Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Penguins make a couple of signings on Monday, plus Sidney Crosby's season review!

Starting point is 00:00:00 The Penguins made a couple of sightings on Monday. Hunter and I are going to discuss those as well as look back on a marvelous season for Captain Sidney Crosby. Your Locked-on Penguins. Your daily podcast on the Pittsburgh Penguins. Part of the Locked-on Podcast Network. Your team every day. Hello and welcome back to another edition of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. I'm one of your hosts, Patrick Damp.

Starting point is 00:00:30 You can follow me on Twitter at Synonym 4Wet, joined as always by the one and only Hunter Hodes. You can follow him on Twitter at Hunter Hodes. You can give our show's account a follow at L0 underscore Penguins. And we thank you for making this your first listen or watch of the day because we're your team every day. We are free and available wherever you get your podcasts as well as YouTube. And today's episode is brought to you by Monopoly Go. I admit it, I've got a competitive side. And it's a big fan of Monopoly Go, the mobile hit twist on the classic Monopoly. So join your friends and download Monopoly go now free on the app store or Google Play.

Starting point is 00:01:09 So here we are a little bit of news from the Penguins on Monday. They made a couple of, I would say, minor signings for the roster, bringing back Sam Poulan on a two-year $775,000 deal, as well as signing goaltender Philip Larson to a two-year $775,000 deal, excuse me. and I don't know that this says a whole lot overall about the direction of the team going into next year. Obviously, Sam Poulan up and down from the HL the last couple of years. He's been a bit of a project for this team since he was drafted. Meanwhile, Philip Larson's going to fill out some goaltending depth. He's been in and around just about everywhere.

Starting point is 00:01:53 We were talking about that before we hit record Hunter. So overall, let's start with Sam Poulan, pretty typical. deal two years, 775,000. It's a two-way deal. He makes that much at the NHL level. I had the numbers, and then my screen went blank on what he's going to make at the AHL level. But overall, this does kind of feel like, as I've joked about him many of times, this is the last chance saloon for Sam Poulan. Had a solid year in the AHL with Wilkes-Barre this year, 16 goals, 15 assists for 31 points in 41 games. But then on the other side of it, when he got his call up near the end of the season this year,

Starting point is 00:02:35 didn't really do a whole lot with it. So overall, Hunter, your thoughts on Sam Poulan? Yeah, I think this is truly the last dance for him with this organization, especially if it doesn't work out. I mean, we also, what Kyle Dubas said after the season, that they are going to give him every opportunity to make this team out of training and they expect him to put him to put. for a spot on the full-time team for next year.

Starting point is 00:03:03 And he did have a really good year in the AHA. He was deserving of a call-up numerous times throughout the season. I know he was bypassed for some other players that came up. But once he did come up, he didn't do that much to stand out. I just didn't see that much in those three games that he played that made me think, oh, he's really going to come and just kick a lot of butt next season. He's going to have to earn it in camp and in the preseason if he wants to be on this team on a full-time basis for next year. I understand that people will say, you know, oh, you know, you just got to give him that chance.

Starting point is 00:03:42 You got to give him that chance. Okay, I get that. But I still overall haven't seen enough from him, even though it's been a small sample size to have a take where I'm like, okay, I think he's going to be a real difference maker. in the bottom six. I guess I'm just at the point where I want to see it to truly believe it. That's kind of where I am on him. I said it during the season when he came up. I understand people's frustration with Mike Sullivan and how he has a quick hook on young players. But as I've said before as well, that's not just a Mike Sullivan centric problem. That's an NHL coach. He also has to deploy him and I think other players a bit better. I mean, he was playing him

Starting point is 00:04:20 on the fourth line. You're not going to learn that much that way, especially with veterans. But I want to see him deploy it a bit better, maybe deploy him for more offensive zone draws, for example, just because I feel like he uses the bottom six a lot. This isn't just the fourth line. He uses the bottom six a lot in defensive zone situations. Use them a little bit more in offensive zone situations, especially if you want to be a team that runs four lines, excuse me. I think that's something that Sullivan does have to clean up a little bit heading into next season. So I think if you do want this to work, deployment for him and a lot of players in the bottom six has to change.

Starting point is 00:04:55 Yeah, and that's kind of what I was building towards overall. But the other point is when he got his moments in the lineup this past season, he didn't stand out at all. Was he bad? No, but he also wasn't good. He was just there. And given the pedigree and level of expectation that this organization had for Sam Poulan after drafting him, that's not good enough.

