Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - How big of a role should Evan Rodrigues have?

Episode Date: August 28, 2021

1 month from training camp! The long offseason is slowly getting smaller, but as usual, the content doesn't stop there. In this episode, Hunter first touches on Kris Letang and how he made Locked On NHL's top 50 player list. He brings up the stats from this past season and also from a lot of prior seasons to show just how good he's been each and every year with the Penguins. Hunter also argues why he was fully snubbed from the Norris in 2013 as he was actually better than PK Subban that season. After that, Hunter spends a segment on Evan Rodrigues and how he seems to be getting slept on by a lot of fans this season. What kind of bigger role could he have on the team? Is this the season he finally scores double-digit goals? What line makes the most sense? All that, plus much more on this episode of Locked On Penguins.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!BetOnline AGThere is only 1 place that has you covered and 1 place we trust. Betonline.ag! Sign up today for a free account at betonline.ag and use that promocode: LOCKEDON for your 50% welcome bonus.Built BarBuilt Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKED15,” and you’ll get 15% off your next order.Rock AutoAmazing selection. Reliably low prices. All the parts your car will ever need. Visit RockAuto.com and tell them Locked On sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Your Locked-on Penguins. Your daily podcast on the Pittsburgh Penguins. Part of the Locked-on Podcast Network. Your team every day. Welcome to this Friday evening episode of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. I'm your host, Hunter Hoodies. Remember to follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes. Follow the show's Twitter at L-O-Nersmore Penguins.

We're still going to be talking about the top 50 NHL players. You can find out on the lockdown NHL podcast with Joe Duby. Gossi, Mike DeStefano, and Rachel Donner. They revealed the top 50 players, as voted on by our local experts across the Lockdown NHL Network of Podcasts. You can subscribe to the Lockdown NHL Podcasts on YouTube and turn your notifications on so that you never miss an episode. Today's release schedule was actually the 50 through 41 list.

One of the Pittsburgh Penguins was on there, and that was Chris LaTang at number 46. You all have heard my thoughts on the Lockdown NHL's top 50 list. agree with a lot of the players on there there there are definitely some you know people on there you know i'm sure you all saw today pierre luk dubois is on the 50 to 41 he should not even be close to being on there over so on like a guinea malkin or sean gouturier but you know other people had other votes as well i can tell you what my top 10 was if i remember this correctly i believe i had connor macdavid one sidney crosbie two nathan mccanon three austin matthews four believe i had our andre vasileves

Get 5, Panarin at 6, Headman 7, I'm pretty sure I had Mark Stone at 8, Patrick Kaine, 9, and then, I'm like blanking on who I had. And I believe I had Leon Dryside. I'll have number 10. That was my top 10 at least. But I believe I did have Evgeny Malkin in the top 20 to 25. But, you know, this second, we will be focusing, excuse me, on Chris LaTang. Always has been so underappreciated for his career.

I think he is definitely still a top 50 player in the NHL. I mean, when he's on his game, again, I've been saying this for so many years. I don't think there are 10 defensemen in this league that are better than him. And I just think overall, even when you look at the Penguins fan base, and there's a lot of interesting characters, I guess I would say, when they talk about Chris Lattang. I always use him as basically like a barometer for someone's hockey knowledge. Like, if you think he's good, okay, I can probably respect most of your hockey takes.

But if you think he's bad and if you think he's been a plague on the Penguins for as long as he's been here, you probably don't know what you're talking about, and you probably should not follow the team as much, I think, is my best way of saying. And here's the latest example. You go back to his 2009-10 season, 55.2, course, C5-1 percentage, 2010-11, 55.1%, 2011-12, 54%, 2013, 54%. Had a little bit of a down year in 2014, but also I think that was the year he had a stroke and he played in 37 games.

2014-15, 15, 55.6%, 2015, which I think was his best season of his career, 54.6%. Then the next year, 53.3%. That was the year he suffered the herniated disc in 2017. 2018, 55%, 2018, 19, 53.8%. And then 2019, 503.50%. And then 2019, 20, 51.8% this year went down a little bit. But he has always been a consistent, positive player in the Corsi Fenwick percentage. And again, he was on the ice this year for almost 58% of the actual goals.

