My Analysis on Riley Sheahan and the Penguin's Third Line Center Hunt

Forums/Armchair-GM

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Created by: ShafferPens

Team: 2017-18 Pittsburgh Penguins

Initial Creation Date: Feb. 12, 2018

Published: Feb. 12, 2018

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

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Title says it all . . .

First off, news articles about JR being happy with Sheahan as our third line center are pure bs. Teams use the media to get a message out. Did anyone else find it interesting that the media was writing about Depres issues before he was traded? And about Sprong's issues? It's to get a message out that those guys aren't in the team's plan. Well this time, we've got a case of writing about how well a player fits. I can guarantee you that JR is still searching for his third line center, but there aren't any available. These articles are written so that it sugarcoats that when JR doesn't trade for the third line center, JR has a defense. The Penguins use the media so much. Whenever a negative article(From the Post-Gazette, TribLive, or DK) about a player comes out, expect that player to be getting shopped. That's also why negative articles about Letang were coming out, because JR was looking to trade him. Now JR isn't trading Letang anymore because no one would meet his price. I CAN GUARANTEE THAT JR IS STILL SHOPPING FOR A THIRD LINE CENTER THAT IS BETTER THAN RILEY SHEAHAN.

Okay . . . onto Riley Sheahan. Dude has 20 points in his last 38 games as a Penguin. That's a .52 PPG pace. (5v5)He has a 49.7 CF% while getting only 32.3 oZS%. That's actually very good. But is anyone convinced that he's a third line center here? He hasn't proven it to me yet. If he played like this all year with the Penguins, I might've been. But the evaluation time is closing in since the trade deadline is coming up.

Trade Options for center are most likely Matt Cullen, Derek Ryan, or Mark Letestu. We don't have the cap space to add a Plekanec or a Brassard(potentially). I think JR's plans are these:

Plan A is to trade for a high quality third line center(using Sheary, Sprong, 1st, 2nd, etc) to move Sheahan to fourth line center.
Plan B is to trade for a lower quality center(using late picks) and for that center and Sheahan to fight over third line center. In the process, trade for a very good rental LW(using 1st, etc).
Plan C is to trade for a lower quality center(using late picks) and for that center and Sheahan to fight over third line center. Maybe also trading for a minor upgrade over Kuhnhackl on LW(using mid picks).

Plan B is most likely.

I'll leave you with this: Don't sleep on JR's ability to trade within the division.

;)

Draft	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Round 6	Round 7
2018
2019
2020

ROSTER

LONG-TERM OUTLOOK

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ROSTER SIZE	SALARY CAP	CAP HIT	OVERAGES	BONUSES	CAP SPACE
25	$75,000,000	$72,837,913	$50,000	$805,000	$2,162,087

Left Wing	Centre	Right Wing
Hagelin, Carl $1,875,000$1,875,000 LW UFA - 2	Malkin, Evgeni $9,500,000$9,500,000 C NMC UFA - 5	Kessel, Phil $6,800,000$6,800,000 RW M-NTC, NMC UFA - 5
Sheary, Conor $3,000,000$3,000,000 LW, RW UFA - 3	Crosby, Sidney $8,700,000$8,700,000 C NMC UFA - 8	Hörnqvist, Patric $4,250,000$4,250,000 RW M-NTC UFA - 1
Guentzel, Jake $734,167$734,167 ($182,500$182K) LW, RW UFA - 2	Sheahan, Riley $2,075,000$2,075,000 LW, C UFA - 1	Reaves, Ryan $1,125,000$1,125,000 RW UFA - 1
	Aston-Reese, Zach $925,000$925,000 LW, RW UFA - 2	Rust, Bryan $640,000$640,000 RW, LW UFA - 1
	Blueger, Teddy $705,000$705,000 ($182,500$182K) C, LW UFA - 1	Kühnhackl, Tom $625,000$625,000 RW UFA - 1
	Simon, Dominik $692,500$692,500 ($182,500$182K) RW, LW UFA - 1
	Rowney, Carter $612,500$612,500 C, RW UFA - 1

