GDT: 2024-2025 Training Camp

[Empoleon8771]

I'm a little leery of starting McGroarty on the team. I would have liked him to dominate preseason in order to earn that spot and I don't think he has. If he didn't have the billing in our system of being the top prospect on the team I'm not sure he'd make it at all.

That's not to say he's been bad, but I don't see what he's done to earn that spot.

Being better than the alternatives is all he has to do to earn that spot and I think he has done that. I've liked what I've seen from Beauvillier and Puljujarvi has been awesome, but those are really the only guys who have been on par or better than McGroarty so far in pre-season. McGroarty hasn't stood out like Brunicke has but he has still been one of their better bottom-6 wingers so far.

I think it's both "McGroarty has looked good to very good" and "his competition has looked invisible to downright bad". Which I guess should be expected when the competition is McGroarty vs Puljujarvi, Glass, Puustinen and such.

 

[Tasty Biscuits]

Yeah McG can certainly play rn. Still think he might be better served starting in the A on L1 and PP1 then coming up halfway through the season.

Hopefully they give Pickering big mins in the A as well and see what happens there. This team is so depleted on LD he might be needed sooner rather than later.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I think the issue is that people see "top prospect in the organization" and think that means he should be some big impact guy. McG's a supporting cast guy, just like Yager was. /shrug

He's not gonna be a foundational piece. He's not gonna produce in bunches, imo. He's more akin to like a Hornqvist, or Landeskog--someone whose value comes as part of a line as opposed to individually.

I don't think it really matters where he starts tbh. Either playing top minutes in all situations in the AHL, or playing in the middle-6 at the NHL level and learning on the job from guys like Sid and Geno.

 

[Pancakes]

Being better than the alternatives is all he has to do to earn that spot and I think he has done that. I've liked what I've seen from Beauvillier and Puljujarvi has been awesome, but those are really the only guys who have been on par or better than McGroarty so far in pre-season. McGroarty hasn't stood out like Brunicke has but he has still been one of their better bottom-6 wingers so far.

I think it's both "McGroarty has looked good to very good" and "his competition has looked invisible to downright bad". Which I guess should be expected when the competition is McGroarty vs Puljujarvi, Glass, Puustinen and such.

Has he even scored a goal this preseason? I don't think he has.

I dunno I just don't see the point in rushing him and possibly hurting his confidence when Puustinen or one of the other older players would probably serve just as well. McGroarty is going to take an NHL spot and get like 11 minutes a night of ice time and get benched in the third period by Sullivan the minute he does anything that Sullivan is uncomfortable with.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

I'm a little leery of starting McGroarty on the team. I would have liked him to dominate preseason in order to earn that spot and I don't think he has. If he didn't have the billing in our system of being the top prospect on the team I'm not sure he'd make it at all.

That's not to say he's been bad, but I don't see what he's done to earn that spot.

I think that’s fair

And you want him to have early success and build confidence but assuming injuries carry into opening night it’s kind of an easier sell if he’s not crushing it and you do have to send him down.

Like “hey you making the team was basically a call up since Rust and Lizotte were hurt, and you’re doing well but now that we are healthy we are gonna send you down to play big minutes. And you are the 1st guy to get called up again”

 

[Empoleon8771]

Has he even scored a goal this preseason? I don't think he has.

I dunno I just don't see the point in rushing him and possibly hurting his confidence when Puustinen or one of the other older players would probably serve just as well. McGroarty is going to take an NHL spot and get like 11 minutes a night of ice time and get benched in the third period by Sullivan the minute he does anything that Sullivan is uncomfortable with.

He hasn't had a goal but I believe he has 3 points in 5 games and has gotten a ton of chances.

I also don't agree that Puustinen would come in and have the same impact. I've already noted that Puustinen looks horrendous to me in the pre-season so far, but even beyond that, McGroarty impacts the game at levels far beyond what Puustinen can IMO. If Puustinen isn't producing, he's offering nothing. McGroarty is still a menace on the forecheck when he's not producing.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Too small of sample size and he’s the hungry kid amongst lazy vets in preseason but the adv. stats love McGroarty

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

I'm more or less adamant that the best thing for McG is to play top minutes in WB/S to start the year and really get a lot of shot volume and chances on professional goaltending and defenses. I think he'd be fine on the Penguins 3rd/4th line of course and he's already one of their best nine forwards IMO. But playing in Mike Sullivan's depth lines isn't going to do much for his confidence or give him the leeway to work on his offensive game and shooting.

But yeah... has he earned a spot? I'd say so. Is it the smartest thing to do? Probably not.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I'm more worried about how Sullivan deploys his 3rd line than whether McG's NHL ready.