Starting point is 00:05:20 Now, obviously, like you said, I agree. They need to deploy him better. They need to put him in better situations to succeed. But at the same time, you do have to help yourself at certain moments. You have to, whether it's throw a hit, make a good defensive play, look good on the forecheck, get a scoring chance or two. You have to do something to stand out because we look at a guy who came up this year and built his way up the lineup. up, you have Valteri Pustinen, who not a lot of people were outside of the true sickos, not a lot of people were talking about.

Starting point is 00:05:57 But he came in and made himself somewhat undeniable that they had to keep playing him. You can say the same thing with Yessie Pooyarvi over the last few weeks. He began to make himself undeniable. And Sam Poulan, while yes, was not given much of an opportunity, eventually has to take that step to force the coaching staff to put him in more advantageous situations. Meanwhile, the team also announced, as I said, the signing of goaltender, Philip Larson, same exact deal as Sam Poulan, two-year 775K, and he has kind of played just about everywhere.

Starting point is 00:06:36 He has played in the HL, in the ECHL, the NCAA. He most recently was in the top Swedish league, where he put up some solid numbers in 28 games. games, 1.93 goals against average, 920 save percentage, five shutouts. As I said, across 28 games. Now, again, that's only 28 games that's in a league that's lesser than I would say the NHL and the AHL, but still very good numbers for a goalie who is only 25 years old. He also played really well in the playoffs for his team as Walpat, 1.91 goals against average 929 save percentage in a shutout. He also earned a spot on the Swedish Interstate.

Starting point is 00:07:17 international team. And in three games, 1.97 goals against average, 9.15%. He has really built up his game over the last few years just because it was only four years ago. He was playing in the Danish Pro League just because he had been so banged up for so long and his numbers had dipped so much. But he's been able to work on his game, get up to the top Swedish league, play really well in the playoffs, then get to that international team and continue to play well. It's awesome that he earned a contract with another NHL team. And I think this kind of signals to me a little bit that they may look at him as the starter in Wilkesbury next year, especially if they are committed to Blumquist coming up

Starting point is 00:07:58 to back up Jarre or whoever the starting netminder is going to be. Obviously, this is also good goaltending depth overall. You need to shore up your organization with good goaltender depth. But I definitely think, at least I'm thinking a little bit, that he might be the favorite it to start for Wilkesbury if Blumquist goes and blows everyone away in camp in the preseason. That's kind of the mindset I'm in as well. I think this signals that they're going to give Joel Blumquist just about every opportunity to make the big club out of camp rather than have him in waiting in the HL in this kind of opens a door for Larson to be Wilkesbury's

Starting point is 00:08:37 starter going into next year and just an insurance policy, say if Jari gets hurt or gets dealt or Blumquist gets hurt and gets dealt or whatever happens with Alex Nadelcovic in this offseason because we've talked about it. There is a world where he could return, but it all hinges on what happens with Tristan Jari. So it's very good goaltending depth in a nice bit of business by Kyle Dubas getting a goaltender who like I said is only 25 and in the top Swedish league puts up very solid numbers and makes the international team. So that's a guy who at only 25 years old, I would say, has some solid upside and potential if things go south with Blumquist, if you eventually move on from Jari and you need some help.

Starting point is 00:09:26 It's a guy that maybe can come up to the NHL level and give you a handful of starts. Right. I think if you are severely banged up at the position, he'll be the third goalie that comes up like you saw Blumquist came up a couple of times this year when both Net and Jari were really battling illnesses. But I don't think this player is going to. to be in the NHL next season. I do think if he has a really strong season in Wilkesbury, the season after this one, you could see him maybe in a backup role in the NHL or maybe he starts another season in Wilkesbury, at least a star that maybe comes up. But I'm curious to see how his game translates back over to North America after playing overseas for quite a while.

Starting point is 00:10:02 For sure, it's a very interesting signing. I'm a fan of both signings. I think at this point, you sure up some depth with some cheap contracts for a couple of years. And you hope that they can turn into some upside rather than just guys you keep buried in the minors. But that's going to do it for this first segment of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. When we come back, it's time for another season in review. Who else but Captain Sidney Crosby, Hunter and I are going to talk about his season and more right after this. But first, we got to tell you about our first sponsor and that is Monopoly Go.