Left Defense	Right Defense	Goaltender
Dumoulin, Brian $4,100,000$4,100,000 LD UFA - 6	Letang, Kris $7,250,000$7,250,000 RD M-NTC, NMC UFA - 5	Murray, Matt $3,750,000$3,750,000 G UFA - 3
Määttä, Olli $3,333,225$3,333,225 LD UFA - 5	Schultz, Justin $5,500,000$5,500,000 RD UFA - 3	Jarry, Tristan $630,833$630,833 ($257,500$258K) G UFA - 1
Hunwick, Matt $2,250,000$2,250,000 LD UFA - 3	Ruhwedel, Chad $650,000$650,000 RD UFA - 2
Cole, Ian $2,100,000$2,100,000 LD/RD UFA - 1
Oleksiak, Jamie $964,688$964,688 LD/RD UFA - 1

Feb. 12, 2018 at 11:05 p.m.

clark

Joined: Nov. 2016

Posts: 2,933

Likes: 362

the chances of getting ryan and cullen might be small as the canes and wild are in a playoff battle. so the few that are available will have many suitors. even a 6m plekanec actually cost the buyer only 1.3m in cap as the season is about three quarters completed., with retention it's just 700,000 for the rest of the year

Feb. 12, 2018 at 11:08 p.m.

ShafferPens

Thread Starter

Lafreniere

Joined: Aug. 2017

Posts: 1,941

Likes: 305

Quoting: clark

Plekanec for a 2nd
Cullen for a 5th

Who do you choose? Me would take Cullen because we can spend that 2nd elsewhere.

Feb. 12, 2018 at 11:12 p.m.

clark

Joined: Nov. 2016

Posts: 2,933

Likes: 362

Quoting: ShafferPens

Plekanec for a 2nd
Cullen for a 5th

Who do you choose? Me would take Cullen because we can spend that 2nd elsewhere.

i would go your route, only if you can get what you want for a second. how about this option. plekanec with 50% retention for sheehan (if you're not sold on sheehan). montreal gets another year to look at sheehan and can decide if he resignable in 2019. Trouble with that trade though, there aren't too many ufa centres this summer. but plekanec might want one more cup run, with the pens and will come cheaply,

Feb. 12, 2018 at 11:17 p.m.

DCN003

Joined: Jun. 2015

Posts: 29

Likes: 4

Matt Cullen may be one of the worst players in the league. He looks every bit of 41 years old. Minnesota would love to get rid of him. No one in their right minds wants him. Penguins fans are thinking with their hearts instead of their heads. Don't waste your time. their are other, better options. Think outside the box. JR may move somebody for a low pick just to clear cap space.

Feb. 12, 2018 at 11:24 p.m.

ShafferPens

Thread Starter

Lafreniere

Joined: Aug. 2017

Posts: 1,941

Likes: 305

Quoting: clark

No thanks. That’s like shuffling deck chairs while the Titanic is sinking. It doesn’t feel a hole of need.

Feb. 12, 2018 at 11:25 p.m.

ShafferPens

Thread Starter

Lafreniere

Joined: Aug. 2017

Posts: 1,941

Likes: 305

Quoting: DCN003

Feb. 12, 2018 at 11:44 p.m.

DCN003

Joined: Jun. 2015

Posts: 29

Likes: 4

Quoting: ShafferPens

No no no.

Carter Rowney is easily the worst player in the league. I’d take Cullen over Rowney every day.

I think it’s more of Cullen’s heart not in it with MIN. He just won two cups with PIT and his wife forced him to play for a different team.[/quo

You are thinking with our heart. This isn't Cullen from 2 years ago. He was gassed last year. Check out his numbers. They're all in the toilet. You may think he's a neat guy, and fills your heart with warm tingly feelings, but this is a business. To win, you need to move on from this nonsense and find better options. I do agree , Rowney is not one of those options, even though I never mentioned him as one.

Feb. 13, 2018 at 12:00 a.m.

Jdfitz77

Joined: Apr. 2017

Posts: 5,120

Likes: 1,850

What are Sprong’s issues?
I thought he was pretty much “untouchable” from you guys?

Feb. 13, 2018 at 3:39 a.m.

PhilTheThrill

Joined: Jul. 2017

Posts: 152

Likes: 13

Bonino won two cups and everyone looks for someone like him. I’ll be realistic, Sheahan is playing better than Bonino was last year. Of course he started slow, he came to a team which was playing terrible and played often with Hagelin and Hörnqvist. He kills penalties, wins face offs, and helps Kessel be better which is what a 3C does. No sense in trading future for high profile UFA’s or rentals.

Ryan will be kept as long as Carolina is in a hunt, and getting Cullen doesn’t excel the lineup, especially when he’s scratched on Minnesota. Letestu would be great cause he can do both 3C and 4C, but Sheahan is a good and serviceable 3C.

