Olli Määttä

[JTG]

He had just seen Staal get traded because he was going into the season unsigned.

Now give the other part of the story. Staal wanted a bigger role with the team. Staal also said he was going to test free agency (allegedly). Staal also accepted the same deal in Carolina as Ray offered. He signed the deal with Carolina immediately after being traded.

That makes no sense. After his cap hit goes up is exactly when he should be concerned about the team looking to replace him with a cheaper option.

He's being paid like a top 10 defenseman in the league. Why if he is indeed a top 10 defenseman and not easily replaced at all, would he be worried about being traded? Signing a guy to an 8 year deal is essentially saying, "you're part of our core moving forward". Ray Shero isn't going to sign a guy just to use his deal as a trade chip. This isn't EA Sports. If Shero believed that Kris was going to be a tradable asset, he's not going to sign him to a max deal. He'd sign him to a 4-5 year deal.

And you are also saying, signing Letang to a long term deal at 7.25 million makes him more tradable. Yeah, if he has a great season before his extension kicks in. What if he doesn't? What if he regresses to the point of being average defensively and producing at a 40 point pace...like ironically he is at the current moment.

Letang was signed to a deal he's going to have to grow into, and as you can see in this thread, people are concerned about if he ever will. Now him asking for something in writing where he won't be traded, I get it. He doesn't want to end up in a **** situation for 8 years. He got what he wanted. Now we have to hope he can turn his game up to the point of being able to live up to his deal.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Now give the other part of the story. Staal wanted a bigger role with the team. Staal also said he was going to test free agency (allegedly). Staal also accepted the same deal in Carolina as Ray offered. He signed the deal with Carolina immediately after being traded.




He's being paid like a top 10 defenseman in the league. Why if he is indeed a top 10 defenseman and not easily replaced at all, would he be worried about being traded? Signing a guy to an 8 year deal is essentially saying, "you're part of our core moving forward". Ray Shero isn't going to sign a guy just to use his deal as a trade chip. This isn't EA Sports. If Shero believed that Kris was going to be a tradable asset, he's not going to sign him to a max deal. He'd sign him to a 4-5 year deal.

And you are also saying, signing Letang to a long term deal at 7.25 million makes him more tradable. Yeah, if he has a great season before his extension kicks in. What if he doesn't? What if he regresses to the point of being average defensively and producing at a 40 point pace...like ironically he is at the current moment.

Letang was signed to a deal he's going to have to grow into, and as you can see in this thread, people are concerned about if he ever will. Now him asking for something in writing where he won't be traded, I get it. He doesn't want to end up in a **** situation for 8 years. He got what he wanted. Now we have to hope he can turn his game up to the point of being able to live up to his deal.

The bold is the entirety of the point I was making. I'm sure Jeff Carter and Jack Johnson felt pretty safe when they signed their deals too. Regardless of the situation, I can see why a player would want some assurance that something like that won't be happening.

 

[#66]

For Letang, the good has outweighed the bad for the vast majority of his career, including last season. If Letang ever gets traded, its because a great hockey trade was available. Not because we need to get rid of him.

I love Maatta though. Until he and Despres stepped up trading Letang really wasn't even a worthwhile discussion.

I don't agree with that at all. I see the positive in Letangs game but there is a fair amount of cheat to it.

That cheating ammounts to nothing. Very few of his point come from cheating or the bad habits he displays. Yet he still forces it.

IMO he could be very close to the same player offensively without the stupid stuff. Why he's given so much freedom is beyond me because it doesn't really add to his game?

In Dion's case. He needed to be all over the ice. He would poke pucks in by going to the net late, hit everything in sight and help his team win. IMO the better player was the 17 goal, 50-60 pt, 125 pm player. Whats he on pace for this year 35-40 points while only being OK defensively?

 

[JTG]

I think Dion has been better than average, but opinions can certainly been made otherwise. He's a better DEFENSEMAN today than he was years ago. I would argue he was a better hockey player back then though. Just one of those guys you find someone to pair with him who can minimize the damage done by his mistakes, and let him go. Letang is a lot like that.

 

[Nalkanpuru]

So, 40 games are up, 1 year burnt off from RFA. I was originally wishing that he would be sent down regardless of his performance. Mainly to give him more ice time and less chances of injury due to less physical play, but given the current injury situation and ice time, I don't think giving up Olli was even an option. He's made some mistakes lately, but I think those mostly happen because he's expanding his game and the quality of opponents is higher. Great learning opportunity, hopefully he can stay healthy.

 

[brewski420]

I would like to see Maatta get a game or so off. He seems to be struggling a little (very little granted) but think watching a game or two from pressbox might be good for him. Thoughts?

 

[Ogrezilla]

I would like to see Maatta get a game or so off. He seems to be struggling a little (very little granted) but think watching a game or two from pressbox might be good for him. Thoughts?

as guys come back I wouldn't mind cycling through those who have been healthy all year for a break.

