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Blaspheme: Load Managing Geno?

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BobCole

BobCole

Registered User
May 21, 2014
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Ok, I know I'll be flamed hard for this, but this team ain't making the playoffs so we might as well speculate on some wild stuff...

I think it's pretty clear that Geno has lost his legs to a meaningful degree. But virtually any time he's coming off a layoff, he looks shot out of a cannon. Just a few days ago, he said that he's not retiring after this season and hopes to play beyond his current contract.

The last time I saw an NHL team "load manage" a player was in the late, late Lemieux days. But if Geno wants to play at age 40+, would it be so wild to look at benching him on back-to-backs and/or limiting him to 60-70 games?
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BobCole said:
Ok, I know I'll be flamed hard for this, but this team ain't making the playoffs so we might as well speculate on some wild stuff...

I think it's pretty clear that Geno has lost his legs to a meaningful degree. But virtually any time he's coming off a layoff, he looks shot out of a cannon. Just a few days ago, he said that he's not retiring after this season and hopes to play beyond his current contract.

The last time I saw an NHL team "load manage" a player was in the late, late Lemieux days. But if Geno wants to play at age 40+, would it be so wild to look at benching him on back-to-backs and/or limiting him to 60-70 games?
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He should be load managed, next season or if he signs any extension…play him two out of every three games with the third game off…
 
Or I dunno, just manage his minutes better based on his age like most competent coaches would with a player similar aged?

Wild suggestion I know...

Then again, remember when blokes here botched endlessly about Jeff Carter like he asked to be played as much and often as he was? That's the coach in charge of everything on this team.

Hope for nothing, be surprised by anything positive - The Sullivan Era.
 
Empoleon8771 said:
He needs to be moved to W to have the longetivity to last in the NHL IMO. He's a liability at center at this point but I think he has enough gas left in the tank to be a very effective winger, especially if you play him with Crosby.
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Have you watched the last 2 games since the break? He’s been great. He was the best player on the ice today and possibly was yesterday as well.

When healthy, he’s still capable of being a high quality center. He’s not healthy very often anymore which is going to hurt him no matter where he plays. I honestly thought he didn’t look very great for that stretch he played on Sid’s wing. Played way too passive and was deferring to Sid too much.

These are also, by far, the worst linemates he’s ever had which isn’t helping things.
 
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Empoleon8771 said:
He needs to be moved to W to have the longetivity to last in the NHL IMO. He's a liability at center at this point but I think he has enough gas left in the tank to be a very effective winger, especially if you play him with Crosby.
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Yeah, I was also going to mention reduced minutes and/or being moved to the wing. I don't love the idea of drastically cutting down his minutes, because he's a feel player who's at his best when he gets his minutes. But a move to the wing would be welcomed. But that would necessitate us having another great center on the team (apart from Sid) and I don't know how likely that is...
 
I don't know why he's wasn't moved to wing years ago. He's as old as Matt Cullen was when the Pens last won the Cup and he has never been good defensively besides small spurts.
 
SomeDude said:
Have you watched the last 2 games since the break? He’s been great. He was the best player on the ice today and possibly was yesterday as well.

When healthy, he’s still capable of being a high quality center. He’s not healthy very often anymore which is going to hurt him no matter where he plays. I honestly thought he didn’t look very great for that stretch he played on Sid’s wing. Played way too passive and was deferring to Sid too much.

These are also, by far, the worst linemates he’s ever had which isn’t helping things.
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Him performing at that level for 2 games doesn't override the season of games played so far this year where he has shown to not be a capable center anymore.

His faceoff abilities and defense have taken huge steps back at this point and he simply doesn't drive/create offense well enough to justify keeping him at center. If the Penguins had literally any other capable middle-6 center, Malkin would have been moved to the wing by now IMO.
 
Empoleon8771 said:
Him performing at that level for 2 games doesn't override the season of games played so far this year where he has shown to not be a capable center anymore.

His faceoff abilities and defense have taken huge steps back at this point and he simply doesn't drive/create offense well enough to justify keeping him at center. If the Penguins had literally any other capable middle-6 center, Malkin would have been moved to the wing by now IMO.
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Again, it’s because he’s healthy after the break which is a rarity anymore. Not because he suddenly sucks at playing the position. He led the entire league in takeaways last year. His defense is not gone.
 
SomeDude said:
Again, it’s because he’s healthy after the break which is a rarity anymore. Not because he suddenly sucks at playing the position. He led the entire league in takeaways last year. His defense is not gone.
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But if he's consistently not healthy, it doesn't matter if it's an ability issue or health issue. He simply doesn't cut it at center.

You can't just make a magic potion to make Malkin consistently healthy. They have to deal with what he is, and what he has shown (at least this year) is that he's a downright liability defensively at center to a point where he shouldn't be playing center.
 
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