Ponikarovsky's debut will have to wait; Healthy competition?

Ponikarovsky's debut will have to wait; Healthy competition?

6:43pm - Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 by DePaoli

The trade deadline has come and gone and members of the organization feel as constructed this could be the best Penguins team in the Ray Shero era.

Penguins GM Ray Shero addressed two primary needs in adding defenseman Jordan Leopold and scoring winger Alexei Ponikarovsky. The Penguins went through a 60 minute practice today at Southpointe in preparation for the New York Rangers Thursday night and all of the buzz was about Ponikarovsky.

The Penguins though will have to wait for Ponikarovsky's arrival as visa issues will keep Ponikarovsky from arriving into Pittsburgh until Friday at the earliest. The Penguins are hopeful he will play Saturday afternoon against the Dallas Stars.

Head coach Dan Bylsma expects Ponikarovsky to made an immediate impact on the Penguins top two lines.

"He’s a 20-goal scorer, on pace for around 60 points right now, " Bylsma said. "He’d be the third leading point-getter on our team right now. You’re adding a big body guy who goes to the net. The thing that I liked in watching him play in the past week or so is the way he plays on the defensive side of the puck, as well.

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Comments

deesh138

Hey D, any chance of getting a Steeler article up to discuss Colon's tender and prospective free agency?

03/03/2010 6:45pm

sditulli

I think it all comes down to the defense and Fleury now. Especially, gogo and letang...if they can get back to their offensive abilities they had at the beginning of the year then this is a very good team. Guys will get hurt so I'm pretty sure McKee will get plenty of time in the playoffs.

03/03/2010 7:07pm

jeffed

Yep, it's up to Flower now. The peices are there and he's gotta start holding up his end of the deal.

03/03/2010 7:10pm

acewhiplash

Sheesh, Deesh, cut the guy some slack, the man's been busy! Thanks, D for all your hard work. This was great stuff.

03/03/2010 7:13pm

acewhiplash

PS I know there's more than one writer...:)

03/03/2010 7:13pm

catz27

Best team? Hard to beat the wingers of 08 (Dupuis, Hossa/Malone, Sykora..the 25+goal scoring Sykora). Rest of the team seems a wash.

03/03/2010 7:16pm

deesh138

I was hardly rude about it. Requested, not demanded. Take er easy.

03/03/2010 7:16pm

jeffed

Dupuis wasn't nearly as effective in 08.

03/03/2010 7:22pm

wolfman

awesome coverage Mr. Depaoli!

03/03/2010 7:37pm

wolfman

If this ramps up Geno's enthusiasm, and it should- look out!

03/03/2010 7:38pm

jaluco

He was at least AS effective as Feds has been this year, jeffed. But I think this blue line is probably a bit better.

03/03/2010 7:43pm

Steelers=Champs

Here's D's article from saturday saying Steelers informed Willies agent of the 1st round tender

03/03/2010 7:48pm

Steelers=Champs

http://insidepittsburghsports.com/story/steelers-clark-working-to-get-deal-done-but-have-miles-to-go/22635/

03/03/2010 7:49pm

deesh138

Well D's twitter says Gay is being retained and will be given another shot at being starter. That should please the masses.....

03/03/2010 8:10pm

washington added some assets that could help them win it all...the only thing that you can argue is that their goaltending is not solid enough to take them

03/03/2010 8:13pm

deesh138

Rothey...you think they have the defense too?

03/03/2010 8:19pm

yea i do...corvo will help them a lot...belanger will help their i think its ranked 29th penalty kill a lot also

03/03/2010 8:28pm

they added some toughness today but i dont know if that will make up for their inconsistent goaltending

03/03/2010 8:29pm

Trey

I do not understand why everyone is praising Washington's moves. They added some guys that have value, no question. But enough to put them over the top? No. When I think of Corvo, I think of sweep. If they would have managed to get Vokoun, THEN I would be incredibly worried and they would be damn hard to beat. But now? Seven game series? I'll take the Penguins.

