Everyone keeps bringing up Despres, Morrow, and Harrington....have they accomplished anything at the pro level yet? Only Despres has even skated a shift in the NHL, and sure he looked good, but he has yet to see any real quality competition at the pro level.
He played 18 games last year plus 3 against Philly in the playoffs. Do you remember our schedule at the end of the year when he played? It was brutal. I'd say Despres got a REAL GOOD taste of how tough it is in the NHL, and he handled himself quite well. I expect him to be even stronger / better in the fall, knowing he's likely to get a spot if he plays well in camp and if we don't sign any FA D.
He played 18 games last year plus 3 against Philly in the playoffs. Do you remember our schedule at the end of the year when he played? It was brutal. I'd say Despres got a REAL GOOD taste of how tough it is in the NHL, and he handled himself quite well. I expect him to be even stronger / better in the fall, knowing he's likely to get a spot if he plays well in camp and if we don't sign any FA D.
I was referring to his on ice competition, not a lack of experience. Those 3 games were also with 7 D though. Like I said he looked good in his time up, but he wasn't on the ice against the opponents best guys, nor should he have been. I'm just saying we still have a lot to see from him, like how he will handle tougher competition. It's good on the organization that he isn't being rushed to play tough minutes, it's a role he will have to grow into. I'm am not trying to slight him, I like him and think he has a good future here, just seems some are putting the cart before the horse already penciling the guy in the top 4 and what have you.
I hate this pick. I have no problem with picking a defenseman at #8, I just have a problem with picking this one. Any defenseman whose weakness is his "defensive game" is a guy I want nothing to do with.
2-4 minutes out of the game, his job is offense. The rest of the game, his first responsibility is defense. If he sucks at what he's supposed to be doing for 16-18 minutes of his icetime, he sucks.
Hoping some other team that overvalues offense from defensemen will trade us something good for him eventually.
Hoping some other team that overvalues offense from defensemen will trade us something good for him eventually.
I don't know which two, but I would bet two of
Strait
Bortuzzo
Harrington
and every D we drafted this weekend other than Maatta maybe, who seems like kind of a lock / a guy you don't trade right away... will be moved by the deadline (maybe including other players) for decent roster assets.
Lovejoy should be the first guy out. I don't even care if they get anything for him, I just don't want him seeing NHL minutes for the Penguins. I actually like Strait, and wouldn't mind seeing him as the #6/#7.
A) We don't need forward prospects. We lead the league in scoring or are near the top every year, have three great young centers including two of the best in the league, and have a 40g young sniper signed long term.
B) Our d is an area of weakness, despite the vast sums poured into it. We now have 6 elite d prospects. If even one of those lives up to their potential we are in great shape.
C) Pouliot was obviously at the top of the Pens' prospect board. Just because some of us think Forsberg is better, doesn't mean the Pens did. I trust the Pens' scouts. They haven't missed yet with their first rounders, sans Esposito who we parlayed into Hossa.
I hate this pick. I have no problem with picking a defenseman at #8, I just have a problem with picking this one. Any defenseman whose weakness is his "defensive game" is a guy I want nothing to do with.
2-4 minutes out of the game, his job is offense. The rest of the game, his first responsibility is defense. If he sucks at what he's supposed to be doing for 16-18 minutes of his icetime, he sucks.
Hoping some other team that overvalues offense from defensemen will trade us something good for him eventually.
You can teach defense. (see, Letang, Kris, who took a while to learn that part of the game) You can't teach the skills Pouliot has.
Lovejoy should be the first guy out. I don't even care if they get anything for him, I just don't want him seeing NHL minutes for the Penguins. I actually like Strait, and wouldn't mind seeing him as the #6/#7.
Lovejoy is history IMO. He'll be thrown into a deal as an extra or just sent down / through waivers. Although Disco had a jones for him at one time so maybe not. Hopefully he doesn't reach Craig Adams-like status here.
A lot of people are really disappointed by taking a defenseman over Forsberg but I like it because:
1) Shero knows defenseman. I trust any 1st round defenseman he picks considering how good Despres and Morrow look for the future.
2) Forsberg didn't look great against grown men this season according to The Hockey News Draft Edition. It said that some scouts downgraded him from a high talent forward to a two-way guy. Looks like a few other teams felt that way after he dropped.
3) This insane pipeline of defense are bullets in Shero's gun for future trades. He's already shown that he can turn defensemen into wingers (Whitney-Kunitz/Tangradi & Gogo-Neal) and now he has a ton of guys he can dangle for help on the wings.
