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Originally Posted by LetangBrassard23
IMO, it's a weird situation with Orpik. We trade him now and don't have anyone to fill in, also taking away from our already weak Top 4. We hold onto him, assuming his play/value continues to decline year in and year out, no one will want to trade for him. I think it's best to hold onto him and as time goes, lighten his load and move him down in the lineup when some of our young guys/prospects(Bortuzzo, Dumoulin, Harrington, Maatta) can step up.
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No way we hang on to him for more than this year. Unless something goes completely awry, Harrington & Dumoulin should both be ready. He will be a UFA after next season, so there's no point to lose him for nothing when we could get a decent return for him. I would like to see him moved at the draft, because this draft, scouts say, is 60+ quality players deep -- meaning we could get a 1st round, impact type player in the 2nd round. I think we could get a 2nd and a B-level prospect, or something like a 2nd + 4th for Orpik this summer, or he could be packaged for an existing winger. His value declines the longer we hold on to him after the deadline/end of the playoffs this year.
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Originally Posted by Jaded-Fan
I am not sure of your point then.
Everyone agrees that we have the best defensive prospects in the game and within a year or two they will step up as cheap replacements for who we have now. Orpik's days are obviously among the numbered. But you were talking right now in the thread. And that is crazy talk for a cup contender. Do you forget Goligoski's first couple years? Even Letang's? They were brutal. You want to toss a cup away, then bring a rookie into the top four. Even a good one.
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My point is the duality of both asset management, as well as the opportunity to give Bortuzzo the shot he deserves. Bortuzzo ain't getting in the line-up unless Despres goes out. And if we want to see what we have in each of these players, and if Despes & Bortuzzo can sink or swim, we have to start getting them acclimated to the NHL. We can't have 3 or 4 rookies coming into our team next year; we need guys who have more experience. If Despres and Bortuzzo play well and could play the whole season, then we could bring in a guy like Harrington and/or Dumoulin this year, and we wouldn't have 4 rookies on defense.
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Originally Posted by #66
I like Orpik but he had a rough game yesterday. Most defensive defensemen can't skate like him and without him that Pens defense becomes powder puff soft. I guess it would depend on the trade but I wouldn't mind seeing him stick around a few more years.
I actually think the system plays a big part in making the defense look bad. The Pens seem to like an overly aggressive D while playing a zone defense and get burned for it more often than I would like to see.
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It's not just yesterday, he's been bad (or at least inconsistent) at defensive reads for a while now -- since the cup and even before the cup. It's like Brooks and Gonch played a month or two where they made much fewer mistakes, and allowed us to win. The word with Brooks when he was a prospect or when he just entered the NHL was: would he go out of position to make big hits? Well, he did that yesterday, and it cost us a goal. He had better fix that.
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Originally Posted by vyktor
What's the talk with having to trade for a top 4 dman. If Martin truly turns it around this year, which is a big if, and Despres develops like we think he will then the top 4 is pretty well set with LeTang Despres Martin and Niskanen, then Orpik goes away or to the 3rd pairing where he has belonged for a long time. Orpik Engelland as a pairing.
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If Orpik actually makes it to the 3rd pairing, you may as well trade him now to maximize the asset, because I think Bortuzzo is more than capable of being a 3rd pair Dman right now, and we wouldn't lose any size (actually we'd gain) by swapping Bort for Brooks.
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Originally Posted by mrzeigler
I doubt he gets traded ... unless the team finds itself out of playoff contention at the trade deadline. Orpik just opts to signs one last deal to play elsewhere at the end of this contract.
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Disagree. Again, as I stated above: I bet Orpik isn't with the team anymore next season, unless Dumoulin, Despres and Bortuzzo **** the bed, because if Dumo isn't ready now, he will be by September. We're going to have to get these kids ice-time and get them acclimated. You can argue about this year, but I think by next year Dumoulin >> Orpik. So we'll lose the asset for nothing if we don't trade him, and the kids need their chance.
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Originally Posted by KIRK
******* Amen . . .
As I said, a big Amen to you for saying that.
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OK, clearly Kirk gets it, and it's pretty clear what side of the fence he's on.