03/03/2010 8:53pm

zerocool6687

Ya rothey... Corvo is a defensive stalwart... In the end the Caps add a little toughness and more offence from the back end... neglecting to really address the fact that the game is played in all three zones. The have the numbers right now however playoff hockey, as we all know, is a different monster.. IMO they did not do enough to address the game in all three zones (or at least 2 as the offence is more then taken care of).

03/03/2010 9:33pm

Monrovian12

Rothey, if you think that Corvo is going to help the Caps in their end, you really are an idiot. The guy is a turnover machine and the complete opposite of what the Caps needed.

03/03/2010 9:41pm

Hooksdeke

First off thanks again D.. secondly im happy w/ the trade deadline.. i think we solidified our chances in moving closer to defending the cup.. we got the firepower.. if flower plays like he is capable.. lord stanley lord stanley get me the brandy.. and we will be parading come june good luck to em

03/03/2010 10:04pm

how the hell can you honestly say that the caps did not get better from thoss trades

03/03/2010 10:14pm

rs6363

None of the caps acquisitions seem like game changers in a 7 game series. My biggest Corvo memory is when he gave that intermission interview where he appeared totally defeated and was packing it in. Although with belanger and steckel they have 2 very good faceoff men.

03/03/2010 10:14pm

corvo will be perfect on the powerplay with mike green instead of using 4 offensive players

03/03/2010 10:14pm

rs6363

That inteview last year in the carolina series i meant. Their defense is average at best. Potentially below average when you consider green, corvo and poti are turnover machines.

03/03/2010 10:15pm

im just relieved NJ or Wash didnt get hamuis

03/03/2010 10:15pm

rs6363

why would they put corvo on the PP with Green? They are not going to remove AO from their number 1 unit. He plays on the opposite point.

03/03/2010 10:16pm

Coulson

@ trey...if Volkoun made it to the caps, that would have been pretty terrifying. I'm actually surprised they didn't make a bigger play for him, or turco for that matter. They realized last playoffs that Jose can be their weak link, are they planning on hoping on Varlamov again?

03/03/2010 10:16pm

the coach just said in an interview that he will

03/03/2010 10:16pm

rs6363

Also, the Flyers didnt do anything? Mike Leighton is their #1 goalie? hilarious!

03/03/2010 10:17pm

rs6363

So they are taking AO off the first PP unit? good news for us i guess

03/03/2010 10:17pm

yea because he cant play another spot on the powerplay you got it

03/03/2010 10:18pm

i cant wait til ponikarovsky tears it up with the pens and you people that said he wasnt good and soft act like you knew it all along

03/03/2010 10:19pm

rs6363

All im saying is i dont see them tinkering with a %27 PP, but I also did not see the interview. My guess is that Corvo would assume the Green position on the 2nd unit

03/03/2010 10:20pm

SV84

I'm excited to see Poni in action. I've really turned around on this deal and think this was a good one. Looking at what was really a weak deadline, the Penguins were clearly one of the winners.

03/03/2010 10:26pm

rs6363

Pens clearly are winners at the deadline. Our Offensive depth is great. especially if Tenk and Max are out of their funks and continue to perform like they did last night. Hope our D holds up. nice to know Mckee will be waiting if GoGo falters

03/03/2010 10:29pm

jeffed

I love how people are afraid of some depth players added to Washington to help their bottom 5 PK. How much do you think they are really going to help them? Make them maybe the 20th at best?

03/03/2010 10:37pm

Monrovian12

I'm not worried at all jeffed, I assume you feel the same...And Belanger has to clear the air with Chimera...

03/03/2010 11:11pm

CM2005

Leopold, Ponikarovsky, a healthy Kunitz, and a healthy Talbot. It's like bonus season.

03/03/2010 11:31pm

CM2005

Doesn't Jurcina have a sports hernia at the moment?

03/03/2010 11:32pm

SV84

Washington's moves don't scare me that much. That team still isn't built for a long playoff run.

03/03/2010 11:34pm

Trey

rothey - I didn't say the Caps didn't get better. I said they added value. We'll see if the value they got is the value that they needed. I personally don't think it is. But we aren't going to know for sure until the season/playoffs play out.