 

[Waffle Fries]

as guys come back I wouldn't mind cycling through those who have been healthy all year for a break.

I think that's probably a good idea.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I think that's probably a good idea.

that would just be Maatta and Nisky I guess Despres too, but he wasn't here the first half.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

as guys come back I wouldn't mind cycling through those who have been healthy all year for a break.

I'm with you there, especially when you consider he's not going to have much of an Olympics break.

I certainly don't want it to be a regular thing, but a game off here or there isn't going to kill his development...and I think watching the game from a different vantage point can do good for a player.

 

[Ogrezilla]

I'm with you there, especially when you consider he's not going to have much of an Olympics break.

I certainly don't want it to be a regular thing, but a game off here or there isn't going to kill his development...and I think watching the game from a different vantage point can do good for a player.

Ok Olli, do you see Letang and Orpik out there? See what they're doing? Ya, don't do that.

 

[wej20]

Well hopefully with people coming back his minutes will drop a little, a game off wouldn't hurt though especially with the Olympics in mind.

 

[td_ice]

Ok Olli, do you see Letang and Orpik out there? See what they're doing? Ya, don't do that.

Haha.....I lol.

 

[Waffle Fries]

that would just be Maatta and Nisky I guess Despres too, but he wasn't here the first half.

Yeah, it's just Maatta and Nisky. But they had so many minutes during the injury stretch that I think some time off is in their best interest. Neither looked good at all yesterday.

As others have mentioned, with the Olympics coming, I think Maatta especially could use a game off here and there.

 

[wej20]

Even though Maatta's minutes should be reduced I'd put him on the top PP unit instead of Jokinen who looks terrible on the point.

 

[BurghThang]

I would like to see Maatta get a game or so off. He seems to be struggling a little (very little granted) but think watching a game or two from pressbox might be good for him. Thoughts?

The kid has played 41 straight and is hitting a wall...pretty common for kids not used to the NHL grind.
I agree...let him rest and watch a few and he'll come back fine

 

[MeticulouslyDishevel]

The kid has played 41 straight and is hitting a wall...pretty common for kids not used to the NHL grind.
I agree...let him rest and watch a few and he'll come back fine

Sounds like your wish might be granted:
http://triblive.com/mobile/5330189-96/penguins-bylsma-center

The article suggests that Maatta's recent mistakes might be due to fatigue and that he might get scratched in NJ and replaced with Despres.

 

[midd]

Ding DIng Ding, we have a winner. As a 19 year old he has done alot for the Pens already. Why can't Bylsma do the same for Orpik when he hits the wall?

The kid has played 41 straight and is hitting a wall...pretty common for kids not used to the NHL grind.
I agree...let him rest and watch a few and he'll come back fine

 

[IHWR]

IHWR was really the only poster I recall saying Maatta was going to be this good.

IHWR nailed the **** out of his projections for that draft. I hope he's wrong about Pouliot, but he called Maatta. No doubt about it.

I usually don't pump my own tires (especially when it comes to "calling" guys we drafted in the first round), but I'm glad people besides me remember my Maatta rants.

Maatta's just built for the pro game.

And I still think Pouliot turns into an NHLer, just not as good as Maatta.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

I took an instant liking to Maatta right after watching him at the WJC. Then when he repeated that level of performance for London at the Mem Cup, I was hooked.

We have a star in the making here. He has the goods to become the greatest defenseman in franchise history.

 

[JTG]

I'd still like to see him hit more, and I'm very curious as to the direction his offensive game will go. He has shown the ability to at least be a Paul Martin offensively, IMO, but some of the stuff he did last night with the puck, and has done in a few other games this year, I could see him put up big point totals.

It will be fun to see this guy develop.

 

[MrBurghundy]

I'd still like to see him hit more, and I'm very curious as to the direction his offensive game will go. He has shown the ability to at least be a Paul Martin offensively, IMO, but some of the stuff he did last night with the puck, and has done in a few other games this year, I could see him put up big point totals.

It will be fun to see this guy develop.

He definitely has plenty of untapped offensive potential. He does a good job of getting his shots through to the net, and is pretty good at dishing the puck as well. It helps that he seems to have that calm demeanor.

 

[Valarukar]

His offensive production was even weird in juniors. Steady in the regular season and then boom, over a ppg in the playoffs, and I believe he did that 2 years in a row. Actually just looked I was wrong haha. His 2nd playoffs his production was identical to his regular season (about .67/g), but the playoffs before he had 23 in 19.

 

[MrBurghundy]

His offensive production was even weird in juniors. Steady in the regular season and then boom, over a ppg in the playoffs, and I believe he did that 2 years in a row.

London is very defensively oriented IIRC. That may be why.

 

[wej20]

Don't they use 5 forwards on the PP to? not that Maatta's going to be a big PP stud or anything.