Jamie Oleksiak: Starting to deliver on his potential

[glovesave_35]

Threads like this are why I love message boards!

So much anger and incessant arguing from both sides! I think both sides should be happy:

Pens fans: Only gave up a 4th rounder for a D-Man who has played well for them.

Stars fans: Got rid of a D-Man who wasn't working out, and got a draft pick out of it.

Stars fans are happy.

 

[DickSmehlik]

A little bit of the Tom Brady/Patriot Way effect going on here.

It used to be CW that the Patriots were so much better at picking up castoffs from other teams and turning them into serviceable players but people later realized that you can throw in any plug in a line-up with Tom Brady and they will look good. Once the castoffs left New England they usually didn't amount to much.

Same idea here with Crosby and Malkin in your line-up. If Oleksiak was traded tomorrow to any other team I don't think this thread would exist.

 

[TheDoldrums]

I like his sister

 

[AveryStar4Eva]

Glad he's working out in Pittsburg. He needed a change of scenery from Dallas. I always thought he had an interesting skill set (great fighter, not a bad skater, some good offence).

Coaches tried to turn him into Darien Hatcher when they should have turned him into Tyler Myers.

 

[Hint1k]

Watching Pens-Leafs game. I would not take this guy to play for my back-yard team.

 

[serp]

Everytime i watch the Pens Oleksiak look like the same player Dallas gave away . Maybe its all my fault...

 

[glovesave_35]

Nobody has given me any reason why he's different than Kessel and Schultz in the context of this conversation, which is that they struggled on their previous teams when used in roles where they were in over their heads, but were rehabbed on the Pens where they were used in roles that were better suited to their strengths and regained confidence.

But if you think someone has given a reason, quote them for me.

If you think you have a reason, by all means.

Pens did not rehab Daley. Sorry.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Pens did not rehab Daley. Sorry.

 

[Shaffer]

Named first star tonight.

 

[rent free]

Scored against his old team

 

[Empoleon8771]

Oleksiak so far with the Penguins has been a solid all around #5, who can move the puck well, plays physically and can play in all situations. You can throw him out in an offensive role, a defensive role, on the PP or on the PK and have him work well. I'm curious to see if he has any room to grow beyond where he's at now, but as he is, I'm really happy with him. He can skate legitimately well and not just well for his size, he is a good puck mover, he can contribute both offensively and defensively and plays with some serious grit. He's an excellent replacement for Cole, it just sucks that they don't have Cole anymore to play with him.

The only big flaws with his game I've noticed is that he sometimes makes poor decisions which burn him defensively. He has a ton of natural talent and is a very well rounded player, he just makes some dumb decisions sometimes. He reminds me of Letang in that way.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Nice to see him doing well. Be interesting to see if he can keep it up.

He's been a regular for 35 games with the Penguins, (4 goals) 10pts, +8.

When is enough games for "keeping it up..." to you? He'll have played half the season + as a regular for the Penguins when the season ends and then the playoffs.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

He'd still be our 8th defender on the depth chart, and maybe 9th because Heatherington is more sound defensively.

He didn't work out in Ruff's system and didn't work out in Hitch's system. He might be a bottom pairing dman, sure, but those are dime a dozen. By all accounts he's a great teammate, but the Stars are a better hockey team with him off the ice.

Ian Cole was a bottom pairing dime a dozen type too, according to people here that rarely if ever, saw him play after he left the Blues and was a different player.

Seems to be the case for Oleksiak too. Hithcock admitted he didn't use Oleksiak correctly, he's far better than a "bottom pairing defenseman" and you know it. I get it, another guy you guys had that stopped working out for you and is doing much better elsewhere. The thing is, the Pens haven't really changed Oleksiak's game at all. He's just in a system and with a coach that understands his game better and has made such minor tweaks in his game and then there's the trust factor, a lot of trust in his game and his abilities.

But what we do know, just a few guys that have turned it around here after starting out well, then bombing with their teams (Niskanen, Cole, Daley, Schultz...).

Any more of those "bottom pairing 8th, or 9th guys that etc etc..." you guys want to dump to us for a 4th?

We could use more guys we can turn into top 4 D.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Pens did not rehab Daley. Sorry.

Yeah except he was dwindling in his final years with Dallas defensively (offensively he was solid), asked to do far too much, then in Chicago he was just a terrible fit.

If you are traded for the version of Scuderi he was moved for, you're at that point a cap dump that is likely done when you're moved. Instead, Daley thrived in the Pens system, turned into a damn solid top 4 and when the time came to sign him, his solid play priced him out of Pittsburgh.

But yeah, not a rehab. Just I guess "a helping of a player that was once a solid player, to be the best version of himself with the Penguins." We won't give it a title.

 

[Turin]

I agree with glovesave avtually, Pittsburgh didn’t rehab Daley. Pittsburgh was simply a perfect environment for him. It was different than a Niskanen or perhaps Schultz situation.

 

[glovesave_35]

Yeah except he was dwindling in his final years with Dallas defensively (offensively he was solid), asked to do far too much, then in Chicago he was just a terrible fit.

