I love Brandon Sutter but let's not get crazy now. He's got 14 points in 32 games while Staal has 20 in 30.
As for the "superior linemates" argument, I would take Cooke and Kennedy easily over a concussion-traumatized Jeff Skinner and the revolving door of crap that is Bowman/Wallace/Jokinen. Matter of fact I have been screaming on the Canes' board for weeks that we need to trade for Kennedy so J. can have someone to play with.
I will give it to Shero, he made the best of a bad situation. If Dumoulin turns out to be a decent second-pair guy and they figure out how to keep Sutter long-term, he wins the deal hands-down.
People seem to be overlooking that point. Staal is a better player than Sutter. I don't think you can make a logical argument other wise.
He was a 25g type of guy. He probably is still that same player. He just so happens to play with the 2nd best player in the world. He's had pretty good linemates in both Dallas and Pittsburgh, except for in 2011 with Pittsburgh, when not surprisingly he only had 2 goals in 27 games.
So obviously he wasnt struggling, but nobody ever saw him as the player he is today until he started playing with Malkin.
He was 23 when he was traded to the Penguins, I don't think anybody was seeing him as a bust either
One thing I wonder about though. For Penguins fans, if you could redraft at #8 again, who would you take? Would it still be Pouliot?
I'm still pissed Shero drafted DP over Fors or Grigs, and prolly will be unless DP turns into a stud in the next few years and Shero don't continue to lose Dmen for nothing because he has too many.
Also, I really wish this thread wasn't started by a Pens' fan.
I think the Penguins won the Staal trade pretty easily. Sutter has played great. 9 Goals, 6 of which are in the third period. He is good on the PK and good on Faceoffs.Dumoulin is a very good D prospect. Pouliot is a great pick. The Neal and Kunitz trades. The Dupuis/Hossa deals and the Hal Gill and Gary Roberts trades. All good pickups. Shero is one of, if not the best trading GM's in the league.
I'm still pissed Shero drafted DP over Fors or Grigs, and prolly will be unless DP turns into a stud in the next few years and Shero don't continue to lose Dmen for nothing because he has too many.
Also, I really wish this thread wasn't started by a Pens' fan.
If Grigs or Forsberg were wingers, then I'd agree with you. There wasn't a real need for a center.We are set with Crosby,Malkin and Sutter. Yes, we badly need Forward prospects on the wings. The Penguins view Pouliot of a "future Letang" i hope.And I'd take that over a Center.
He was a 25g type of guy. He probably is still that same player. He just so happens to play with the 2nd best player in the world. He's had pretty good linemates in both Dallas and Pittsburgh, except for in 2011 with Pittsburgh, when not surprisingly he only had 2 goals in 27 games.
So obviously he wasnt struggling, but nobody ever saw him as the player he is today until he started playing with Malkin.
Malkin missed half of the season so far and when healthy him and Neal were playing with Kennedy/Tangradi/Jeffrey/Glass most of the time. Still Neal is 5th in goals league wide with 17 in 32 (44 goal pace).
If Grigs or Forsberg were wingers, then I'd agree with you. There wasn't a real need for a center.We are set with Crosby,Malkin and Sutter. Yes, we badly need Forward prospects on the wings. The Penguins view Pouliot of a "future Letang" i hope.And I'd take that over a Center.
Fors is a right handed RW, essentially exactly what the Pens need.
Staal is still the better offensive threat, and better on the PK as well. Sutter is a very nice consolation prize, but this was more of a win win type trade. the Pens got a suitable replacement, and a couple of prospects that we cant really judge yet, and the Hurricanes got a premium all around center, and upgrade on Sutter.
Staal will be fine. 30 games is not an accurate depiction of how things will go for him. He's still developing...I'll say that even when he's not with the Pens.
I'm happy with Sutter's play for the Pens, and I hope the Dumoulin and Pouliot will swing that deal in Shero's favor. Still a lot of time needed to evaluate this deal.
If I could go back and draft again, I'd probably would have taken Grigorenko, but with that being said, I would have taken Pouliot over Forsberg. I wasn't a big Forsberg fan. People knock Pouliot for some reason, and I'm not entirely sure why. He has elite puck moving ability, a great shot, and a mean demeanor. What he needs to work on can be worked on and coached. He can gain weight, and have a frame very, very similar to Letang's which is more than adequate to withstand the NHL pounding. He needs work defensively, but even if he were a great defensive player, he would still need to be coached up since the Pens play a different defensive system than anything any Jr player will play. I like the Pouliot pick, and from what I saw of Dumoulin in WBS, he'll be a very good middle pairing defenseman some day.
Malkin missed half of the season so far and when healthy him and Neal were playing with Kennedy/Tangradi/Jeffrey/Glass most of the time. Still Neal is 5th in goals league wide with 17 in 32 (44 goal pace).
Does not sound a 25g type of guy to me...
Who does he play with on the Power Play? 8/17 goals are on the Power Play and you know exactly who helps him get great opportunities there.
How many of his 9 even strength goals have been assisted by Malkin and how many have occurred when Malkin has been out?
Classic HF player evaluation.