If you go throughout his career, again, starting in 2009-10, 52.7% of the actual goals for, 53.3% in 2011, 62.5% of the actual goals for in 2012. know that Penguins team was loaded. And then it gets even better than next year. 64% of the actual goals for Chris Latang was on the ice. Then you have 55.4% in 2015, 51% in 2016. He is just a menace every single time he is on the ice. And if you go to the scoring chances for,

he had a five-year stretch of at least basically 55% or better from 2014-15 all the way into 2018-19. He also had a really good stretch from 2009 all the way up to 2013. All of these are well above 53 to 54%. High danger, he's always on the ice around 53 to 54% of the high danger chances for. And then for goals for, he's usually well over 51, 53, 54%. I mean, he has been a rock for this defensive core ever since he came onto the team. He has always been there for the biggest moments that this team has had.

in the Sid and Gino era. I mean, for God's sakes, that shift that he had in 2016 in game six to win them. That was the Stanley Cup winner, and he was just making the sharks look like fools every step of the way. And then even just honestly, that entire playoff run, I think that was the best hockey I've ever seen Chris Lattang play. And the best hockey will probably ever see him play overall. And even this past year, you know, if you look at his stats, played in the 55 games, for actual goals for on ice, 51 goals for 37 goals against 58% of the actual goals for when Chris LaTang was on ice for scoring chances for 441-2-430, high danger chance for a little bit below

at 45.2%. But I think I chalked that up to Brian Dumlin being out for a large chunk of the season, at least early, because he was playing with P.O. Joseph. That just wasn't working out, and then he just kept getting flip-flopped until Brian Dumlin came back. And then they started to play some really good hockey. But I've always found Crystal Teng to be very underappreciated throughout his Penguins tenure. I mean, there have been plenty of times where he has been a top five defenseman in this league. I think, you know, you go back to, I'm trying to remember that season overall. I think it was the 2012-2013 season when P.K. Suban won the Norris.

I think that was a season it was. Yeah, confirmed, yeah. P.K. Sub-Band won the Norris in 2013. but honestly, Chris LaTang was a better player that season. If you go look at Jay Fresh's stuff, and I can't emphasize enough to, please subscribe to his charts because he just, his player cards are absolutely incredible. 98% wins above replacement for Chris LaTang that year, Suban's, 92%. If you go look at the other percentiles, 99%ile for even-strength offense for

Tangor, 60% for Sub-Ban, 88% even-stri-defense for him, 52% for La-Tang. but primary assist per 60, the 100th percentile, Suban was at the 88 percentile. A lot of these are close, but I would still take Chris LaTang that season, and he honestly should have won the Norris that year. It's really the only thing that's missing from his resume, but I will always die on the hill that he is and will forever be the greatest defenseman in this franchise's history. Again, I understand that Paul Coffey,

played here. I know Larry Murphy played here. I know All-Samuelson played here. I know Sergey Gondchar's played here and so many other outstanding defensemen. But when you look at his longevity, how elite he has been throughout his entire career, how he has most of the defenseman records already and how

he continues to play at such a high level even when he's into his mid-30s, it's just not even close, in my opinion, and goes to show how awesome he is and how he is still a top 50 player in this league today. I'm happy that he made it. I know it stinks that of Yenny Malkin did not make and that he was snubbed. All three of them should have made it, but I am glad Latang got the recognition that he deserves and got on that list because I feel like a lot of people sleep on him and his underlying numbers and even his counting stats are just magnificent year after year.

And so many people don't even notice these small defensive plays that he makes on a nightly basis that just go unnoticed to the casual fan. Whether it's just making sure a pinch doesn't happen or a small little play on a two-on-one or something in front of the net, behind the net, whatever, he's always there to make sure nothing bad happens. And I can safely say that everyone,

and I mean everyone in this fan base, will miss him once he calls it quits. But I wanted to dedicate this first segment to Crystal Tank because I thought it was really important to me to get some of that off my chance, and just to show all of you that he is still an elite player in this league. And I can't wait for him to hopefully sign that next contract extension here so that he can finish his career in Pittsburgh.

But okay, that's that on Crystal Tang. We do have a lot more to get to for this episode of Lockdown Penguins. I think I'm going to go a little bit into Evan Rodriguez going into next season and why I think he could have a decent role for this team. I haven't touched a lot on him. I think he's been kind of going a little bit under the radar for Pittsburgh, ever since he re-signed, but he's going to be fully healthy, and I really think he can contribute his best season counting stats-wise

if he is in the lineup full-time. I've always been a big fan of him. But before we do get to that, we have to touch on a couple of things. One of them being bad online, as it's that time of year again, and all-Ires are now turning to football as teams are back on the gridiron to start the football season. As always, but online is your number one spot for all the pro-in-college football action that season.

