time.

[Idoit40fans]

Stats schmats. Jeffrey will never be a top 6 player. Tangradi probably won't either, but he has more offensive potential.

Yeah they should just use the time that he's been healthy when he failed to look out of place in the top 6 as the reason that he should get a look.

[Idoit40fans]

Throw Jeffrey on the 4th line and see what his stat line is for 40 games. That argument is so played out.

I believe that Jeffrey did start on the 3rd or 4th line. He outplayed those minutes and got moved up. Crazy idea, letting players earn their way. Sports terrorism.

[canaan]

Throw Jeffrey on the 4th line and see what his stat line is for 40 games. That argument is so played out.

I believe that Jeffrey did start on the 3rd or 4th line. He outplayed those minutes and got moved up. Crazy idea, letting players earn their way. Sports terrorism.

if a player is built to be a net front presence and doesnt have a skillset to broaden out into grinding 4th line roles, its a miscast and wont work. if you have a kid with above average speed in that role, he is gonna look better. its not rocket science, cupcake.

[no name]

Throw Jeffrey on the 4th line and see what his stat line is for 40 games. That argument is so played out.

I believe that Jeffrey did start on the 3rd or 4th line. He outplayed those minutes and got moved up. Crazy idea, letting players earn their way. Sports terrorism.

if a player is built to be a net front presence and doesnt have a skillset to broaden out into grinding 4th line roles, its a miscast and wont work. if you have a kid with above average speed in that role, he is gonna look better. its not rocket science, cupcake.

Kinda like when Morosov was a 3rd or 4th liner, dude couldn't thrive in thoes checking line roles. Of course he couldn't score either so he couldn't play in top 6 role either.

[Idoit40fans]

Throw Jeffrey on the 4th line and see what his stat line is for 40 games. That argument is so played out.

I believe that Jeffrey did start on the 3rd or 4th line. He outplayed those minutes and got moved up. Crazy idea, letting players earn their way. Sports terrorism.

if a player is built to be a net front presence and doesnt have a skillset to broaden out into grinding 4th line roles, its a miscast and wont work. if you have a kid with above average speed in that role, he is gonna look better. its not rocket science, cupcake.

If a player is build to stand in front of the net(which Tangradi hasn't shown himself to be good at at any level), but can't do anything else, he's built for the pp and 4th line minutes. If he's a power forward and can cut it on the top lines, he's cut out for the bottom lines as well. Big guys are more suited to working their way up from the bottom lines than finesse players, without question. What makes them good on the top lines is identical to what makes them good on the bottom lines, they can physically impose themself to create space. The difference between Ryan Malone and Mike Rupp is that Malone had the hands to advance himself.

[DelPen]

Looks like Bylsma like his two way play and he's been the 4th line center most of camp, hasn't he? I like Vitale's grit and tenacity but sometimes you need smarts and a little more skill. Jeffrey fills that role nicely. I wouldn'd be shocked though to see him and Lovejoy traded for some AHL depth or late picks if they decide they want to keep Despres and Bennett up.

[Pens15]

I totally agree with the OP. Not saying Jeffrey is a great option for the top six but he should have at least been given a look. But maybe that says more about my lack of belief in Tangradi. Hope I'm wrong, I really do but to me Tangradi looks like a complete dud. I'll be surprised if he lasts more than 2 games on the Malkin line because I think he will drag down that line.

[Pens15]

Jeffery is a fringe NHLer. Not sure what people see in him that has them clamoring to see him skate with the best player in the world

Clamoring to see it? No, just saying that he might be the least bad option.

[Idoit40fans]

Jeffrey is not a fringe NHLer, he also spells his name the way it is pronounced. And yes, I don't think he deserves to be assigned to the top lines, and certainly shouldn't be playing with Crosby, but maybe a shot on the second line would be allowable. Agreed, to me he would be the favorite because he has a little NHL experience and is the least bad option.

[Pitts]

Keep Bennet on Crosby's line, drop Kunitz back to Geno's line = problem solved.

[Rylan]

Jeffery is a fringe NHLer. Not sure what people see in him that has them clamoring to see him skate with the best player in the world

Still better than TK :slug:

[pcm]

Jeffrey's role is going to be as a utility player for the time being. He'll have to work his up the lineup (as he did a couple years ago) to earn a permanent spot. That's fine...he's got the skill set to do it. So long as he's not the default healthy scratch for too long.

Blysma will play him alongside Malkin for a few shifts whenever he dresses... That'll be his opportunity to make it difficult to pull him off that line.

[pcm]

Jeffery is a fringe NHLer. Not sure what people see in him that has them clamoring to see him skate with the best player in the world

He scored some big goals during that stretch before his injury, some of them from the 4th line. It showed a knack for having a "big game" attitude. That along with his decent hands, speed, size, and awareness makes seem like a guy who could have a permanent spot in this league not so dissimilar from Max Talbot.

[SolidSnake]

Why hasn't someone started a topic that says "Why isn't Dustin Jeffrey getting a chance with Sid?"

[Rylan]

Why hasn't someone started a topic that says "Why isn't Dustin Jeffrey getting a chance with Sid?"

Please don't encourage. :lol: