Completely agree Jeff... I'm not sure what people want out of a 3rd/4th line with a Salary Cap.
Neal Crosby Malkin
Kunitz Staal Kennedy
Cook Letestu Jeffrey
Rupp XXXX Adams
After the record, the big guns going down, etc. I don't think they'll try to find new Wingers (and Free Agency RW's are not strong)
I can see the bottom 12 shifting depending our own FA signings but I doubt they'll spend 3-4 million on Talbot and Dupuis. Maybe, Kovy takes 1.5 million to play another year but....
Also, I know everybody keeps saying Staal is the perfect 3rd line center but I'm pretty sure at 4 million, the salary cap, and the pride of playing in the top 6, the PENS can not keep him their for 2-3 more years...
LLama
With the pieces we have, I think that is the best lineup we could put on the ice.
Very intelligent player, deceptive skills. He's a poor man's (a very poor man) Pavel Datsyuk. I think he'll be a better offensive player at 31 than he is today.
For the love of God areyou ****ing kidding me!?!?!?
He's kind of one of those guys that would be a top two line center on a really bad team or a bottom-6 utility guy on a contender. He's not your typical utility guy, he doesn't hit or kill penalties (though he might play PK in the future), but he still contributes. It helps that he's good on face-offs and a right-handed shot.
I'm not really his biggest supporter, but if used properly, he can help any team win. He's kind of like Erik Christensen but with better character.
He reminds me more Mike Zigomanis than Christensen, but I agree with everything you said.
He reminds me more Mike Zigomanis than Christensen, but I agree with everything you said.
That's selling his offensive sense and game short. Right now I think he's at a Jan Hrdina level but I think he can clean up his skating to become a lot better player.
He's kind of one of those guys that would be a top two line center on a really bad team or a bottom-6 utility guy on a contender. He's not your typical utility guy, he doesn't hit or kill penalties (though he might play PK in the future), but he still contributes. It helps that he's good on face-offs and a right-handed shot.
I'm not really his biggest supporter, but if used properly, he can help any team win. He's kind of like Erik Christensen but with better character.
That's selling his offensive sense and game short. Right now I think he's at a Jan Hrdina level but I think he can clean up his skating to become a lot better player.
Now that you mention it Hrdina might not be a bad comparison. Somewhere between someone like that and someone like Eric Belanger is probably about right, I think.
I like the Belanger comparison. I think Letestu is a little more natural offensively though. Belanger's numbers are a great benchmark to hold Letestu to though.
I like the Belanger comparison. I think Letestu is a little more natural offensively though. Belanger's numbers are a great benchmark to hold Letestu to though.
Yeah, Letestu is definitely a little more comfortable in the offensive zone than Belanger is. I think in terms of actual skill - vision, passing, shot, puck control - offensively, they're probably similar. Letestu's main advantage there is instinct, he just seems to know where he needs to be off the puck, whereas Belanger sometimes just sort of mills around in the slot waiting for something to happen. Defensively I think they're very similar though.
