2013 Pens Roster Thoughts

FORWARDS

Craig Adams

• Last Season: 82gp, 5g, 13a, 18pts, -6, 34 PIM
• Trending: Even.  Adams is your prototypical role player and penalty killer.  Nothing about his role will change and his output will likely stay similar.

Matt Cooke

• Last Season: 82gp, 19g, 19a, 38pts, +5, 44 PIM
• Trending: Even.  Cooke’s incredible transition towards a disciplined game last season was hardly a fluke.  He will continue to succeed with Sutter as his center and the 3^rd line will benefit as a whole with 71 and 87 healthy.

Sidney Crosby

• Last Season: 22gp, 8g, 29a, 37pts, +15, 14 PIM
• Trending: Up. He’s healthy, he’s determined, and he’s ready to dominate the NHL again.  The last time we saw a fully healthy and rested Crosby, he was on a 25 game pt streak.  Welcome back for real Sid.  My pick for the Art Ross.

Pascal Dupuis

• Last Season: 82gp, 25g, 34a, 59pts, +18, 34 PIM
• Trending: Down.  Even though he should get a full season with Sid this year, I think we have seen the peak of Pascal Dupuis already.  He’ll do all the gritty work just fine, but I expect his point total to drop.

Tanner Glass

• Last Season: 78gp, 5g, 11a, 16pts, -12, 73 PIM
• Trending: Up.  Glass as a player is probably even, but his surrounding cast should help him out.  He will fit well with the 4^th line and is expected to get some time on Malkin’s line as well.

Dustin Jeffrey

• Last Season: 26gp, 4g, 2a, 6pts, -4, 2 PIM
• Trending: Up.  Jeffrey is hard to predict since Bylsma doesn’t like to play him for being too productive or something.  Though he won’t play the full schedule, expect him to be productive when he gets in.

Tyler Kennedy

• Last Season: 60gp, 11g, 22a, 33pts, +10, 29 PIM
• Trending: Even.  We’ll make fun of Kennedy for his inaccurate shot and odd shooting choices, but he still adds more than he subtracts and will be playing for a contract.

Chris Kunitz

• Last Season: 82gp, 26g, 35a, 61pts, +16, 49 PIM
• Trending: Even.  Though he lost a spot on Malkin’s line, I think he’ll survive on Crosby’s wing instead.  The two already have wonderful chemistry and Kunitz should benefit greatly from the new powerplay setup if it lasts.

Evgeni Malkin

• Last Season: 75gp, 50g, 59a, 109pts, +18, 70 PIM
• Trending: Up. How does a player who won the Hart and Art Ross trend up?  By tearing it up in the KHL before coming back to the NHL at full speed!  I fully expect Geno to bring his KHL scoring back to the NHL.

James Neal

• Last Season: 80gp, 40g, 41a, 81pts, +6, 87 PIM 
• Trending: Even.  I considered trending Neal down because I am worried how the powerplay will affect him offensively, but he should do fine on Malkin’s wing for the 2^nd straight year.  His goal total will probably drop if he plays the point significantly on the powerplay though.

Brandon Sutter

• Last Season: 82gp, 17g, 15a, 32pts, -3, 21 PIM
• Trending: Up.  I was a huge fan of Sutter in Carolina and I expect big things out of him in Pittsburgh.  He doesn’t have Staal’s shot, but he is a smarter player and has better anticipation.  Expect all of his numbers to improve.

Eric Tangradi

• Last Season: 24gp, 0g, 2a, 2pts, -4, 16 PIM
• Trending: Even.  Tangradi SHOULD be trending up by now but he hasn’t shown anything to make him a top 6 forward yet.  Though he may accumulate points on Malkin’s wing, he may also flounder and hurt the line in comparison to what they had last year.

Joe Vitale

• Last Season: 68gp, 4g, 10a, 14pts, -5, 56 PIM
• Trending: Even.  Much like Craig Adams except younger, Vitale will be a strong checking line player and has pretty much shown you what he has to contribute for the Pens.

DEFENSE

Robert Bortuzzo

• Last Season: 6gp, 0g, 0a, 0pts, +1, 2 PIM
• Trending: Up. Bortuzzo had a solid camp and will remind you of Scuderi in his defensive positioning.  How much he gets to play is a mystery though as the team carries 8 defensemen.

Simon Despres

• Last Season: 18gp, 1g, 3a, 4pts, +5, 10 PIM
• Trending: Even. He has the talent, but the big question will be if Despres can keep up with the speed of the NHL and keep it simple.  I would not be surprised to see him sent down later this season.

Deryk Engelland

• Last Season: 73gp, 4g, 13a, 17pts, +10, 56 PIM
• Trending: Down. Though he had a good season last year, I still have concerns about his range and speed in the defensive zone. I have a feeling he will take a step back this year.

Kris Letang

• Last Season: 51gp, 10g, 32a, 42pts, +21, 34 PIM
• Trending: Up.  If Letang stays healthy, expect him to be in the contention for a Norris Trophy.  His maturity will be a big key this season as he needs to help Despres and others grow into the position.

Ben Lovejoy

• Last Season: 34gp, 1g, 4a, 5pts, +3, 13 PIM
• Trending: Down. Lovejoy almost played himself out of a job during last year’s playoffs and will likely be a regular healthy scratch this season.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get traded for a late round pick.

Paul Martin

• Last Season: 73gp, 2g, 25a, 27pts, +9, 18 PIM
• Trending: Up. Martin’s numbers don’t look nearly as bad as his play at key junctures was last year.  That being said, he knows he needs to improve and he has the talent to do it.  Martin will bounce back this year.

Matt Niskanen

• Last Season: 75gp, 4g, 17a, 21pts, +9, 47 PIM
• Trending: Up. Niskanen was one of the Pens’ more underrated defensemen last year and he should thrive with additional responsibility this year.  He may very well be the Pens most well-rounded defenseman right now.

Brooks Orpik

• Last Season: 73gp, 2g, 16a, 18pts, +19, 61 PIM
• Trending: Even.  I had my doubts about Orpik and was going to trend him down until seeing him at camp this year.  He looks healthy, fresh, and a step quicker than the end of last season.  As long as he doesn’t wear down with the grueling schedule, Orpik will be a solid shutdown defenseman this year.

GOALIES

Marc-Andre Fleury

• Last Season: 67gp, 42-17-4, 3 SO, 2.36 GAA, .913 Save %
• Trending: Even.  Fleury will be consistent year to year at this point even if you want to complain about his inconsistency.  His trademark garbage goals won’t disappear, nor will his absurdly athletic saves.  He certainly needs more defensive help than he had down the stretch last year.

Tomas Vokoun

• Last Season: 48gp, 25-17-2, 4 SO, 2.51 GAA, .917 Save %
• Trending: Down. He’s had some injury issues and he’s leaving a defensive system for a system  here…well…he’s gonna get hung out to dry at times.  He’s a great backup for Fleury, but don’t expect a goalie controversy.