If you are traded for the version of Scuderi he was moved for, you're at that point a cap dump that is likely done when you're moved. Instead, Daley thrived in the Pens system, turned into a damn solid top 4 and when the time came to sign him, his solid play priced him out of Pittsburgh.

But yeah, not a rehab. Just I guess "a helping of a player that was once a solid player, to be the best version of himself with the Penguins." We won't give it a title.

Right, but months before he was traded for Patrick Sharp and NHL-ready RH defenseman Stephen Johns. His value when he left Dallas was obviously still substantial. Not premium, but significant. Looking better once he got to a better team than either Dallas or Chicago is hardly surprising.

Look, all I'm saying is Trevor Daley's stint in Pittsburgh has no place in the same breath as Matt Niskanen's. I watched nearly every game of the seasons leading up to both of these players being traded. Daley was asked to do too much and suffered on D as a result. Even then, he was still a productive player. Matt Niskanen was abysmal. Painful to watch. Just awful. I give Pittsburgh all the credit in the world for helping to turn his career around. It just isn't even remotely close to the Daley to the Pens situation.

 

[BrettHullsToe]

Seems to be the case for Oleksiak too. Hithcock admitted he didn't use Oleksiak correctly, he's far better than a "bottom pairing defenseman" and you know it.

I look forward to the Pens giving Oleksiak a middle-pairing defenseman contract this summer, say 4.5 million for 5 years (up from 4 million since the cap is going up)? I bet that ages well...

 

[ncm7772]

I look forward to the Pens giving Oleksiak a middle-pairing defenseman contract this summer, say 4.5 million for 5 years (up from 4 million since the cap is going up)? I bet that ages well...

I'm worried about that, TBH.

 

[Human]

actually I agree that Trevor Daley hasn't been rehabbed by the Pens. he was a great fit for them, and was dirt cheap because Coach Q didn't like him in Chicago for some weird reason. Scuderi for Daley was a comical trade.

Daley was a great skater, and he was amazing in those 2016 playoffs. I remember playing as a #1 dman for the Pens in that game 4 of the Caps series because Letang was suspended. totally loved his game. too bad he wasn't 5 years younger.

 

[PensandCaps]

I'm worried about that, TBH.

Lmao what? Oleksiak won't get more than 2.5.

I bet he gets the Cole contract from a few years ago.

1.9-2.3$ for 3 years

 

[Unspecified]

Seems to be the case for Oleksiak too. Hithcock admitted he didn't use Oleksiak correctly, he's far better than a "bottom pairing defenseman" and you know it.

If he was the only coach he played for then sure but he has been mediocre prior to hitch getting here.

 

[BrettHullsToe]

1.9-2.3$ for 3 years

That's bottom pairing defenseman money though, and I thought Oleksiak was playing like a middle pair?

For reference:
Letang (30) makes 7.25 til '22
Schultz (27) makes 5.5 til '20
Dumoulin (26) makes 4.1 til '23
Maatta (23) makes ~4.083 til '22
Hunwick (32) makes 2.25 til '20

Surely 25 year old middle-pairing Oleksiak, just entering his prime as a defenseman, is worth at least 4.5 if not 5 with the cap going up?

Or maybe some Pens fans are getting a 'little' overzealous and he's not actually quite that good? If he is though, be prepared to back up the boasts with the appropriate cap hit this summer.

 

[PensandCaps]

That's bottom pairing defenseman money though, and I thought Oleksiak was playing like a middle pair?

For reference:
Letang (30) makes 7.25 til '22
Schultz (27) makes 5.5 til '20
Dumoulin (26) makes 4.1 til '23
Maatta (23) makes ~4.083 til '22
Hunwick (32) makes 2.25 til '20

Surely 25 year old middle-pairing Oleksiak, just entering his prime as a defenseman, is worth at least 4.5 if not 5 with the cap going up?

Or maybe some Pens fans are getting a 'little' overzealous and he's not actually quite that good? If he is though, be prepared to back up the boasts with the appropriate cap hit this summer.

? He's playing very well...just like Cole did in 2014. Cole is a middle pairing Dman that got 2.1 for three years.

Not gonna hand Oleksiak big money based off half a season of good play, just like we did with Cole.

Now Oleksiak in your top 4 for an exteneded period of time is trouble but as a #5 who can fill in for your top 4 for a few games, he's pretty good.

 

[wej20]

That's bottom pairing defenseman money though, and I thought Oleksiak was playing like a middle pair?

For reference:
Letang (30) makes 7.25 til '22
Schultz (27) makes 5.5 til '20
Dumoulin (26) makes 4.1 til '23
Maatta (23) makes ~4.083 til '22
Hunwick (32) makes 2.25 til '20

Surely 25 year old middle-pairing Oleksiak, just entering his prime as a defenseman, is worth at least 4.5 if not 5 with the cap going up?

Or maybe some Pens fans are getting a 'little' overzealous and he's not actually quite that good? If he is though, be prepared to back up the boasts with the appropriate cap hit this summer.

Why would they pay him that when they don't have to?

 

[dustybreaks]

He has the tools no question, needs to work on his positioning though, sometimes it looks like he over thinks it and gets a little lost.