03/03/2010 11:35pm

Jeff2266

They traded jurcina about a month ago he was there last year, he's a big meat head

03/03/2010 11:39pm

Jeff2266

Ya I'm sure the caps are going to take ovechkin off his spot on the pp for joe corvo.

03/03/2010 11:42pm

CM2005

The Caps STILL do not have the goaltending to go all the way. Playoff games are different then regular season, different officiating, pace, energy etc.

03/03/2010 11:55pm

jyanko

Corvo isn't physical and turns the puck over way too often. Belanger is soft and fragile.Walker is small is small and will wear down by playoffs.

03/04/2010 1:17am

the caps were making moves just to make moves. they came out today swinging but still lost the fight

03/04/2010 1:55am

jaluco

Not all of their moves were bad moves. The Belanger pickup was a nice one. Scott Walker was akin to a Gary Roberts pickup - but I agree on the Corvo trade - no idea what that does for them.

03/04/2010 9:50am

Samtheman

and they gave too much to get corvo more liek a dessperation move to match up pens

03/04/2010 10:59am

Jeff2266

If Joe Corvo could have hit the net when the Pens played OTT in 2007 they would have been swept easily, he rattled alot of glass that series

03/04/2010 11:21am

mwalluk

Hate how every other site is blowing the caps moves stating they are the clear cut winners of the deadline

03/04/2010 11:32am

jaluco

Corvo then = Letang now, I guess.

03/04/2010 11:48am

Schmidty0818

agreed Jaluco. I'm glad Letang has been shooting more but he needs to start hitting the net.

03/04/2010 12:06pm

Jeff2266

Jaluco i hope Letang can work hard to get past that, and not end up being the next joe corvo

03/04/2010 12:15pm

jaluco

You and me both.

03/04/2010 12:29pm

Trey

I'll take Letang over Corvo every day of the week.

03/04/2010 12:31pm

jaluco

Wow Trey - really? Letang is 10 years younger. You sure you want to step out on that limb?

03/04/2010 1:00pm

Trey

Hey jaluco, I'm not your little pillow fight buddy rothey. The comparison was made so I commented. Don't come at me like an idiot.

03/04/2010 1:26pm

Schmidty0818

So who's the odd-man out at forward when Poni laces up the skates on Saturday. Adams? Talbot? Rupp?

03/04/2010 1:30pm

Skip37

The best part about these trades is it is highly likely that we will be able to resign both of these guys considering Feds, Guerin and maybe Eaton, Letang, or Gonchar will be gone next season.

03/04/2010 1:34pm

mwalluk

Guerin is coming back

03/04/2010 2:05pm

Cory7321

I'd rather have Letang and Gonchar, maybe even Eaton over Leopold. So I don't know if I'd be too excited about that one of the 3 will be leaving, Skip.

03/04/2010 2:05pm

jaluco

Don't say things that make you look like an idiot and I won't "come at you" like you are one, champ.

03/04/2010 2:09pm

jaluco

Cory - I'm with you - they've proven you can always get a relatively inexpensive winger at the deadline - I'd keep with that model - #1 defensemen like Gonchar are impossible to find - you make it work.

03/04/2010 2:10pm

↑ previous comments ↑

jeffed

The idea of them wanting to add Whitney says a lot to me about the Gonchar negotiations and where they expect them to go. I wouldn't be against having Gonch back at all but it's not looking promising to me.

03/04/2010 4:37pm

Trey

Okay super genious, what do you do? Give Gonchar the deal that he wants? Because that would be a complete mistake.

03/04/2010 5:58pm

jeffed

Trey - Are you talking to me? I don't know what they should do with Gonchar. He's already offering a "hometown discount" to the Pens so I don't see that price coming down. They are going to at best move him before the draft for some draft pick that we will never hear from again. But the idea of having Whitney back, isn't a very pleasant one to me.

03/05/2010 9:09am

hopefully we get to see some video of ponikarovsky at the pens practice today

03/05/2010 10:25am

Trey

No jeffed, I wasn't but still, I agree with your answer.

03/05/2010 5:55pm