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Starting point is 00:11:39 All right, we're back here on the Tuesday edition of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. I am Patrick Damp, joined, as always, by Hunter Hodes. And no need to delay the inevitable anymore. We are in full off-season mode here. So that means we're going to do some season and reviews. So why put it off any longer? Let's talk about another marvelous season by the captain, Sydney Crosby. Once again, leads the team in points with 94, puts up 42 goals, 52 assists to go with

Starting point is 00:12:09 it moves into the top 10 all time in scoring as well as puts up his 1,000th career assists. And it's just we're almost out of things to say when it comes to Crosby and his greatness. He's 36 years old. He'll be 37 once next season gets here. And I mean, this was just a great all-around season for the captain. Obviously, we know about the power play struggles. Do not put a lot of those on him. It was more the whole unit as a whole.

Starting point is 00:12:42 But you can imagine him getting another 100 point season, had that power play even been average. But just in general, I've been saying it all season long. One thing that separates the greats from the absolute legendary is that players like Sidney Crosby pull their team into the fight. And when this team was in the doldrums midseason, he was doing every. in his power to keep their heads above water and doing so much to keep this team alive when they looked very much dead. Yeah, man. I mean, it really sucks that the Penguins wasted two incredible seasons from Sydney Crosby

Starting point is 00:13:23 in a row because if they had made the playoffs in just one, heck, even both of those seasons, I think we would have seen two vintage Crosby playoff performances because it's been rare when he hasn't performed in the playoffs. And he did everything in his power to try and will this team into the playoffs. And outside of a few other select players, a lot of the other players weren't living up to the billing in terms of helping this team get into the playoffs as well. Underlying numbers-wise, when he was on the ice this season, the Penguins had 55% of the shot attempts, 77 goals for, 74 goals against. You are going to see a lot of love for him to get the Selke. He could be a finalist.

Starting point is 00:14:06 The data is at least decent, but I think this is Shasha Barkov's award to lose. I think he's by far the best two-way center in the league. I would kind of be surprised if Barkov did not win it. But going back to Sid, 781 scoring chances for 623 scoring chances against right around the number that he was at last season. And then when he was on ice,

Starting point is 00:14:26 the Penguins had also a little over 56% of the high danger chances. He was setting up chances to a beautiful, degree every single night. Chances were going in. He was scoring on his own chances as well. But the big thing that I come back to you kind of hinted at this when you were talking, he only had 23 points on the power play. You take those points away, 71 even strength points this year.

Starting point is 00:14:51 He was a menace at five on five. And it didn't really matter who was on his line. Even when Jake got traded after that, he was still kicking so much bad. Yeah, he was a bit. for a few games, but right after that, he got right into playoff mode and did everything in his power to give this team a chance heading into its final game of the season against the New York Islanders. And if this power play had just been average, or even a little below average, 18th, 19th, 20th,

Starting point is 00:15:21 he would have had what, 110, 115 points this season. We'd be talking a lot more, honestly, about potentially him being a nominee for the Hart Trophy, even though they didn't make the playoffs. I mean, he was probably going to be a finalist had they snuck their way in. But at 115 points for someone who's 36, I think that'd be a little hard for someone to leave off their Hart Trophy finalist ballot. I know there's a finalist, but if he was able to get that many points and have this power play be a bit better, you'd be hard pressed, I think, to find a lot of people who vote on this award to leave him off their top three. Oh, yeah.

Starting point is 00:15:58 He would have had a much stronger case with 15, 20 more points, a better power play and sneaking into the playoffs. The other thing I want to highlight about his season this year is face-off percentage. He finished the season with a 58.2% face-off percentage, which is his best mark since 2009-10, where he had 55.9%. And I know that kind of feels a little nitpicky, a little bit like we're just looking for something to talk about how great he was. But again, we have seen one of the problems this team has had over the past couple of years has been, puck possession and being able to possess the puck against their opponents for long stretches of time. And you know that Sidney Crosby gets deployed pretty much in all three zones. So if he's able to go out there, win the face off and give his team possession right off the jump,

Starting point is 00:16:51 that puts them ahead of the curve. And it's also just, it's another moment where, and I know this happened already years and years ago, where whenever there's a critique, of Sidney Crosby's game. He obsesses over it. And this whole, oh, I can't do this. I can't do that. Well, he's a great playmaker, but he doesn't score a lot of goals. Goes out and wins the rocket.

