Quoting: Capitalfail67
I’m confused on how it’s a bad take? Horny was on pace for 50 points 27 goals. Last 3 years he was on the exact same pace. “Decline” isn’t really how I would describe him. Maybe you see him as diminishing goods or overpaid but he added a lot of things that the team was missing. Either way at best ... at the very best this is a okay trade. More than likely you traded a 50 point RW for a younger JJ who makes more money. This trade didn’t address a single need. Adding a 4+ million 3Lhd who is known for turnovers....traded a guy who was great in front on the net and added 20-25 goals a year. Yeah I understand why penguin fans are optimistic (what choice do you have) but don’t try to sell this as horny sucks and this kid sucks less bc that ain’t it
saying Horny was a 50 point player doesn't really tell the whole story. You keep ignoring that part.
Like I said, he's not a top 6 player anymore, he's way to slow. Neither Malkin or Crosby wanted someone that slow on their line while they are trying to run up the rush. That was more than clear. He slowed those lines down, that's why he got dropped to the 3rd line.
He also never really clicked on a 3rd pairing, the lack of foot speed was evident. You keep looking at goals and points, but his corsi has dropped like a rock. He use to be a 56% corsi player on the penguins. Last year was the 3rd or 4th straight year of decline down to 48%. For a guy who got 50+% Ozone starts. It was also the first year his corsi events for were lower than his corsi events against.
Those are all bad signs for an aging player.
Horny had his day on this team. But that was when the league was a lot slower and he didn't stick out as much being a bit younger.
There are simply truths to his game. He's not a great defender, in a defensive role in the bottom 6. He's not great moving through the neutral zone and he doesn't really have the ability to skate. You start adding it up and you realize how he was not fitting in.
I'm not judging any of this based on matheson at all. That's all purely on Horny. removing him was addition by subtraction just to start.
matheson is what he is. Now we can say we won't know what he'll be like on the penguins but truth is, you don't have to know that to judge this.
If they use this as the excuse to finally get rid of JJ than can you really look at it as a "bad move"
He can be no worse.
I mean if you ask any penugins fan what they want their defense to look like.
A.
Dumo
Pettersson
Johnson.
or
B.
Dumo
Pettersson
matheson
I'm pretty sure you get a 175% B response.
If he plays well, he's probably gone in the expansion draft given there isn't a lot there to choose form and a good defenseman would probably get picked up. So in that case the contract doesn't mean much.
And if he struggles, it's still better than JJ and Schultz. Who were both awful in their own end. matheson may turn the puck over, but at least he's not incompetent defending.
You can pull the puck out of his hands. Many teams do that. Look at Chara as he aged, they always had McAvoy move the puck when paired with him.
That eliminates the biggest issue with matheson . Especially since the whole penguins defense is designed to move the puck from the right point. AKA Letang, Marino, Schultz.
So yeah, moving a 5.3 million winger who is 34, was obviously declining, for a guy who is an upgrade in the defensive end isn't a bad move. Not nearly what you make it to be.