Don Cherry has been quiet this year about his hard on for Jordan Staal. Last year, all I heard was Jordan>Gino. I said it was stupid for the Pens to keep Staal in the NHL and have both Staal and Malkin up for UFA at the same time. Even when Staal was scoring SH goals at will, I still felt they should've sent him back to junior as it was best for the organisation in the long run. He was a young 18 year old last year. He wasn't ready for the big time. Yes, he did have a good rookie year, but this year he does not look like he belongs in the bigs. In fact, I was surprised when the Pens drafted him second overall.
So what is wrong with Jordan this year? The sophomore jinx is just a myth, so I want real reasons as to why he's struggling. I know Gino played against pros in the RSL and is older, but he is looking like an MVP candidate while Jordan looks like he belongs in the press box
When the Pens were giving him the 9 game tryout he made too strong a case for himself to be in the NHL to send him down to Junior. Considering his stellar play over most of last year I can't say that I blame the organization for keeping him in the bigs. I mean do you really think Pittsburgh should be more concerned with juggling contracts or improving their team and rewarding quality play?
And just because his and Malkins rookie contracts expire in the same year, it doesn't mean that they'll both hit UFA at the same time. They both have at least 1 more contract to sign between now and then.
When the Pens were giving him the 9 game tryout he made too strong a case for himself to be in the NHL to send him down to Junior. Considering his stellar play over most of last year I can't say that I blame the organization for keeping him in the bigs. I mean do you really think Pittsburgh should be more concerned with juggling contracts or improving their team and rewarding quality play?
And just because his and Malkins rookie contracts expire in the same year, it doesn't mean that they'll both hit UFA at the same time. They both have at least 1 more contract to sign between now and then.
Good points about the two potentially not being UFA at the same time. I guess I should've said "eligible for UFA at the same time". But even after his 6 goals in 9 games, I still felt that Jordan should've been sent down. Like I said, he's a young 18 and they should've learned from MA Fleury. I think they messed up his development by keeping him in the NHL at 18, just like the Rangers did to Black burn
I know Sid was a young 18 as well, but he is a generational talent
Spohmore jinx isn't something like bad luck. I believe what happens is a young guy gives it everything he has to make the NHL and has his total focus on the prize, and he has an excellent season. The next year, he comes in more relaxed and feels that he has made it and success will come easier for him now. He gets off to a rocky start and doesn't know how to recover. The third year, he remembers what it took to be successful and he comes more prepared and focused. The sophmore jinx is more due to human nature than anything. You can tell the young guys not to let that happen, but it is hard to come back as hungry after you have had success and you feel you have made it. Once tasting a little failure, the hunger returns.
Sniping a Gino is a pretty common phrase for scoring a goal down in Lethbridge at least. I had friends still trying to argue with me halfway through the season that Staal is better than Malkin. Malkin is one of my favorite players and so far hes done nothing buy get better since Crosby went down. Todays is his 4th multipoint game in a row! Staal should be ok eventually thhough, he has the skills to turn it around.
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Last edited by FlamesFanInEdm; 03-16-2011 at 10:00 PM.
Spohmore jinx isn't something like bad luck. I believe what happens is a young guy gives it everything he has to make the NHL and has his total focus on the prize, and he has an excellent season. The next year, he comes in more relaxed and feels that he has made it and success will come easier for him now. He gets off to a rocky start and doesn't know how to recover. The third year, he remembers what it took to be successful and he comes more prepared and focused. The sophmore jinx is more due to human nature than anything. You can tell the young guys not to let that happen, but it is hard to come back as hungry after you have had success and you feel you have made it. Once tasting a little failure, the hunger returns.
That and....teams know your tendencies which makes you easier to check. He will adapt. He doesn't have the skill of Crosby or Ovechkin...even Malkin. He is a different player and will be effective just not to the same degree as the others mentioned. I don't think any 19 yr old feels relaxed in the NHL but hey.....I've never been there lol.
Sniping a Gino is a pretty common phrase for scoring a goal down in Lethbridge at least. I had friends still trying to argue with me halfway through the season that Staal is better than Malkin. Malkin is one of my favorite players and so far hes done nothing buy get better since Crosby went down. Todays is his 4th multipoint game in a row! Staal should be ok eventually thhough, he has the skills to turn it around.
Never heard of gino being slang for a goal before, and I've lived in Lethbridge for 23 years now. Obviously my generation declined the usage of such names for goals and assists.
I've heard of an assist being referred to as an apple before and I immediately discredited anything I ever heard from the the mouth of the person who used that term. Slang is fun to use, but gino and apple are the lamest things I've heard.
Now get off my lawn.
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Good points about the two potentially not being UFA at the same time. I guess I should've said "eligible for UFA at the same time". But even after his 6 goals in 9 games, I still felt that Jordan should've been sent down. Like I said, he's a young 18 and they should've learned from MA Fleury. I think they messed up his development by keeping him in the NHL at 18, just like the Rangers did to Black burn.
I thought that Dan Blackburn had a freak nerve pinch that forced him out of hockey. Sure the Rags rushed him, but he seemed up to it at the time. I vaguely remember him showing up to training camp with two trappers and no stick one year, maybe 05/06? Pretty damned determined guy, but I don't know if rushing him is what ruined his shoulder.
As for J. Staal, I don't know. Could he have used a little more seasoning before the Pens stuck him in the oven? Of coarse. But when you're inviting CHLable 18/19 year olds to show their stuff in the NHL you're either giving them a legitimate try out or you're not. It's not necessarily the point that he got 6 goals in his first 9 games, although that is a part of it, it's whether he was also able to do the other little things that helped make a team successful. And he can't be doing too poorly at the little things this year because his team is still sitting on top of their division without Mr. Uberstar.
Where are all the Staal lovers?