Starting point is 00:17:16 Well, you know, he's not great in the defensive zone. Goes out and becomes a tremendous two-way center. And then even a handful of years ago, he's not that great in the face-off circle, despite his offensive and defensive work, not that good in the face-off circle. Goes out and wins nearly 60% of his draws this year. you look at his marks from his entire career,

Starting point is 00:17:38 he has only finished under 50% four times. And even those, except for one season in 0506, was he greatly under 50% when he had 45.5. Then you look at his under 50% years, it's 49.8, 48.2. So, like, he has become one of the better face-off men in the NHL, and that's a huge part of his game. We just got to get him to win these draws in overtime now, Pat.

Starting point is 00:18:03 I mean, he's been so great at it during regulation. But once three on three overtime comes out and he's out there, it feels like he loses the draw more often than he wins it. And I just, I want to see him fine-tune that a little bit. There's something, I guess, to critique about Sidney Crosby. Maybe it's working on the overtime face off so the penguins can get the possession to start overtime, which could hopefully lead to this team not dropping so many overtime points throughout a season. Yeah, and we know how big of a problem that was this season. They were just awful in overtime, and it caught them a ton of points and kept them out of the playoffs.

Starting point is 00:18:43 But that's going to do it for this first part of the season in review for Sidney Crosby. When we come back, we're going to talk a little bit more about Crosby. And how long realistically do we think that Sidney Crosby can keep this up? But before we do that, we're going to tell you about our next sponsor, and that is Fandul. It's playoff time in the NBA and in the NHL and baseball is in full swing. FanDuel is your place to bet on every game. Right now, new customers get $150 in bonus bets guaranteed. That's $150,000, win or lose.

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Starting point is 00:19:47 He will be 37 going into next season. We're pretty much fully expecting there to be an extension signed on July 1st or just days after that. All signs point to Sidney Crosby, extending his contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins and finishing his career in one uniform. I actually want to kind of start there before we get into how long do we realistically think that he can do this. One of the things that I'm getting tired of and we have talked it to death is the whole like, oh, is he going to go elsewhere? Is he going to go elsewhere? And I'm not going to talk about that. I'm not going to talk about, oh, is he going to go chase another cup with his buddy, Nathan McKinnon or anything like that?

Starting point is 00:20:30 It's pretty much known that if there's one thing Sidney Crosby keeps in mind but doesn't talk about is his legacy. You look at the way he plays on the international level. He always brings it for Team Canada. We as Americans still have the deep heartbreak from the Golden Goal in 2010. We saw how he played in that goofy 2016 World Cup of hockey. Best player on the ice probably by a mile wins the MVP. Canada wins it. He's got another gold medal to go along with it.

Starting point is 00:21:02 He's probably going to be on Team Canada for the world championships this coming summer. And you know how much he wanted to win the Stanley Cup after winning it in 2009 as a penguin to cement his legacy as one of the all-time greats. One of the things that come along with that is playing your entire career in one year. uniform. And for me, that's why I think the extension's coming. I don't think Sidney Crosby wants to become that bar trivia guy of like, oh yeah, he played 20 some odd years with the Pittsburgh Penguins. But do you remember that those weird couple of years where he was with like Colorado and then St. Louis and Boston and then L.A., like I don't think he wants to become one of those guys. Agreed. And you can honestly say that about the rest of the core as well,

Starting point is 00:21:50 Pat. I've got him all came in together. And I think they all. all want to go out together with the same organization. I know there are some fans out there that don't like that. They want the team to get started on the rebuild. They want to blow this whole thing up. They're like, okay, go chase a cup with someone else, finish your career, your last couple years with a different team. To a degree, I guess I get it a little bit, but I just don't subscribe to that notion. I know there is a chance that they may not see the playoffs. Again, there's definitely a real chance based on, you know, what could happen this summer, other teams could improve, the score is getting older, all that other stuff. But it still means

Starting point is 00:22:34 a lot to me, and I think a lot of other people, that Sid and the score all go out together, just because of everything they've done throughout the last, what, almost 20 years at this point, it still just means that much to me overall. So yes, I do think there's at least a little bit of an argument for people who are saying, well, you could blow it up now, you could blow it up now. I don't agree with it just because I do think there's at least a little more to be had with this score. They've shown an ability to play at a high level over these last couple of years where they just need a little bit of help without the rest of the lineup.

Starting point is 00:23:11 And I think this team can get back to the playoffs. I know I'm probably rearing off track at least a little bit. But I think retiring as a penguin means a lot to Crosby with everything he's given to this organization and you are going to see that happen. I think there's a chance it'll be July 1. Could it be his birthday on August 7th? I mean, that's a very real possibility. And it also means a lot to have been in Malconi and Crystal Tang just because they signed

Starting point is 00:23:36 extensions a couple of years ago. I think knowing that Sid would also join them when his turn for an extension is coming. And I think you're going to see that happen just because it means that much to all three of them that they all go out together. Yeah. And you know, that's fine to veer off from it. a little bit because I wrote a column about this on KDCA over the weekend called, do you want to win the Stanley Cup or do you want to win the off season?