A lot of people are really disappointed by taking a defenseman over Forsberg but I like it because:
1) Shero knows defenseman. I trust any 1st round defenseman he picks considering how good Despres and Morrow look for the future.
2) Forsberg didn't look great against grown men this season according to The Hockey News Draft Edition. It said that some scouts downgraded him from a high talent forward to a two-way guy. Looks like a few other teams felt that way after he dropped.
3) This insane pipeline of defense are bullets in Shero's gun for future trades. He's already shown that he can turn defensemen into wingers (Whitney-Kunitz/Tangradi & Gogo-Neal) and now he has a ton of guys he can dangle for help on the wings.
Of we get parise, wingers won't be an issue, I like this move.
Of we get parise, wingers won't be an issue, I like this move.
Yeah, that would give Sid and Geno each an all-star linemate. And while we'll be paying them like all-stars we may be able to afford that by constantly replacing defensemen with entry level guys.
The Pens obviously liked Derrick Pouloit's talent and see him as a great fit for their system and what they want to do. I think another part of it may be that they are very happy with the job Portland is doing developing Morrow and maybe not quite as confident in some of the overseas teams to develop their prospects and Forsberg may play over there for another year or two.
A lot of people are really disappointed by taking a defenseman over Forsberg but I like it because:
1) Shero knows defenseman. I trust any 1st round defenseman he picks considering how good Despres and Morrow look for the future.
2) Forsberg didn't look great against grown men this season according to The Hockey News Draft Edition. It said that some scouts downgraded him from a high talent forward to a two-way guy. Looks like a few other teams felt that way after he dropped.
3) This insane pipeline of defense are bullets in Shero's gun for future trades. He's already shown that he can turn defensemen into wingers (Whitney-Kunitz/Tangradi & Gogo-Neal) and now he has a ton of guys he can dangle for help on the wings.
Forsberg was one of the youngest in the draft class, Aug 94. The fact that he didn't look good can mean a lot of things considering he is no where near physical maturity.
Forsberg was one of the youngest in the draft class, Aug 94. The fact that he didn't look good can mean a lot of things considering he is no where near physical maturity.
Actually the reports on him was that he has the physical tools and "He's probably the safest pick as a forward you can find", but that he didn't show the high end skill that he was thought to have based on one five game tournament last summer.
Regarding Pouliot, he feels like a bit of a reach at #8, but at the same time I don't think there were any players left that are clearly better prospects. If he was picked 5 picks later I think very few here would have any complaints about the pick.
The Pens obviously liked Derrick Pouloit's talent and see him as a great fit for their system and what they want to do. I think another part of it may be that they are very happy with the job Portland is doing developing Morrow and maybe not quite as confident in some of the overseas teams to develop their prospects and Forsberg may play over there for another year or two.
This is a good point (about trusting certain teams in the minors and how they develop guys).
Most of the rankings I've seen had him in the 10-15 range. Maybe a bit of a reach at 8, but I wouldn't say it was a big one.
Pretty much. I think Trouba or Forsberg could have been the only other players worth considering but Pouliot could definitely have it's payoffs over them.
I recall in 2005 that Setoguchi was a reach at 8 and "would have been available" in the middle of the first. When you compare him to the other forwards of that 1st round, he compares favourably.
The fact that a guy was "expected" to go later than he did means nothing after draft day.
Doubting that's more than a minor reason they picked him. It's more about his skills / how he projects, and as someone said maybe how that team develops D. The Morrow thing is a bonus.
Doubting that's more than a minor reason they picked him. It's more about his skills / how he projects, and as someone said maybe how that team develops D. The Morrow thing is a bonus.
If you're talking about developing two high end defensemen, putting them in a conducive environment to develop is key. I think pairing two guys together in the pro's who have established chemistry from years past aids in that development.
I have followed all the drafts since the 1980s and the only thing they have in common are "the pre Draft ratings" never coincides with what they do in their careers. Judging an 18 year old is like going to a High School and predicting who will become doctors. They will do fine with this pick.... Maybe he will be the next Paul Coffey. He went in the top ten but not the first D-man Chosen because he was Offensively strong and weak defensively.
The Pens obviously liked Derrick Pouloit's talent and see him as a great fit for their system and what they want to do. I think another part of it may be that they are very happy with the job Portland is doing developing Morrow and maybe not quite as confident in some of the overseas teams to develop their prospects and Forsberg may play over there for another year or two.
I think Portland has had 17 players selected in the past three drafts with another three or four projected in 2013. This recent history apparently was the impetus to get Seth Jones into the fold next season. Pouliot's in good hands.
