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Downie signs with Pens


brelic

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1 year, $1M.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

I can't even enjoy the French Tickler for 30 minutes before this!?!?!?!?

 

Unless he is paying us to play him this move is awful. 

 

And he's still a POS.

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I can't even enjoy the French Tickler for 30 minutes before this!?!?!?!?

 

Unless he is paying us to play him this move is awful. 

 

And he's still a POS.

 

Well, it's only 1 year and it's only $1M. Worst case scenario, they scratch him if he's no good. If he's healthy, he might actually contribute on the 3rd line.

 

He's a POS, but now he's your POS ;)

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good luck w/ that B21 and Polaris... I can not stand the guy...   But, some Flyers fans claim he was the reason the Flyers season turned around.   Which it was not but you got that going for you - which is nice.  

 

Oh goodie....

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Surely all the thanks go to Rick Tocchet.

 

gotta be...he is probably the only one who can get through to him....i guess......

 

"Downie adds real composure to the Pens' already disciplined play vs. the Flyers" - wish this was my quote.......

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You know, for all the crap people are giving this signing, this may turn out to be pretty good for the Pens.

 

Granted, Steve Downie IS the poster boy for not-so-good decisions on the ice, but underneath all the garbage is a pretty good 2nd/3rd line type player.

When he first ended up in Tampa Bay, he was what most people expected: a complete hothead, always looking for a fight, taking penalties at the most inopportune time, and seemingly more concerned about who was "out to get him" rather than helping his team win.

 

Over time, playing with certain personalities who really cared about the game, Steve Downie actually became a good, reliable offensive threat....while still being a sandpaper type player and picking the right times to stick up for his teammates.

And I've often read how Rick Tocchet was credited with helping him along.

Also, playing with the likes of Steve Stamkos, Vincent Lecavalier, and Marty St. Louis at the time could have helped because Downie, regardless of people's opinions on him, IS a proud guy and I could see Tocchet talking into his ear telling him he could be every bit as good as those guys on the ice if he wanted to be.

 

Downie gets traded to the Avalanche, where he continued his good play, but somewhere along the way, for reasons I am not anywhere near knowing why, he seemed to have reverted to his knucklehead ways....and the Avalanche simply were not gonna coddle him, saw him as expendable, and off to Philly he went.

 

Back in Philly, he seemed lost quite frankly. Yes he got injured, but he just seemed like he didn't know where he fit in or what he was supposed to be doing out there.

Well deserved criticism can be leveled at Downie for whatever his issues in Philly were (concussions aside), because he IS a professional, IS talented, and should act as such.

 

But see, the thing is, Steve Downie just seems to me like the kind of guy who needs some sort of authority figure to take an interest in him and guide him.

Steve Downie is NOT  a leader, he is a classic follower.  For better or worse and however people want to take that...that is who he is near as I can tell.

 

To get the most out of him, it appears one has to basically treat him like a rebellious teen (yes, I know, it sounds ridiculous, but hey, it is what it is), and make him see that doing certain things a certain way is for his own good, and in the process, he can be a big help to his team.

There aren't too many people in the NHL who are gonna treat Downie with those kinds of kid gloves....nor should he really expect that.

 

But for whatever reason, Rick Tocchet did.

And perhaps, using the same type of psychology on the guy as he did in Tampa, except this time, using Crosby, Malkin, Kunitz, etc as models, he and the Pens coaching staff can once again get GOOD hockey out of Downie while at the same time acquiring themselves a guy who can do the dirty work so guys like Sidney Crosby don't have to....... i.e., deal with the opposition's agitators and goons.

 

Bottom line for the Pens:

It's a one year deal and quite cheap at that. Pens have nothing to lose.

If Downie is STILL an idiot, then the Pens can scratch him as was suggested, then let him walk at season's end and be none the worse for wear.

But if Downie gets his head screwed on straight (well, about as straight as a guy like him can, anyways), then the Pens have themselves a really good player that can fill the offensive roles (as well as the pest and fighting/roughing roles) of departed players such as James Neal, Joe Vitale, and Derek Engelland...all in one package.

 

IMO, classic case of low risk, high reward.

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For all the Downie haters out there, for whatever reason, his arrival on the 3rd line with Couturier and Read just "happened" to be the same time that  the Flyers pulled out of their funk. They moved Max "I am pouting" Talbot because he thought he was too good to play on the 3rd/4th line. When Downie plays with even a little  control, he is really strong in the corners with puck possession and a decent passer too. I agree with TFG, low risk, high reward potential. If someone is going to get the most out of him, Tocchet is the guy.

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I don't like the guy. Is there potential in him? Sure. Do I wish someone else were experimenting with him? Yes. As TFG says he has an upside. But can it be tapped without the issues? If nothing else we got the BS attitude off the second line (Neal) and put it on the fourth.

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For all the Downie haters out there, for whatever reason, his arrival on the 3rd line with Couturier and Read just "happened" to be the same time that  the Flyers pulled out of their funk. They moved Max "I am pouting" Talbot because he thought he was too good to play on the 3rd/4th line. When Downie plays with even a little  control, he is really strong in the corners with puck possession and a decent passer too. I agree with TFG, low risk, high reward potential. If someone is going to get the most out of him, Tocchet is the guy.

 

I'm guessing this is directed at all your naysayers on this topic? ;)  I can't remember that thread title for that one in the Flyers section but it was fun to follow. :D

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