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So that's directtv.com compatible device required. Content varies by package. All right, welcome back to this episode of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. I'm your host, Hunter Hodes. I'm going to follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes. Follow the show's Twitter at L.O.1Square Penguins. So for this segment, like I said, going into the commercial break, I did want to touch on Evan Rodriguez because I definitely think he is a bit

slept on just going into the season. and so he was signed to a short-term contract. I'm pretty sure it was a one-year, $1 million deal again. And he's had a pretty decent sample size with Pittsburgh. I know it's small, you know, but with 2019-20, only seven games, but 63% of the chances when Rodriguez was on the ice. And then this past season, he played in 35 games, 54.4% of the chances while he was on the ice. He's always had strong coursey Fenwick numbers. You know, even in 2018-19 with Buffalo before the trade, he played 70.

four games was at 51 and a half percent with chances on the ice for actual goals for goals against 15 goals for 18 goals against this year so I mean he's been kind of in the negative throughout that but I also don't think he's had competent linemates for a lot of his career this honestly that 45.4% was probably one of his better marks throughout his career at least in a full season him the last one he had 48% in Buffalo 36 goals for 39 goals. against. So definitely a bit similar, but I think in a full-time role, if he's not getting hurt, that should be a lot higher. If you go to the scoring chances for, scoring chances against, it was basically right at smack down the middle, 160 scoring chances for 161 scoring chances against.

A year before that, though, in that very small sample size with the Penguins, 27 scoring chances score, 17 scoring chances against for 61.3%. That was his second. That was his second. best of his career that his other one came in 2015-16 but that was only two games so we're not really going to count that but as for high danger again split down the middle it's basically 71 chances for 71 chances against it actually is 72 so 49.6% but the year before that 12 high-danger chances for four high-danger chances for four high-danger chances against and as for high-danger goals for again last season nine to nine so I think there's a lot of room here to grow for Rodriguez, I really think the biggest thing that screwed him last season was playing on the line

with Sidney Crosby and Jake Gensel, that's just not where you want to play him. I mean, you know, everyone was clowning on Mike Sullivan, and rightfully so. You know, I obviously, I love Sully. I think he's a great coach. But putting Rodriguez on there, even when Kisbury Captain had come over from Europe due to the visa issues, I know he spent, I think, the first couple of games on the fourth line, but after that he continued to play him down there to get his conditioning back up. It was just almost like, okay, put him with Sid. He'll get his conditioning back up in no time. There's really no reason to continue to have Evan Rodriguez on there.

It's basically just coaching malpractice. I think, you know, eventually he did come off that top line, got back to the bottom six where he belonged, and, you know, played pretty fine until he got hurt. I think that was the biggest thing that screwed Rodriguez over last season. And overall, just so everyone knows, five goals, seven assists, 12 points for Rodriguez last season, at least at 5.5. If I go to the – let me see, if I go to all situations for him last season.

So seven goals, 14 points in the 35 games. So I'm up. My fault on that. But you can really see that the production has been there throughout his career. The last full season that he played, and it's actually the only full season that this guy has played, but just because he's been so banged up. and out of the lineup a lot at Buffalo due to healthy scratches. 74 games in 2018-19 had nine goals, 29 points in those 74 games at all situations.

If we go to just 5V-5 here, just for a second, according to Natural Statrick, that have seven goals, 21 points in those 74 games. And that's on Buffalo, for God's sake, people. I mean, the Sabres were really bad during that season anyway. So we've seen him come close to double-digit goals, twice, actually three times for his career. In 2017-18, he had seven goals, 18 assists, all situations good for 25 points in 48 games, basically a half-a-point-per-game player when he was playing.

But I really do think if he is fully healthy this year and he is in the lineup every single night, this could be a 10, probably easily I think a 10 goal score. This could be a 15 to 16 goal score for this team this season. And that would be huge because that I think would. I guess erase a little bit of some doubts that some people have about the team of Florida depth. I mean, if you've been listening to me throughout the off season, I've been saying that this team right now, as constructed, is not as deep as they were last season. But if they can get some production from players that, you know, some people probably don't expect them to,

I think that would really have some questions answered for those people. You know, I've already touched on Danton Hinen. I think he could really have a big season. Obviously, I brought Brock McGinn on he thinks he could have a really big impact as well. But I do think people are sleeping on Rodriguez because, you know, if that fourth line is Rodriguez, Ashton Wies and Blugher, and you want to put McGinn up with Zucker and Carter or whoever else or Danton Heiden or something, that's fine because Rodriguez is also a pretty decent defensive player as well. I mean, I'd have to look at his player card from J. Fresh's stuff. But I think he ranks in at least the 50 percentile, which is, you know, you obviously, you obviously,

he wants to break positive in almost every category on that card. But he's always been a reliable player when he's been in the longer. The trick is continue to play him, develop him a little bit more, and just make sure that he can stay healthy because I really think he can be a 15 to 16 goal score for this team this season. I think that's going to be one of my bold predictions. I'll just say it now, you know, when I do my full bowl predictions before the season and training camp, I think Evermar Regas will score at least.