Feb. 13, 2018 at 7:03 a.m.

#10

ShafferPens

Thread Starter

Lafreniere

Joined: Aug. 2017

Posts: 1,941

Likes: 305

Quoting: Jdfitz77

What are Sprong’s issues?
I thought he was pretty much “untouchable” from you guys?

He sure as hell isn’t untouchable . . .

He has defensive zone issues.

Jdfitz77 liked this.

Feb. 13, 2018 at 7:05 a.m.

#11

ShafferPens

Thread Starter

Lafreniere

Joined: Aug. 2017

Posts: 1,941

Likes: 305

Quoting: PhilTheThrill

But how convinced are you? Do you really buy that JR likes Sheahan as third line center? I don’t want to waste the playoffs to see if Sheahan can play third line center for us.

Feb. 13, 2018 at 7:37 a.m.

#12

Blynasty

Joined: Jul. 2016

Posts: 1,138

Likes: 106

Quoting: ShafferPens

But how convinced are you? Do you really buy that JR likes Sheahan as third line center? I don’t want to waste the playoffs to see if Sheahan can play third line center for us.

I think Sheahan is buying into the Penguins system and its starting to show dividends. Bonino had a slow start when he came over and ended up turning into a huge difference maker. I think Sheahan has a bit more offensive upside and less defensive skill than Bonino but I think he'll do fine down the stretch. For these reasons I think Cullen is the way to go. He can play 3rd or 4th line center as needed and provides a bit more defensively.

Feb. 13, 2018 at 7:38 a.m.

#13

ShafferPens

Thread Starter

Lafreniere

Joined: Aug. 2017

Posts: 1,941

Likes: 305

Quoting: Blynasty

You aren’t answering the question: When the playoffs come around, are you confident with Sheahan as third line center?

Feb. 13, 2018 at 7:45 a.m.

#14

Blynasty

Joined: Jul. 2016

Posts: 1,138

Likes: 106

Quoting: ShafferPens

You aren’t answering the question: When the playoffs come around, are you confident with Sheahan as third line center?

I don't think its as simple as that. I'm not comfortable with our bottom two centers, more worried about Rowney than Sheahan. I think Sheahan will do fine in a 3rd line center role come the playoffs, but without a veteran who could step in I would be worried.

Feb. 13, 2018 at 8:48 a.m.

#15

Jdfitz77

Joined: Apr. 2017

Posts: 5,120

Likes: 1,850

Quoting: ShafferPens

He sure as hell isn’t untouchable . . .

He has defensive zone issues.

Is he that brutal though?
It’s not uncommon for young players that are talented offensively to struggle in their own end
I wasn’t aware it was that big of an issue

I’m a Sabres fan though,
so obviously i don’t follow the Pens like u do

I’m interested in your opinion on Sprong though
If we were to trade Kane to u guys,
I’m assuming he’d be who we wanted back...
unless u guys had a good young defenseman prospect you’d part with?

Feb. 13, 2018 at 12:48 p.m.

#16

PhilTheThrill

Joined: Jul. 2017

Posts: 152

Likes: 13

Quoting: ShafferPens

But how convinced are you? Do you really buy that JR likes Sheahan as third line center? I don’t want to waste the playoffs to see if Sheahan can play third line center for us.

When the playoffs come I think he will play just fine. He has confidence, and it takes a good player to play with a Kessel. Like I say, he reminds me of Bonino. If he doesn’t show up for the playoffs then you look at that position in the offseason, but it’s not worth dealing Sprong or Gustavsson and a first round draft pick for. We are slim enough as it is.

Feb. 13, 2018 at 4:05 p.m.

#17

Klink2014

Joined: Apr. 2017

Posts: 62

Likes: 8

Sheahan is heating up at the right time, some players take more time to adjust after a trade. I'd rather find a better 4C for the playoffs because I don't think Rowney is the guy. I don't think Cullen is an improvement at all. Letestu or Ryan would be my choices

Feb. 13, 2018 at 5:29 p.m.

#18

ShafferPens

Thread Starter

Lafreniere

Joined: Aug. 2017

Posts: 1,941

Likes: 305

Quoting: Klink2014

I just don’t trust Sheahan to be our main third line center in the playoffs. I’d rather acquire Ryan so that we can have two third line centers.

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Forums/Armchair-GM

My Analysis on Riley Sheahan and the Penguin's Third Line Center Hunt

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