I think a McG-Eller/Hayes-Puustinen/Puljujarvi 3rd line could be decent, but not if Sullivan's gonna keep running his bottom-6 like he's got two defensive, gruntwork 4th lines. /shrug

 

[Andy99]

He hasn't had a goal but I believe he has 3 points in 5 games and has gotten a ton of chances.

I also don't agree that Puustinen would come in and have the same impact. I've already noted that Puustinen looks horrendous to me in the pre-season so far, but even beyond that, McGroarty impacts the game at levels far beyond what Puustinen can IMO. If Puustinen isn't producing, he's offering nothing. McGroarty is still a menace on the forecheck when he's not producing.

All this may be true but I dont want him playing in the bottom six under Sullivan unless he’s willing to play him with significant O zone starts and at least 14 min a night and keep him in the lineup even with mistakes. We desperately need McG the goal scorer who can play in the top six…not that he shouldn’t develop a good forecheck and defensive game, but rn he’s DOC light…what we need him to be is a bigger Guentzel..I’d let him develop his scoring in the A and bring him up to play n a top six role when ready

 

[steelcityassault]

I'm a little leery of starting McGroarty on the team. I would have liked him to dominate preseason in order to earn that spot and I don't think he has. If he didn't have the billing in our system of being the top prospect on the team I'm not sure he'd make it at all.

That's not to say he's been bad, but I don't see what he's done to earn that spot.

Well, he's dominated analytically

 

[Pancakes]

He hasn't had a goal but I believe he has 3 points in 5 games and has gotten a ton of chances.

I also don't agree that Puustinen would come in and have the same impact. I've already noted that Puustinen looks horrendous to me in the pre-season so far, but even beyond that, McGroarty impacts the game at levels far beyond what Puustinen can IMO. If Puustinen isn't producing, he's offering nothing. McGroarty is still a menace on the forecheck when he's not producing.

I'm more worried about how Sullivan deploys his 3rd line than whether McG's NHL ready.

I think a McG-Eller/Hayes-Puustinen/Puljujarvi 3rd line could be decent, but not if Sullivan's gonna keep running his bottom-6 like he's got two defensive, gruntwork 4th lines. /shrug

This is really what it comes down to for me. Regardless of his readiness I just hope him getting the Sully treatment in terms of ice time/role doesn't diminish his confidence.

The kid is going to put pressure on himself to produce and it's gonna be hard to do that the way Sully will use him.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

...now if Rust is out and Sullivan grows some nards suddenly... there is something to be said for starting the year with Groats/Sid/Raks and seeing where that goes. Might create some of it's own issues once Rust is back but it would be exciting to see what they could do if nothing else.

EDIT: Actually if they do well and Rust returns you just run Bunting/Malkin/Rust - problem solved

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

It'd be cool if Rust wasn't a lock to miss like 20+ games a season. I can't wait for this team to not trade him once his NTC is up next summer. f***ing dorks.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

It'd be cool if Rust wasn't a lock to miss like 20+ games a season. I can't wait for this team to not trade him once his NTC is up next summer. f***ing dorks.

Dude didn't even make it outta preseason this year.

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

View attachment 912348

This was for “who scores first tonight”

He was correct

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Random thought but does it really dig at anyone else that we gotta endure boring, low-event hockey and somehow this team isn't even any better than mediocre defensively on it's best days?

Like... if we have to put up with this tedious horseshit could it at least be WORTH something?

 

[Dennis Reynolds]

This was for “who scores first tonight”

He was correct

I know.

But his facial expression and the caption are hysterical together.

 

[steelcityassault]

View attachment 912348

All of our faces when Sully employed Jansen f'n Harkins

 

[SEALBound]

Our roster sucks, lol. I hate almost all of these players.

I would venture the guess that fans of at least 25 teams say this same thing.

We’re moving from maintenance day for Rust, to Rust is out day to day, to he’s out week to week and then season long injury…it’s Rust, so who knows lol

It's not the worst circumstance. It means the 1RW slot is open. That means SOMEONE will be an unexpected opportunity. I think that is a positive.

 

[Malkinstheman]

With how bad the depth D are, I wonder if they claim someone like Blankenburg or Fleury off waivers

 

[Fordy]

mcg and brunicke should start in the nhl because i actually like watching them play

 

[SEALBound]

With how bad the depth D are, I wonder if they claim someone like Blankenburg or Fleury off waivers

Nah, Fleury ain't any better than Graves - that's why he's on waivers.

We have Aho, JSI, Shea, and even Pickering and Brunicke.

We are flush with dmen.

 

[Ryder71]

Why are they playing Hayes two nights in a row? Lol…also, can we stop the Grz-Letang experiment? Just awful…

https://x.com/i/web/status/1842211407221145774

Really like that 3rd line. Eller is much quicker than Hayes and that should help insulate his wings.