15 goals for this team next season. I'm willing to go out and put my name on that. We'll have to see if that shakes out that way, but I'm definitely really high on Evan, and I'm curious to see what happens there. We do have a couple more things to bring up for the last segment of the show, but before we do that, it's time to talk about a couple of things. One of them being everyone's delicious protein bar, which is Bill Bar. There is something for everyone. When you talk to a fan of Bill Bar, they're always passionate about their favorites. Many of the flavors. I've said it so many times. Cookies and cream, orange, strawberry, salted caramel, double chocolate. That's one I feel like is really underrated. You can get a mixed box if you

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That's rock auto.com. All right, so we're back here on this episode of the Locked On Penguins podcast. I'm your host, Hunter Hodes. We're going to follow me on Twitter at Hunter Hodes. Follow this show is Twitter at L0 underscore Penguins. There hasn't been too much Penguins news, but we did see this today. This did come across my time. I almost actually forgot it, to be honest with you all.

But Teddy Bluger was playing in the Olympic qualifiers today. For those that have been a bit out of the loop, it's looking like the NHL players will be going to the Olympics in January. In February, excuse me. It sounds like the IAHF is going to have COVID insurance for the players, which has been a year. a big hurdle in negotiations with the NHL and the IOC. So it's looking promising right now, but today, Bluger,

I think, had two or three goals in Latvia's game. I believe they won 8-0. One of the goals was on the power play. This goal honestly reminds me of that Crosby to Kunitz goal, Game 3, 2013 against New York Islanders. This player is

basically right on the goal line, gives it to Blugher, who's in that Coonet's. his spot, fires it, gloves side, pass the goaltender, and that's all she wrote, not only in this game, but of course in the Penguins Islanders game when the Pittsburgh won five to four and went up two games to one in that series. It's just, it's actually crazy how similar those two goals were. And there's also, I think, he had the goal to make it seven, nothing, basically had a little

bit, basically just, I think, crashed the net, and the call on the ice was no goal, but then they reviewed and called a goal as the puck did fully cross the line. to really see Bluger play well in that game. Latvia actually won 9-0 and 8 of those goals were in the third period. So I think they will be going to the Olympics. I know they closed their tournament out Sunday against fans. That might be the game they have to win to get to the Olympics. And remember, I believe it was Latvia in the last Olympics that the NHL players went to, 2014, I believe they held Canada to only a 1-0 loss. If I'm not mistaken, I can actually look this up right now on my Mac here, Olympics.

I'm just doing this real quick. Actually, yeah, it was 2 to 1. Shea Weber scored with less than 7 minutes remaining as Canada slipped past them to reach the semifinals of the 2014 Winter Olympics. That was obviously after that they went on to beat the United States to go to the gold. metal game, but that game was tied for a long time, and it was Shea Weber again, with only seven minutes left to send Canada to the semifinals, only a two to one game. So Latvia has always been a very tough out, especially in the last seven years when it comes to international

competition. I'll be curious to see which group they slide into when the draw comes out, and best be sure, everyone, Teddy Bluger will be on that team. If he is on the qualifying team, he will 100% be on that team. There was also a video that the Penguins released of this whole mic'd-up thing and in the room since I think it's been 10 years. And, you know, that Max Lop here, quite, I don't know if everyone watched it on the Penguins' Twitter page. I can link it on the podcast when I tweeted out the link on the Locked on Penguins page

and on my page. Just Max Lop here being a fool. It had Zach Sill being hilarious. Patrick Hornquist basically being like, oh, I got a penalty? Okay, thank you. And it's just like, there's so many great moments that has come from that show. I remember that, you know, the first time I watched that, I think it was around, I want to say, 12, 13. I remember I was just so starstruck by it because this was something that you never really saw before,

just because it's all inside access, not a lot of other teams are doing it. And the fact that that show has gone on for 10 years, this goes to show how great of a production team the Penguins have had and how just everyone seems to love that show year after year after year and best be assured everyone that show will be back again this season but I don't think there's too much more to talk about for today's episode again I want to thank everyone for listening to this one we're only less than a month away from training camp I mean that's the funny thing here you know we're going to have a lot more content coming up starting next month I mean just to let everyone know we will be three

days a week up until September 20th that's when around the Penguins training camp starts. Then we'll be back to five days a week as the team. We'll be practicing playing some preseason games. And then, of course, October 12, regular season debut against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Back-to-back meets back-to-back. And we'll try to bring on some more guests, even as the off-season comes to a close. So keep it right here.

I'm locked on Penguins. I appreciate every one of you listening. And again, there's so many more big things that I have planned for this podcast. The grind does not stop here. and I can't wait to share all of those with you at a later date. So thank you all so much for listening and we'll do another one of these next week.