The Penguins are a team fraught by frequent tragedy. An unfair share.
The latest chapter is winger Pascal Dupuis being diagnosed with a blood clot in his lung. His season is over. His career is threatened.
Dupuis’ distinguished Penguins tenure has turned Marian Hossa into a throw-in. Dupuis is a glue guy in a sometimes-fragile dressing room.
But complaining won’t help. Neither will sorrow.
The Penguins need to fix their problems.
But they don’t need to do it immediately.
The Penguins lead the Metropolitan Division with a mark of 13-4-2. That’s with Sidney Crosby’s production stuck in neutral (one goal in his last 11 games) and after losing both legs of a home-and-home with the Islanders this past weekend.
Blake Comeau and Nick Spaling are not top-six wingers. They’re reasonably decent, temporary fill-ins, but no better.
Coach Mike Johnston seems married to matching Brandon Sutter and Beau Bennett on his third line. A solid plan, since Johnston wants scoring from all three lines. Sutter’s line has four goals in five games since Bennett’s return.
One logical move: Steve Downie goes from right wing with Sutter and Bennett to right wing with Crosby and Chris Kunitz. Downie proved his compatibility with top talent when he netted 22 goals skating alongside Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis with Tampa Bay in 2009-10.
Johnston might be loath to separate Downie from Sutter and Bennett. But it would be illogical to cripple the top six by way of propping up the third line.
If Downie went to Crosby’s line, Bennett could flip to right wing, his better position (though he’s done decent at left wing recently).
Downie has come under fire for taking ill-advised penalties. Note to critics: Shut up. Better to be occasionally chaotic than constantly bullied. Let Downie be Downie.
Regardless of potential lineup machinations, the Penguins are short a top-six winger, probably two.
So, finally -- trade a defenseman. Or two.
The drafting and stockpiling of defensemen by ex-GM Ray Shero was a maddening quirk. As we too often heard, “You can never have enough defensemen.” True. It’s also true that it’s unwise to be short on quality wingers.
The early deployment of the Penguins’ defensive corps has also been a bit maddening and quirky.
Robert Bortuzzo is big, and he hits. That’s needed now, and will be even more necessary come the playoffs. Yet, when all defensemen are available, Bortuzzo is usually odd man out. Rob Scuderi is preferred. Scuderi’s positional play has been solid after a poor start to the season. But his physicality and stick strength are lacking.
Paul Martin is in his contract’s last year. But Martin is playing well. Letting him walk at season’s end, then using the resulting $5 million cap space to sign a winger, would likely yield a better get than trading Martin. More selection.
Health issues noted, Kris Letang and Olli Maatta are untouchable. So, too, is prospect/first-year pro Derrick Pouliot, currently playing for the Penguins’ Wilkes-Barre/Scranton affiliate. Pouliot is Martin’s successor in both style and role.
The two remaining years on Scuderi’s deal make him difficult to swap. Too old, too mediocre, too expensive.
Christian Ehrhoff is on a one-year contract and hasn’t been dynamic. Return would be minimal.
Simon Despres, finally given a legit chance, looks solid and plays big.
Bortuzzo hits. No one hits besides Bortuzzo and Despres, at least not enough.
Defensemen, defensemen everywhere, and not a one to trade. To get, you have to give.
Brian Dumoulin, Scott Harrington and Philip Samuelsson are in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. It makes more sense, salary cap-wise, to trade a vet and plug in Harrington, who is on an entry-level deal through next season. Under a cap, one big key to winning is decent young players who provide cap relief.
What GM Jim Rutherford should do isn’t clear.
But he must do something. Or another spring will be wasted and the franchise’s recent history of badly underachieving will be further solidified.
Mark Madden hosts a radio show 3-6 p.m. weekdays on WXDX-FM (105.9).
More about Penguins
- ARTICLE: Fleury will have chance at 300th win Friday
- ARTICLE: Dupuis continues a trend of unusual, lengthy Penguins injuries
- ARTICLE: Winning streaks are fun, until they end
- ARTICLE: Madden: Penguins' power play even more powerful
More about Mark Madden
- ARTICLE: Madden: Martin leaving isn't the problem; not signing anyone else will be
- ARTICLE: Madden: Penguins need to make right move with Bennett
- ARTICLE: Madden: Steelers slip back into old habits
- ARTICLE: Madden: Penguins' power play even more powerful
No comments:
Post a Comment