1: I don't believe that anyone is being show cased. Eaton is in the lineup, and he isn't being showcased at all.
2: There is no justification for not playing Despres with how he has performed this season.
4: The main drag is that if we aren't letting him earn his spot during the season, we are the more unlikely to see him get the nod when the heat is on in the playoffs. That's the time when Bylsma would be even more likely to go with vets.... and at that time it is even understandable unless the gulf in quality is very serious.
5: I don't believe that Orpik is at all likely to be traded this season. If there is any D-regular getting traded, it is going to be Niskanen, as he is the player made most obviously redundant by the first guys we have coming in (Despres and Morrow).
I'll just respond to a few of your points, for the sake of counter-argument:
1) Everyone is being showcased. Whether it's internally (i.e. to see if a guy like Eaton can perform/play in the NHL, which he is showing us he can), or externally (think how it would kill the value of a Niskanen or Orpik if they were made a healthy scratch). The fact simply is that there aren't enough defensive spots to go around. In fact, I would suggest that the guys who are NOT playing at times (such as Engo and Bortuzzo) are the guys more likely to stay with the club, because the organization sees & believes in their ability to contribute and wants them on this team going forward, so they are safe in that regard; whereas perhaps guys like Niskanen or Orpik could be more likely to be moved.
2) It's not about performance, it's about balancing the development of the player, not giving too much responsibility too soon, and keeping other guys who are likely to play key roles fresh (i.e. having Engo sit for 10 games would be brutal for his play). At least when Despres is dressing, he sees significant minutes; unlike other teams who have brough prospects along pre-maturely and then they see 5 minutes of ice-time per game. Also, let's not forget that while Despres has been awesome and made far fewer mistakes recently, he was making a lot more mistakes earlier. This is just part of the development and he is improving, so we should be happy, period.
4) He has earned his spot this season. That's why he's still on this roster and getting an NHL paycheck, and that's why he has been playing a fair amount of games recently (i.e. a lot more than Bortuzzo, for example). He will continue to develop and he will get his chance. The season is only half-over, and it's very possible that a trade is made before the deadline, so just chill out for a bit -- it's way too soon to start speculating on playoff line-ups.
5) Whatever you believe, it's just speculation. Let's wait and see what happens. Perhaps Orpik gets traded, perhaps Nisky gets traded instead. The truth is, none of us know what Shero's plans & hopes are for this season's playoff run are, or what his plans are for after this season in the summer and at the draft. I don't believe both Nisky and Orpik will be part of our future long-term, but it IS possible that the Pens wish to re-sign one of them. If I were Shero, I would trade Orpik (because his trade value is higher, and he would command a higher salary if re-signed) vs. Niskanen (who is worth less by trade and will be less expensive to re-sign). For me, Despres takes Orpik's spot full-time next season, and if viewed in that way, this is turning out to be a
great developmental season for him.
I understand trying to get Eaton some ice time but Despres should be playing every game. And, IMHO, with Letang getting top minutes.
Martin obviously is in the lineup, but I think Orpik should be sat for his performance. He's been our weakest dman this season.
1) Second point first: if you're not happy with Orpik's performance (and I'm in that club) then the best move is to trade that player. And if you're looking to trade Orpik, then scratching him for a rookie would be THE WORST thing you could do in terms of hurting his trade value and asset management. Hold your cards close to the vest until you're ready to pull the trigger on a move if it presents itself. I appreciate (and share) your excitement about Despres, but you have to look at the practical side of the picture, as well.
2) On your first point, and I keep saying this over and over: Despres + Letang is NOT a good pairing. Both Despres and Letang are players who have a bit of risk in their game, and are guys who like to look at joining the rush. Pairing an offensive guy with an offensive guy is a move that would hurt both of them, because it would stifle each of them in that regard. Don't believe me? Well then watch Letang's interview on the Pens' website from today where he talks about how he likes having a steady defensive parter (Eaton this year, Orpik last year) to play with because he knows they're always back. Letang doesn't have that confidence with Despres right now, and Despres could benefit from playing with a steady veteran type (i.e. Martin or Bortuzzo) next season.
I still think a guy like Harrington or Dumoulin with Letang makes the most sense and is what we'll see in the future. And the same concept holds true for when we eventually see guys like Morrow and DP further down the line.
If Godard comes back we know it's true. Disco banged some puck bunny while she was doing a handstand on the Cup or something and they got photos. #Tinfoil #Blackmail
) on one play that leads to a goal against in the NYI game and is wiped from the lineup
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