Starting point is 00:24:00 And my point was this. I understand everybody's willingness in discussion of should they run into a rebuild now since they've missed the playoffs two years in a row. It's not an unfair question and it's not an unfair discussion because you miss the playoffs two years running. Something's not working. but we're getting kind of in a way back to those post 2009 years where you would watch Crosby, Malkin, and Lattang have really good seasons. And then everybody's like, well, you got to move Malkin or you got to move Lutang or at the time you got to move Flurry.

Starting point is 00:24:38 And you look at the way they performed and you're like, okay, they were not the problem. And again, you look at this this past season, Crosby, Malkin, and Latang were not the problem. 94 points for Sid, 67 for Gino, 51 for Chris Latang. And now the onus is on ownership and management to build better depth around them. Yes, they cannot carry a team the way they once did. But guess what? They're all on contracts that are right there in line.

Starting point is 00:25:15 with their production. They're bargains. A lot of these contracts are bargains, man. That's what it is. It's not like you're paying them 10, 11, 12 million and you're only getting 67 points out of Evgeny Malkin and 51 points out of Chris LaTang. You're going to give Sidney Crosby a raise because he's finally earned a raise and the cap is going up.

Starting point is 00:25:35 But again, to bring it back to Crosby, do you really see a 15, 20, 25, 30 point drop coming from them? maybe in two, three years, but next year, next year he's going to hum right along and do what he always does. It might not be 94 points. It might be 85. It might be something in that realm. But again, you're going to have a rising salary cap and you're going to have a top six supporting cast for the most part that does their job. Now you have to build the depth out. Right. And with how he trains during the off season, he's not going to allow himself to have a massive drop off next season, even though he's going to be 37. He's going to have

Starting point is 00:26:13 Brian Rust returning who had an incredible year for the Penguins this year. No matter who else is on his wing, whether it's Drew O'Connor or someone else, they bring in from outside of the organization, whether it's a free agent or a trade, that player is hopefully going to be a really good fit for Crosby. And I think it's just going to be ho-hum for him overall. I still expect a point per game season out of him next season. I think he's going to give you at least 82 to 85 points. If you can get 90 plus again, that'll be awesome. Heckpad, if you can get 100 plus again, that would be the dream right there. And by the end of the season, you're going to see him at least ninth all time and scoring.

Starting point is 00:26:52 Right now, he's at 1,596 points. Joe Sackick is at 1,641 points. He will definitely pass Sackick for next season. After that, he'll be focusing on Mario, 1,723 points. That's it going to pass him by the time his career ends. So just wanted to put out some record stuff out there to end my little tirade there. But yeah, I still expect 82 to 85 points at least from him next season. I don't think he's going to have this big drop off that I've seen a couple other people out there suggest.

Starting point is 00:27:26 I just don't think that's going to happen. No, I can't see it for him. He's in way too good of shape. He's way too talented and way too passionate and proud about what he does. Overall, to put a fine point on it, I mean, I think this is going to be very Tom Brady-esque. I think he's going to play until he's about 40. I think it's going to, we've talked about it on the show before when we talked about his extension.

Starting point is 00:27:47 I think it's going to line up right there with Malkin and Latang. And the three of them are going to ride off into the sunset. And then in the next decade, we're going to see those three numbers go up into the rafters at PPG paints arena. Agreed. He's very much the Tom Brady of the NHL. He's also very much the LeBron James of the NHL as well with how consistent he's been. I mean, LeBron, it's kind of similar in age.

Starting point is 00:28:10 he was doing everything in his power to wheel the Lakers over the Nuggets. I know the Lakers just lost in five games this week, but Sid is very similar to those players in that regard. For sure. But that is going to do it for the Tuesday edition of the Locked-on Penguins podcast. Hunter and I will be back tomorrow to do some more season and reviews as well as bring you any news the penguins might make between now and then. But for now, for Hunter Hodes, I am Patrick Damp.

Starting point is 00:28:37 Thank you, as always, for tuning in. And we will be back on Wednesday. today.

Locked On Penguins - Daily Podcast On The Pittsburgh Penguins - Penguins make a couple of signings on Monday, plus Sidney Crosby's season review!

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