Pittsburgh Penguins Hockey Pool Predictions for 2010/2011, hockey pool sleeper picks
By Woodsey14, 8th Sep 2010 | Follow this author
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Posted in WikinutGuidesSportsSports
What's in store for the Pittsburgh Penguins this season? Are they in danger of becoming the new version of the Tampa Bay Lightening where there are too many dollars committed to too few players? Or are they legitimate cup contenders? Here are the predictions for this year's Penguin players.
- Pittsburgh Penguins Hockey Pool Predictions for 2010/2011
- Blue Chip Players
- Second Tier
- Don't Over Rate
- Potential Sleepers and Late Round Steals
- Sleepers
- Other Pages
Pittsburgh Penguins Hockey Pool Predictions for 2010/2011
The Pittsburgh Penguins are in danger of becoming the Tampa Bay Lightening of a few years ago. They appear to be running the risk of having too much money invested in too few players. They have 2 of the best centermen in the game, yet they are woefully short in quality snipers to pair with them. Expect the Pens to rely once again on Crosby and Malkin for the offense and expect the defence to be responsible for secondary scoring.
Blue Chip Players
Forwards
Sidney Crosby- What is there to say about "Sid the Kid" except that he should be in the discussion as to being the first overall pick. Expect about 110 + points for this year which could increase if management can find him a quality winger to play with, or the Pens experiment with putting Crosby and Malkin on the same line.
Evgeni Malkin- Perhaps the best center on any team in the league except his own. Last year Malkin had a ppg of 1.15 despite some injury issues. Now that he is completely healthy expect a point total similar to Crosby's 110.
Defensemen
The defence is definitely an improved bunch, however, there are no true blue chip players here yet.
Goaltender
Marc Andre Fleury- Fleury is the Pen's number one goaltender and should see the bulk of the workload this year. Expect him to get a lot of starts, and provided the Pen's defence is as strong as it appears on paper, he should rack up the wins.
Second Tier
Forwards
Jordan Staal- People forget that as of today, Jordan Staal is only 21. He is still recovering from the foot injury suffered in last season's playoffs, however despite this, I feel that he is due to take a major step forward offensively. He should have 60 point potential this year.
Chris Kunitz- As one of the few offensive wingers in the lineup, expect Kunitz to get a lot of offensive opportunities. 65 -70 points should be in the cards for him.
Defensemen
Alex Goligoski- Last season a lot of your fellow poolies probably had not heard of Goligoski. However after racking up 37 points in 69 games in his first full NHL season, Goligoski should have everyone's attention, particularly since he should be manning the powerplay this season full time with the departure of Sergei Gonchar. There is 50 point potential here if things go right for the Pens this season.
Kris Letang- Big time offensive potential and entering his 4th pro season while being expected to be an offensive leader on the blueline. Opportunity is knocking for Letang to become an elite defenseman in the Brian Rafalski mould. This could be the year we see the true arrival of Letang. 45+ points could very well be in his future this season.
Goaltenders
Marc Andre Fleury should receive the bulk of the starts.
Don't Over Rate
Forwards
Pascal Dupuis- Scored 38 points as Crosby's full time winger last season. If I'm the Pens, I'm looking to upgrade. Expect 38 points as a maximum for Dupuis.
Matt Cooke- Perhaps the dirtiest player in the game. He has about 30 point potential and plays a style of game that could easily lead to injury. For those looking for pim's, he doesn't rack up an inordinate amount to justify a goon selection either.
Defensemen
Zybinek Michelak.- Michelak does have some offensive potential, however, the Pens signed him to be a shot blocker and shut down defenseman. Don't expect much offense from him this year.
Potential Sleepers and Late Round Steals
Forwards-
There aren't too many quality selections on the Pens
Defensemen
Paul Martin- completely disregard Martin's 2009/2010 season which was basically destroyed by a wrist injury. Now that he has been released from the shackles of the New Jersey Devils, expect Martin to have a career year. 40 - 45 points with a good number of them coming on the powerplay
Sleepers
Mike Comrie- This may be Comrie's last chance to be an impact NHL player. He can play the wing, is quick, and is both a quality passer and shooter. He also had hip surgery a little over a year ago which takes time to recover. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Comrie becomes a regular with either Malkin or Crosby. There is real potential here for a late round steal.
Tyler Kennedy- Kennedy is a goal scoring winger who is growing into his frame at the age of 24. This could be a breakout season for him, as the Pens definitely need scoring wingers to compliment their centers.
Other Pages
Don't forget to check out my Hockey Pool Prospects and Strategy page for a few extra pointers!
Team Pages
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San Jose Sharks
Washington Capitals
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Vancouver Canucks
Toronto Maple Leafs
Detroit Red Wings
Columbus Blue Jackets
New Jersey Devils
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