wow! now the Pens can add d-men prospects Pouliot, Maata and Dumoulin to Morrow and Despres...that's some major defensive talent!!
It's all Shero's plan to troll pens fans & skate 12 d-men.
I actually saw him before the draft but didn't know who he was. He was with Forsberg just kind of looking around by the gift shop where the red carpet ended. Saw Tanner Pearson & a couple others as well.
He was a great pickup at 22nd. I just dont like the way Shero has maximized assets.
You take the best player available, period.
This holds true of this pick...the 8th pick not so much, but I trust our scouts enough that it'll be good...that pick was just harder to stomach given who was on the board and our organizational strength...but absolutely no one could have expected Määttä to slip all the way to 22nd when the Penguins picked 8th. Who knows, our draft board may have had Pouliot exactly one spot ahead of Määttä. At the end of the day we're all amateurs and the professionals are the ones that make the picks. If the professionals had a proven track record of being idiots then we'd be more worthy of complaints, but I don't think any of us are complaining about the Despres or Morrow picks today, are we?
Regardless of his position, every one of us has legitimate reason to be thrilled with this pick. You don't look a gift horse in the mouth. I said that Määttä had no chance in hell of being available when the Penguins chose yesterday because I expected him to be gone by the time the Capitals picked for the first time. The guy could be an unmoveable tweener center for all I care, he's a top ten caliber pick on the majority of draft boards and we got him at #22.
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“The most terrifying fact about the universe is not that it is hostile, but that it is indifferent. If we can come to terms with this indifference and accept the challenges of life within the boundaries of death, our existence as a species can have genuine meaning and fulfillment. However vast the darkness, we must supply our own light.” - Stanley Kubrick
I love the fact Maatta fell to us. When he was still on the board with about 3 teams still to pick ahead of the Pens at #22, I thought for sure he'd be gone.
Though the Pens recent picks make me wonder if the scouts watch any teams other than Portland or London.
He is a pro-sized, intelligent defender with good two-way abilities. He skates with agility, but only has average speed. His stride is extremely fluid and easy. He has good all-direction mobility and agility, which aids his defensive zone coverage. He is a heads-up defender who identifies situations and coverage well. He is solid positional-wise and effective in corners. He is not overly physical, but uses his positioning and body to leverage players out of the way. He shows a good stick in passing lanes and knocks down a few passes. He is a shot-blocking machine and is strong along the boards when fighting for pucks. He is good at identifying open ice and steps up, keeping strong gaps.
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Absolutely love the pick here. He's a very, very good value at 22. A big, smart, safe defenseman with a little bit of offensive upside who is almost NHL ready at the time of the draft... That's a great pick at 22.
"- I know nothing about next year yet. I'm going to camp and want to convince people in Pittsburgh that i can play in NHL. When you go to training camp, you're going there to do your best, Määttä says.
- If the spot in the NHL doesn't open, it's nothing to be too worried about. One more year in juniors, isn't that bad of a choice."
I never said Maatta wasnt the best player at 22, cause he was. But we now picked up 4 defensive prospects and no offensive prospects after trading 2 core peices. That is not good asset management in my mind, especially with what was there at 8.
Nick D'Agostino continues to be underrated and says hello. Pens will definitely want to sign him after he finishes school. He's looking legit.
Or have his rights be traded. You don't want him pulling a Justin Schultz after he leaves school, if he thinks he doesn't have a chance here, although that loop-hole wll likely be closed.
I watched every single LDN playoff game and several during the regular season. I will give a detailed scouting report on Maatta soon. For now, however, I will say Jacob is right about the Despres comparision in a few ways:
This guy can really skate. Also, he (like Despres in his draft year) makes some very questionable decisions. This guy is a giveaway machine at times, so there has to be some major concern there. But the upside/skillset is tremendous. Is a bit of a boom or bust kind of player: will definitely play, but may not be anything more than a 3rd pairing guy; could also a clear-cut #2 or 3. I think they took the chance on him purely because of the Harrington connection and the Hunters' track record. Will be interesting to see in the future.
I never said Maatta wasnt the best player at 22, cause he was. But we now picked up 4 defensive prospects and no offensive prospects after trading 2 core peices. That is not good asset management in my mind, especially with what was there at 8.
There's no way a trade ISN'T coming. I could see a couple of our D prospects being packaged for a forward, and I think it will happen this summer. We can now put together pretty tempting offers for guys like Colin Wilson (if they move Suter/Weber), Luke Adam, etc. Not necessarily front-line players, but guys who can be good complementary players for our team.
We can also let these guys improve their stock and trade them for 1st & 2nd rounders at next years' (very good) draft.
For what it's worth to you guys, Flyers fans are upset about these developments.
Well, it's good to have that friendly & (hopefully) respectful resentment & competition. We are essentially following your lead from last summer -- trading away key, core pieces for multiple-future driven assets in making over our team.
I think both of our clubs are well positioned. Ours maybe a little better.
For what it's worth to you guys, Flyers fans are upset about these developments.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jmelm
Well, it's good to have that friendly & (hopefully) respectful resentment & competition. We are essentially following your lead from last summer -- trading away key, core pieces for multiple-future driven assets in making over our team.
I think both of our clubs are well positioned. Ours maybe a little better.
It's obviously Shero's reaction to the playoff series.
The Pens will dress 12 D and 6 forwards. They'll regularly ice 5 D at a time, pack it in around MAF. When they eventually draw a penalty, Crosby - Malkin - Neal + go on the ice. After building a 2-0 lead, Bylsma yanks MAF, puts in Vokoun. Hold on for 2-1 victory.
You guys lucked out for sure, what a steal at 22. Smart player, and very mature for his age, he could possibly crack the lineup this coming year if he wasn't just picked up as trade bait.
