Rick Tocchet

[Polaris922]

So Tocchet has been hanging out at a coffee shop nearby where some if my coworkers stop for a break. He talks to them quite a bit apparently. I've spoken to him before but this is turning into a regular thing I guess. He told them yesterday a lot if his plans and ideas for toughening up the Pens lineup and expectations of players like Downie. Could be an interesting season...

[Bertmega]

Man that is awesome. Tocchet is a really good dude. I remember when he was ending his career in Philly, might have been early 2001, and I saw him and John LeClair at a bar in Philly (Finnegan's Wake). I chatted them up for about 10 minutes, and had a drink with them. I'll never forget how down to earth the two were. 

 

Back to the topic in hand, if anybody can get through to Downie it will be Tocchet; however, I truly think Downie is a shell of his former self, and I wouldn't expect too much toughness out of him....

[yave1964]

The Pens and the Leafs both had the bottom six as their poison or kryptonite last year, and they took different routes to fix them.

  The Pens added oafish tough guy Downie, an underrated Spalling and the underrated Comeau ho can score a bit and has a good motor. They are hoping that Dupuis can help in the top six as well as Hornqvist and Bennett who had a lost year. IMHO they are still a bit thin but they ahve changed the dynamic around their big two considerably.

 

 The Leafs had as bad of a bottom six as there was in the game save for Buffalo. That killed their season. They have remedied this by bringing in David Booth, Mike Santorelli, Daniel Winnick and Matt Frattin, all proven NHLers with different skill sets, as well as european imports from the KHL retunree Komarov and Petru Kontiola who is a bit long in the tooth for a rookie at 29 but he has long been regarded as one of Europes best playmakers.

 

  Between the two i give the edge to Toronto. I meant to write this up in a Leaf post, how they quietly after the first few days of July kept discreetly signing forwards with talent and skill, not top line guys, they dont need them they have them, but character and skilled players who know their roles.

 

 My opinion is the Penguins with the loss of Neal (his skill, not his antics), Jokinen, Niskanen and Orpik (yes waaaaayyyy overpaid but still a damn good d-man) have taken a step back, a fairly significant step back at that with the replacements. I see them as still capable of winning the division but not the mortal lock that they were. I rate there offseason a c or c-, a lot of that from signing the underrated Greiss and flat out stealing Erhoff. Beyond that, i am not that impressed with their offseason.

 

 At least they try though. Holland sleeps while Detroit burns.

[Polaris922]

@yave1964

Neal > Hornqvist

But Hornqvist will go to the tough spots Neal was afraid of. So we'll just have to see what that becomes.

Jokinen was no great loss. Dupuis is a much better player and his presence on Sid's wing will more than offset the lack of Joker on Malkin's.

The loss of Glass especially is a plus.

Add Spaling and Comeau and we're a plus.

Loss of Niskanen hurt, but Erhoff should offset that pretty easily and an even there.

Orpik wasn't the man he used to be. Like I've said before I am a big fan of his, but he needed to go. He's a 5/6 guy now at best, and I'd much rather he go so Depres or Bortuzzo get the ice.

So in my opinion the team got a pretty good upgrade overall.

[jammer2]

@Polaris922

 

 Horny's goal totals the past few years.....discounting the injury riddled year 2 years ago where he only played in 24 games....

 

 30

 21

 27

 22

 

 Quite respectable numbers considering the medicore talent he was surrounded with in the putrid Preds offense. He's a virtual lock to have career highs in goals and points. Since his best season previously netted 30 goals in Nashville, I'd say he could quite easily score 40 goals next year. Adding 10 goals when he will be playing 5 on 5 with Crosby or Malkin AND be on the Pens top pp....that is not unreasonable at all. I say he scores 42 goals next year.

[Polaris922]

@Polaris922

Horny's goal totals the past few years.....discounting the injury riddled year 2 years ago where he only played in 24 games....

30

21

27

22

Quite respectable numbers considering the medicore talent he was surrounded with in the putrid Preds offense. He's a virtual lock to have career highs in goals and points. Since his best season previously netted 30 goals in Nashville, I'd say he could quite easily score 40 goals next year. Adding 10 goals when he will be playing 5 on 5 with Crosby or Malkin AND be on the Pens top pp....that is not unreasonable at all. I say he scores 42 goals next year.

I get your thinking Jammer I just hesitate to assume he's going to exceed Neal's production until it happens. I expected Hossa to tear up the league on Sid's wing and got zilch. Just trying to measure what we know rather than potential. Not saying it won't happen, just cautiously optimistic.

[flyercanuck]

@Polaris922

 

 My guess is Hornquists goal totals go up 20-30% playing with Malkin while Neals drop the same playing with....a washed up Roy? LOL.

 

 Then again, now that Neal is playing in Cookes division maybe the two of them concuss each other while trying to take each others knees out.

[Polaris922]

@Polaris922

My guess is Hornquists goal totals go up 20-30% playing with Malkin while Neals drop the same playing with....a washed up Roy? LOL.

Then again, now that Neal is playing in Cookes division maybe the two of them concuss each other while trying to take each others knees out.

Neal's career just went into the shitter. He needs someone to feed the puck and Nashville just doesn't have it!