pretty intresting

People are gonna think I’m crazy but I’m gonna die on that Drew O’Connor should play with Malkin hill. O’Connor’s play style reminds me so much of Scott Wilson in 2017.

honestly, i might have to use your idea in future ACGM's

I said last year OConner would make the NHL and he did. He should stick on the team this year.
But he's not a 2nd line player. I like the guy, but he's part of the new bottom 6 that is coming.

The next one is Caulfield. You might see him at the end of this year if we are lucky.
They are gonna be the 4th line this team has been missing for some time. Big, Fast, Physical. Paired with a really great 3rd line with Blueger.
The team will have depth but the issue will be the cap in the top 6.

OConnor just doesn't have the high end needed to be a top 6. But he's gonna make a really great bottom 6 guy.

Your Defense will never work though. POJ isn't a 1LD. Matheson can't play the right side.
If he could they wouldn't be hoping and praying on Chad and Friedman.

They have to go out and find a RD. This is kind of like the GMJR move of last year. Start the season all screwed and then wait to see what you can trade for later.
The problem is, if their RD gets hurt, they are cooked. They can't afford to have 1 legit RD.

I think they are hoping Maniscalco can show after a little bit of time in WBS. He played all of 8 games last year jetting out of AZ due to COVID shutting it down.
The whole year was a mess for him. They are hoping to normalize that and see what he can do.
This team has no real RD prospects other than him, so if he doesn't turn out, they are gonna be screwed for years to come unless they can find a NCAA FA or find some cap space.

Hell other than Caulfield they don't have all that much at this point. Svejkovsky and Broz are the only other two worth keeping an eye on in the skaters. Everything they have at this point is in WBS and should be 1/2 to 1 year away or going on bust mode.

So you’re not sold on Puustinen being a solid prospect?

not really.
Look the NHL is constantly changing.
The smaller prospect thing kicked in as teams scrambled to find guys who can skate fast enough to play.
But the bigger younger prospects are all increasing in speed. It's something people have focused on way more in development today.
And while there are some smaller guys here and there in the league that really show up like a Caulfield, it's getting harder and harder for them to find space.
So you ask where does a guy like him really fit on the penguins. He's not gonna fit in a defensive 3rd line role, or 4th line energy grind line.
So you are looking top 6. Do I think he is going to be a top 6 guy, the answer is no. They got 3 of those guys pretty much wrapped in Jake, Kap, Poulin in the near future.
There just isn't much space or opening there.